Gates of Vienna News Feed 8/26/2024

Powerful explosions were heard in Kyiv early today as Russia once again launched large-scale drone and missile attacks targeting energy sites across Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians took cover in air raid shelters and subway tunnels to avoid the blasts.

In other news, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised stricter knife laws and increased deportations of rejected asylum seekers in the wake of the deadly knife attack in Solingen.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, JW, 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.

USA
» “It Was So Brazen”: Squatters Seize Multi-Million Dollar Mansion Next to Lebron James
» Biden Seen ‘Visibly Shaking’ When Departing Air Force One After DNC Speech, White House Schedule Nearly Empty
» Burning Man Attendee Dies on First Day of Festival
» California Universities Ban Campus Encampments After Chaotic Anti-Israel Protests
» Elon Musk Posts #FreePavel After Telegram Founder’s Arrest — and Slams Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg
» Extreme Rhetoric in New York Mosques as Imams Call for Destruction of Israel, Praise Hamas
» Fear and Brisket for Jews at the DNC
» Federal Court Grants Preliminary Injunction Against Labor Dept, Blocks Temp Farm Worker Unionization
» Former Democrat Rep. Gabbard Endorses Trump
» Home of Texas Democrat Political Staffer Raided in Voter Fraud Investigation
» Hundreds of Former Aides to Bush, Romney, and McCain Endorse Harris
» Jack Smith Asks Appeals Court to Reinstate Trump Classified Docs Case
» James O’Keefe Launches Countersuit Against Project Veritas, Alleges Defamation, Breach of Contract
» Judge in Arizona ‘Fake Elector’ Case Sets Trial Date for 2026
» Kamala Harris Supports Radical Legislation to Pack the Supreme Court, Appoint New Justice Every 2 Years, Democrat Senator Says
» Mark Zuckerberg Admits Biden Administration ‘Pressured’ Facebook to Censor Americans
» New Twitter Files Raise Question of How Independent Pre-Musk Company Was From Biden Administration
» NYC Landlord Accused of Beating Armed Vagrant Cheered by Locals Who Complain ‘It’s Like the Wild West Now’
» Pro-Palestinian Activists in Seattle Celebrate Oct 7 With Rally Marking 300 Days Since Massacre
» Report Exposes Soros-Backed Texas District Attorneys Secretly Pushing Left-Wing Ideals
» Revealed: ABC Head is Biden Appointee, Close Friends With Kamala, Set Her Up With Doug Emhoff
» San Francisco Sweeps Homeless Camps Following Court Rulings
» Second Amendment Roundup: 8th Circuit Rules in Favor of Pistol Brace Owners
» Soros-Funded Censorship Plot Targets Black Voters
» Suburban Anarchist and Ex-Con Charged With Defacing CPD Car During DNC Protest
» Teacher Fired After Alleged Jan. 6 Involvement Wins Wrongful Termination Lawsuit
» Texas Gov Abbott Announces Over 1 Million Ineligible Voters Removed From Voter Rolls Since 2021
» Trump Raises ‘Questions’ About Debate With Kamala Harris on ‘ABC FAKE NEWS’
» Trump on Third Anniversary of Deadly Afghanistan Military Withdrawal: ‘Most EMBARRASSING Moment’
» Trump Vows to Create Space Force National Guard
» Trump Honors Fallen Soldiers From Afghanistan at Arlington Memorial Service, Kamala and Biden Are No Shows
» Trump Would Appoint Elon Musk to Cut ‘The Fat’ and Put RFK Jr. in Charge of Making America Healthy Again in Second Term
» Trump Rally Counter-Sniper Backs Bombshell ‘Evidence Tampering’ Claims by House GOPers
» UCLA Medical School Hired Students to Write Course Curriculum Emphasizing “Structural Racism and Health Equity”
» Video of Kamala Harris Gloating She Was ‘Last Person in the Room’ for Afghanistan Withdrawal Decision Goes Viral on Anniversary
» Watch: Suspected Capitol Pipe Bomber Interacts With Cops Night Before Jan. 6
» Wisconsin Supreme Court Allows Jill Stein to Stay on State Ballot as Green Party Nominee
» Wisconsin Communities Say No to Ballot Drop Boxes
 
Europe and the EU
» All-Cause Deaths Are Surging Among COVID-Vaxxed, Study Warns
» Cash-Strapped German Government ‘Throwing Money at Unimpressive Video Games’
» EU Cuts Baltic Sea Cod Quotas Despite Fish-Finger Shortage Fears
» France: The Charges Against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
» France: Non Merci! Le Pen Vows Vote of No Confidence for Any Leftist Governmentt Installed by Macron
» French Artist Leaks Phone Number of Assistant in Attempt to Target National Rally MP
» Germany: Upcoming State Elections to Bring Major Political Shift
» Germany: Tens of Thousands Demonstrate Against AfD After Stabbings in Solingen
» German Football Fans Protest Against Sponsorship Deal With Arms Manufacturer Rheinmetall
» Germany Sets Most Lenient Cannabis Drug-Driving Limit in EU
» German Christian Democrats Decry Drop in Socialist Support Ahead of State Elections
» Macron Widely Mocked for Saying Telegram CEO’s Arrest ‘Not Politically Motivated’
» Netherlands: Terrorism Suspect’s “Jihadist Ideology” a Possible Motive in Utrecht Cemetery Vandalism
» Poland: Kaczynski Rules Out Morawiecki’s Presidential Run in 2025
» Poland Becomes Critical to Portugal’s Economic Stability
» Spain: Catalan Police Claim “Errors” Allowed Separatist Leader to Escape
» Synagogue Attack Ignites Debate on Rising Antisemitism in France
» Teachers Across Britain Will be Taught to Challenge ‘Whiteness’ in Schools
» Telegram Founder’s Arrest Signals Dangerous Times for Online Free Speech
» Telegram Dismisses Allegations Following CEO’s Arrest
» Uber’s €290 Million Fine for Breaching GDPR Rules Sparks Industry Outcry
» UK: ‘It Can’t Carry on!’ Ex-Officer BLASTS Police Saying Notting Hill Carnival is ‘Example of Two-Tier Policing’
» UK: ‘No Whites’ Graffiti in Birmingham Investigated by Police as CCTV Shows Hooded Figure Spraying Racist Slur on Wall Outside Primary School
» UK: Over 40 Weapons Seized at Notting Hill Carnival Including Two Firearms as 145 People Arrested Today
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» Dancing Again After 246 Days in Hamas Hell: Freed Israeli Hostage Noa Argamani Attends a ‘Celebration of Life’ to Raise Awareness of Partner Who is Still Held Captive in Gaza
 
Middle East
» How Qatar Spreads Chaos in the Middle East and Fuels Islam in Europe
» Israel-Hamas War Latest: Israel Launches More Strikes on Lebanon, State Media and Witnesses Say
 
Russia
» Explosions Heard in Kyiv, Reuters Witnesses and Local Media Report
» Russia Unleashes One of ‘Largest’ Nationwide Aerial Attacks of War
» Russia’s Bid to Turn the Lights Off Across Ukraine — Sirens, Blasts, and a 10-Hour Underground Wait
» Ukraine Sounds Alarm Over Large Belarus Force Build-Up on Border
» Ukraine War Latest: Zelenskyy Pleads With Allies for Help After Deadly Russian Strikes
» Ukraine Deploys $9K Robot Dogs vs. Russia With Plans to Use Them as ‘Kamikazes’ on the Front Lines
 
South Asia
» MH370 Mystery: Expert Pinpoints ‘Perfect Hiding Place’ Where Missing Malaysian Airlines Flight Vanished
» Pakistan: Over 70 Dead as Gunmen Storm Highways, Execute Civilians in 24 Hours of Terror
 
Far East
» China Could Develop Rotating Launcher on Moon to Send Lunar Resources to Earth
 
Immigration
» DoorDash and Uber Eats Infiltrated by Venezuelan Migrants Who Are Illegally Showing Up at Your Door
» EU Wants to Force Migrants on Hungary
» Federal Judge Blocks Biden Administration’s ‘Parole in Place’ Immigration Program
» Fury in Historic Northeast City as Officials Use School Buses for MIGRANTS, Axing Local Kids’ Service
» Germany: Syrian Knife Attacker Who Murdered 3 at ‘Festival of Diversity’ Should Have Been Deported
» Germany’s Scholz (Again) Vows Tougher Knife Laws, Increased Deportations After Fatal Stabbing
» Left-Wing Mayor of Brussels Suddenly Doesn’t Want to Take Migrants
» Texas Judge Pauses Biden Plan to Offer ‘Amnesty’ to 500K Illegal Migrants Married to US Citizens
» Trump Meets With Jocelyn Nungaray’s Family as Migrant Murder Suspect Whines He Won’t Get a Fair Shake
 
Culture Wars
» Cornell University to Offer Course on “Ecological Justice” Focused on “Feminist, Queer, and Trans Perspectives”
» Flying Bats: Australian Women’s Soccer Team Featuring Five Trans Players Wins Grand Final Amid Tight Security After Going Undefeated All Season
» Former LPGA Tour Golfer Amy Olson Blasts Inclusion of Male Player at Female Tournament: ‘Unfair’
» JD Vance Confirms Trump Would Veto Federal Ban on Abortion
» Kamala Harris Bragged About Forcing Policy Change to Require Taxpayers to Cover Sex Change Surgeries for Prisoners in California
» White Critical Race Theory Darling Robin Diangelo Accused of Plagiarizing Minority Authors in Her Doctoral Thesis
 

“It Was So Brazen”: Squatters Seize Multi-Million Dollar Mansion Next to Lebron James

Los Angeles Realtor to the stars John Woodward says squatters have taken over a multi-million dollar mansion across the street from LeBron James.

Soon after listing the property at 1316 Beverly Grove Place in Beverly Hills, Woodward got a call from the pool boy letting him know that someone had shown up with a U-Haul to move in. Given that he hadn’t sold the house yet, he drove down to see what was going on — and ended up calling the police to report an active crime; these people were breaking into the house.

According to the Daily Caller, when the police showed up, the squatters produced a fake lease, which the cops of course accepted as proof, and told Woodword to pound sand — forcing him to pursue justice through the backlogged and ideologically biased LA court system.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Seen ‘Visibly Shaking’ When Departing Air Force One After DNC Speech, White House Schedule Nearly Empty

President Joe Biden was reportedly “visibly shaking” as he got off Air Force One in California last week after his speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). This comes as his schedule was left nearly blank in the days following his speech last week.

According to the Daily Mail, as Biden was getting off Air Force One, he was walking slowly down the steps and struggled to step into an SUV that would then take him to an 8,000-acre Santa Barbara ranch for a week-long vacation. He had reportedly been awake for about 24 hours at that point which as the outlet reported left the president “visibly shaking” as he traveled down the steps of the plane. One Secret Service agent reportedly helped Biden get into the SUV.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Burning Man Attendee Dies on First Day of Festival

(KRON) — A woman who was attending the 2024 Burning Man event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert has died, according to the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office. The PCSO was notified at around 11:37 a.m. Sunday about the potential death of a festival attendee.

Deputies responded to the location provided and confirmed that the woman had died.

“It is with heavy hearts that Burning Man Project confirms the death of a participant in Black Rock City in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert,” read a post on the festival’s website. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this loss.”

The woman was identified Monday as 39-year-old Kendra Frazer. An investigation into Frazer’s death is ongoing until the cause and manner can be determined, the sheriff’s office said.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

California Universities Ban Campus Encampments After Chaotic Anti-Israel Protests

The University of California system leader called on UC schools to enforce existing school regulations against disruptive camps and protests.

On Monday, UC President Michael V. Drake instructed the chancellors of UC’s 10 universities to enforce rules that ban disruptive protests ahead of the start of the fall semester. Students will also be stopped from wearing masks during protests in order to hide their identities.

In a letter also sent Monday to UC students and faculty, Drake wrote that UC is “proud” to uphold the “tradition” of students being able to express their views freely through protest on campus, but added that “[w]hile the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Elon Musk Posts #FreePavel After Telegram Founder’s Arrest — and Slams Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg

Elon Musk defended Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov following his arrest in Paris on Saturday and slammed fellow social media billionaire Mark Zuckerberg for caving into “censorship pressure.”

Musk wrote “#FreePavel” on X hours after the billionaire Russian exile was arrested at Le Bourget airport, reportedly over allegations he has allowed criminal activity to thrive on his encrypted messaging app.

French authorities issued a search warrant as part of a preliminary investigation into Durov — a staunch free speech advocate — and Telegram but were only able to act on the warrant if the 39-year-old was on French soil.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Extreme Rhetoric in New York Mosques as Imams Call for Destruction of Israel, Praise Hamas

A Brooklyn Muslim cleric who once partnered with New York Mayor Eric Adams on a campaign to end hate is now spreading it by calling for the annihilation of Israel, The Post has learned.

Meanwhile, one of his counterparts at a mosque in the Bronx has taken to blasting “Zionist Hollywood” and Christians for packing their churches with LGBTQ worshippers, whom he claims they are recruiting to bolster dwindling congregations.

As the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza continues, imam Sheikh Muhammad Al-Barr, called on Allah at his Bay Ridge mosque to “liberate Palestine from the occupiers and the plunderers” during a Friday service earlier this month.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Fear and Brisket for Jews at the DNC

“As the highest-ranking Jewish official in American history, I want my grandkids and all grandkids to never, never face discrimination because of who they are,” Senator Schumer concluded his speech. “But Donald Trump. This is a guy who peddles antisemitic stereotypes.”

Meanwhile Jewish Democrats were literally hiding out at the DNC.

Most Jewish events at the DNC were held at undisclosed locations with organizers having to approve attendees and only then provide them with the secret location shortly beforehand.

Agudath Israel, a traditional religious and not particularly Zionist group, whose members wear black suits and hats, held an open event to discuss the antisemitism faced by Orthodox Jews, only to have masked activists show up and scream that they were going to destroy Israel. No one at the DNC condemned those responsible or held them accountable for their actions. Imagine the reaction if black or Asian attendees were systemically harassed in this way.

“After 50 years fighting antisemitism in America, I could not have imagined a time -Jews would have to meet in secret locations in Chicago at DNC,” former ADL leader Abe Foxman tweeted.

Outside the DNC convention, men in Hamas bandanas flashed victory signs, waved Hamas flags, burned American and Israeli flags, and declared their support for the mass murder of Jews on Oct 7. Inside the DNC convention, President Joe Biden deviated from his prepared teleprompter remarks to declare that, “those protesters out in the street, they have a point.”

When the president says that those who want to kill and harass Jews have a point, is it any wonder that they operate with political impunity and support from the top echelons of the party?

           — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield [Return to headlines]
 

Federal Court Grants Preliminary Injunction Against Labor Dept, Blocks Temp Farm Worker Unionization

A federal court in Georgia on Monday granted a preliminary injunction that blocked a Labor Department rule that required agricultural employers to allow temporary foreign farm workers to form unions without congressional approval.

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit by the Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF), which represented a coalition of 17 states, Miles Berry Farm, and the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. The lawsuit was filed in June.

The federal court ruled that the Labor Department’s rule was “unconstitutional” because it conflicted with the National Labor Relations Act, which excluded farmworkers from the right to form unions.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Former Democrat Rep. Gabbard Endorses Trump

Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on Monday endorsed GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump during a National Guard conference in battleground Michigan in which she praised Trump for his foreign policy as president.

“I’m committed to doing all that I can to send President Trump back to the White House, where he once again serve us as our commander in chief,” said the retired Hawaii congresswoman and former Democratic presidential candidate who served in Iraq and Kuwait.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Home of Texas Democrat Political Staffer Raided in Voter Fraud Investigation

Texas Democratic staffer Manuel Medina had his home raided on Wednesday as part of a state election fraud investigation headed by Attorney General Ken Paxton. During the early morning raid, law enforcement and agents with the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found a trove of phones and digital devices.

“During the early morning hours of August 20, 2024 law enforcement officers and agents of the Texas Attorney General, forcibly entered the Medina family residents, awakening the occupants,” a court document stated. It noted that a search warrant had been issued the day prior.

The search took place over a period of seven hours, with authorities seizing “numerous papers, documents, family and other photographs, as well as 65 cell phones and some 41 computers, digital and other storage devices.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hundreds of Former Aides to Bush, Romney, and McCain Endorse Harris

Hundreds of former aides who served under Republican lawmakers endorsed Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, stating that “another four years” of a Trump administration would “hurt real, everyday” Americans.

In a letter that USA Today obtained, a group of more than 200 former aides for former President George W. Bush, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), and former Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) write that they are reuniting and joining with former staffers for former President George H.W. Bush to endorse Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Jack Smith Asks Appeals Court to Reinstate Trump Classified Docs Case

Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday asked a federal appeals court to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case, after it was dismissed last month.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July, claiming Smith’s appointment violated the Appointments clause of the Constitution, and that Smith had no authority to prosecute the case.

The appeal was filed in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where prosecutors claimed the ruling was “at odds with widespread and longstanding appointment practices in the Department of Justice and across the government,” according to the Associated Press.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

James O’Keefe Launches Countersuit Against Project Veritas, Alleges Defamation, Breach of Contract

James O’Keefe of OMG has launched a countersuit against Project Veritas, a company he founded and helmed until February 2023. Project Veritas sued their founder in May of that year, and now, O’Keefe is bringing his own claims against the group. O’Keefe was put on leave, at first for two weeks and then indefintely, which he has said was an attempt to force his resignation, and he later offered that.

In the countersuit obtained by The Post Millennial, O’Keefe accuses the Project Veritas Board of materially breaching the employment agreement when he was stripped of his position, compensation, and ability to do his work, “which proximately and directly damaged” him. O’Keefe offers a counterclaim of defamation, alleging that the “Board members acted negligently, at minimum, in regards to the truth or falsity of their statements.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Judge in Arizona ‘Fake Elector’ Case Sets Trial Date for 2026

Arizona Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen on Monday set the trial date in the “fake electors” case, which saw charges brought against multiple allies of former President Donald Trump, for January 5, 2026.

The case includes charges against Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and Trump attorney Boris Epshteyn. Prosecutors allege that the Trump allies submitted the names of fake electors who would certify the election in the former president’s favor, even though President Joe Biden won the state by 10,457 votes.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Kamala Harris Supports Radical Legislation to Pack the Supreme Court, Appoint New Justice Every 2 Years, Democrat Senator Says

Vice President Kamala Harris has signaled her support for radical legislation that would allow a new Supreme Court justice to be appointed to the bench every two years, according to a Democratic senator.

“They have not gone so far as to say, ‘We endorse your bill.’ They have said that your bills are precisely aligned with what we are talking about,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told The Dispatch last week when asked if the Harris campaign has voiced its support for legislation he proposed last October that would dramatically overhaul the high court.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Mark Zuckerberg Admits Biden Administration ‘Pressured’ Facebook to Censor Americans

Meta Platforms CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg admitted on Monday that the Biden administration “repeatedly pressured” his team for months in 2021 to censor content related to COVID-19, including content from ordinary Americans.

Zuckerberg responded to questions from the House Judiciary Committee, explaining the moderation of online content on social media platforms, including addressing reports that the Biden administration tried to censor multiple social media companies.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

New Twitter Files Raise Question of How Independent Pre-Musk Company Was From Biden Administration

Where did the Biden administration end and Twitter begin?

The latest batch of the Twitter Files, reported by former Senate Finance Committee investigator Paul Thacker from records turned over by the Elon Musk-owned company now called X, shows a curious timeline in the first couple months of Democratic President Joe Biden’s term.

Within two weeks of the inauguration, the company covertly hired a “global strategic advisory and commercial diplomacy services” firm cofounded and chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to seek State’s help dealing with censorship pressure from India.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

NYC Landlord Accused of Beating Armed Vagrant Cheered by Locals Who Complain ‘It’s Like the Wild West Now’

The Chinatown landlord accused of brutally beating an armed vagrant is being hailed a hero by locals — who say the area has devolved into a lawless cesspool because of the city’s soft-on-crime policies.

Manhattan building owner Brian Chin, 32 — who passionately spoke out against crime when a homeless man murdered one of his tenants in 2022 — was charged with felony assault for the Saturday attack that left a street person with serious injuries.

“Brian is a great guy. He’s like our local community activist, leader — he wants our neighborhood to be clean,” said a landlord whose family has owned a building on Chrystie Street, near where the incident occurred, for more than 40 years.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Pro-Palestinian Activists in Seattle Celebrate Oct 7 With Rally Marking 300 Days Since Massacre

Pro-Palestinian activists marching through downtown Seattle on Sunday cheered after a speaker at a protest declared, “Long live October 7!” The activists took to the streets for the 300th day after the terrorist attack.

Hundreds of activists took to the streets for an event to mark over 300 days of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists in response to the terror group infiltrating the Jewish state on October 7, 2023, raping, torturing, and murdering over 1,200 people and kidnapping over 250 more. Over 100 remain hostages in Gaza.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Report Exposes Soros-Backed Texas District Attorneys Secretly Pushing Left-Wing Ideals

A new report reveals how five Texas district attorneys backed by billionaire George Soros secretly coordinated to push left-wing causes.

The Media Research Center (MRC) published a report this month on how a network of Soros-funded groups united district attorneys from across the country. The report reveals communications obtained in public information requests between the “Texas Five,” which includes Dallas County DA John Creuzot, Travis County DA Jose Garza, former Bexar County DA Joe Gonzales, Fort Bend County DA Brian Middleton, and former Nueces County DA Mark Gonzalez.

According to MRC, these five DAs shared a group chat to “strategize and commiserate about their political opponents,” which included several complaints about Att. Gen. Ken Paxton.

The DAs openly discussed Paxton’s impeachment trial during work hours. Creuzot texted his fellow DAs that he was “elated” to see Paxton impeached.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Revealed: ABC Head is Biden Appointee, Close Friends With Kamala, Set Her Up With Doug Emhoff

ABC News is set to host the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s replacement in the race, Kamala Harris, on Sept. 10. Dana Walden, a Disney executive under whose purview ABC News falls, is a close friend of Harris and was appointed to the President’s Export Council as a member in 2023. Walden and her husband even introduced Harris to her husband Emhoff, the two have been married for 10 years.

According to the New York Times, Walden first met Harris in 1994, while their husbands, Matt Walden and Doug Emhoff, have known each other since the 1980s. Harris described the Waldens as “extraordinary friends” and they have donated to Harris’ campaigns since at least 2003 when she ran for San Francisco District Attorney.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

San Francisco Sweeps Homeless Camps Following Court Rulings

Authored by Lear Zhou via The Epoch Times,

Homeless people in San Francisco are adapting to the city’s new encampment sweeping policy, which was enacted after a recent Ninth Circuit ruling paved the way for the city to clear out homeless camps.

Previously, the city had to offer shelter to the homeless individuals every time it swept out a camp. After the new ruling, it can clear a recently swept area without shelter offers.

San Francisco has thus performed a citywide homeless encampment sweeping in the last few weeks, targeting the largest encampment areas.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Second Amendment Roundup: 8th Circuit Rules in Favor of Pistol Brace Owners

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has decided that ATF’s Final Rule determining that most pistols with stabilizing braces are short-barreled rifles is arbitrary and capricious. The case is Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Inc. v. Garland (“FRAC“), decided on August 9 and authored by Judge Steven Grasz.

The decision is filled with illustrations, beginning with a shooter with the brace’s strap wrapped around his forearm and a cuff further supporting the forearm. The device facilitates holding a heavy pistol with one hand. At the peak of their popularity in 2020, there were seven million braces owned by the public. Untold numbers were sold between then and when the Final Rule was published in 2023. ATF previously said the braces are legal. However, as the court notes, “The consequence of the ATF’s about-face is that many individuals, relying on the ATF’s previous classifications, were apparently committing felonies for years by possessing braced weapons.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Soros-Funded Censorship Plot Targets Black Voters

In an apparent pre-election bid to push leftist narratives, the George Soros-funded Poynter Institute is looking to censor information shared among black Americans.

Full of condescension and patronizing elitism, International Fact-Checking Network’s (IFCN) Poynter announced in a Tuesday press release that its PolitiFact and news organization Capital B “will collaborate this election season on fact-checks and analyses of issues that are important to Black Americans.” But Soros has poured money into groups suppressing election-related free speech, as MRC Free Speech America research showed, and Poynter is one such group.

Poynter explained that PolitiFact will share fact-checking content with Capital B to spread the content across its platforms. Capital B will “serve as a thought partner on election issues,” Poynter claimed, noting the two organizations might also co-produce content.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Suburban Anarchist and Ex-Con Charged With Defacing CPD Car During DNC Protest

CHICAGO (WLS) — Jeremy Hammond served a 10-year prison sentence in one of the largest computer hacking scandals in history.

He became a big name in the criminal hacking world beginning 20 years ago, eventually landing in federal prison for compromising personal information from a private intelligence company. Hammond branded this as electronic civil disobedience. The ex-con is facing new criminal charges for alleged hooligan-style behavior during Democratic National Convention protests.

In the most violent clash with Chicago police during last week’s DNC, that began outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago, authorities have charged Hammond with spray painting an anarchist symbol on a Chicago police patrol car, according to a police report obtained by the I-Team. The vandalism by Hammond is alleged to have occurred as a Chicago police officer watched and then took him into custody.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Teacher Fired After Alleged Jan. 6 Involvement Wins Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

By Dave Huber of The College Fix

A Pennsylvania teacher who was fired for allegedly attending the U.S. Capitol “insurrection” on January 6, 2021, has wona wrongful termination lawsuit after a two-week trial.

Jason Moorehead, a 17-year veteran social studies instructor in the Allentown School District, had always maintained he was “at all times over a mile away” at the Washington Monument when the riot occurred.

But on Jan. 7, the district issued a news release stating a district employee “was involved in the electoral college protest.” In it, Superintendent Thomas Parker did note the district “has an obligation to respect the First Amendment rights of our staff.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Texas Gov Abbott Announces Over 1 Million Ineligible Voters Removed From Voter Rolls Since 2021

More than 1 million ineligible voters have been removed from voter rolls since 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday.

The ineligible voters started to be removed after Abbott signed Senate Bill 1 into law in 2021, which increased the penalty for lying on a voter registration form to a felony.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Raises ‘Questions’ About Debate With Kamala Harris on ‘ABC FAKE NEWS’

President Donald Trump has warned that there are “a lot of questions to answer” regarding his upcoming debate with Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris on “ABC FAKE NEWS.”

Trump suggested he may withdraw from the debate due to the extreme pro-Democrat bias at ABC News.

The presidential debate between Trump and Harris is scheduled for September 10 on ABC.

While both candidates agreed to the ABC News debate, Trump has also pushed for two other debates in September.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump on Third Anniversary of Deadly Afghanistan Military Withdrawal: ‘Most EMBARRASSING Moment’

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday, the third anniversary of the U.S. military’s chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the matter.

“This is the third anniversary of the BOTCHED Afghanistan withdrawal, the most EMBARRASSING moment in the history of our Country,” the former president wrote. “Gross Incompetence — 13 DEAD American soldiers, hundreds of people wounded and dead, AMERICANS and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Vows to Create Space Force National Guard

Donald Trump vowed to sign a law that would create the Space National Guard if he was elected president in November, saying that it would be the combat reserves for Space Force that he created in his first term.

During the National Guard Association of the United States’ 146th General Conference in Detroit, Michigan, the GOP nominee committed that he would continue his work with defense in space that he started in his first term with Space Force and would sign legislation to create the Space National Guard.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Honors Fallen Soldiers From Afghanistan at Arlington Memorial Service, Kamala and Biden Are No Shows

August 26, 2024, marks the third anniversary of the bombing at Abbey Gate that killed 13 service members amid the Biden-Harris administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021. Donald Trump attended a wreath laying ceremony for the soldiers, however, President Joe Biden’s schedule was left nearly empty for Monday other than a briefing. Vice President Kamala Harris decided not to attend the event.

Footage from the event showed Trump leaning down to place a wreath over the grave of Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss as he spoke to the fallen soldier’s family over the phone.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Would Appoint Elon Musk to Cut ‘The Fat’ and Put RFK Jr. in Charge of Making America Healthy Again in Second Term

In an interview with Shawn Ryan Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Elon Musk may be too busy for a cabinet post but would be just right for “cutting the fat” out of the federal government. He also reiterated his promise that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently suspended his campaign to endorse and support Trump, would oversee “Making America Healthy Again.”

Trump restated his belief that the upcoming presidential election will be a seminal moment in American history. “Nov. 5 will be the most important day, in my opinion, in the history of our country, because, if our country goes the wrong way with this election, I think this country is doomed.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Rally Counter-Sniper Backs Bombshell ‘Evidence Tampering’ Claims by House GOPers

A SWAT counter-sniper who was working the Pennsylvania rally where former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated last month agreed with Republican lawmakers Monday that an “odd” pattern of evidence-handling had taken place following the deadly shooting.

Washington Regional SWAT counter-sniper Ben Shaffer said it was “absolutely” concerning that the roof of the AGR International building had been quickly scrubbed and gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks’ body disposed of before an official autopsy report could be released.

Five House Republicans — Reps. Andy Biggs and Eli Crane of Arizona, Matt Gaetz and Cory Mills of Florida, and Chip Roy of Texas — hosted the panel discussion with Shaffer and other witnesses at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UCLA Medical School Hired Students to Write Course Curriculum Emphasizing “Structural Racism and Health Equity”

By Justin Choi of Campus Reform

The University of California, Los Angeles Medical School hired students to write the curriculum for the school’s required Structural Racism and Health Equity (SRHE) courses.

A June 2023 document that was obtained by Do No Harm, a medical and policy advocacy group, showed that UCLA’s medical school was seeking to recruit first and second year medical students to develop a curriculum associated with liberal ideas such as critical race theory.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Video of Kamala Harris Gloating She Was ‘Last Person in the Room’ for Afghanistan Withdrawal Decision Goes Viral on Anniversary

On the third anniversary of the deadly Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 Americans during the botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, a video has gone viral of Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris gloating that she was central to President Joe Biden’s disastrous decisions that led to that fatal day.

In the resurfaced video of poorly aged comments, Harris boasts that she was the “last person in the room” when Biden made the deadly decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Watch: Suspected Capitol Pipe Bomber Interacts With Cops Night Before Jan. 6

Authored by Ken Silva via HeadlineUSA.com

Blaze Media has published possibly groundbreaking footage that shows the suspected J6 pipe bomber seemingly interacting with Capitol Police the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill uprising.

The footage reportedly comes from Capitol Police CCTV files recently made public by the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight. The specific finding was made by the social media user “Armitas,” according to Blaze.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Wisconsin Supreme Court Allows Jill Stein to Stay on State Ballot as Green Party Nominee

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein can remain on the state’s presidential ballot, dismissing an effort from the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

A DNC employee filed the petition to keep Stein from the Wisconsin ballot last week, claiming she should not be allowed to appear on the ballot because the Wisconsin Green Party does not hold any state offices.

The court did not explain its decision, but rejected the bid by David Strange, and dismissed all other pending motions related to the effort.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Wisconsin Communities Say No to Ballot Drop Boxes

(The Center Square) — City councils in two Waukesha County municipalities, Brookfield and New Berlin, have voted to ban the use of ballot drop boxes in their cities for the upcoming general election, following a state Supreme Court ruling that reinstated municipalities’ right to utilize the equipment.

Brookfield justified its decision last week to ban drop boxes by arguing they are unnecessary.

“Unlike 2020 and 2021, Covid is no longer the threat to public health that it once was, and the City is not subject to any stay-at-home or mask orders,” Brookfield City Attorney Jenna Merten wrote in a memo, adding that the city still provides ample services like extended hours for in-person absentee voting and a drive-up ballot drop off for disabled voters. “With such provisions in place, we do not think a drop box is necessary at this time.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

All-Cause Deaths Are Surging Among COVID-Vaxxed, Study Warns

An alarming new study has revealed that deaths from all causes are soaring dramatically among those who have received Covid mRNA shots compared to the unvaccinated.

The discovery was revealed in a study by an Italian team of researchers led by Professor Marco Alessandria of the University of Turin and Dr. Alberto Donzelli, M.D. of Italy’s Independent Medical-Scientific Commission.

The researchers analyzed data from a previously published study from Rosso et al. involving data from the population of the mostly rural Italian province of Pescara.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Cash-Strapped German Government ‘Throwing Money at Unimpressive Video Games’

German economy minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is under pressure after announcing new subsidies for the digital gaming sector, despite the country’s budget problems.

The German gaming industry is one of the biggest markets in Europe and top developers such Crytek (Far Cry series) and Blue Byte (Anno series, The Settlers) have been growing mobile gaming studios’ output.

According to Games Industry.biz, Germans spent close to €10 billion on games last year — outperforming both the music and movie industry — with the government having also lavishly subsidised the gaming sector.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Cuts Baltic Sea Cod Quotas Despite Fish-Finger Shortage Fears

The European Commission has announced it is cutting fishing quotas for cod despite ongoing fears of fish-finger shortages in Germany.

In a press release published on August 26, Brussels announced it was cutting the total quota of fishable Western Baltic Cod in the region by 247 tonnes and the total amount of Eastern Cod by 404 tonnes over fears of stock depletion.

This represents a decrease of 73 per cent and 68 per cent on 2023, respectively.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

France: The Charges Against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov

The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was initiated under the auspices of the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris, which issued a statement detailing the circumstances surrounding Durov’s detention. “Pavel DUROV, founder and CEO of instant messaging and platform Telegram, was arrested… then taken into police custody at 8 p.m.,” the tribunal stated.

This action is part of a “judicial investigation opened the 8th of July 2024, following a preliminary inquiry initiated by Section J3 — JUNALCO (Fight against Cybercrime) of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.”

The charges against Durov raise serious concerns about the potential for widespread legal actions against tech executives based on the content hosted on their platforms.

The case also underscores the growing tension between government regulations and the principle of encryption, hinting at a possible future where strong encryption could face legal challenges. For example, the EU has already been using the idea of protecting children as the reason to call for a ban on all private messaging and the introduction of online digital ID.

Durov is accused under several charges that encompass a wide array of alleged complicit behaviors.

We obtained a copy of the full charges for you here.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

France: Non Merci! Le Pen Vows Vote of No Confidence for Any Leftist Governmentt Installed by Macron

French populist leader Marine Le Pen has vowed that her National Rally party will immediately bring a vote of no confidence if President Emmanuel Macron attempts to install any leftist government.

National Rally (RN) leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella said following a meeting with President Macron on Monday at the Élysée Palace that they will seek to take down any government involving the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) coalition.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

French Artist Leaks Phone Number of Assistant in Attempt to Target National Rally MP

French artist and comedian Michaël Youn has leaked what he said was the phone number of National Rally MP Frédéric Falcon during a concert, without realising the number was used by the MP’s assistant.

During his performance, Youn displayed a photo of Falcon and a mobile phone number on a large screen in front of several thousand attendees.

The comedian urged the audience to contact the MP, saying: “It’s a very personal message, so I’d like everyone to thank him. Thank you so much, Frédéric!”

In reality, the phone number belonged to an assistant of the hard-right MP.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Upcoming State Elections to Bring Major Political Shift

On Sept. 1, two key East German states, Saxony and Thuringia, will hold landmark elections: The Alternative for Germany (AfD) looks unstoppable and the popularity of the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is soaring.

The whole of Germany is watching anxiously as local people decide their future on Sept. 1. In the former East Germany, there is a growing discontent with the policies and actions of the federal coalition government, which, according to opinion polls, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now without doubt the strongest party in Saxony and Thuringia, followed by the Christian Democrats (CDU), while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which was formed in the winter, is in third place and starting to catch up with 15 to 20 percent.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Tens of Thousands Demonstrate Against AfD After Stabbings in Solingen

After a deadly knife attack in the German city of Solingen, tens of thousands took to the streets to march against Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) in Saxony and Thuringia.

On the evening of August 23 during the Festival of Diversity in Solingen to celebrate the city’s 650th anniversary, an immigrant allegedly killed three people. Eight others were injured, five of them seriously. One person is in a critical condition in hospital.

The suspect is reported to be a Syrian, with possible connections to the Islamic State. According to the reports, the suspect should have been deported in 2023.

The 26-year-old man came to Germany from Bulgaria and had his asylum application rejected. According to the so-called Dublin rules of the European asylum system, Bulgaria should have been responsible for his deportation.

On the morning of August 26, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) visited Solingen to honour the victims.

Less than 48 hours after the deadly assault, rallies took place in Saxony and Thuringia, protesting against the AfD. With state elections on September 1, the protestors aimed to present a “firewall” against “the far-right.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

German Football Fans Protest Against Sponsorship Deal With Arms Manufacturer Rheinmetall

Fans of the German football club Borussia Dortmund have opposed an advertising deal with arms manufacturer Rheinmetall.

At the team’s Bundesliga opener on August 24, protesting fans placed a replica tank outside the stadium.

They complained that they were not involved in the decision-making process ahead of the May deal. One activist wearing a mask with a likeness of Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger handed out red cards.

Before the game, the fans’ association Südtribüne Dortmund called on “every single Borussia fan … to bring their displeasure about the deal with Rheinmetall into the stadium”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany Sets Most Lenient Cannabis Drug-Driving Limit in EU

Under new drug regulations in Germany, Berlin has set the most lenient drug-driving limit in the European Union.

As of August 22, drivers are allowed to operate vehicles with cannabis in their systems as long as THC levels do not exceed 3.5 nanograms per millilitre of blood (ng/ml). This marks a significant increase from the previous limit of 1 ng/ml.

THC is a cannabinoid found in cannabis. It is the principal psychoactive constituent of the drug.

Across Europe, cannabis driving limits vary: the Netherlands permits up to 3 ng/ml, Belgium, Ireland, and Denmark allow up to 1 ng/ml, while France, Italy, and Spain completely prohibit driving so long as there are registerable THC in one’s blood stream.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

German Christian Democrats Decry Drop in Socialist Support Ahead of State Elections

Senior Christian Democrats in Germany have decried the drop in public support for the country’s Socialists ahead of key regional elections in the country’s east.

The ruling Socialist Democratic Party (SPD) is now polling so low in Saxony and Thuringia that they risk being thrown out of both states’ parliaments entirely, with members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) warning the decline was a cause for concern.

Speaking to local media, CDU MEP Dennis Radtke insisted that the party’s crash in popularity must be viewed without “a hint of malice” and that while his party allegedly held different opinions to the SPD on various issues, both serve as stabilising forces within German democracy.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Macron Widely Mocked for Saying Telegram CEO’s Arrest ‘Not Politically Motivated’

Update(1235ET): It appears President Emmanuel Macron is feeling the pressure after French authorities arrested Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov over the weekend. The prosecutor’s office has since said his detention may last until Aug.28.

Several prominent tech entrepreneurs and public figures — for example Elon Musk — have decried the move as selective persecution against a known advocate of free speech. In a rare move Macron weighed in directly on Monday, claiming it has nothing to do with his government and that Durov’s arrest and ongoing detention is not politically motivated.

Macron said Monday, “The arrest of Telegram’s president on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.” Macron further condemned what he called “false information” surrounding the case.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Netherlands: Terrorism Suspect’s “Jihadist Ideology” a Possible Motive in Utrecht Cemetery Vandalism

Testimony from an expert in the Arabic language and culture indicated that the manner in which almost a hundred graves were vandalized at an Utrecht cemetery in May fits in with the “jihadist ideology.” Prosecutors presented more information about their case against 21-year-old Mohamed B. on Monday. The Vleuten resident is also accused separately of participating in a terrorist organization, and preparing to carry out impactful criminal acts, such as bombings.

On Monday, B. appeared at the District Court in Utrecht for the first public hearing regarding his case. In addition to the grave desecration, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) suspects B. of participating in a terrorist organization and preparing serious crimes, such as causing explosions. B. is alleged to have come close to traveling to Somalia last year to join the terrorist group, Islamic State (IS), but he was stopped by his father.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Poland: Kaczynski Rules Out Morawiecki’s Presidential Run in 2025

In an interview with Catholic Radio Maryja, the head of Law and Justice (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski, assessed the chances of former Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in next year’s presidential election, casting serious doubt on his candidacy. Despite acknowledging Morawiecki’s strong position within the party and his support among certain factions, Kaczynski stated that the former prime minister’s track record as head of government makes him a vulnerable candidate.

“Morawiecki is easy to attack,” Kaczynski said. “His role as prime minister and the difficult decisions he’s had to make ensure he might reach the second round, but winning would be nothing short of a miracle.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Poland Becomes Critical to Portugal’s Economic Stability

Poland, where more than 100 Portuguese companies are active, has emerged as a key factor in Portugal’s economic stability, according to Lisbon-based media outlets. Reports highlight that weaker performance in Poland is having a noticeable impact on Portugal’s economy.

Both SIC television and the weekly Expresso magazine point to Portugal’s growing dependency on the Polish market, underscored by a significant drop in the share price of Jeronimo Martins, the owner of Poland’s Biedronka discount chain, on the Lisbon stock exchange at the end of July. The sharp decline followed Biedronka’s announcement of weaker-than-expected results.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Spain: Catalan Police Claim “Errors” Allowed Separatist Leader to Escape

The Mossos d’Esquadra, the regional police force in the Spanish region of Catalonia, claimed in a report that their operation to capture and detain fugitive separatist leader Carles Puigdemont had failed due to “technical and formal errors.” They also admitted that three officers were arrested for allegedly participating in Puigdemont’s escape.

The report was turned in last week to judge Pablo Llarent of the Spanish supreme court. It says that Puigdemont, who had returned to give a speech in central Barcelona after years in exile, managed to create a situation of confusion and uncertainty “that distracted police” and facilitated his escape. This included an orchestrated “deception,” as police had not considered it “a possibility” that he would flee so quickly and make only a short public appearance.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Synagogue Attack Ignites Debate on Rising Antisemitism in France

On Saturday, August 24th, an attack targeted a synagogue in La Grande Motte, a popular seaside resort on the Mediterranean. A criminal broke into the sacred building, where a gas cylinder was opened, followed by two fires outside. Over the weekend, there was a succession of political reactions, with part of the French left denying that the attack was antisemitic.

On Saturday morning, a fire broke out at the Beth Yaacov synagogue. On arrival on the site, firefighters and police discovered several vehicles in flames. A violent explosion threw a policeman to the ground.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin quickly confirmed the criminal nature of the attack and expressed his support for the Jewish community. Four hours after the explosion, the investigation was handed over to the national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Teachers Across Britain Will be Taught to Challenge ‘Whiteness’ in Schools

Teachers across Britain are set to be taught to challenge “whiteness” in schools.

According to a best-practice document, educators will be instructed on how to “disrupt the centrality of whiteness” in schools.

The aim of this is to ensure that future teachers are “anti-racist” and be prepared to implement this in the classroom.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Telegram Founder’s Arrest Signals Dangerous Times for Online Free Speech

Picture this: A tech billionaire, who’s made his fortune building a platform that prioritizes privacy and free speech, is arrested at a Paris airport. Sounds like the plot of a dystopian thriller, right? Except it’s real life. Pavel Durov, the brain behind Telegram, found himself in handcuffs at Le Bourget airport over the weekend, marking another dark chapter in the ongoing war against free speech.

What’s Durov’s crime, you ask? Well, it depends on which bureaucrat you ask. According to the official indictment, he’s guilty of everything short of kicking puppies—fraud, drug trafficking, organized crime, encouraging terrorism, and, just for good measure, providing encryption. The French authorities must have felt ambitious that day, throwing in the entire criminal code just to be sure. Let’s not forget that this whole circus started because Durov reportedly had the support free speech. Apparently, in 2024, that’s enough to get you a one-way ticket to a Parisian jail cell.

Durov’s detention has been extended by 96 hours. Because, you know, it takes a while to figure out which of these ludicrous charges will stick when the real crime was defending free speech.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Telegram Dismisses Allegations Following CEO’s Arrest

Messaging service Telegram has issued a statement denouncing the arrest of its CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities for alleged failures in content moderation.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the company said on X, emphasising that it complies with European Union regulations.

“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.”

The Dubai-headquartered platform also stated that Franco-Russian billionaire Durov regularly travelled within Europe and “has nothing to hide”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Uber’s €290 Million Fine for Breaching GDPR Rules Sparks Industry Outcry

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) has fined Uber €290 million for transferring personal data of European taxi drivers to the US without ensuring data protection measures, sparking an industry backlash.

According to the DPA, Uber collected sensitive information from European drivers over a two-year period and stored it on servers in the US without using proper transfers tools, thus violating the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA Europe) argued the fine set a “worrisome” precedent for retroactive enforcement.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: ‘It Can’t Carry on!’ Ex-Officer BLASTS Police Saying Notting Hill Carnival is ‘Example of Two-Tier Policing’

A former Scotland Yard detective has blasted the police saying the Notting Hill Carnival is “example of two-tier policing.”

Notting Hill Carnival has been hit with violence again this year, as police say they are aware of three stabbings while 90 people have been arrested so far.

“With them saying there was more arrests at Leeds because that depends on the different policing styles.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: ‘No Whites’ Graffiti in Birmingham Investigated by Police as CCTV Shows Hooded Figure Spraying Racist Slur on Wall Outside Primary School

Anti-white racist graffiti has sprung up across three different locations in Birmingham, with the police launching an investigation into the incidents.

The racist writing appeared in three locations across the neighbourhood of Alum Rock.

On two occasions the words “No whites” were written, while the third read “No whites allowed”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Over 40 Weapons Seized at Notting Hill Carnival Including Two Firearms as 145 People Arrested Today

Over 40 weapons have been seized at Notting Hill Carnival today, including two firearms, as 145 people have been arrested.

A person has also been stabbed, bringing the total number of stabbing victims to four so far over the two days.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that the victim has not suffered life threatening injuries.

The force provided a detailed breakdown of the offences so far at Carnival on Bank Holiday Monday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Dancing Again After 246 Days in Hamas Hell: Freed Israeli Hostage Noa Argamani Attends a ‘Celebration of Life’ to Raise Awareness of Partner Who is Still Held Captive in Gaza

Rescued hostage Noa Argamani told loved ones ‘we should celebrate every moment’ in a ‘Return to Life’ celebration yesterday.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

How Qatar Spreads Chaos in the Middle East and Fuels Islam in Europe

People who have been following international news closely in recent years might have noticed that Qatar keeps appearing in the headlines and clearly punches well above its weight in world affairs for a country with only 300,000 citizens.

Lately, Qatar has been in the spotlight for housing the Hamas leadership while at the same time playing the role of the main negotiator, together with Egypt, for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Qatar also served as a safe haven for the Taliban for many years, and in 2020, facilitated a peace agreement between the United States and the Islamist group.

In between, Doha has also managed to organize the World Cup in football and was behind the largest corruption scandal in the history of the European Parliament, known as “Qatargate.”

However, Qatar’s main influence operation is its decades-long campaign to sponsor the spread of radical Islamist movements and mosques in the Middle East and Europe.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Israel-Hamas War Latest: Israel Launches More Strikes on Lebanon, State Media and Witnesses Say

After a short-lived calm following a heavy exchange of strikes between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, fighting resumed Monday.

State media and witnesses reported that Israeli strikes targeted the Lebanese border village of Tair Harfa and an area of the coastal city of Sidon on Monday afternoon. A car was hit in the latter strike.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that a man “from one of the Palestinian organizations” had survived the strike on the car. In addition to targeting Hezbollah members, Israel has occasionally targeted members of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Lebanon. There were no immediate reports of other casualties.

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

Explosions Heard in Kyiv, Reuters Witnesses and Local Media Report

KYIV, Aug 27 (Reuters) — Powerful explosions were heard in Kyiv early on Tuesday, Reuters witnesses and local media reported, with Ukraine’s air defence forces saying all of the country was under the threat of a Russian ballistic weapons attack.

It was not clear whether the explosions were air defence systems in operation or air weapons hitting their targets.

“Don’t ignore the air raid alerts, seek cover,” Ukraine’s air force said on the Telegram messaging app.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

Russia Unleashes One of ‘Largest’ Nationwide Aerial Attacks of War

Russia has once again launched large-scale drone and missile attacks targeting energy sites across Ukraine, including in the capital of Kiev, resulting in three civilian deaths, emergency authorities said.

A total of 15 of Ukraine’s 24 oblasts came under the early morning attack, including by cruise missiles and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, according to the country’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

“To stop the barbaric shelling of Ukrainian cities, it is necessary to destroy the locations from where Russian missiles are launched,” Shmyhal said on Telegram. “Ukraine needs long-range weapons and permission from our partners to use them against Russian targets.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Russia’s Bid to Turn the Lights Off Across Ukraine — Sirens, Blasts, and a 10-Hour Underground Wait

After 10 hours of sirens, Ukrainians emerged from damp air raid shelters and subway tunnels across the country to switch back on the lights — only for many to find the power was out.

“The bomb siren went on at six in the morning, and soon after the blasts started rocking the sky above Kyiv,” Save the Children’s Ukraine director Sonia Khush said.

A barrage of missile and drone strikes on Monday, local time, saw millions take shelter as Russia bombarded the country’s capital as well as 15 Ukrainian regions in what appeared to be a targeted attack on the country’s power supply.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine Sounds Alarm Over Large Belarus Force Build-Up on Border

In a strategic move which puts pressure on Ukraine in response to its ongoing Kursk incursion into Russia, Belarus has built-up its troops along parts of its southern border with Ukraine.

A Sunday statement by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that Belarus pull back its forces or risk further escalation and “tragic mistakes”.

The statement described that under the guise of exercises, “a significant number of personnel, including Special Operations Forces, weapons, and military equipment” are present at the border. It additionally named the presence of former Wagner PMC forces.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine War Latest: Zelenskyy Pleads With Allies for Help After Deadly Russian Strikes

At least three people were killed this morning after Russia launched a round of air strikes against several cities in Ukraine.

           — Hat tip: McN [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine Deploys $9K Robot Dogs vs. Russia With Plans to Use Them as ‘Kamikazes’ on the Front Lines

Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war.

Ukraine is siccing a fleet of robot dogs on Russian troops, including some four-legged terminators it hopes to use to conduct “kamikaze” attacks on enemy soldiers and vehicles along the frontlines, officials said.

More than 30 of the $9,000-a-pop robo hounds made by the company Brit Alliance have taken to the battlefield so far, with the metal dogs serving as walking drones capable of performing reconnaissance missions and swiftly delivering supplies to troops.

A commander of Ukraine’s Kurt & Company unit told the Telegraph that his team is working to make the dogs also “act as a kamikaze drone against vehicles or enemy soldiers.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

MH370 Mystery: Expert Pinpoints ‘Perfect Hiding Place’ Where Missing Malaysian Airlines Flight Vanished

A scientist claims he has pinpointed the “perfect hiding place” where the missing MH370 flight could have crashed.

The Malaysian Airlines plane carrying 239 people disappeared after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014.

Adjunct researcher at the University of Tasmania, Vincent Lyne, believes the plane was deliberately flown into a 20,000ft deep “hole” in the Indian Ocean’s Broken Ridge.

Lyne said the Broken Ridge is “a very rugged and dangerous ocean environment with narrow steep sides, surrounded by massive ridges and other deep holes”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Pakistan: Over 70 Dead as Gunmen Storm Highways, Execute Civilians in 24 Hours of Terror

A massive coordinated terror attack on several locations in southwestern Pakistan has left at least 70 dead over a 24-hour period of terror which started Sunday night.

The attacks were the work of a separatist group called the Baluch Liberation Army (BLA), which claimed responsibility. It started with bombings and gunfire targeting a national military camp in Pakistan’s Baluchistan Province, which left at least one soldier dead.

In the same area, gunmen stormed four police stations, setting vehicles on fire. By morning, a key bridge in the area was also attacked and destroyed. But the situation escalated when militants attacked a major highway in a town called Bela. They intercepted traffic and then proceeded to execute people, reports say.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

China Could Develop Rotating Launcher on Moon to Send Lunar Resources to Earth

Chinese scientists propose a magnetic launcher on the moon for cost-effective resource transport to Earth.

The magnetic levitation system, based on the hammer throw principle, would spin faster and launch the capsule toward Earth.

Leveraging the moon’s high vacuum and low gravity, it could eject payloads twice daily at about 10 percent of current transport costs, according to researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering.

[Comment: The magnetic launcher on the moon could become a weapon.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

DoorDash and Uber Eats Infiltrated by Venezuelan Migrants Who Are Illegally Showing Up at Your Door

Hundreds of Venezuelan migrants are illegally working as food delivery drivers across America, DailyMail.com can reveal, showing up to your door under names and identities that don’t belong to them.

The troubling development is a consequence of the one million Venezuelan citizenswho have flooded into the US, largely illegally, during President Joe Biden’s time in office, with many entering through the US-Mexico border.

It raises huge concerns about the safety of the home delivery apps and the consumer’s ability to trust who is actually delivering food to their home and family — with customers’ personal information potentially placed in the hands of dangerous street gangs.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Wants to Force Migrants on Hungary

It is unacceptable for Hungary that the European Union would force it to open its gates to illegal migrants, initiate procedures and thereby allow them into the EU, said Bence Rétvari, Hungary’s parliamentary state secretary of the ministry of interior, while speaking on Sunday morning’s Kossuth Radio program.

Rétvari said that, according to an implementation plan adopted this summer, Hungary would have to process more than a quarter of all applications from irregular migrants. This is disproportionately high and would create migrant ghettos, which Hungary wants to avoid. He stressed the need to build up the capacity to process applications, to increase it fourfold by 2028, and to ensure access to applications thereafter.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Federal Judge Blocks Biden Administration’s ‘Parole in Place’ Immigration Program

A federal judge in Texas on Monday blocked the Biden administration’s “parole in place” program, which would have given illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens a pathway to citizenship.

A coalition of 16 Republican states, led by Texas, sued the administration over the rule last week, claiming it illegally bypassed Congress in order to create the pathway for “political purposes.”

U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker issued the administrative stay on the program, blocking it for at least two weeks as he hears the conservative states’ challenge.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Fury in Historic Northeast City as Officials Use School Buses for MIGRANTS, Axing Local Kids’ Service

Parents in a Boston exurb have reacted angrily to revelations that schools are axing buses for local children — but keeping them running for the kids of migrants and asylum seekers.

Some 150 students at Stoughton Public Schools are scrambling to find ways to get to school from September 4, after the district cut services due to a lack of funding.

Controversially, the hundreds of migrant and asylum seeker families living in the town of Stoughton will still get school-buses, thanks to funding from the state.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Syrian Knife Attacker Who Murdered 3 at ‘Festival of Diversity’ Should Have Been Deported

The Syrian knife attacker who killed three people and injured eight others at the Festival of Diversity in Germany in Solingen was actually slated for deportation but was never sent home.

Germany’s Bild newspaper revealed that the 26-year-old migrant, Issa al H., had entered the EU via Bulgaria, but only applied for asylum in Germany in 2022. His application was rejected, but like hundreds of thousands of migrants, he was never sent home.

When he found out about his rejected application, the suspected Islamist is said to have gone into hiding, only to report back to the authorities six months later. However, deportation orders have a deadline, and once his expired, instead of pursuing new efforts to deport the man, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees issued him with “subsidiary protection status.” This status is only granted if the asylum seeker faces serious danger in his home country.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany’s Scholz (Again) Vows Tougher Knife Laws, Increased Deportations After Fatal Stabbing

Stricter knife laws and increased deportations of rejected asylum-seekers. Those are two much-repeated promises made again Monday by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as he talked tough on a visit to the scene of the knife attack in which a suspected Islamic terrorist from Syria is accused of killing three people.

A “furious and angry” Scholz, speaking after he joined regional officials in laying a white flower at a makeshift memorial in the western city of Solingen, promised action in the wake of the deadly attack, in which eight people also were wounded by the failed asylum seeker.

The chancellor used the same threats and vows of “something must be done” earlier this year when a similar mass stabbing happened in the regional center of Mannheim carried out by an Afghan immigrant.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Left-Wing Mayor of Brussels Suddenly Doesn’t Want to Take Migrants

“If we continue receiving no funding from Brussels for border protection, we will offer transport to all migrants to the border of Brussels free of charge. If Brussels wants migrants, they will get them,” said Gergely Gulyas, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, at a government briefing on Thursday.

It was the European Court of Justice’s severe ruling against Hungary that made the Budapest cabinet raise the possibility of one-way ticket distributions. The ruling says Hungary must pay a fine for failing to comply with the asylum rules of the EU. The original €200 million fine increases each day by €1 million until Hungary manages to “adjust” its sovereign governance to align with “European principles.” (The fine could already be around €100 billion — editor’s note.)

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Texas Judge Pauses Biden Plan to Offer ‘Amnesty’ to 500K Illegal Migrants Married to US Citizens

A Texas federal judge on Monday put a temporary pause on President Biden’s plan to fast track permanent residency for illegal migrants married to American citizens.

US District Judge J. Campbell Barker issued the two-week long administrative stay on the same day the Department of Homeland Security began accepting applications for the so-called Parole in Place program, which would grant work authorization, permanent residency and eventually citizenship to spouses and stepchildren of US citizens who have been in the country for at least 10 years.

“The claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date,” Barker wrote in his nine-page order, which followed a lawsuit filed by 16 Republican-led states arguing that the program would “incentivizes illegal immigration and will irreparably harm” the states.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Meets With Jocelyn Nungaray’s Family as Migrant Murder Suspect Whines He Won’t Get a Fair Shake

The attorney of one of the illegal migrant suspects charged in the murder of Texas 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray has filed for a protective order to ensure that the negative media attention the case has received will not prevent him from his right to a fair trial.

Two Venezuelan nationals — 21-year-old Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and 26-year-old Franklin Jose Peña Ramos — have been charged with capital murder in Nungaray’s death after the 12-year-old was found strangled to death in a Houston creek on June 17.

The two men reportedly crossed illegally into the US earlier this year.

Peña’s attorneys filed a protective order “preventing the parties to this cause, law enforcement officials, the Houston Forensic Science Center, or court personnel from making extrajudicial statements or otherwise disseminating information concerning this cause by any means of public communications.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Cornell University to Offer Course on “Ecological Justice” Focused on “Feminist, Queer, and Trans Perspectives”

By Sarah Prentice of Campus Reform

Cornell University is set to offer a course on ecological justice from feminist, queer, and trans perspectives.

The Ivy League school will teach a “Ecological Justice: Feminist, Queer, and Trans Perspectives” class that will present “an in-depth study of ecological justice from feminist, queer, and trans perspectives.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Flying Bats: Australian Women’s Soccer Team Featuring Five Trans Players Wins Grand Final Amid Tight Security After Going Undefeated All Season

Australia’s most controversial soccer team has won its grand final after going through their season undefeated fielding five transgender players in Sydney competition

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Former LPGA Tour Golfer Amy Olson Blasts Inclusion of Male Player at Female Tournament: ‘Unfair’

Former LPGA Tour golfer Amy Olson is among critics calling out organizers for allowing a male player to compete in a major women’s golf tournament.

Olson called Hailey Davidson’s inclusion in the women’s side of the sport “unfair” as the male player attempts to make the LPGA Tour.

Davidson is a middle-aged man who claims to be a “transgender woman.”

He was among the top female golfers who punched their ticket to the next stage of Q School.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

JD Vance Confirms Trump Would Veto Federal Ban on Abortion

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) confirmed that a reelected President Donald Trump would veto a federal abortion ban if faced with the decision. “I think he would. He said that explicitly that he would,” the Ohio senator said Sunday on NBC News’ Meet the Press.

Vance emphasized throughout the Meet the Press interview that Trump and the Republican Party believe the issue of abortion is one that is best decided at the state level rather than being imposed by the federal government. “If California wants to have a different abortion policy from Ohio, then Ohio has to respect California, and California has to respect Ohio,” Vance said.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Kamala Harris Bragged About Forcing Policy Change to Require Taxpayers to Cover Sex Change Surgeries for Prisoners in California

In a resurfaced clip from the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, then-Senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris celebrated her work gaining policy changes in California that allowed trans-identified inmates under the Department of Corrections access to sex changes.

Harris said that as California Attorney General, she learned that the state Department of Corrections was “standing in the way of surgery for prisoners.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

White Critical Race Theory Darling Robin Diangelo Accused of Plagiarizing Minority Authors in Her Doctoral Thesis

The author of the New York Times bestseller White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo, has been accused of plagiarizing works from minority authors in her doctoral thesis.

The complaint, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, was filed with the University of Washington, from which DiAngelo received her Ph.D. in multicultural education. The complaint regards her 2004 dissertation, “Whiteness in Racial Dialogue: A Discourse Analysis.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

4 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 8/26/2024

  1. “Harris pledges to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the wall along the southern border—a project she once opposed and called “un-American” during the Trump administration. It’s the latest example of Harris flip-flopping on her past liberal positions such as supporting Medicare for All and banning fracking—proposals that aides say she now is against.” —Axios (27 Aug 2024)
    https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/kamala-harris-flip-flops-border-wall

    “Today’s Rhetorical Question: Do ‘toddlers lack a core set of values (which might explain their ever-“evolving” political views) or have they just been LYING all along?” —posted to fb (July 2018)

    • Sadly, I think it’s too late for most of Europe. The only question: who’s gonna fire the [inevitable] first shot?

      “The weakness of pacifism is that there are still many peoples in the world who are aggressive. Nations who proclaim themselves unwilling to fight are liable to be conquered by peoples in the stage of militarism.” —John Glubb, “The Fate of Empires”

      “When disparate groups within a civilization no longer share a foundational understanding of what constitutes morality, chaos and decline become unavoidable..” —posted to fb (Nov 2018)

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