A woman stabbed and wounded five people this evening on a bus in the German town of Siegen. Police arrested the alleged attacker, who is said to be a German national with mental problems. The incident is unrelated to terrorism.
In other news, a powerful explosion shook a gas station in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden this evening. Five, eleven, or thirteen people were killed, depending on the report, and many more were injured. The incident has nothing to do with terrorism.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, 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.
Czech Recovery Carries on But Household Spending Disappoints
A second estimate has confirmed that the Czech economy expanded by 0.3% in 2Q24 from the previous quarter, but household spending softened significantly. The annual performance was more substantial than expected in the second quarter, mainly due to an upward revision of the preceding GDP figure
Fixed investment and government spending recovers while households take a breather
The revised estimate confirmed the expansion of the Czech economy in the second quarter 2024, with real GDP adding 0.3% from the previous quarter and 0.6% from a year earlier. The main growth drivers were final consumption expenditure and gross fixed capital formation, while the change in inventories had a negative impact.
Final consumption expenditure rose by 0.6% from the preceding quarter of which household consumption increased by 0.2%, while government consumption expenditure added 1.5% from the previous quarter. Gross fixed capital formation returned to growth, picking up by 1.9% in quarterly terms. Exports added 0.6%, and imports gained 0.7% from the last quarter. The return to growth of fixed investment especially represents cheerful news for the Czech economic outlook, while consumers were less keen on spending than before.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eurozone Inflation Falls to Three-Year Low in August
Eurozone inflation fell to its lowest level in more than three years this month thanks to falling energy costs, official data showed on Friday, raising expectations of a European Central Bank (ECB) interest-rate cut — after a speech by the bank’s chief economist Philip Lane last weekend signalled continued prudence.
Consumer price rises slowed to 2.2% in August compared to the same month last year after reaching 2.6% in July, closing in on the European Central Bank’s 2% target — which Lane cautioned at the US central bankers summit in Jackson Hole last Saturday (24 August) was “not yet secure.”
The August inflation rate was the lowest since July 2021 and in line with expectations by analysts for FactSet and Bloomberg.
But core inflation, which strips out volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices and is a key indicator for the bank, cooled slightly to 2.8% in August from 2.9% in July, Eurostat said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gas Prices Up 50% Under Biden-Harris Administration: Report
Gas prices have gone up 50 percent since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office. The report comes as Harris has become the Democrat nominee running against Donald Trump.
According to Breitbart’s review of data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that is not seasonally adjusted, the average price of unleaded gasoline is 50 percent more in July 2024 than in January 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland’s Economic Growth Accelerates in 2024, Outpacing Most EU Countries
Statistics Poland (GUS) has released detailed data showing that Poland’s economy expanded by 3.2 percent in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year. This marks a notable improvement from the 0.6 percent contraction recorded in the second quarter of 2023.
Bartosz Sawicki, an analyst at fintech Cinkciarz.pl, highlighted that only Cyprus, Croatia and Denmark grew faster within the European Union during this period. Sawicki attributes this growth largely to strong consumer spending, which remains the primary driver of Poland’s economic expansion. The growth in individual consumption increased from 4.6 percent to 4.7 percent year-over-year.
However, he pointed out the ongoing weakness in investment and net exports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden-Harris Administration is Probed for Potential Role in Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s Arrest
America First Legal (AFL) is attempting to shed light on the role that the Biden-Harris administration may have played in the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.
The French-Emirati citizen was arrested in France and charged with a large number of alleged crimes — in effect, failure to censor third-party content that can be qualified as criminal behavior. However, there is suspicion that the real reason is to force Telegram to censor all content, in the style of Google or Meta. The charges also attack encryption.
Announcing its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding the US State Department’s possible involvement in the arrest, AFL noted that the encrypted app is one of the world’s largest, based on the premise of protecting its users’ free speech from what the non-profit dedicated to promoting the rule of law calls “government-sponsored” censorship.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
This is the terrifying moment a deranged man broke into an old woman’s home, stripped naked, and set a fire before he was gunned down by police.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Cell Phone Bans, Restrictions Are on the Rise in School Districts as Mental Health Concerns Arise
Mental health has been widely discussed in the public sphere over the past few years, specifically how technology may play a role in it particularly for young people.
Recently, districts in different states have been implementing restrictions and bans on cell phones in schools in order to tackle the mental health crisis rising among teenagers and young adults.
According to the National Institute of Health, almost 20% of individuals in the age range of three to 17 have a a mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder. Suicide rates among high school students have increased 40% in the decade before 2019.
In June, the Los Angeles Unified School District board voted to ban cell phone usage in schools, according to local media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Budget Deficit Balloons to Almost $1 Billion Under Mayor Johnson
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says the city’s budget deficit will grow to nearly $1 billion next year.
The mayor’s office released the city’s 2025 Budget Forecast on Thursday. The report estimates a $222.9 million deficit for the end of 2024 and a $982.4 million deficit in fiscal year 2025.
Chicago Fifth Ward Republican Committeeman Tyler Shasteen said Mayor Johnson did not inherit the budget gap.
“Don’t forget that the mayor also rolled over a $50 million budget surplus from 2023 into this year’s budget and still had this large of a deficit,” Shasteen said.
Shasteen attributed a lot of the spending to the migrant situation in the city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has issued an opinion in the Tawainna Anderson v. TikTok case in favor of the lawsuit proceeding on the grounds that Section 230 does not apply to platforms when it comes to algorithmic curation of content.
We obtained a copy of the opinion for you here.
That interpretation of the CDA’s much-debated section may or may not come back to haunt many major (US) social platforms, including where issues of free speech and censorship are concerned.
But for now, the story concerns China’s TikTok and one of the “viral challenges” posted on the social app by a third party, which resulted in a tragedy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dallas Officer Killed and 2 Wounded by Man Who Targeted Police, Chief Says
DALLAS (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a Dallas police officer and wounding two others was targeting officers, the police chief said Friday.
“Our officers were targeted for nothing more than the uniform they wear and for the brave and honorable job that they do,” Chief Eddie Garcia said during a news conference.
Garcia said the suspect approached Officer Darron Burks on Thursday night while he waited in a parking lot between calls, talking to him briefly and recording the encounter before pulling out a handgun and “executing” Burks as he sat in his car.
When a dispatcher noticed an unusual transmission from Burks, other officers went to check on him just after 10 p.m. The responding officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect at the scene and two of the officers were shot.
The three officers were taken to hospitals, where one of them died. Police said one of the officers has since been released from the hospital while the other is in critical but stable condition.
The suspect fled the scene and was pursued by other officers to Lewisville, Texas, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Dallas, police said. The man then got out of the vehicle with a long gun on Interstate 35 and was shot by officers around 10:35 p.m., authorities said. He died at the scene.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Data Centers in ‘Spy Country’ Northern Virginia Face Seven-Year Hookup Wait
Since the beginning of the digital age, most of the world’s internet data has flowed through massive data centers in Northern Virginia. The area is known as “Data Center Alley” because it’s home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers. Some call the area ‘spy country’ because of the number of data centers used by the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies.
The proliferation of AI data centers across Virginia’s Loudoun County has created a massive bottleneck of delayed hookups for large data centers by energy supplier Dominion Energy.
According to Bloomberg, because of the surge in hookup requests, data centers that require more than 100 megawatts of electricity could take one to three years and/or as long as seven years to be wired into the local power grid.
The longer wait time applies only to large data centers that need more than 100 megawatts of electricity and won’t affect projects that have already been evaluated, according to a letter the company’s transmission arm sent its regulated utility as well as co-ops and local utilities. Almost all loads that big in Dominion’s territory are data centers. —BBG
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk: ‘Probably Wise to for Me to Limit’ Travel After Arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
Elon Musk says it’s “probably wise” for him “to limit” his travels to areas where free speech is “constitutionally protected.” The X owner’s comments come after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France in connection to a “lack of moderation” on his messaging app.
“Probably wise to for me to limit movements to countries where free speech is constitutionally protected,” Musk said in a response to an X user who suggested that he “consider the implications” of his travels in the wake of the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Entire Police Force of Tennessee Town Quits After Being ‘Micromanaged’ by Female Mayor: Report
A Tennessee town has lost its entire police force after every officer quit in protest of the new female mayor’s alleged excessive “micromanaging.” The now-former police chief told WTVF that he had no choice but to leave the department after Alexandria Mayor Beth Tripp attempted to control the officers’ every move, despite having “no experience” in policing.
“To just up and leave like I did, it bothers me,” said ex-police chief Travis Bryant, who resigned on Aug. 16. along with another officer. “But it is just what I felt was in the best interest for myself, and I had to do that.”
Alexandria, a small town with a limited budget, can only afford three police officers. After Bryant and another officer decided to walk out, the remaining officer quit this past weekend, leaving the department with no one to respond to calls. Mayor Tripp had assumed her position earlier this month after she ran unopposed. She received just 88 votes out of the town’s roughly 900 residents, per Census Bureau data.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former RFK Jr. Running Mate Releases Trump Derangement Syndrome Ad, Goes Viral
Former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate Nicole Shanahan put out a “Trump Derangement Syndrome” ad that went viral on the social media platform, X.
“My team never sleeps,” Shanahan wrote on social media, referencing the ad.
The ad pokes fun at people who dislike former President Donald Trump, stating they have “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and the cure is independence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Georgia Election Workers Suing Giuliani Request Federal Court Intervention in Defamation Case
Two Georgia election workers who are behind a massive defamation lawsuit against former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Friday requested that a federal court force Giuliani to pay the judgment and listed items they could be given to help settle the debt.
Giuliani was ordered to pay the $148 million defamation judgment to election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss in December, after falsely claiming they participated in election fraud during the 2020 election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Grand Jury Indicts Las Vegas Teen in Foiled Terror Attack Against High School
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) — A Clark County grand jury has handed down an indictment against a Las Vegas teen accused of plotting a terror attack at Chaparral High School.
Court documents obtained by FOX5 have revealed more details about the eight charges levied against 17-year-old Joshua Robles.
While Robles is already facing terrorism-related charges, count one on the indictment accuses the teen of providing support for acts of terrorism. The document claims he “willfully, unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly or intentionally provided material support or assistance to ISIS…”
The document goes on to detail the many branches of the Islamic State, which prosecutors say Robles supported both financially and on social media.
The second count accuses him of attempting to commit or cause an act of terrorism and describes his target and preparations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harris’s First Interview Performance Since Nomination Blasted as “Vague” and “Vacuous”
Kamala Harris has finally sat through a post-Democratic nomination interview—albeit for a meagre 27 minutes “padded” with campaign footage, and with her running mate Tim Walz present as her “babysitter.”
The CNN interview, conducted by the channel’s veteran political reporter Dana Bash, was taped and edited earlier in the day Thursday, and aired Thursday night tagged “LIVE”—even though it clearly was not… live.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House GOP Chairman Steil Subpoenas Five Biden Admin Officials Over ‘Bidenbucks’
House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil on Thursday announced that subpoenas were issued for five Biden administration officials over “Bidenbucks,” President Biden’s executive order to turn as many federal agencies as possible into get-out-the-vote centers across all states.
The subpoenas sent Wednesday by the Wisconsin Republican are for sworn depositions of the administration officials, after their agencies didn’t comply with subpoenas sent in June demanding documents regarding the strategic plans to implement Biden’s Executive Order 14019, which critics call “Bidenbucks.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump could release critical documents pertaining to the assassination of John F Kennedy if he wins a second term as president, according to a US political commentator.
Phil Kerpen joined Patrick Christys on GBN America to speculate how prominent a role RFK Jr could play in the Trump administration should the 78-year-old emerge victorious in November’s vote.
It comes after the nephew of the former president bowed out of the presidential race, in which he was running as an independent candidate, before quickly endorsing Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Journalist Sharyl Attkisson Details Cancel of Hydroxychloroquine, in New Book ‘Follow the Science’
Editor’s Note: The following is an exclusive excerpt from the new book by investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, “Follow the Science: How Big Pharma Misleads, Obscures, and Prevails.” The book, by publisher Harper Collins, is due out Tuesday, Sept. 3.
“If you consume the curated, mainstream medicine and media narrative, you’re probably under the impression that the prescription drug that President Trump touted as a possible game changer against coronavirus — hydroxychloroquine — has been thoroughly ‘debunked’ and discredited.
“At the height of the Covid panic as politics, money, and medicine intersected — two divergent views of hydroxychloroquine emerged, both of which could not possibly be true at the same time. The first view was the negative one widely reported in the press. The second view you’ve likely heard less about. Rarely has a discussion about choices of medicine been so polluted by political overtones …
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Campaign Says She’ll Sit for a Solo Interview at Some Point
Over a month after being named the Democratic party candidate in the 2024 election, Vice President Kamala Harris finally sat down for an interview. This was not a solo interview, however, with her running mate Tim Walz also appearing, and after criticism for the move, her campaign has stated that she will sit for a solo interview at some point before the election.
According to Politico, in response to the criticism over Harris not appearing for the interview solo, her campaign “provided a list of joint interviews conducted by every major party presidential ticket since 2004.” A senior campaign official told the outlet, “obviously she will do solo interviews too,” before election day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Musk’s X Lawsuit Against Media Matters Can Proceed to Trial: Judge
A federal judge in Texas has ruled that a lawsuit brought by Elon Musk’s X against Media Matters can proceed to trial, after dismissing a request by the Democrat-run enterprise.
“Because the Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants, venue is proper, and Plaintiff has properly pled its claims, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is denied,” wrote Judge Judge Reed O’Connor in his ruling.
X, formerly known as Twitter, filed the suit in November after Musk threatened to bring a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against the left-leaning nonprofit and “all those who colluded” for “completely misrepresenting” the real user experience on X.”
According to the lawsuit, Media Matters — founded by Democratic operative David Brock, who left the organization in 2022, used manipulative and deceptive tactics to convince advertisers like Apple, IBM and Disney that ‘hateful’ content was being displayed next to their brands — leading them to pause their X advertising campaigns.
X claims Media Matters fabricated the results.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NASA Makes Incredible Discovery of Invisible Blanket That Could Explain Why Life Started on Earth
Scientists have made a ground-breaking discovery of an invisible electric field surrounding Earth which is “as important as gravity.”
While Earth’s gravitational pull and magnetic field are already well documented, researchers have found the first evidence of a subtle, almost undetectable electric field surrounding the planet.
Dubbed as an “ambipolar electric field” it could be responsible for the unexplained winds of supersonic particles that constantly shoot out from the Earth’s poles.
There is also a chance the discovery could even help explain why life formed here on Earth and nowhere else.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authorities released new details Friday about an incident where police shot and killed an armed man on the Interstate 95 bridge who is believed to have killed his wife and 8-year-old son.
The man has been identified as 37-year-old Trent Weston of Troy, New Hampshire, following an autopsy, according to Maine and New Hampshire authorities. His cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and his manner of death has been ruled homicide as a result of a police shooting. His son has been identified as Benson Weston, and his cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide.
The investigation into these deaths and the homicide in Troy involving Trent Weston’s wife, 37-year-old Brittany Weston, is ongoing. An autopsy determined her cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds to the head and the manner of death to be homicide.
Authorities said at this time, “all evidence indicates that Trent Weston is responsible for the deaths of both Brittany and Benson Weston.”
The incident came to a head when Trent Weston was shot and killed by police in the early-morning hours Thursday on the Piscataqua River Bridge between New Hampshire and Maine. Authorities said the incident appears to have started when Weston killed his wife at their home in Troy, in western New Hampshire, and then drove nearly 100 miles to the bridge.
At a press conference Thursday, Col. William Ross, chief of the Maine State Police, said York, Maine, police received a 911 call around 2:07 a.m. from a man saying he had been involved in a fight with his wife in Troy and that his wife was dead. New Hampshire State Police responded to the residence in Troy and found Brittany Weston dead.
Authorities said at this time, “all evidence indicates that Trent Weston is responsible for the deaths of both Brittany and Benson Weston.”
The incident came to a head when Trent Weston was shot and killed by police in the early-morning hours Thursday on the Piscataqua River Bridge between New Hampshire and Maine. Authorities said the incident appears to have started when Weston killed his wife at their home in Troy, in western New Hampshire, and then drove nearly 100 miles to the bridge.
At a press conference Thursday, Col. William Ross, chief of the Maine State Police, said York, Maine, police received a 911 call around 2:07 a.m. from a man saying he had been involved in a fight with his wife in Troy and that his wife was dead. New Hampshire State Police responded to the residence in Troy and found Brittany Weston dead.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
NYPD Deployed to Crackdown on Fare Evaders
(The Center Square) — New York City is deploying NYPD officers to help crack down on fare evaders on Metropolitan Transit Authority buses, who are fleecing the city’s taxpayers out of more than $300 million a year.
The MTA announced this week that its EAGLE fare enforcement unit will begin patrolling undisclosed bus routes along with NYPD officers, who have been empowered to issue summons to fare scofflaws ranging from $50 to $100 to scofflaws, and even make arrests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pentagon Provides Additional Support to Secret Service for 2024 Election Season
The Defense Department and U.S. Secret Service said on Thursday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved a request to give the Secret Service additional military support for presidential and vice presidential candidates for office in the 2024 election cycle.
The specific military capabilities provided have not been disclosed.
U.S. Northern Command will provide the support in various locations around the nation, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pushback on VP Kamala Harris’s Tax Proposal Plan Grows as Costs Are Counted
Vice President Kamala Harris’s tax proposal plan is getting significant pushback from Congress members and others as the costs of tax hikes on the American people across the political spectrum are being examined.
Upon a closer look at Harris’s tax proposals, an economist, a New York Times reporter, a small business owner advocate, and members of Congress all voiced their concerns over what the plan entails. Most of them note how the economy will be negatively impacted by her plan and the real-world implications for everyday Americans.
Last week, Harris announced her economic plan of $5 trillion in tax increases, which is what Biden proposed for the federal budget earlier this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Steube Criticizes Congress’s Slow Pace Getting Answers on Attempted Trump Assassination
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., slammed Congress’s slow pace in getting more answers on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
“There’s been a task force that’s been appointed, but you haven’t heard much from that task force, and we haven’t been in Washington for them to have meetings,” Steube said on the Friday edition of the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Socialist International Endorses Kamala Harris for President
Socialist International endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President on Thursday, writing on X that it is “confident” Harris would “make history” in the upcoming election by becoming “the first woman President of the United States.”
The endorsement follows ongoing criticism of Harris by her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, and his supporters regarding allegations that the vice president is a “Marxist Communist.” Trump routinely refers to Harris as “Comrade Harris,” a nickname he granted her for her policies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Urges Republicans to Pass CR With SAVE Act Included Even if it Leads to Government Shutdown
Former President Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, has urged Congress to include the SAVE Act language into the next spending bill, likely a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR), even if it leads to a government shutdown.
“Absolutely and I think you should also charge your elections to paper ballots. I think you should get a lot of things for that,” Trump said on Thursday on Monica Crowley’s podcast. “Republicans ought to try and get some things for a change, the House and the Senate, they ought to go for getting things. They don’t get anything. They extend everything.”
Trump said he “would shut the government down in a heartbeat if they don’t get it and get it in the bill.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Attacks Democrats on Law and Order, Says Harris ‘Let San Francisco Die’
Donald Trump laid into the Democratic Party on Friday for targeting him with multiple criminal investigations when other serious crimes are being committed in the country.
Trump has been charged in four different criminal cases since leaving the Oval Office in 2020, including allegations that he mishandled classified documents, and allegations he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The former president said there should be prison sentences for things like burning the American flag, which is considered a legal form of protest, and that drug dealers should get death sentences because they allegedly kill hundreds of people in their lifetime.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Warns Zuckerberg and Anyone Who Illegally Interferes in Election Will be Jailed for Life
Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news
Donald Trump has warned that Mark Zuckerberg and anyone else who illegally interferes in the election will be jailed for life if he wins the presidency.
The claim appears in a new book written by Trump called Save America that is due to be published next week.
Trump says that the Facebook founder will “spend the rest of his life in prison” if there is proven meddling.
Zuckerberg’s Facebook played a key role in censoring the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election based on fake claims that the story was a ‘Russian disinformation’ operation, when in fact it was completely true.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Lawyers Ask Merchan to Indefinitely Suspend Hush Money Case Until Federal Court Weighs in
Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys on Friday asked New York Judge Juan Merchan to halt the legal proceedings in the hush money case until a federal court weighs in on transferring the case.
The filing comes a day after the lawyers asked a federal court to move the case out of the state court system, claiming that the move to a federal court is warranted because the prosecution allegedly violated Trump’s constitutional rights.
In the letter to the court, Trump’s attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, also requested Merchan postpone the Sept. 18 sentencing indefinitely while waiting to hear from the federal court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tulsi Gabbard Reveals the Real Reason Behind Endorsing Trump: ‘This is Personal for Me’
Former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI) offered a detailed explanation for her endorsement of former President Donald Trump’s 2024 White House bid earlier this week on Fox Business’s “Kudlow.”
DAVID ASMAN: since you and RFK are part of the Trump campaign, explain why did you go with Trump?
TULSI GABBARD: The choice in this election is very clear and the differences between President Trump and Vice President Harris couldn’t be more stark. Frankly, to put it simply, the choice for the American people is a choice with Donald Trump, a man who values peace, prosperity, and freedom. He has a record that proves that. And Vice President Kamala Harris, whose record shows an increasingly tyrannical government undermining our freedoms. We are embroiled in multiple wars and the world is closer to the brink of nuclear war than ever before, with increasing economic hardship for Americans throughout the 31/2 years she served as Vice President of the United States. The contrast couldn’t be more clear.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
East Germany: Ruling Parties Face Cataclysm Amid Support Surge for Both Hard-Left and Hard-Right
Germany’s ruling coalition faces a potential cataclysm in the country’s east as populist parties surge ahead of next month’s regional elections.
Citizens in the states of Thuringia and Saxony vote on September 1, with a further election also set to take place in Brandenburg later in the month. The elections are being held to decide the makeup of each state’s parliament — important bodies due to Germany’s decentralised political system.
In all three states, the parties that make up the ruling “traffic light” federal government — the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) — are expected to be brutalised.
With each party running in the election required to land 5 per cent or more of the vote to get a single seat, current polling indicates that the Greens are likely to miss out on representation in Thuringia, with Brandenburg and Saxony being too close to call.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU to Train Additional 15,000 Ukrainian Soldiers by 2025
The EU is expected to raise its training targets for Ukraine’s army from currently 60,000 to 75,000 by the end of the year, as ministers look into reviewing the mission’s mandate.
“We have trained 60,000 soldiers, and agreed on raising the target to 75,000 by end of year,” EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels on Friday (30 August).
“The war requires a constant adaptation to the modalities of the war. The training has to be shortened and adapted to the Ukrainian needs”, Borrell added.
Borrell spoke of the need to be “pragmatic” in delivering the training, as well as “making use of Ukrainian trainers and ensuring a stronger coordination with Ukraine and NATO.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Despite Controversies, Notre Dame Reopens in 100 Days
In just 100 days’ time, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is due to reopen its doors, following a five-year restoration campaign designed to erase all traces of the fire in April 2019 that almost wiped out Paris’ most famous monument.
The official reopening is scheduled for the eve of the feast of the Immaculate Conception in December 2024. The official inauguration, with the handover of Notre-Dame from the State to the Catholic Church, is scheduled for December 7th. On the same day, the organ will be awakened and a liturgical celebration will take place, including a blessing, a Magnificat or a Te Deum, followed by the Vespers.
Between now and then, even though the bulk of the work has been completed, a multitude of tasks still await the teams who have been working for months to restore the building to its former glory. More than 500 compagnons and craftsmen, specialising in the renovation of historic monuments, are working on the site.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Free Speech is on the Line as UK Revives Controversial Non Crime Hate Reports
“Non-crime hate incident” (NCHI) recording is about to come back with a vengeance in the UK.
The recently-elected Labour government has decided to reverse the previous cabinet’s decision to stop wasting police time by having them report such huge numbers of these, often in reality trivial events.
However, even before this policy u-turn engineered by Labour, there were already 12,340 NCHI reports in the first half of the year, rights group Big Brother Watch revealed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Knife Attack on Bus Injures 5
A woman stabbed and wounded five people in a bus in western Germany on Friday evening, police said.
The 32-year-old suspect, a German national, was arrested after the incident in the town of Siegen.
At least 40 people were on the bus travelling to a city festival at the time of the attack.
Three of the five victims are in a life-threatening condition, one is seriously wounded and the fifth only lightly injured, according to authorities.
Police are investigating the motive behind the crime. They said there were no indications that it was a terrorist attack.
Police appealed to citizens “not to spread false reports” on social networks or other channels.
Germany’s Bild tabloid reported that the attacker may have been suffering from mental health issues.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
German Leftist Party Leader Wagenknecht Attacked With Paint at Campaign Rally
The leader of Germany’s Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) was attacked with pink paint on Thursday at a campaign rally in the Eastern German state of Thuringia, where her party is expected to come third in state parliamentary elections this Sunday.
A middle-aged white man sprayed paint at the party’s eponymous leader Sahra Wagenknecht as she stood on stage. Wagenknecht stepped aside and was not hit. Security staff quickly apprehended the man as the crowds shouted “Sahra, Sahra!”
“It is noticeable that some people don’t want us. That speaks for us. Don’t let yourself be intimidated — we won’t let ourselves be intimidated,” Wagenknecht said from the podium after the man was taken away.
“We’re going to change this country,” added Wagenknecht, who has advocated for ending military aid to Ukraine and for far stricter immigration policies, positions considered controversial by some.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After three people were murdered in Solingen by a Syrian Islamists, along with eight other injured, including four seriously, it has been revealed that at least the murder victims were “liberal-minded” and at least one of them belonged to a pro-migrant organization.
Given that the murders happened at the Festival of Diversity, it is no surprise that many of the victims belong to left-leaning organizations dedicated to progressive topics, such as an openness to refugees. These organizations promoted “peaceful coexistence” with other peoples and cultures, according to Germany’s Focus Magazine.
The alleged attacker, identified as 26-year-old Islamist Issa Al H., was supposed to have been deported in 2022 but was instead given protected status after he went into hiding for six months.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Graham Linehan gig in Ireland has been cancelled after the venue was “too cowardly” to stand up to “pressure from activists”.
Despite the cancellation, the Comedy Unleashed tour, which features Linheam, Andrew Doyle and is MC’d by Aidan Killian, will now take place at a larger venue in Dublin on September 13.
A description of the event reads: “Comedy Unleashed was founded by Andrew Doyle and Andy Shaw in response to increasing self-censorship in comedy. As the UK’s Home of Free-thinking Comedy it sells out monthly stand-up comedy shows in London, Leeds and Manchester.
“The club hosts counter-cultural comedians, celebrates free-thinking comedy and takes a stand against censorship by showcasing cancelled comedians and organising gigs against censorship laws.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian Consul to Bucharest Dies in Car Crash With Lumber Truck
A serious road accident involving three cars, including one with diplomatic corps number plates, happened on Thursday on the A1 Deva-Nadlac highway (Timisoara — Lugoj sector) in Romania. One man died. According to Adevarul sources, the victim was the Hungarian consul in Bucharest, Ferenc Vagó.
“On August 29, 2024, a truck loaded with wood was traveling on the A1 Deva-Nadlac from Timisoara to Lugoj, and at some point one of its tires exploded, which is why the truck entered the opposite direction of travel and collided with a vehicle driven by a man, aged 60, and then collided with two other vehicles,” the Timis County firefighters said in a press release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland Preparing Tough New Tobacco and Nicotine Regulations Following Public Consultation
Ireland’s Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has published the findings of a public consultation to evaluate a push for new, tougher tobacco and vaping regulations. Ireland is one of 12 European Union countries advocating for stricter vaping rules.
The “Public Consultation on Further Regulation of Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products” was held between November and January, seeking views on a range of topics, including regulating flavours, packaging and appearance, and point of sale display advertising for nicotine inhaling products.
Launching the report, Minister Donnelly said: “We know that there is strong public support for further action on tobacco and nicotine-inhaling products.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lawless Britain: 13-Year-Old Stabbed to Death in Birmingham Suburb
A murder investigation has been launched after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the Birmingham suburb of Oldbury.
West Midlands Police have opened a murder investigation after a 13-year-old boy was fatally stabbed at an address on Lovett avenue in the Sandwell market town of Oldbury at around 4 pm on Thursday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mass Stabbing Attack on Bus Leaves Five People Injured in Germany as Woman Goes on Horror Rampage
A mass stabbing attack in Germany has reportedly left five people injured with three critically.
Local media reports the bus was on its way to the city festival in Siegen when a woman started attacking people with a knife.
At least 40 passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the attack. Police in the city in North Rhine-Westphalia said it is not believed to be a terrorist attack.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Metsola Appoints Brother-in-Law as Head of European Parliament Cabinet
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, has appointed her aide and brother-in-law Matthew Tabone as the head of her cabinet, on a monthly salary of €15,000 to €20,000.
In 2022, Metsola had tried to appoint Tabone to the role but was forced to back down after her bid prompted an outcry.
This time she seems to have had little trouble in placing her brother-in-law in the position.
The EP rules from 2009 mandated that MEPs cannot appoint direct relations, but Tabone is not considered a first-degree relative.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Coalition Parties Agree to Next Year’s Budget After 10-Hour Long Meeting
After almost ten hours of consultation, the four coalition parties, PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, have agreed to the government’s budget. “I have established that the government’s proposals can really count on the four supporting parties of this government,” said Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
“It is simply a complicated subject. That is why it took so long. It is really about something. You have to take the time for that,” said the Prime Minister in a short statement after the long consultation at the Ministry of Finance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Police Will Not Break Up 7-Day Extinction Rebellion Blockade on A12 in the Hague
The police will not intervene in the scheduled climate march that Extinction Rebellion will hold from 8 to 14 September, which will result in a new blockade of the A12 motorway, the police unions announced on Friday. This is part of the police protests to push the government into developing a permanent early retirement scheme.
Police officers will be present to ensure the safety of the participants and other drivers, the unions stated. “The police will not perform any further work during the road blockade in The Hague.”
A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion reported that the activists will “stand, sleep, and sit” on the A12 until fossil fuel subsidies are abolished. This was also the intention behind their previous protests, but the demonstrators were taken away by the police in those cases. This does not seem like it will be the case on this occasion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over Half a Million Czechs Spent Their Vacation on the Polish Baltic Coast
More than half a million Czechs spent their vacations this year on the Baltic coast in Poland, marking an increase of 200,000 compared to last year.
“This year, around 550,000 Czechs have visited the Polish Baltic coast, which is roughly 5 percent of the Czech population! That’s nearly twice as many as last year’s record number, and the holiday season isn’t even over yet,” wrote Krzysztof Debiec, an analyst specializing in Central Europe at the Center for Eastern Studies, on the social media platform X.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Arrest ‘Revolting Brussels Metro YouTube Prankster’ Yanike
YaNike, the infamous Brussels-based YouTuber known for throwing buckets of excrement, oil and other filth over unsuspecting victims on the city’s Metro system, has been arrested and held in custody following his latest stunt.
A judge ordered his detention on August 27; the YouTuber is under pre-trial arrest.
YaNike allegedly resisted arrest and the police said they found tear-gas sprayers in his possession, which are illegal in Belgium.
His series of offensive “prank” videos sparked public outrage and previously led to his arrest in January on suspicion of intentional battery and injury, property damage and destruction of property by force.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Court Extends Detention for Priest Who Claimed Mistreatment in Prison
A Polish priest due to have been released from jail after having been detained since March on charges of fraud will remain in custody for a further three months, a Warsaw court has ruled.
Father Michal Olszewski, who is alleged to have participated in defrauding Poland’s Justice Fund, was to due to be released from prison at the end of August.
Yet, despite there reportedly being no further evidence offered, the Warsaw court on August 28 bowed to an appeal by prosecutors and ruled that he will be detained for another three months.
Details of the court hearing are not available as it was not open to the public.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Opposition Set to Lose Cash After Government-Controlled Body’s Ruling
Poland’s National Electoral Commission (PKW), the majority of whose members were appointed by the present government, has decided that the former ruling Conservatives (PiS) party will lose millions of euros in State support.
That has come after it found that the PiS benefited by almost €1 million of allegedly illegal funding during last year’s parliamentary elections.
Government ministries and MPs from Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO) inundated the PKW with documents alleging PiS irregularities and publicly pressured the body to defund the PiS.
In Poland, since the turn of the century, parties have been funded by the taxpayer. Corporate and large individual donations are limited to just over €10,000 per entity. All funding from foreign entities is forbidden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Political Earthquake Could Shatter German Establishment in Elections
The anti-immigration, anti-globalist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is set to achieve its best ever election result as it contests two regional elections in the states of Saxony and Thuringia on Sunday, September 1st.
If confirmed, such results would signal a spectacular rejection of Germany’s ruling parties and could strengthen populist voices across Europe.
According to the latest polls, the party—which has heavily criticised the governing left-liberal coalition in Berlin for its pro-migration and radical green agenda—is projected to finish in first place and receive 30% of the votes in Thuringia, a 7-point increase on its result from five years ago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Proton CEO Slams France for Arresting Telegram Founder
Andy Yen, CEO of Proton — which develops a suit of encrypted, privacy-focused services including Proton Mail — has spoken out against France’s charges against Telegram’s Pavel Durov, slamming them as “insane.”
Yen commented on the developments in the context of the position France has put itself in, as a place for tech companies — either in terms of doing business there, or merely for their founders traveling to the country.
In the wake of Durov’s arrest, and in light of the nature of the charges pressed against him, the perception of France as a desirable destination for the tech industry is changing “rapidly and permanently” as far as investors and founders are concerned — and not in a good way.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Reform UK has witnessed a surge in donations just hours after a major backer flipped to endorse a Tory leadership hopeful vowing to make Nigel Farage “redundant”, GB News understands.
Ex-Newcastle United owner Sir John Hall appeared to deal Reform UK a significant blow yesterday after rejoining the Tories to endorse ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.
The 91-year-old, who previously donated more than £500,000 to the Conservative Party, only joined Reform UK recently and addressed supporters at a pre-polling day rally in Houghton-le-Spring in June.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tourists thronging sightseeing hotspots in Barcelona are increasingly taking extreme measures to protect themselves from a scourge of petty crime in the Spanish city.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Spain’s Partido Popular Wants Left to Issue Public Apology for Branding it Racist
Spain’s Partido Popular (PP) demanded an immediate apology from left-wing and far-left parties, but especially from the government, for calling them xenophobic and racist for suggesting that Spain should follow the “example” of other EU partners, including Germany and France, in deporting irregular immigrants.
On Thursday, official sources in the PP, the main opposition force in parliament, demanded a formal and public apology from the coalition government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the left-wing Sumar platform.
The PP was accused of being racist and xenophobic shortly after its parliamentary spokesman, Miguel Tellado, on Wednesday attacked Sanchez’s ‘irresponsible’ migration policy at a particularly difficult time for the Canary Islands and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Telegram Facing Greater Scrutiny From Brussels
The French arrest of Pavel Durov, Telegram CEO, has prompted Brussels to probe whether the messaging app has more users in the bloc than previously claimed—and should face stricter EU digital rules.
The platform was thrust into the spotlight after its chief Pavel Durov was arrested in France on Saturday. He has since been released on bail but cannot leave the country. Durov is accused of “failing to curb extremist and illegal content” on the platform, which has over 900 million followers.
Telegram had already been in the European Union’s crosshairs before the French criminal investigation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Brief — Can the Centre(-Right) Hold in East Germany?
The conservative CDU is pulling a risky experiment this week, in a bid to defeat the far-right in two state elections in East Germany this Sunday (1 September). But at least they’re trying.
“Es reicht!” (Enough!). This was the subject line of an email sent out to supporters by German opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU/EPP) last Sunday.
After the deadly stabbing at a folk festival last Friday, for which a 26-year-old Syrian man has been arrested and terrorist group ISIS has taken responsibility, Merz kicked off a debate on migration policy that dominated the whole week.
His demands were far-reaching, notably to stop the admission of Syrian and Afghan refugees, permanently re-install checks at the German border, and reject every asylum seeker who has entered through a third safe country (meaning everyone).
While critics quickly pointed out that many of the proposals would be at odds with EU law, Merz’s deputies — such as former health minister Jens Spahn — loudly declared their annoyance with this line of argument, demanding to change EU rules.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authorities are moving to evict a ‘tent city’ of rough sleepers in one of London’s poshest neighbourhoods located just yards from The Dorchester and Marble Arch.
Dozens of homeless migrants have set up camp on Park Lane, with reports of people drinking cups of vodka at 7am and rubbish strewn all over the site.
The presence of tents opposite five-star hotel The Dorchester caused fury among residents and office workers who accused the council of doing nothing to prevent one of the country’s most famous addresses being used as a squatters’ camp.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Boy, 13, is Stabbed to Death at House in ‘Absolutely Tragic’ Attack
Police detectives have launched an urgent manhunt after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death at a house in Birmingham.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
David Pressman, the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, is one of the leading figures of the Hungarian opposition, and his statements should be assessed accordingly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó said in Brussels on Thursday.
“The U.S. ambassador in Budapest is an opposition activist and a leading figure in the Hungarian opposition, therefore, his statements should be assessed accordingly. And if I wanted to talk about the manifestation of his opposition activism, I could say that, interestingly, when the prime minister of Italy visited China and said that China was an inescapable dialogue partner in the current fragile international context, the opposition activist did not activate himself,” he said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vox Calls Out Indoctrination in Spanish Textbooks
In Spain, VOX is bringing to the country’s congress a debate on the ideological impositions present in educational textbooks, El Debate reports.
The party, led by Santiago Abascal, has presented to the Education, Vocational Training and Sports commission a resolution to combat indoctrination in textbooks, citing specific examples from textbooks used in various parts of the country and levels of education.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WW3 Watch: Netherlands Approves Ukraine Use of Its F-16s to Strike Russian Territory
Ukraine was given approval by the Netherlands on Thursday to use its F-16 fighter jets to strike deep inside Russian territory.
The American-made F-16 is an iconic fighter jet that’s been the front-line combat plane of choice for the NATO alliance and numerous air forces around the world for 50 years.
Newsweek reports permission to use Western weapons on Russian soil is a key sticking among some of Ukraine’s supporters, with Kyiv claiming this could turn the tide in the conflict.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Croatia Brings Back Military Conscription After 16 Years
Croatia will reintroduce two months of compulsory military service from Jan. 1 next year, announced Defense Minister Ivan Anusic. The move comes in the wake of Russian aggression against Ukraine and heightened tensions in Europe following the arms race and military build-up in the Balkans, which saw bloody wars in the 1990s.
This decision marks a return to conscription, which was originally suspended in 2008 when the country switched to a voluntary system.
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Macron Will Turn Into a Fighter Jet Salesman on His Upcoming Trip to Serbia
French President Emmanuel Macron will also discuss finalizing an agreement with Serbia to purchase French-made Rafale supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft during his two-day visit to Belgrade. In addition, he will discuss energy cooperation with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian public television (RTS) reported ahead of the visit.
The Serbian president announced in April that Serbia is “extremely close” to buying Rafale aircraft from France. Vucic said at the time that the purchase of the fighters would significantly expand cooperation between the two countries in the military field, but also in other areas. Prior to Thursday’s visit, the Serbian head of state pointed out that most of Serbia’s aircraft currently come from Russia, but that it is now time for Serbia to modernize its military. The purchase of Rafale aircraft could cost up to €3 billion, RTS reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gas Station Explosion Rocks Yemen’s Aden
ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — A powerful explosion shook a residential neighborhood in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden Friday evening, witnesses said.
The loud blast, originating from a gas station, sent shockwaves through the densely populated district of Mansourah in Aden, causing panic among the residents, according to the witnesses.
Citizens at the scene reported seeing flames engulf the gas station just moments before the explosion. An intense flash of light briefly illuminated the night sky, visible across much of the city.
While the exact number of casualties remains uncertain, reports from local media indicate that there have been injuries.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
In War-Fatigued Eastern Ukraine, Zelensky Loses His Shine
Olena Semykina, the owner of a village shop in eastern Ukraine, voted for President Volodymyr Zelensky five and a half years ago, hoping the fresh-faced political newcomer would end the fighting unleashed by Russian proxy forces in 2014.
The screech of an artillery shell over her leafy village in the war-battered Donetsk region and the plumes of dark smoke billowing on the horizon suggested that her hopes for his first term had fallen short.
“We expected the war to end, like he promised. But the war hasn’t ended. There’s even more fighting. It seems to me that it’s become even more intense,” the 43-year-old told AFP in the village of Kleban-Byk, where invading Russian forces are fast approaching.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Says “Druzhba Pipeline Will Cease Operations” of Russian Fuels This Winter
Ukrainian media has reported that starting January 2025, the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline in the Eastern European country will be halted, along with the transit of natural gas. This is yet more geopolitical risk premium for European energy markets ahead of the Northern Hemisphere heating season.
Ukrainska Pravda cited an interview with Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Ukrainian media outlet Novyny. Podoliak said, “In addition to gas, the Druzhba pipeline will also cease operations starting 1 January 2025.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky Fires Air Force Commander After Ukraine F-16 Was Downed by Friendly Fire
President Zelensky has fired Ukraine’s longtime Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk, according to a just published official government decree issued Friday night (local).
The major surprise development comes the day after the Ukrainian government belatedly confirmed that on Monday a US-made F-16 fighter jet was destroyed or crashed amid a major Russian missile and drone assault on the country. The Wall Street Journal had called the crash and death “a major blow for Kyiv” following President Biden’s somewhat reluctant greenlight given for European allies to begin transferring the F-16s last year.
That aircraft downing, which is surrounded in ambiguity given Kiev initially claimed that it was not shot down, but that it crashed — killed the man widely considered to be Ukraine’s top pilot Oleksiy “Moonfish” Mes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky Sacks Ukraine Air Force Commander Oleshchuk
President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the commander of Ukraine’s air force, Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, amid debate over the destruction of one of the country’s valuable new F-16 fighter jets.
Mr Zelensky did not give a reason for the dismissal, but in a post to Telegram he said that it was his responsibility to “take care of all our warriors”.
On Monday, one of the US-made F-16 fighter jets delivered earlier this month from Ukraine’s Western allies went down during a barrage of Russian missiles, killing the pilot.
The cause of the crash was not a direct result of an enemy strike, Ukraine said, and Lt Gen Oleshchuk sparred with some politicians over who was to blame for the loss.
In his post to Telegram, Mr Zelensky said he had decided to replace Lt Gen Oleschuk, noting that “at the command level, we must strengthen ourselves and protect our people”.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
China ‘Stuns’ EU Spirits Sector as it Mulls Tariffs on Brandy
China has threatened European Union companies with retaliatory tariffs after accusing them of dumping brandy on the Chinese market, damaging its domestic industry.
On August 29, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced it had made a preliminary ruling regarding EU brandy.
“The investigating agency initially determined that there was dumping in the import-related brandy originating in the European Union, that the domestic brandy industry was threatened with substantial damage, and that there was a causal relationship between dumping and the threat of substantial damage.”
The ministry also gave a list of EU companies that now faced possible tariffs of 30.6 per cent to 39 per cent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
ALP’s New Portal to Report ‘Disinformation’ Immediately Pranked by Aussies in Spectacular Backfire
Labor’s new portal for Aussies to report disinformation on political issues has immediately been used by critics to report the ALP’s own political advertisements for fact-checking.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Alice Springs continues to spiral into criminal mayhem with huge rocks being hurled through a home’s windows and car thieves posting videos of them ramming vehicles parked in driveways.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Soccer World in Shock After 19-Year-Old Rising Star Dies Suddenly in Her Sleep: ‘Beautiful Soul’
Women’s soccer clubs have rallied to pay touching tribute to a rising star who died unexpectedly in her sleep at the age of 19.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil: Supreme Court Judge Orders X to be Banned, Threatens Citizens With Fines if They Use a VPN
Controversial Brazilian Supreme Court justice Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk’s social media platform X in Brazil after Musk refused to appoint a legal representative in the country.
The Attorney General Jorge Messias backed Moraes’ decision, threatening to impose a fine of R$ 50 thousand ($8,000+ USD) daily to any citizen that attempts to bypass the ban (such as using VPNs) to access X.
The decision marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Musk and the Brazilian judiciary after the social media platform refused to cave to Moraes’ demands to censor “misinformation,” and “hate speech” linked to critics of Brazil’s government led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maduro is ‘De Facto’ Venezuelan President Despite Alleged Vote Irregularities, Says EU
The European Union has declared that the left-wing “strongman” Nicolas Maduro is the “de facto“ president of Venezuela — despite concerns surrounding the country’s presidential elections in July.
While the incumbent Socialist leader had claimed to have won the vote, numerous governments — including the US — expressed doubt over the result, arguing that independently-gathered data indicated that opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia was the real victor.
Speaking on August 29, EU foreign affairs head Josep Borrell announced that, while the EU believes there were irregularities in the election result, the bloc would not be taking a similar stance to some of its allies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kenyan immigrant James Ng’Ang’A Irungu pleaded guilty to three counts of indecently dealing with an incapable person at a Perth aged care facility.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Beloved New Orleans TV Reporter Killed in Hit and Run by ‘Illegal Migrant Driving Without a License’
A beloved New Orleans journalist was killed after being struck by an unlicensed illegal migrant while riding his motorcycle across a bridge, cops say.
WGNO Sports Producer, Mark Deane, was killed at the age of 48 while riding his motorcycle to work over the Crescent City Connection on Friday.
His bike was sent airborne after he was struck by illegal immigrant, Jorge Martinez-Sanchez, 29, who does not have a license, around 7:30am, WGNO reported.
His Yamaha then struck a Nissan Rogue, killing him. The producer, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Martinez-Sanchez was arrested and booked into the Orleans Parish Lockup on charges of negligence homicide, reckless operation of a vehicle, and not being a licensed driver. He is being held without bond after being determined to be a flight risk.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Minister Says Ukrainian Refugees Will Go Back to Their Country When it is Safe
Minister of Migration Marjolein Faber has said that refugees from Ukraine will return to their country from the Netherlands when it is safe. She compared the situation to the Dutch people after World War II.
“The whole of the Netherlands was flattened in 1945,” said Faber. “I did not see a single Dutch person leave then. What did the Dutch people do? They rolled up their sleeves.” Faber added that the generations before her “worked extremely hard to rebuild the Netherlands.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Appeals Court: Illegal Aliens Do Not Have 2nd Amendment Rights
Authored by Eric Lendrum via American Greatness,
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled that illegal aliens do not have the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, due to the fact that they are not American citizens.
As reported by Fox News, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that federal law prohibiting illegal aliens from owning firearms is legal, as the Constitution does not apply to anyone who has entered the United States illegally.
The decision came as the result of an appeal by an illegal alien named Jose Paz Medina-Cantu, who had been arrested in Texas in 2022 by the Border Patrol. He was charged with illegal possession of a handgun, and illegally re-entering the country after having already been deported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Navy Watches on as Overcrowded Migrant Boat is Just ‘SECONDS From Sinking’ in the Channel
Boatmen have described the “horrific” moment they spotted a dangerously overcrowded boat with 60 migrants on board nearly sinking in the Channel.
The vessel was watched at a distance by the French Navy, which looked on as the boat passed into British waters.
Over 21,000 migrants have arrived this year already, with over 7,000 having made the journey since the General Election.
Eye-witnesses said the group this morning, which included freezing cold children aged three, were “hanging on for dear life.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Deports Afghan Criminal Migrants for First Time Since Taliban Takeover
BERLIN (AP) — Germany deported Afghan nationals to their homeland on Friday for the first time since August 2021, when the Taliban returned to power.
Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit described the 28 Afghan nationals as convicted criminals but did not immediately respond to a request for comment to clarify their offenses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In yet another knife attack involving a foreigner, a Somali man stabbed a 46-year-old man in the neck outside a supermarket in the small town of Waltershausen. Thirty police officers arrived on scene and took him into custody.
At 5:30 p.m., the incident started with the 27-year-old Somali man purposefully coughing on customers at random inside the “Netto” discount supermarket. He then began threatening them and randomly entering into arguments with various customers.
When a 46-year-old man asked the Somali man to stop, the Somali man allegedly threatened to kill him. The victim then told the Somali to calm down, at which point the Somali stabbed him in the neck, according to the Welt newspaper.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Immigrant Arrested on Child Sex Crime and Human Trafficking Charges in Alabama
An illegal immigrant has been arrested on several felony child sex crime and human trafficking charges in Alabama, as reported by WBMA.
Enoc Velazquez Bravo, 32, of Mexico, was arrested by Argo police during a traffic stop on Aug. 26 in St. Clair County. He was taken into custody and is being held in jail without bond, police said.
Bravo has been charged with first-degree human trafficking, possession of a fraudulent instrument, facilitating the travel of a child for an unlawful sex act, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, and electronic solicitation of a child, court records show.
Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) has been notified of his arrest. Bravo had been living in Kentucky at the time of his arrest, police said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migration: Hungary to Take Legal Action Against Brussels
The conservative government of Hungary is taking legal steps to ensure that Brussels pays up the €2 billion it owes to Budapest for defending the European Union’s external borders.
Hungary erected a fence in 2015, at the beginning of the European migration crisis, to prevent illegal migrants from entering the EU.
The country was initially berated by Western states calling Hungary’s actions “inhumane,” and saying that it targeted people who wanted to seek refuge in Europe. Budapest argued that if these people really were refugees, not economic migrants, they should have sought asylum in the first safe country they entered, not roam illegally through Europe, violating its borders.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Starmer Keeps Schtum as English Channel Crossings Continue Undeterred
Another week, another set of figures giving the lie to Labour’s claim it is getting a grip of illegal Channel crossings. It points to rapid demographic change of the sort that British voters have rejected at the polls for at least the past 15 years.
Over 500 migrants made the dangerous journey from France to the UK on two consecutive days this week: Tuesday (525) and Wednesday (614), according to official data. There were an average of 63 migrants on each of the small boats, while a further 211 illegals—increasingly referred to as ‘irregular’ migrants in the official jargon—crossed in just four boats on Thursday.
The Home Office—which has given up on even labelling these crossings correctly as “illegal”—insisted on Thursday, August 29th, that the recent conviction of one people smuggler is “sending a clear message that we will not tolerate this sort of life-threatening activity.” But it appears as though no one is listening.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Too Little, Too Late: German Government Talks Tough on Immigration
The German left-liberal government is trying to get tougher on immigration after the knife attack in Solingen that left three innocent people dead and a country shocked and angered about the rise of crime among migrants. The steps may prove to be too little, too late, as anti-immigration parties look to dominate the upcoming regional elections in three eastern states.
After years of failing to address the root causes of the problem, the federal government, consisting of the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the liberal FDP, has announced new measures to toughen knife controls and curb benefits for some illegal migrants.
As we reported, a 26-year-old failed asylum seeker from Syria attacked festivalgoers with a knife in the western German city of Solingen last week, killing three people and injuring eight.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Texas State Rep Leaves Democrat Party Over Child Sex Changes
Shawn Theirry, a Texas state representative, has announced her departure from the Democratic Party to become a Republican. She did so on stage at the Moms for Liberty event in DC on Friday.
“The Democratic Party has veered so far left, so deep into the progressive abyss, that it now champions policies that I cannot, in good conscience, support. Policies like promoting sex changes for vulnerable children, dismantling Title IX,” and others, Theirry said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bud Light Revives Classic Humor Ad With Shane Gillis Amid Weak Recovery
Following Bud Light’s disastrous social media partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which triggered nationwide boycotts and left beer volumes struggling to recover, the brewer has yet to apologize for pushing the woke religion on its blue-collar, working-class customer base. Instead, they’ve now tapped comedian Shane Gillis for a new ad, this time, free of 100% far-left wokeism propaganda and back to the good ole’ days of downright classic humor.
Ad Age reports that Gillis’ appearance in the new television ad “revives an age-old brand joke-the guy who will do anything for a Bud Light-in a scene recalling Dean Wormer admonishing the Deltas in Animal House.”
Range Media Partners, Gillis’ agency, is behind the new ad, which the comedian co-wrote. “The Dean’s Office” shows a football player pressured to admit he cheated on an exam with the offer of a cold Bud Light. The move backfires when each of the onlookers in the room can’t resist confessing to their own embarrassing secrets. Frequent Gillis collaborators Steve Gerben and John McKeever (who also directed) also appear. —Ad Age
The new 30-second ad will air on Saturday during college football games across various networks, including ABC, ESPN, and NBC.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Teacher’s Guide: No Obligation to Use Gender-Affirming Pronouns for Students
According to the guide produced by Ordo Iuris, titled “When Kate claims to be Tom: Legal aspects of gender pronoun disputes in Polish schools,” teachers should address students according to the gender listed on their birth certificates.
The publication emphasizes that using pronouns consistent with official records is a matter of treating all students equally. The guide also argues that teachers cannot be compelled to use a name invented by the student, asserting that such pressure could infringe on a teacher’s constitutionally protected freedom of conscience and religion.
Ordo Iuris, which is a major legal institute in Poland, stresses that the opinion of a school counselor or a diagnosis of gender dysphoria does not obligate teachers to address a male student by a female name.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tulsi Gabbard and other former Democrats took to the stage in DC at the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors National Summit. They addressed how far the left has gone and the left-wing positions of the Democratic Party such as sex changes and looking out for the well-being of their children.
Tulsi Gabbard gave an emotion-filled speech, addressing the hate that mothers and fathers get when they are involved with Mom’s for Liberty and protecting the rights of their children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Books have been written, movies made and college courses taught about white privilege. Denouncing the evils of whiteness indiscriminately allows people of all races, even white people like Robin DiAngelo and Tracie McMillan, to earn a very good living from hunting for white privilege.
Less discussed is ‘whiteless privilege’. Even when one of the biggest beneficiaries of whiteless privilege, Vice President Kamala Harris, has made that her identity. What race is Kamala? Kamala is at once black and Indian, and none of the above because what matters most is not what race she is, but what race she is not. By not being white, she is a person of color and thus whiteless.
Kamala has white ancestry by way of her father, but in a world where men can be women and women can be androgynous and can then march in pride parades as Androgynes for Gaza while wearing half-burkas, what you are matters much less than what you identify as and what you don’t identify as.
One of the most powerful women in the country, raised by a globe-trotting cancer doctor of Brahmin ancestry currently identifies as black because it allows her to cash in on unearned white guilt by way of a made up story of having been subjected to white supremacy as a little girl in Berkeley, California.
Whitelessness is defined by whiteness in the same way that all parasitic identities depend on a host identity. To be whiteless is to be anything but white. People of color, BIPOC and other ways of describing whitelessness are not truly races, but forms of opposition to whiteness. That is why minorities with actual histories of oppression can still be condemned as adjacent to whiteness.
These two poles reveal that in the critical race theory paradigm there are really only two races: whiteness and whitelessness, forever pitted in conflict and defined in opposition to one another. Black, Hispanic or Asian, already dubious categories, are subsumed into one of these political categories.
And it is politics, above all else, that defines whitelessness.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Yale University is offering a new course titled “Queer Science” this upcoming fall semester. Ivy League students, who are said to be some of the world’s top academic performers, have the opportunity to learn the science behind being queer.
Introductory questions to gauge student interest featured in the course description include: “Can facial recognition technology really tell if you’re queer? Why is everyone so obsessed with gay penguins? And how did science come to be the right tool for defining and knowing sex, gender, and sexuality at all?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Perhaps all this stabbiness in Germany is part of a promotion to boost the Germany knife industry.
‘Toddlers’re as predictable as a well-regulated Rolex.
“Dean of Berkeley Law School, Professor Erwin Chemerinsky, joins Morning Joe to discuss his new book ‘No Democracy Lasts Forever: HOW THE CONSTITUTION THREATENS THE UNITED STATES’ [emphasis mine].” —MSLSD (30 Aug 2024)
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/isn-t-it-time-to-start-thinking-of-a-new-constitution-legal-scholar-says-yes-218327109732
“Is it time to begin the process of thinking about a new U.S. Constitution?” (Aug 2024)
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article291185230.html
“We’re living under a flawed Constitution. Let’s start fresh and rewrite it” (Aug 2024)
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-08-23/constitution-undemocratic-amendments-rewrite
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“The American left should work toward abolishing the Constitution someday—either for a new document or a new democratic order without a written constitution.” —The New Republic (Oct 2020)
https://newrepublic.com/article/159823/constitution-crisis-supreme-court
As’s been said, they’re anti-American, Muslim-leaning Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers. And, as’s been predicted, they’ve just been LYING all along.” —posted to fb (Oct 2020)
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“History’s shown that it generally takes a decade of demonization of an “enemy” to incite war. By my reckoning, it’s been just about a decade since ‘Affirmative Action’s first election, which inspired and released his comrades of violent, anti-American Muslim-leaning hyphenated-infantile Bolshevism upon the United States of America. Eventually, as is always the case, there was gonna be an equal and opposite reaction—whether real or feigned—to the violence and demonization. It’s human nature. We’re now at that crossroads.
As’s been said before: ASSIMILATE, SEPARATE (Two-State Solution) or ASSASSINATE (War)—those’re the options. Hopefully, in the long-run, cooler heads’ll prevail and we’ll [peacefully] choose one of the first two before the third option’s foisted upon us by events. But once large numbers of Americans’re unable to work—either due to widespread protests/riots, financial calamity or political chaos—I fear that the collectivists’ cheese’ll slide off the constitutional cracker.
The clock’s ticking..” —posted to fb (Oct 2018)
..and the alarm’s soundin’ LOUD & CLEAR: the frogs’d best WAKE-UP and DO SOMETHING! (starting with gettin’ outta the stinkin’ pot!) , lest they be boiled alive. Just sayin’…
‘Toddlers’re as predictable as a well-regulated Rolex.
“Rep. Jim Jordan speaks after Zuckerberg admits Biden pressured Meta to censor posts”
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6361200587112
“An organization led by Zuckerberg’s wife…gave more than $350 million to the Center for Technology and Civic Life and the Center for Election Innovation and Research on the pretense of getting out the vote to everyone. But the administrators of those groups had deep ties to the left…including CTCL founder Tiana Epps-Johnson, a former Obama Foundation fellow.” —New York Post (30 Aug 2024)
https://nypost.com/2024/08/30/us-news/zuckerberg-ripped-for-claiming-no-influence-on-2020-election/
“It takes an eagerness to be duped to believe that after > four years of “#Resist”, FABRICATED “pee tapes”; FABRICATED “Trump-Russia Collusion”; three lengthy investigations based on FABRICATED “evidence”; and relentless, one-sided media and social media propagandizing for The Party against “Orange Hitler” that The Party suddenly decided to forego the LIES, THIEVERY and ROGUISH behaviour and agree to have a 100% honest, legitimate election, allowing the chips to fall where they will. Or, to put it simply, to believe that Joe “running for US Senate” Biden received MORE votes than President Affirmative Action is the definition of insanity.” —posted to fb (Nov 2020)
“‘Toddlers LIE and LIE and LIE and, then, they LIE about their LIES. Then, they point their collectivist fingers at their opponents and accuse them of lying, which is a LIE..
Remember: There’s no law that can’t be broken, no lie that can’t be told by Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers in their blind pursuit of “social justice” (for personal gain).” —posted to fb (Nov 2021)
fred3x: I just looked up this Chemerinsky character. He looks like Bernie’s mildly retarded younger brother. He’s a stereotypical late 60s/70s era Bolshevik.
“I just looked up this Chemerinsky character. He looks like Bernie’s mildly retarded younger brother. He’s a stereotypical late 60s/70s era Bolshevik.”
Yup, don’t they all.. Typical [Obamerican] academics.
“As’s been said, now that we’re suffering under the SECOND generation of re-educated BTYO commie-toddlers, we may be approaching the time that, for the sake of the union, America should consider the forced exchange of Chinese dissidents for US socialist/communist/progressive academics. Seriously.” —posted to fb (March 2020)
BTYO = Bolshevik Two Year-Old