Ukraine continued its military offensive inside Russia today while Russian forces attempted to respond to the surprise attack. According to a Ukrainian presidential adviser, Russian losses will have a positive impact on Kiev’s possible future negotiations with Russia.
In other news, the Portuguese Olympic Committee has announced that two of its triathletes fell ill after swimming in the Seine River during recent Olympic events.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, JW, LP, McN, Reader from Chicago, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Hungarian Inflation Remains Above Expectations
Consumer prices increased by 4.1 percent on average in July compared to the same month of the previous year, according to data released by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office on Thursday.
According to the director of MBH Bank’s Research Center, Zoltan Árokszallasi, today’s data comes as an unpleasant surprise, noting that the real problem is the structure of inflation.
“Today’s data is an unpleasant surprise. It is not necessarily the size of the surprise that is big (as it is only a tenth of a percentage point in the annual index compared to the 4 percent we expected), but the structure of inflation,” he said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Attorney Tells CNN it’s ‘Virtually Impossible’ Trump Will Face DC Trial Before Election
Criminal defense attorney Bill Brennan said Friday that there is almost no chance former President Donald Trump will face a trial in his Washington, D.C. case before the November election.
Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed Friday with special counsel Jack Smith’s request for a postponement in Trump’s election interference case by delaying a scheduled hearing from Aug. 16 to Sept. 5. Brennan, who previously represented Trump, said on “CNN News Central” that this latest delay makes it even more improbable that the trial could start before the election, because of how quickly it is approaching.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden-Harris Admin Faces Lawsuit After Putting Tulsi Gabbard on Terror Watchlist
Legal action is being prepared against the Biden-Harris administration after whistleblowers revealed that former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard was subjected to increased travel surveillance and placed on a terror watchlist by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) because of her political views. Gabbard is a veteran of the US Armed Forces, a former congresswoman from Hawaii, and has run for president, seeking the 2020 Democrat nomination for president.
Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) said in a statement that the Biden-Harris administration is “once again unconstitutionally targeting conservatives for their political views.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In a recent interview with Politico Playbook’s Deep Dive Podcast, former Biden senior advisor Anita Dunn, who recently left the White House to join the pro-Kamala Harris Super PAC Future Forward as a consultant, spoke on the fallout of the June presidential debate that led to Biden dropping out of the race in July.
Dunn said that the debate was “bad,” but “ it didn’t feel catastrophic at all, certainly in terms of voters,” adding that there wasn’t “much movement whatsoever” in polling immediately after the debate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boeing Jet Slides Off Runway With NFL’s Carolina Panthers Onboard
A Boeing 767 carrying the players for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers has slid off the runway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to reports.
The football stars were onboard a Delta Air Lines flight when the plane slid off the runway early Friday morning.
The incident happened after the jet touched down in Charlotte, North Carolina.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California State Senator Leaves Democratic Party, Says Not Elected to Serve ‘Political Ideology’
Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, a California state senator first elected in 2022, is leaving the Democratic Party for the Republican Party, the lawmaker announced on Thursday.
Alvarado-Gil represents California’s fourth Senate district.
“I was elected to serve the public, not a political ideology,” she said in a statement. “The status quo under a supermajority Democratic rule in the legislature is simply not working for this state.”
Alvarado-Gil told Sacramento Bee editorial board member Marcos Breton she left the party because lawmakers tried to stop reform to Proposition 47, which downgraded certain property crimes to lower-level misdemeanor offenses. Those crimes included shoplifting, writing invalid checks and forgery.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Disgraced ‘Reliable Sources’ Reporter Oliver Darcy OUT at CNN to Start Paid Newsletter
The reporter behind “Reliable Sources” on CNN has left the network amid its restructuring. Oliver Darcy, who has also served as a senior reporter at the outlet, has plans for his own venture with a newsletter. He took over “Reliable Sources” for Brian Stelter when the former CNN host left the network.
The newsletter, dubbed “Status,” describes itself as “the new, definitive nightly briefing that informs readers about what is really happening in the corridors of media power,” per a statement from the website. On Wednesday, Warner Brothers, the parent company of CNN, announced a $10 billion net loss for the second quarter and missed benchmark estimates, per the New York Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BOZEMAN, Mont. — Former President Donald Trump headed to Montana for a Friday night rally in hopes of ousting the state’s Democratic senator, but his plane first had to divert to an airport on the other side of the Rocky Mountains because of a mechanical issue, according to airport staff.
Trump’s plane was en route to Bozeman, Montana, when it was diverted Friday afternoon to Billings, 142 miles to the east, according to Jenny Mockel, administrative assistant at Billings Logan International Airport. Mockel said the former president was continuing to Bozeman via private jet.
Trump’s campaign posted a video of him upon landing in which he said he was glad to be in Montana but did not mention anything about the landing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FBI, in Private Meeting With Trump, Revealed New Details About His Would-be Assassin: Sources
In a private meeting with Donald Trump last week, FBI agents and other law enforcement officials offered the former president new, previously undisclosed details about the 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who came close to assassinating Trump at a rally last month, sources familiar with the meeting told ABC News.
Over more than 90 minutes on Aug. 1, law enforcement officials described shooter Thomas Crooks as a strikingly intelligent man who scored higher than 1500 on his SAT pre-college exam, but who also may have been struggling for years with an undiagnosed disorder, said the sources, who were briefed on the meeting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Court Extends Block on Biden’s Student Debt Relief Plan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) —A federal appeals court on Friday extended an order blocking President Joe Biden’s administration from further implementing a student debt relief plan designed to lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers and speed up loan forgiveness for some.
The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely granted an injunction pending an appeal requested by seven Republican-led states of a lower-court order that they said did not go far enough in blocking the U.S. Department of Education’s debt relief plan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judges Allow Iowa Book Ban to Take Effect This School Year
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa can enforce a book ban this school year following a Friday ruling by a federal appeals court.
The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a district judge’s earlier decision that temporarily halted key parts of the law, including a ban on books depicting sex acts in school libraries and classrooms.
The law, which the Republican-led Legislature and GOP Gov. Kim Reynoldsapproved in 2023, also forbids teachers from raising gender identity and sexual orientation issues with younger students.
Reynolds said in a statement that the ruling reinforces the belief that “it should be parents who decide when and if sexually explicit books are appropriate for their children.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A repeat offender on probation viciously clobbered an NYPD officer, knocking her down onto a Bronx sidewalk before other cops pounced on him in a wild caught-on-camera arrest Thursday evening.
Ernst Delma, 41, slugged the female officer in the face when she tried to break up an argument between him and a group of kids on a Clason Point street corner, authorities and law enforcement sources said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Firebug Accused of Torching NYC Building, Injuring 9 is Freed Without Bail, Back in Neighborhood
This firebug was allowed to bug out.
A Brooklyn man who allegedly torched a Bushwick apartment building last month — injuring nine tenants — was cut loose without bail this week and is already terrifying folks in his old neighborhood, The Post has learned.
Stanley Garcia, 63, was arrested Wednesday by cops and hit with a slew of arson charges for allegedly sparking a July 16 blaze on Evergreen Avenue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ford Files Patent for System to “Automatically Snitch” on Speeders
Ford has filed a new patent called “Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations” that reveals the company is looking at ways to “automatically snitch” on speeding drivers, a new report from TechRadar shows.
Ford’s patent filing with the USPTO details a system using vehicles’ cameras and sensors to detect speeding motorists and report them to authorities.
Basic sketches and flow charts illustrate how this technology senses speed violations, activates cameras to capture images, and transmits data to nearby pursuit vehicles or logs it to a server. The captured data, including speed, GPS location, and clear imagery or video, can then be sent to authorities for potential action.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vice President Kamala Harris was blasted for spending less than two minutes taking questions from reporters Thursday after being criticized for going 18 days without speaking to the media.
The vice president answered a handful of questions on the airport tarmac while campaigning in Michigan, after former President Trump had held a lengthy news conference earlier in the afternoon.
One reporter asked Harris to respond to criticism regarding how she has not given an interview or a formal press conference since she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
IED Explosion Thursday Leads FBI and MPD to Issue Public Warning, Again
WAILUKU — An explosion caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) Thursday on Old Haleakala Highway, which was placed in a nearby trash receptacle, struck a passing vehicle and the driver was transported for medical services, but was later released.
The FBI and Maui Police Department (MPD) issued a press release Thursday prior to the explosion, warning the public of the threat of IED’s. The FBI and MPD have identified and collected several IEDs which vary in size and shape, and has rendered them safe.
The recovered devices have been located along roadways between Kahului and Kula, and were concealed from view in trash receptacles or other areas outside of plain view. The FBI and MPD continue to urge the public to be cautious of any unknown object. The recovered device from yesterday’s press release is a 7-inch x 4-inch cylinder shape. Forensic review is ongoing to determine how these devices were configured to detonate.
The FBI and MPD continue to urge the public to report any suspicious activity that could present a threat to public safety, such as someone leaving an object unattended in a public space. If you see a suspicious or unknown object, especially near any street or road, do not touch, drive over, or go near it for any reason. If possible, keep others away from the area and call 911 immediately.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
The home state of former president Donald Trump and some of the Republican Party’s highest profile legislators and members of Congress has made Florida turn bright red.
Florida was once considered the ultimate toss-up state, with Barack Obama winning it twice and the state having Democrat governors and members of the US Senate.
However, since Ron DeSantis defeated troubled Andrew Gillum in 2022, both his policies, the president’s consistent presence and a wave of migration to the Sunshine State has had the sun shining on the GOP.
In Florida, there are now 5.3 million residents registered to vote as Republicans versus 4.3 million Democrats, with the official margin around 995,000.
It’s a complete turnaround from the GOP, as in the year before DeSantis was elected, 2017, Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a count of 4.8 million to 4.5 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jan. 6 Rioter Gets 20 Years Behind Bars for Conduct Judge Called ‘Exceptionally Egregious’
David Nicholas Dempsey, of California, received a 20-year prison sentence on Friday for attacking police officers with flagpoles on Jan. 6, 2021 during the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The sentence is reportedly the longest so far among Jan. 6 rioters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jillian Michaels on Her Exodus From California: ‘I Know a F***ed Up Situation When I See One’
Fitness guru Jillian Michaels is being blunt about her exodus from California.
“I know a f***ed up situation when I see one. And it’s a mess,” Michaels told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Earlier this summer, Michaels went viral for comments she made on “The Sage Steele Show,” declaring that California “got too crazy for me.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Orders National Archives, AG Garland to Attempt to Recover Illegally Deleted CDC Records
A judge on Friday ordered the National Archives and Attorney General Merrick Garland to “recover illegally deleted records” to “the extent reasonable possible,” according to documents published by America First Legal.
“We just secured a preliminary injunction in our lawsuit against the Biden-Harris CDC for illegally deleting employees’ emails,” read a post on X from America First Legal.
“The National Archives and Attorney General Garland must now work to recover illegally deleted records and make CDC comply with the law,” the group also wrote in a series of X posts that included a copy of the injunction.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris ordered the seizure of undercover videos that exposed the selling of baby parts from Planned Parenthood when she was the attorney general of California in 2016.
In a thread of undercover videotapes posted by journalist David Daleiden, top-tier Planned Parenthood officials talked about selling livers for $1,500 as well as ripping off the legs of unborn infants in order to avoid classifying a late-term abortion as a partial-birth abortion. Daleiden is now facing eight felony charges for exposing the abortion organization and may face jail time, per the New York Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minnesota Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Voting Rights for Felons on Probation
Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld a 2023 state law returning voting rights to Minnesotans with felony convictions immediately after their release from prison.
In its Aug. 7 ruling, the state’s highest court did not comment on the merits of the law but rejected a challenge from the nonpartisan organization Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA), alongside four citizen plaintiffs.
The court agreed with a previous lower court decision that found the group and individuals lacked legal standing to challenge the measure and had failed to prove that the Legislature overstepped its authority when it voted to extend voting rights to individuals who are out of jail but still on probation for a felony.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Murder Case Dismissed Against Man Charged in Death of Detroit Synagogue Leader
DETROIT (AP) — The case against against a man accused of killing of a Detroit synagogue leader collapsed Friday as a judge dismissed a remaining murder charge, three weeks after a jury cleared him of a similar but separate charge.
Judge Margaret Van Houten said putting Michael Jackson-Bolanos on trial again for murder would be unconstitutional “double jeopardy.”
It is a victory for Jackson-Bolanos, who has repeatedly declared his innocence in the fatal stabbing of Samantha Woll. Prosecutors acknowledged that the pending murder charge probably had to be dismissed, but it still was a blow in the highly publicized case.
Woll, 40, was found dead outside her Detroit home last October. It raised speculation about whether the attack was some type of antisemitic retaliation amid the Israel-Hamas war, though police found no connection.
A jury in July acquitted Jackson-Bolanos of first-degree premediated murder. But it couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict on a separate charge of felony murder, which in Michigan is murder committed during another crime. In this case, prosecutors alleged a home invasion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New: Joe Rogan Clarifies He Has Not Endorsed RFK Jr, He Just Likes Him
Joe Rogan has said that he has not endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he said he liked RFK and discussed the independent presidential candidate in a podcast episode earlier this week.
Many on the right called his actions into question after talking about RFK on the podcast, and in response he posted, “For the record, this isn’t an endorsement. This is me saying that I like RFK Jr as a person, and I really appreciate the way he discusses things with civility and intelligence.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Newsom Steps Up Pressure on Localities to Clear Homeless Encampments: ‘I’Ll Start to Redirect Money’
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is stepping up pressure on local officials, urging them to move faster to dismantle homeless encampments throughout the state.
“If we don’t see demonstrable results, I’ll start to redirect money,” Newsom told reporters on Thursday in the San Fernando Valley where an encampment was recently cleared, adding, “I’ll be candid with you. This is more broadly an indictment of counties. … Counties need to do more.”
Newsom said the state has “open hands, not a closed fist” toward counties on this issue but “if we don’t see results, we’re going to change our approach.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RFK Jr. Cancels Iowa State Fair Appearance Citing Increased Security Concerns
Authored by Jeff Louderbeck via The Epoch Times
Almost a month after a gunman shot and injured former President Donald Trump at an outside rally in Pennsylvania, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled a planned appearance at the Iowa State Fair, citing “increased security concerns.”
Kennedy announced his candidacy in April 2023 and was denied Secret Service protection five times by the Department of Homeland Security before it was swiftly authorized after the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scandal-Plagued Illinois Mayor’s Expenses Revealed by Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot left residents dumbfounded after revealing the preliminary findings of an investigation into the alleged egregious misuse of funds by Dolton, Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard.
On Thursday night, Lightfoot revealed to residents the extent of Mayor Henyard’s alleged misuse. Lightfoot stated that in April 2022, Dolton’s general fund balance was $5.61 million.
By May 2024, the balance had dropped to a deficit of $3.65 million.
“As of May 30 of this year, the village’s general fund was in a net deficit position,” Lightfoot said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Stolen Valor? Harris Campaign Scrubs Walz Bio
The U.S. Democratic Party had barely announced the name of Kamala Harris’ running mate when serious questions about his credentials surfaced. Tim Walz, presented on the campaign website as “the son of an Army veteran and a retired Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard himself,” came under fire when it came to light that he did not, in reality, ever hold that rank. The campaign has since rephrased that section of the VP candidate’s bio on its website, saying he “served at the command sergeant major rank.”
In interviews, Walz has described himself as a “retired sergeant major.”
What’s in a title? Well, quite a bit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Suburban School Worker Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1.5M Worth of Chicken Wings From District
HARVEY, Ill. — WGN Investigates has an update to a story that was first reported than a year ago.
A south suburban school worker has pled guilty to stealing $1.5 millions worth of food, mainly chicken wings.
Vera Liddell was the food service director for Harvey School District 152.
Cook County prosecutors accused her of stealing massive amounts of food meant for take-home meals for students learning remotely during the pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Called on to Enforce Proof of Citizenship Law in Arizona Ahead of November Election
Republicans are calling on the United States Supreme Court to allow Arizona to enforce its proof of citizenship requirements ahead of the critical November presidential election.
The nation’s highest court is being asked to allow enforcement of sections of an Arizona law requiring documented proof of citizenship to cast a ballot in the presidential election, including voting by mail.
State GOP lawmakers and the Republican National Committee (RNC) have filed an emergency appeal with Justice Elena Kagan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas AG Paxton’s Investigation Leads ActBlue to Require CVV Codes When People Make Donations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his investigation into ActBlue has resulted in the Democrat-affiliated PAC now requiring CVV codes as a security measure when people make donations.
The political action committee fundraises for Democratic nonprofits and politicians.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tim Walz Has Hosted Muslim Leader Who Didn’t Condemn Oct. 7 and Touted Hitler Film
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz has repeatedly hosted a Muslim leader who didn’t condemn the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel — and who touted a film that glorifies Adolf Hitler, according to a report.
Walz, Minnesota’s two-term governor, even doled out cash to the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, which is helmed by the alleged extremist imam, Asad Zaman, the Washington Examiner revealed Friday.
The governor’s office has awarded more than $100,000 in funding to the Muslim non-profit in recent years, the outlet found.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Announces $125M in New Ukraine Military Aid as Kyiv Counter-Invades Russia
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday announced $125 million in new US military aid to Ukraine — as Kyiv’s troops press deeper into Russia as part of a stunning four-day counter-offensive.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the aid is drawn from congressionally authorized funds and includes “air defense interceptors, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, multi-mission radars, and anti-tank weapons.”
The US government has avoided commenting, meanwhile, on Ukrainian operations in the Russian region of Kursk north of Kharkiv, where Ukrainian troops reportedly have taken about 100 square miles of land — putting new pressure on Moscow to withdraw from occupied areas of Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, fired back at CNN after an anchor suggested he embellished his own military service as the Republican vice presidential nominee hammered his Democratic rival over his record.
Vance, who served as a U.S. Marine in Iraq, has taken aim at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as questions have been swirling over how he represented his military service since he was tapped by Vice President Harris as her running mate.
But, according to CNN’s Brianna Keilar, Vance “may be an imperfect messenger” on the issue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virginia Mandates Paper Ballots, Tracking, and Proof of Residency for 2024 Election
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) on Wednesday signed an executive order to implement various security measuresahead of the November election — including the use of paper ballots, tracking possession of ballots during early voting, matching the number of ballots casts with then number of voters who have checked in, and the number of ballots sent to voters.
The order also requires absentee ballots to be requested before being mailed to voters, in addition to rejecting ballots mailed back unless the voter provides the last four digits of their Social Security number and birth year.
The state notably uses paper ballot counting machines that aren’t connected to the internet and are tested before elections.
Meanwhile, Youngkin also ordered the state to update its voter rolls — including adding or removing people based on whether they are allowed to vote in the state, removing those unable to prove residency, removing the names of dead voters, and ensuring illegals cannot cast a ballot.
According to Virginia AG Jason Miyares, 6,303 illegals have been removed from the state’s voter rolls during Youngkin’s tenure, and almost 80,000 deceased voters have been removed.
As the Epoch Times notes further, Youngkin instructed the Department of Motor Vehicles to “expedite the interagency data sharing with the Department of Elections of noncitizens by generating a daily file of all noncitizens transactions, including addresses and document numbers.”
The Department of Elections compares a list of noncitizens with a list of those registered to vote. Those who are on both lists get removed from voter rolls. If someone is erroneously removed, he or she has 14 days to prove eligibility to cast a ballot.
Additionally, Virginia has cameras monitoring drop box locations 24/7.
Moreover, according to the executive order, the Department of Elections is to inform voters about prohibited activities including, but not limited to, electoral intimidation, illegally disclosing or using Social Security numbers, unlawful registrations and votes, and tampering with or stealing voting items.
There have been almost two dozen cases of election fraud cases in Virginia since 2007, according to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Would-be Donald Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks practiced firing rounds at his local gun club dozens of times — including on Christmas Day — in the lead-up to the rally attack, newly obtained records show.
The 20-year-old dedicated about 80% of his time to rifle practice during his slew of visits to the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club in Pennsylvania, according to the records obtained and released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday.
“He focused almost exclusively on the rifle range throughout 2024,” Grassley’s office said in a statement, adding that the newly released logs were proof of Crooks’ “intense preparation” before unleashing his July 13 attack on Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of Canadians Don’t Want to See Olympics Hosted in Canada: Poll
The Olympics are wrapping up in Paris, France and while Canadians are happy to cheer on their compatriots from a distance, most aren’t interested in hosting the international sporting event on home soil.
A new poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute found that the overwhelming majority of Canadians had no interest in Canada hosting the Olympics in the future, primarily citing the costly price tag accompanying it.
The Paris Olympics are expected to cost over USD $10 billion, which is not surprising considering the 2010 Vancouver Olympics cost between CAD $7 and $9 billion with the city only breaking even once it was all said and done.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“National Embarrassment”: Catalan Separatist Leader Evades Arrest and Flees to Belgium
Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has fled Spain despite a massive manhunt and a warrant for his arrest, his lawyer has said.
Gonzalo Boye said on Friday morning that the separatist leader is already “outside of the Spanish state” and that “between today and tomorrow” he will address the public.
The lawyer, who accompanied Puigdemont during his rally and televised escape on Thursday, told radio stations RAC1 and Catalunya Ràdio that his client “spoke to the citizens of Catalonia, saw that he had done his job, and left.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
3rd Person in Custody Over Foiled Plot Targeting Now-Canceled Taylor Swift Shows in Vienna
VIENNA (AP) — Austrian authorities on Friday announced a third arrest in connection with the foiled conspiracy to attack three now-canceled Taylor Swift concerts, even as disappointed fans charmed Vienna by trading friendship bracelets and singing the pop star’s songs in the streets.
The main suspect, a 19-year-old, planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium — up to 30,000 each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue — with knives or homemade explosives during the concert on Thursday or Friday. The suspect hoped to “kill as many people as possible,” authorities said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Apple Loosens Appstore Rules Amid Brussels Pressure
Apple has once again adjusted its App Store rules amid ongoing pressure from the European Union.
The Californian tech giant has become a whipping boy for the European Commission in recent months, with regulators repeatedly using the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) to force the company to make changes to its products.
While Apple had already made adjustments to its App Store policies earlier this year in the hopes of being deemed DMA-compliant, further changes were announced on August 8 in the hopes of dissuading EU complaints.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eastern Europe’s Armies Struggle to Enlist Young People With War Not Far Away
VALEC, Czech Republic (Reuters) — As instructors shout commands, dozens of students taking part in a pilot Czech army programme aimed at boosting flagging enlistment numbers crawl through forest scrub carrying combat rifles and learning proper shooting positions.
Like most former Soviet-satellite states now in NATO, the Czech Republic has missed recruitment targets for years and struggled to maintain troop levels. This has left army units understaffed and unable to reach combat readiness, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on eastern Europe’s fringes, a stark reminder of Moscow’s potential threat to the region.
Around 80 Czech high school students chose to spend part of their summer learning about army life at the four-week training programme being conducted in a closed military zone 94 km (58 miles) west of the capital Prague.
But General Karel Rehka, the Czech armed forces chief, has called the current system unsustainable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Estonian Journalist Accused of Treason Over Book ‘Designed to Divide Society’
Estonian journalist Svetlana Burceva has been charged with treason after writing and publishing a book in Russia entitled Hybrid war for peace. Where will the “Battle of Kursk” take place? under the pseudonym LB Svet.
According to the Estonian public prosecutor: “The book intended to divide Estonian society and discredit the Republic of Estonia and its institutions.”
Burtseva’s lawyer Sven Sillar said she denied the charges and emphasised the fact that the criminal case could set a precedent in Estonia.
“A journalist has never been charged with a similar charge in Estonia before,” he told Brussels Signal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Far-Left French MP Goes to London to Support Antifa
England has been gripped by major anti-immigration riots (and counter-riots) since three little girls were murdered in Southport. In France, the media have tended to adopt the official narrative of the British government, stressing the responsibility of the ‘far right’ for the unrest. French far-left MP Raphaël Arnault, who made headlines by getting himself elected despite being classified by the government as a dangerous individual due to his Antifa activities in France, travelled to London to support his local Antifa comrades.
Raphaël Arnault filmed his London trip on X. He is the co-founder of the Jeune garde antifasciste (young anti-fascist guard), a movement that uses violence against its political enemies, the so-called ‘extreme’ right. Arnault explained that he wanted to “support local comrades in the face of riots and targeted racist attacks.” The young activist, dressed in an army-green jacket and obviously looking for a fight, was full of outrageous phrases designed to give him moral legitimacy: “Young Guard mode activated. Nazis off our streets.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: NGO Says Olympics Committee is Withholding Seine Water Quality Data
NGO Surfrider Foundation France has accused the Paris Olympics committee of hiding poor Seine quality figures.
The body has called for greater transparency from the organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympics regarding river cleanliness.
In a statement released on August 8, the environmental NGO urged all parties involved in the event to make water-quality data public.
It revealed that it has been denied permission to conduct independent water-quality tests on the Seine water.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany on High Alert as Tensions Rise in the Middle East, Interior Minister Reveals
Germany’s security services have been put on high alert in response to the tense situation in the Middle East, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has announced.
“We are closely monitoring how any further escalation will affect the security situation in Germany,” Faeser said in an interview with the Rheinische Post on Thursday.
The interior minister said there was a high risk of further escalation in the Middle East, which she described as “extremely dangerous.” However, she added that the German government, together with its international partners, was working hard to de-escalate the situation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic State Recruiting and Radicalizing Children Online
The arrest of two teenagers planning a terror attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna is far from an isolated incident: Islamist extremists are increasingly using the Internet to recruit young people—including children, experts say.
In addition to the 19-year old main suspect and a 17-year-old employed by a company providing services at the Vienna concert venue, police are questioning a 15-year-old. All three were born in Austria with Turkish, Croatian, or North Macedonian family backgrounds.
The recently foiled terror plot exemplifies a disturbing trend seen by experts and intelligence agencies. Over the past nine months, teenagers made up almost two-thirds of suspects in Islamic State-related terror attacks or plots in Europe, according to Peter Neumann, professor of Security Studies at King’s College London.
In the 27 IS-related cases Neumann studied, 38 of 58 suspects are 13-19 years old.
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Italy Sees ‘Beach-Umbrella Protest’ as Licence Row Resurfaces
Italy’s balneari (beach managers) closed their umbrellas for a few hours on August 9 in a symbolic protest against the government’s failure to resolve a dispute with the European Union about opening up their business to outside competition.
Antonio Capacchione, president of one of the main unions representing licence holders, said the “gentle strike” had received “massive support”.
In Italy, lucrative licences to rent-out sun loungers and beach umbrellas and manage beach bars and restaurants are traditionally family controlled and passed down from one generation to another.
Rival entrepreneurs said they have been shut out unfairly from a major business.
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A Polish couple, who had previously fled to Poland to get away from the Swedish social services, contacted the lawyers of the Ordo Iuris Institute for help after their children had been taken away from them and brought to Sweden.
Although Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Ewa Klaman, together with their three children (who hold Polish citizenship exclusively), were legally residing on the territory of Poland, and despite them having left Sweden in the absence of a court ruling on the limitation or termination of their parental authority, Swedish social welfare took their children away and brought them to Sweden with the assistance of the Polish authorities.
In Sweden, prior to this, the Swedish authorities had decided to separate the eldest daughter from her parents by placing her in a foster family and then asked the Polish couple whether they would voluntarily hand over their other children.
A Polish court then ordered the forcible removal of the Polish nationals who were residing in Poland, separating them from their parents and relocating them to Sweden, while notifying law enforcement that the children’s mother was unwilling to support these actions by turning over their passports.
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The British government is eyeing a crackdown social media, while a member of the public has been arrested for “inaccurate social media” post, and a Covid-era government spy team monitoring the public for “disinformation” has been brought back.
The United Kingdom has experienced days of civil unrest including protest, riots, and confrontations between ethnic groups since the mass-stabbing of young children last week. Hundreds have been arrested for real-life acts of violence and incitement, including a cop-bashing middle-aged gay couple on their way home from the bingo, counter-protester “Asian males” who assaulted Union Jack-wearing men, and a Labour politician who called for his political enemies to have their throats cut at a ‘peace’ rally.
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Powerful Must-Watch: Tommy Robinson Issues Emergency Warning Concerning the Future of the UK
UK activist Tommy Robinson joined the Alex Jones Show Thursday to break down the 1984-style police crackdown on citizens expressing their opposition to the region’s violent migrant invasion.
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Rogan: State of Free Speech in the UK is Worse Than Russia
Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news
Responding to the recent authoritarian crackdown, Joe Rogan pointed out that more people get arrested in the UK for “thought crimes” on social media than they do in Russia.
“Terrible government overreach — you’re seeing it now in England where people are getting arrested for tweets,” said the podcast host.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Saxony PM: Germany Can No Longer Afford Military Support for Ukraine
A growing number of mainstream politicians have begun to join national conservative parties across Europe in their call to reverse the EU’s failing Ukraine strategy.
The latest to call for pivoting to a pro-ceasefire approach instead of continuing to send endless weapons shipments that Europe can’t afford was Michael Kretschmer, the minister president of the German federal state of Saxony, in a recent interview with the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), published on Friday, August 9th.
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Spain Fumes After Puigdemont Pulls Off ‘Disappearing Act’
Authorities in Spain have been demanding answers after Catalan independence leader and political outlaw Carles Puigdemont successfully pulled off a disappearing act after a rally in Barcelona.
Puigdemont managed to travel from his home in exile in Belgium to Spain, speak at the rally on August 8 held near Catalonia’s regional parliament and leave the country again, despite active police attempts to find and arrest him.
Officials have demanded answers, with Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena having ordered the handover of information concerning the police operation to arrest the former Catalan leader.
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‘The Last Days of John McAfee’ Investigates Tech Pioneer’s Mysterious Death
Fox Nation’s new docuseries “The Last Days of John McAfee” dives into the lingering questions surrounding the mysterious death of British-American tech tycoon John McAfee.
The famed creator of the McAfee antivirus software was awaiting extradition to the United States when he was found dead in a Spanish jail cell in 2021. But even after officials claimed he died by suicide, many others were not convinced.
“I don’t believe that he committed suicide. I believe wholeheartedly that he was probably drugged or injected with something so that he couldn’t put up a fight, and then he was propped up,” Janice, John’s wife, said on the special Fox Nation series.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Two Athletes Sick After Swimming in the Seine,’ Portuguese Olympic Committee Says
The Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) has announced that two of its triathletes, Vasco Vilaça and Melanie Santos, fell ill after swimming in the Seine River.
In a statement on August 7, the COP’s Sports Medicine Department reported that Vilaça had developed symptoms consistent with a gastrointestinal infection.
“The Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) informs, through its Sports Medicine Department, that athlete Vasco Vilaça has developed symptoms compatible with gastrointestinal infection in the last few hours during his stay at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” the body said.
The committee also noted that Vilaça was in stable condition and that the other athlete Melanie Santos had experienced similar symptoms, although less severe.
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UK: “Cut All Their Throats”: Labour Politician Arrested After Calling for Murder of ‘Far Right’
A Labour councillor has been arrested after being filmed telling protestors that the “far right” are all Nazis who need their throats cut.
Ricky Jones made the incendiary remarks to the crowd at a “refugees welcome here” rally in Walthamstow:
They are disgusting Nazi fascists and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.
At least one delighted Amnesty International steward laughed and clapped as Jones, who represents the Princes ward on Dartford Borough Council in south east London, drew cheers from crowd members (some masked) and made a ‘throat-slitting’ gesture. The group around Jones then chanted “Free Palestine!”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage tweeted:
This man should be arrested. If not, we know there is two-tier policing.
On Thursday, the Metropolitan Police announced it had arrested a man on suspicion of encouraging murder and for a public order offence.
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UK: Farage: Establishment Media Parroting Government Because of Groupthink
Elon Musk puzzles why the UK media just parrots the government, Brexit leader Farage points to groupthink, and the stubborn refusal to accept when they’ve got things wrong.
Reform UK and Brexit leader Nigel Farage admonishes the British Political-Media class for their cosy club mentality as the “war of words” between world’s richest man Elon Musk and the UK government heats up over ever tougher attempts by new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to crack down on the internet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Woman Who Posted Fake Name of Southport Attacker Says it ‘Destroyed’ Her
A British businesswoman accused of being one of the first people to post a fake name for the Southport attacker has said that it has “destroyed” her.
Bernadette Spofforth, 55, wrongly claimed on X, formerly Twitter, that the suspect in the killing of three girls outside a Taylor Swift dance class was an asylum seeker who had recently arrived in the UK by boat.
The false accusation, which was promoted across social media by far-Right accounts and Russian bots, has been blamed for sparking riots which spread across the country.
Mrs Spofforth, who lives in a million-pound farm house near Chester, has denied that she was the first to post the message, saying that she simply made the mistake of repeating it.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Has ‘Right to Hit Targets in Russian Territory’, Says Brussels
Peter Stano, the European Commission’s lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security, has confirmed the bureaucracy’s support for Ukraine’s strikes within Russia.
“Ukraine has a right to defend itself, and this right to defend itself includes also hitting the enemy on his territory,” Stano told reporters on August 8.
“We think that Ukraine is fighting a legitimate defensive war against an illegal aggression.”
Stano’s remarks followed Ukraine’s recent offensive in East Russia’s Kursk region on August 6.
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United States Tops List as Poland’s Prime Ally, Polish Survey Reveals
In a recent survey conducted by SW Research for the daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita, nearly half of the respondents identified the United States as Poland’s foremost ally.
The survey posed the question, “Which country do you think is Poland’s biggest ally?”
Results showed that 47.5 percent of participants pointed to the United States. Following the U.S., 7.8 percent of respondents believed Germany held that position, with the United Kingdom close behind at 6.7 percent.
Hungary and Ukraine were also recognized, receiving 4.8 percent and 3.5 percent of votes, respectively, placing them fourth and fifth. Only 1 percent of survey participants considered France in this context.
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X Slams ‘Draconian’ Irish Demand to Cease Grok AI Data Processing
Social media platform X has slammed an Irish request for it to stop processing user data for its Grok AI as “draconian”, according to national broadcaster RTE.
The country’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) sought a High Court order on August 6 that would ban X from processing its users’ personal data to develop any of its AI systems.
RTE reported on August 8 that the court also heard X had said that if granted, the “draconian” order being sought would prevent it “from carrying out the essential functions required for the provision of the platform in the European Union and European Economic Area”.
The platform added that it fully opposed the DPC’s attempt to seek the order.
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Israel Kills Hamas Commander in Lebanon, Strikes Gaza as Region Sits on Brink of Wider War
Israel continued its assault in southern Gaza by striking Khan Younis and killing at least 21 Palestinians, according to medics at Nasser hospital. Diplomatic efforts also intensified to head off Iranian retaliation against Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader and negotiator Ismail Haniyeh. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Mass YouTube Outage Reported in Russia Amid Escalating Official Criticism
MOSCOW (Reuters) —Russian internet monitoring services reported a mass outage on the availability of video hosting site YouTube on Thursday as Russian authorities step up criticism of the platform.
Russian internet monitoring service Sboi.rf said there had been thousands of glitches reported about YouTube in Russia. Users said they could only access YouTube via virtual private networks (VPNs).
“YouTube is not working,” one anonymous user said in comments on the site.
Reuters reporters in Russia were unable to access YouTube. The website remained available via some mobile devices.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Russia’s state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor also did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
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Putin Signs Law Legalizing Cryptocurrency Mining in Russia
Authored by Nik Hoffman via BitcoinMagazine.com
Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially signed a law that legalizes cryptocurrency mining in Russia.
According to a report by Russian news agency TASS, the law introduces several key concepts, including digital currency mining, mining pools, and mining infrastructure operators.
Mining activities are now recognized by Russia as part of turnover rather than the issuance of digital currency.
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Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak announced in a national television broadcast that the surprise incursion was launched to strengthen Kyiv’s position in future negotiations with Russia.
According to the presidential adviser, Russian losses of territory, men, and equipment will have a positive impact on Kyiv’s possible future negotiations with Russia.
Ukraine has struck Russian territory for the first time since the war began in February 2022, security policy expert György Nógradi told Magyar Nemzet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Presses Offensive Inside Russia as Moscow Scrambles to Respond
Ukraine pressed ahead with a military offensive inside Russia on Friday while Russian forces scrambled to respond to the surprise attack that has forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes.
Video on social media showed long lines of Russia civilians driving out of villages in the western region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched the operation Tuesday. Russia has canceled train service in several parts of Kursk due to the fighting. In addition, videos show Russian civilians pleading for help from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian military, saying they fear for their lives.
Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. officials all acknowledge the fighting, but details remain sketchy.
In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “Russia brought war to our land and should feel what it has done. Ukrainians know how to achieve their goals.”
Beyond a few general comments, Ukraine’s government and military have not commented on the operation, which appears to be the largest inside Russia since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014.
Russian military officials said they have sent reinforcements to Kursk, that they were defeating the Ukrainian forces and expected to regain control of the border soon.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Alex Jones spoke with investigative journalist Laura Logan about the massive terrorist training camps graduating tens of thousands of Islamic radicals who are ready for Jihad.
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Singapore’s Birth Rate Plunges as Deaths Surge Among Vaxxed
A devastating crisis is emerging in Singapore as deaths continue to skyrocket among the nation’s Covid-vaccinated population.
Shocking new data has also revealed birth rates are plunging in Singapore, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, as death surge.
The news comes after Singaporean government officials have tried to downplay the issue.
However, the new data directly contradicts the government’s gaslighting narratives.
Like many other highly-vaccinate nations, excess deaths soared among those who received Covid mRNA shots.
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Chinese Port Rocked by Huge Container Ship Blast
Surveillance footage captured the moment a huge explosion on a cargo ship rocked one of China’s busiest ports.
Chinese state media said that shockwaves were felt up to a kilometre away from the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, south of Shanghai.
Rescue officials said no casualties had been reported aboard the ship, which it said was owned by the Taiwanese container shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport.
The Zhejiang Province Emergency Management Administration said the ship was carrying hazardous materials, but did not specify what they were.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Olympic Sharpshooter Kim Ye-Ji Collapses Mid-Press Conference
Olympic sharpshooter Kim Ye-ji collapsed during a news conference Friday in South Korea.
Video footage from the conference showed Ye-ji speaking to the press before she collapsed and fell to the floor. People rushed to her aid and quickly attempted to help her but it was immediately clear that something was very wrong. Cameras continued to roll as paramedics arrived on-scene and put the 31-year-old on a stretcher while continuing to provide emergency care.
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Isadora Zubillaga is the former ambassador of the Venezuelan Government to France and former deputy minister for foreign affairs of Venezuela. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Boston University and a master’s degree in international relations from the Sorbonne.
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Passenger Plane Crashes in Brazil With 62 on Board, Airline Says
A passenger plane with 62 on board crashed in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state on Friday, according to the airline.
There were 58 passengers and 4 crew members, according to reports.
The Associated Press reported that the plane crashed and caught fire in the city of Vinhedo.
It is unclear how many of the passengers died. The plane was reportedly flying to Sao Paulo’s international airport Guarulhos.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Venezuela’s Maduro Blocks Access to X in Wake of Disputed Election
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this week blocked access to social media platform X in the wake of the country’s presidential election, which were marred by allegations of fraud and prompted considerable protests.
X owner Elon Musk has heavily criticized the Maduro government and repeatedly compared him to a donkey. Maduro is not a good guy. Venezuela deserves much better,” Musk said in another post.
Maduro, for his part, scolded Musk when issuing the ban, insisting he had repeatedly violated the platform’s own terms of service.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
38-Year-Old Illegal Immigrant Charged With Predatory Sexual Assault of Illinois Child
An illegal immigrant has been arrested and charged for the suspected predatory sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 and was arrested on Tuesday evening in Bourbonnais, Illinois.
38-year-old Juan C. Alvizar was arrested in connection to the crime, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office in a press release stated: “Sheriff’s deputies responded to a sexual incident that occurred Tuesday evening in unincorporated Bourbonnais. The details of the investigation subsequently resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Juan C Alvizar.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Abbott Orders Texas Hospitals to Report Health Care Costs for Illegal Immigrants
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Aug. 8 requiring that hospitals collect data on patients living illegally in the United States and report the costs of medical services provided to them.
In a statement, Abbott said he aims to collect data on illegal immigrants who use public hospitals so that Texas can seek reimbursement from the federal government for their medical expenses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The suspect in the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is showing that Venezuela’s violent Tren de Aragua gang is a family affair.
Both brothers of Venezuelan migrant Jose Ibarra, 26, are suspected of being involved in the imported prison gang that is wreaking havoc across the US, Homeland Security sources told The Post.
Argenis Ibarra, 24, is the latest brother to be identified as a member of Tren de Aragua, the sources said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Somali Murderer Escapes After Being Taken to Cinema
An extremely dangerous Somali migrant, who had previously killed a man by stabbing and beheading him, was inexplicably let out of a psychiatric ward for an escorted visit to the cinema on Thursday, August 8th, during which he escaped, reports media outlet Nius.de.
The 22-year-old man, an asylum seeker from Somalia named Mursal Mohamed Seid, was sentenced to an indefinite stay at a psychiatric hospital in 2022, after he murdered a 52-year-old fellow resident at a homeless shelter, stabbing him 111 times with a knife, and then decapitating him.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The House Judiciary Committee is demanding immigration records from the State Department and Department of Homeland Security on the alleged Iranian agent who plotted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Chairman Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) fired off a pair of letters to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday asking for the documentation.
The missives show they have yet to receive information about the hitman’s alien file (A-file), consular file and case history, as well as how he was processed and screened or whether he was detained by US Customs and Border Protection when coming into the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Opposition Accuses Austrian Government of Migration “Number Trickery”
The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) has accused the centre-right-green coalition government of deceiving Austria’s citizens with its latest report on the deportation of illegal migrants.
According to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner—of the centre-right People’s Party (ÖVP)—Austria deported 6,553 people in the first half of this year: 3,080 were voluntary departures and 3,473 forced deportations. This is a 6% higher figure than in the same period last year, and the highest number since the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum was founded in 2014.
According to the ministry, 44% of all forcibly deported persons were convicted of criminal offences at least once.
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Sanctuary City Chicago: Venezuelan Migrant Freed From Jail After Allegedly Mugging 80-Year-Old Woman
A migrant was released from jail in the sanctuary city of Chicago, Illinois, after allegedly mugging an 80-year-old woman, a new report details.
According to CWB Chicago, 47-year-old migrant Elio Redondo Ragas of Venezuela was arrested and charged with robbing an elderly woman in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago on August 2.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Bans #XX Hashtag Amidst Olympic Boxing Gender Controversy
Facebook has banned users from searching for and viewing posts containing the #XX hashtag amidst controversy surrounding two athletes competing in women’s Olympic boxing in Paris.
After searching for the hashtag on the social media platform, users are confronted with a message that reads: “Keeping our community safe: Posts with #XX are temporarily hidden here. Some content in those posts goes against our community standards.” A “learn more” link then directs users to Facebook’s community standards policy.
The hashtag, which refers to female XX chromosomes, has gone viral since two female Olympic boxers made “X” symbols with their fingers after being defeated in the ring two athletes who have been cleared by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete despite the International Boxing Association (IBA)saying that they have XY chromosomes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harley-Davidson ‘Used’ Bikers Before ‘Woke’ Controversy, Former Outlaw Rider Claims
Bikers who say they gave the Harley-Davidson brand its “bad***” image over the years, and even claim a role in helping to “build” its success, say they feel kicked to the curb amid the American motorcycle maker’s global expansion.
Recent concerns about the brand’s latest “woke” tendencies also appear to have quickened the discontent among some.
“Harley used the motorcycle clubs and used the loyalty of a lot of bikers for decades to build the brand,” James “Hollywood” Macecari, a former “one-percenter” — or outlaw — club member, told Fox News Digital this week in an interview.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Imane Khelif Wins Boxing Gold to Cap 2024 Olympics Defined by Gender Controversy
Imane Khelif’s path through the 2024 Olympics — through the victories in her fights and the gender controversy that has overshadowed those wins — has ended with a gold medal.
Khelif, a 25-year-old from Algeria, defeated China’s Yang Liu on Friday by unanimous decision to secure the top spot in her boxing division.
She won the first two round and that set the stage for a celebration following the third one.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
International Olympics Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach told reporters on Friday that he lacks a “scientifically solid system” to tell a man from a woman as gender controversy continues to buffet the 2024 Games.
Bach was asked if the IOC would commit to reviewing the guidelines that allowed two boxers who had previously failed International Boxing Association (IBA) gender tests to box as women in the Paris Games.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that he has launched an investigation into Ellisville’s Life Time Fitness after his office was notified of a biological male being allowed to use the women’s locker rooms. This comes after an incident at the Ellisville Life Time Fitness in which a woman complained about a trans-identified male using women’s facilities. The woman was told “well, you know, we’re supposed to create a safe space.” After Bailey’s investigation, the membership of trans-identified Eris Discordia Montano was revoked, though the gym claimed it over over threats of violence made on social media posts.
The notice of investigation, delivered to Life Time Fitness CEO Bahram Akradi, stated that Bailey’s office had been made aware of the policy allowing biological males to use the women’s locker rooms at the facility. “Even more concerning is the fact that instead of taking the safety concerns from your gym members seriously, you rudely correct them and insist they call this biological male by the ‘correct pronouns,’“ Bailey added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The organizers of a major UK entertainment industry awards have just dropped the hammer on spoiled “non-binary” celebrities and told “woke” stars they will need to choose either male or female categories.
The British Academy Film Awards, best known as BAFTA, has refused to introduce “gender-neutral” categories to cater to “woke” celebrities.
Instead, the organizers of the BAFTA Awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, have announced there will only be male or female categories.
The decision comes after spending two years debating the thorny question of “gendered” acting categories after other awards went genderless.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pelosi Warned Tim Walz to ‘Tone it Down’ on His Abortion Extremism
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reportedly warned Democrat vice presidential nominee Tim Walz to “tone it down” because his pro-abortion rhetoric was too extreme for the party’s establishment.
Walz, the Democrat governor of Minnesota, said then-House Speaker Pelosi urged him to back off on his extreme pro-abortion positions in 2018 because they were too radical, Breitbart reported.
This could come back to haunt Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris recently tapped him to be her running mate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Lesbian Couple Charged With Brutal Long-Term Abuse of 4-Year-Old Boy
A shocking case of child abuse has come to light in Gliwice, Poland, where a four-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to prolonged violence by a lesbian couple, consisting of his biological mother and her partner.
The couple, Julia B. and Patrycja J., who lived together along with three children, was arrested after the boy managed to escape their apartment and was found alone on the street in only his shoes. He displayed signs of brutal and sadistic violence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Like most former Soviet-satellite states now in NATO, the Czech Republic has missed recruitment targets for years and struggled to maintain troop levels.”
The truth is – there is no “Czech Army” at the moment. What we have here is just a small NATO collonial expeditionary force used for small tasks in Afghanistan or Iraq or Subsaharan Africa…
It is paid for by the Czech citizens, but it is commanded from the Pentagon.
BTW – it wasn’t clear in the beginning, but NATO has successfully dismantled the former Czechoslovak army. Not that it was good for anything before, but in 1990 – at least it was “an army”.
We have no such thing in the Czech Republic today.
And – our Ukrainian Leaders speak like they are challenging Russia for a fight.
What an embarrassing situation, really.
VP NOMINEE TIM WALZ SUPPORTS THE RIGHT TO INFANTICIDE
author
Torrance Stephens, PhD
4 mins ago
Author
The gift that keeps On giving. I found more.
“In 2023, Walz supported an omnibus health bill that radically changed his state’s abortion law. This health bill, in a callback to the ancient practice of abandoning newborns, intentionally and explicitly legalized the denial of life-saving medical care to infants born alive after botched abortions. State law used to explicitly protect these babies. But Walz and his supporters changed it, insisting that references to abortion be removed and that “medical care” be changed to mere “care.” In addition, while the original law required medical personnel to “preserve the life and health of the born alive infant,” the Walz-supported change struck that whole line—it now requires medical personnel merely to “care for the infant who is born alive.””
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/08/vp-nominee-tim-walz-supports-the-right-to-infanticide
was this ukraine attack only done to raise the gas price ? i always felt strange that putin never cut the gas to ukraine. it seems like a fake war with real dead people.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/what-happens-if-russian-gas-transit-via-ukraine-stops-2024-08-08/
We constantly hear of Ukrainian victories, and Russian defeats, of how Russia is in chaos and Putin is in peril for his career and life. Yet the war goes on with no end in sight.
Anybody know what’s REALLY going on?
honestly i am not sure about anything, but zelensky is a jew too, so he is in the same team like putin and most of all of his oligarchs (example abramovich). if russia wanted, they could have already easily defeated ukraine; but for some other reasons, they continued to supply them with gas, while at the same time all other routes of gas to europe have been cut.
France (another deeply jewish controlled country at least since 1789) also has important issue with russia and they are allies in Lybia, they stand on the same side.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20240809-french-imports-of-russia-s-liquified-natural-gas-surge-but-ukraine-supporters-seek-a-stop
“Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department rushed to clear roads and secure the perimeter of a hospital that had been placed on standby to treat President Joe Biden for a medical issue last month, according to radio transmission recordings obtained by the Daily Beast.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/listen-vegas-cops-scramble-to-secure-hospital-for-biden-health-scare
“Recordings confirm RedState’s reporting that Biden was first headed to University Medical Center, a trauma center, after he suddenly canceled a speaking engagement due to illness, then suddenly diverted directly to Harry Reid International Airport.”
https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2024/08/09/breaking-las-vegas-metro-pd-recordings-released-from-bidens-leaving-las-vegas-n2177942
Re: Homelessness in California….””Newsom said the state has “open hands, not a closed fist” toward counties on this issue but “if we don’t see results, we’re going to change our approach.””
Newsom’s closed fist approach only works on CA taxpayers, not on CA government officials.
Re: Ukraine. Expired president should better count his losses (actually losses of our money send to him) and losses of Europe people who have to pay more for gas.
Ukraine solders had Hamas as teachers to learn that war is breaking in houses of people, robing, taking hostages, sending drones to people cars, houses, churches, ambulance cars. Easy war when you can’t win on fronts.