Interest payments on the US national debt have now surpassed $1 trillion a year for the first time ever. This represents a 30% increase from the same period a year ago.
In other news, an 18-wheeler carrying a tank was struck by a train Thursday afternoon at a railroad crossing in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, LP, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, 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.
Moody’s Threatens Boeing With Junk Downgrade as Strike Halts 737 Production
Update (1310ET):
Moody’s warned that Boeing is at risk of losing its investment-grade credit rating following the massive labor action that began in the early morning hours when 33,000 of its unionized workers stepped off the production line and into the picket line. The struggling planemaker faces the prospect of a lengthy strike that would crimp production and dwindle cash reserves.
The credit ratings agency placed all of Boeing’s ratings, including its Baa3 senior unsecured and P-3 commercial paper ratings, under review for downgrade hours after the strike was announced by the International Association of Machinists And Aerospace Workers. The strike, triggered by the rejection of a tentative agreement, has halted production at Boeing’s Seattle factories. The review will evaluate the strike’s impact on cash flow, Boeing’s equity capital plans, and production challenges with the 737 and 787 models.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Central Bank Raises Interest Rate to 19% as War Spending Drives Inflation
Russia’s central bank tightened its monetary policy Friday, bumping the main interest rate up to 19% as Moscow’s war in Ukraine continues to put inflationary pressure on the economy.
The bank warned that it could hike the rate further at its next meeting in October in an attempt to force inflation down from 9.1% to its 4% target in 2025.
While Russia’s economy has continued to grow this year, an increasingly large part has been geared toward supporting the war effort. The rise in defense spending has fueled the country’s stubbornly high inflation rate, which the bank said has not yet shown signs of easing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Interest Payments on National Debt Top $1 TRILLION Per Year
US interest payments on the national debt have surpassed $1 trillion a year under the Biden-Harris administration. This comes as many Americans are seeing prices rise due to high inflation numbers and other economic issues.
According to CNBC, the jump in interest on the national debt per year is up to $1.049 trillion and is a 30 percent increase from the same period a year ago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Behind Closed Doors: The UK and US Plot Global Speech Crackdown
America First Legal (AFL) has pulled back the curtain on yet another government meeting that makes “free speech” sound like some quaint idea from the past. AFL has released documentsfrom a 2021 interagency get-together where the UK’s top experts on “disinformation” offered a master class in censorship, all under the guise of “protecting democracy.” And because nothing screams transparency quite like a secret strategy session on silencing opposing voices, the revelations come with just a hint of irony.
On August 10, 2021, the Biden-Harris National Security Council (NSC) hosted a cozy little chat with the United Kingdom’s “Counter Disinformation Unit” (CDU). The occasion? An instructional session on how to manage—read: censor—COVID-related speech in the US But why stop at the pandemic when there’s so much more to control? This wasn’t just about virus talk; it was a step-by-step guide on how to choke off the flow of any inconvenient truth that might muddy the government’s preferred narrative.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Gates Calls for ‘Vaccine Misinformation’ to be Censored in Real-Time by AI
Billionaire Bill Gates is calling for all questions and concerns about vaccines to be censored in real time by artificial intelligence (AI) as part of an effort to allegedly tackle so-called “misinformation.”
According to the Microsoft co-founder, one of the key missions of his Gates Foundation is stopping the spread of “vaccine misinformation” online.
Gates argues that critics of official narratives regarding vaccines must be silenced in order to convince skeptical or unwilling members of the public that experimental injections are “safe and effective.”
In order to stamp out “vaccine misinformation,” Gates is calling for opinions that counter the official narratives to be shut down with the help of AI.
Gates laid out his vision during an interview with CNBC.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Pleads Guilty to Shooting Electrical Substations in the Dakotas
A Canadian man has pleaded guilty to federal crimes for shootings at electrical substations and an oil pipeline in the Dakotas that caused $1.7 million in damages.
Cameron Monte Smith pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Bismarck, North Dakota, to two counts of destruction of an energy facility — one in North Dakota and one in South Dakota. He could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each charge, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Sentencing is in December.
Federal authorities said Smith, 49, was in the U.S. illegally when he fired shots into the Wheelock Substation near Ray, North Dakota, in May 2023, knocking out power for over 240 people and causing $1.2 million in damage.
Smith also was convicted of firing shots at a transformer and pump station of the Keystone Pipeline near Carpenter, South Dakota, in July 2022. The shooting disrupted operations of the pipeline that moves Canadian oil through parts of the U.S. Damage was estimated at nearly $500,000.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Election Officials Warn Key Issue ‘Will Disrupt Mail-in Voting’ in ‘Nearly Every State’
Election officials are sounding the alarm over a key issue with mail-in ballots ahead of the critical presidential election in November.
A group of state and local election officials voiced concerns Wednesday regarding the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
The group is raising concerns about the USPS’s capacity to efficiently handle the delivery of millions of ballots for the 2024 presidential election.
The warning was issued by the National Association of State Election Directors and other officials
They wrote a letter to U.S. Postal Service Postmaster Louis DeJoy expressing concerns about USPS’s operations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fani Willis Will Defy Subpoena to Testify Before Georgia State Senate Hearing, Committee Chair Warns
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to defy a subpoena from the Georgia State Senate for her testimony during a Friday hearing.
The Senate Special Committee on Investigations subpoenaed Willis to compel her testimony related to the committee’s investigation into allegations she misused taxpayer funds.
The committee’s chairman, Republican state Sen. Bill Cowsert, is warning that Willis will not show up to the hearing.
Cowsert said after Willis refused to testify voluntarily, the committee issued a subpoena.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida is Disappearing From the National Political Map
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The nation’s largest swing state is — for now, at least — turning into one of its most unseen.
Florida has historically been held up as a massively important state for any White House aspirant, and as a result has been on the receiving end of large candidate rallies, surrogate events and huge sums of national money fueling wall-to-wall campaign ads across the state’s 10 expensive media markets.
But for the first time in recent political memory, the 2024 presidential race has left Florida as a comparative afterthought. Democrats here have tried to maintain momentum and voter intensity, but nearly every measurable factor indicates that Florida is not realistically in play for them in this year’s presidential contest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Free Speech Group Slams Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro’s Gag Order on Public Employees
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has condemned a new executive order issued in Pennsylvania as unconstitutional, where that pertains to the First Amendment speech protections.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s move, described by the group as a “sweeping gag order” targeting public employees, is believed to be so egregious that FIRE is at the same time urging those affected across the state to join forces and challenge it in court.
The executive order prohibits anyone in the public sector — teachers, librarians, those working for utility companies among them — from making statements that can be interpreted as “scandalous” or “disgraceful.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ohio residents claim the mass influx of Haitian migrants has turned the city of Springfield into a combat zone as a result of their alleged reckless driving. This is due to the migrants’ unfamiliarity with US road laws, residents said, where there are “eight to ten” accidents each day.
The 20,000 Haitian migrants who were relocated to the city of approximately 60,000 individuals in recent years have come at a cost to the citizens of Springfield. Some have even lost their lives.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WILKES-BARRE, PA. — Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for around a half hour to a packed crowd at the McHale Athletic Center of Wilkes University in Pennsylvania on Friday, where she was interrupted at least twice by pro-Palestinian protesters.
“You’re supporting a war criminal,” one protester shouted about two-thirds of the way into her speech.
A second appeared shortly after the first was ushered out, and shouted for several minutes until he also was removed, crying out “Free Palestine” as he was led past the press cordon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Havana Syndrome Study Shut Down After Mishandling Data
A long-term study of Havana Syndrome patients was shut down after a National Institute of Health (NIH) internal review board found the mishandling of medical data and participants who reported being pressured to join the research. The study had until now not found evidence linking the participants to the same symptoms and brain injuries. The internal investigation that halted the study was prompted by complaints from the participants about unethical practices.
This comes after the intelligence community released an interim report last year concluding a foreign adversary is “very unlikely” to be behind the symptoms hundreds of U.S. intelligence officers are experiencing, despite qualifying for U.S. government funded treatment of their brain injuries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hollywood leftist Kathy Griffin is warning that President Donald Trump has created “a list” and he’s planning to “go after” liberal comedians if he’s re-elected in November.
“He’s going to pick us off, one by one, like bowling pins,” Griffin told Entertainment Weekly during a recent interview.
“I’m not kidding and I’m not being paranoid!” she added.
“I’m a D-lister, he’s not going to get to me on day one, but he’ll get to me, trust me.
“He’s got a list,” Griffin continued.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
IRS Whistleblowers Sue Hunter Biden’s Defense Counsel for Defamation
The two IRS agents who blew the whistle on the Hunter Biden tax investigation and significantly altered the course of the case, on Friday night sued the first son’s lawyer Abbe Lowell for defamation.
The two whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, are suing for libel because of the alleged damage done to their careers, and are requesting a jury trial in Washington, D.C.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police at the University of Washington evacuated the Board of Regents and Jewish students, faculty, and community members from a public meeting after the decision was made by the administration to cede a building to anti-Israel activists. On Thursday, the committee was considering employees who want to unionize as well as a proposal by the antisemitic activists to divest from companies that do business with Israel, including Microsoft and Boeing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“During the blessed last 10 days of Ramadan, we celebrate our Administration’s incredible Muslim team,” Vice President Kamala Harris announced, posing on the steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with some of the most controversial figures in the administration.
There right behind Kamala was Nasrina Bargzie, her deputy counsel and future Muslim liaison, who had been interviewed by the FBI after 9/11, wore orange for the Islamic terrorists at Gitmo and had fought a lawsuit Jewish students over harassment by pro-terrorist activists at Berkeley.
Second from Kamala’s right was Mazen Basrawi, Biden’s current Muslim liaison, who had attended a conference honoring one of the unindicted co-conspirators of the World Trade Center bombing, and whose appointment was hailed by Muslim Brotherhood groups.
Second from Kamala’s left was Brenda Abdelall, who had taken part in anti-Israel protests in college, and had falsely accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” as part of a “brutal occupation”. Abdelall became the “assistant secretary for partnership and engagement” at the Department of Homeland Security in the Biden-Harris administration and then appeared at a convention where speakers had called for a caliphate ruled by Islamic law and freeing Islamic terrorists.
Abdelall was recently chosen to head Kamala’s Arab-American outreach. And the campaign refused to part ways with her over past comments accusing Jews of controlling America.
Also allegedly present was Yousra Fazili, who had studied Islamic religious law or sharia at Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, notorious for its terrorist teachings, and represented the International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations co-founded by figures tied to the Muslim Brotherhood and Osama bin Laden, before becoming the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs and now serves as the Chief of Staff to the Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer of the Pentagon.
Yousra’s sister, Sameera Fazili had served as the deputy director of the National Economic Council despite being a member of Stand With Kashmir (SWK) “which was founded by her cousin, Hafsa Kanjwal” and which had “praised and defended the actions of a number of violent Islamists” including one who had “met with Al Qaeda figures” and praised Osama bin Laden.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
The union that represents hundreds of Los Angeles prosecutors has filed a lawsuit against embattled progressive District Attorney George Gascon for allegedly violating the California Public Records Act (CPRA) by withholding information on a top aide in his office who has been charged with 11 felony crimes. Gascon is currently facing more than 20 lawsuits from individual prosecutors and four from their union.
In May, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA) requested information regarding Diana Teran, a senior Gascon official who is currently facing felony charges. Teran is a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department advisor who later oversaw ethics and integrity operations at the DA’s office. According to a 200-page court filing that was disclosed on Thursday, the ADDA received an incomplete response. Prosecutors sought to receive Teran’s correspondence and information regarding her employment status with the county following her indictment. Additionally, they inquired as to whether county taxpayers were responsible for her criminal defense, as reported by Fox News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of Americans Don’t Trust AI-Generated Election Information, Poll Finds
Most Americans do not believe artificial intelligence (AI) is trustworthy for election information.
A poll released Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts found that just under two-thirds of Americans do not trust generative predictions produced by AI.
Approximately 64% of respondents responded to the survey saying that they are not confident that election information generated by AI chatbots is reliably factual.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mark Zuckerberg: Conservatives Only Have Themselves to Blame for Being Censored on Facebook
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that conservatives are “just looking for someone to blame” for being censored on his company’s Facebook and Instagram platforms.
Zuckerberg made the claims during a live interview for the Acquired podcast in front of a packed audience at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
According to the Big Tech boss, conservatives only have themselves to blame if they are being censored on Facebook.
The Facebook founder continued by declaring that he is done apologizing for conservatives being silenced by his company.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Democrats Pass Bill to Pay Slavery Reparations With Taxpayer Money
Democrats on the New York City Council have passed legislation to pay black residents slavery reparations using taxpayer money.
The passage of two bills sponsored by leftist Councilmembers Crystal Hudson and Farah Louis, both Democrats, means NYC taxpayers will now fund a reparations commission and task force.
Fox News reported that the new “Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation Commission” will be tasked with establishing a program to hand out reparations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PA Supreme Court Rules Mail Ballots Must Have Correct Date to be Counted
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision on Friday, ruling that mail ballots must have the correct date on them to be counted.
Last month, a lower court ruled that the commonwealth cannot throw out mail-in ballots just because they have incorrect handwritten dates on the envelopes.
The decision was tossed out by Pennsylvania’s highest court on Friday, after the Republican National Committee and Pennsylvania GOP appealed, arguing that not all of the counties were included as plaintiffs in the original lawsuit. The ruling was made on jurisdictional grounds, not the merits of the case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police found Allexis Ferrell, 27, with ‘fur on her lips’ and ‘blood on her hands’ when they were called by horrified neighbors on August 16.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Sixth Circuit Hands Down Major Free Speech Win for Professor Against the University of Louisville
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit handed down a major victory for free speech this week in favor of a professor challenging his treatment by the University of Louisville. In Josephson v. Ganzel, a unanimous panel ruled for Dr. Allan Josephson who was subject to adverse actions after he publicly expressed skepticism over some treatments for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The decision is important because it deals with qualified immunity and reaffirms liability for the denial of free speech protections.
Writing for the panel (including Senior Judge Ronald Lee Gilman and Judge Allen Griffin), Judge Andre Mathis found that university officials could not claim immunity in the denial of free speech protections for faculty.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
South Carolina Supreme Court Strikes Down School Choice Program, Impacting Nearly 3,000 Students
The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that the voucher program for the state’s public school students is unconstitutional.
The 3-2 decision will impact 2,880 families already receiving funding through the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, the Daily Caller reported.
The South Carolina state constitution prohibits any kind of “direct benefit” to private schools with taxpayer dollars.
The ESTF was created as a workaround to allow families to use public school funding for private schools of their choice.
The program benefitted families with moderate and lower incomes to have a say in their children’s education.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
State Department Slams Russian Publication RT for ‘Covert Influence Activities’
The U.S. State Department on Friday announced new sanctions against the Russian publication “RT,” which it accused as operating beyond the press as an entity of the Russian government.
The State Department said the publication, previously known as “Russia Today,” has carried out cyber operations in Europe, Africa, and North and South America. It also alleged that the publication operates a crowdfunding site that helps the former Soviet country procure weapons and other military equipment from China.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Train Collides With Truck Carrying Military Vehicle in Goose Creek
GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) — An 18-wheeler carrying a military vehicle was struck by a train Thursday afternoon at a Goose Creek railroad crossing.
Officials with the Goose Creek Police Department said they received a call about an 18-wheeler versus train crash on N Goose Creek Boulevard and Liberty Hall Road around 12:30 p.m.
Police said the truck with what was referred to as a “low boy” trailer was carrying a military vehicle when it got stuck while attempting to drive over the train crossing. An oncoming train then smashed into the vehicle and damaged the crossing.
It appears to be an M109 Paladin Howitzer, according to someone familiar with the type of vehicle.
There were no reports of injuries. The driver refused treatment.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Young Runner Dies Suddenly ‘While Clutching His Chest’ at Disneyland
A 35-year-old experienced runner has collapsed and died suddenly while taking part in a half marathon at Disneyland in Southern California.
Bobby Graves, a TikTok creator and experienced marathon runner, collapsed “while clutching his chest,” KTLA reported.
Witnesses said he collapsed while crossing the finish line.
The runner had no known health issues and was considered to be in peak physical condition.
According to reports, Graves died from a sudden cardiac arrest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Montreal Mayor Defends Blocking People From Replying to Her Social Media Posts
Montreal’s municipal opposition leader and a civil rights group are accusing Mayor Valérie Plante of censoring Canadians’ free speech rights after she defended her decision to block replies to her social media posts.
The mayor currently only allows limited comments from her followers on Instagram.
Plante posted screenshots of vulgar names she’s been called in a post to X on Thursday, saying that her posts have been dominated with insults for months, prompting her to block people altogether.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nearly Half of Canadians Support Early Election Following NDP-Liberal Fallout: Poll
Almost half of Canadians want a federal election to be called after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh ripped up the NDP-Liberal supply and confidence agreement. The poll also showed that those who plan to vote Conservative overwhelmingly want an election.
Singh ended his supply and confidence agreement with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sep. 4.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Arrest Anti-Israel Protesters After Clashes With Police Outside Jewish Charity’s Event
Two officers were injured and three anti-Israel protesters were arrested after protesters clashed with police outside of a speaking event held by the United Jewish Appeal, a Jewish community charity group.
According to a Toronto Police Services’ news release Thursday afternoon, police charged three individuals at a demonstration outside of Meridian Hall on Wednesday that left two police officers with minor injuries.
The report said police attended the event on Sept. 11, 2024, in the Yonge Street and Front Street East area, where a group of protesters were demonstrating outside of a fundraising event at Meridian Hall.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Lay 55 Charges and Recover 12 Cars in Cross-Province Auto Theft Bust
Ontario police disrupted an auto theft ring responsible for at least 40 stolen vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area worth over $3 million, following an investigation launched earlier this spring.
Halton Regional Police said that while the vehicles were stolen in the GTA, they were destined to be shipped overseas via the Port of Montreal.
The investigation, called Project Ninja, was launched in May after a Toyota Tundra was stolen in Hamilton and recovered in Burlington.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ally Pulls Out of Dutch Defense Ministry’s Plan to Give Ukraine Complete Patriot System
The Ministry of Defense reported to parliament at the end of June that the Netherlands and an ally would jointly provide Ukraine with a complete Patriot air defense system. That will no longer happen, the Ministry reports. The unspecified ally pulled out.
At the end of May, Defense announced its intention to supply a Patriot system to Ukraine, saying that the Netherlands had “core components” ready. The other components would be supplied by other countries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Army Training for Ukrainian Soldiers ‘Comes at Expense of UK Troops’, Report Finds
British military support for Ukraine has “constrained” its ability to train its own soldiers as it has reduced the availability of facilities to do such, a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.
According to the auditors, there was a need to “balance Ukraine’s needs and the UK’s strategic interests”.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the UK has been one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine, having already provided £7.8 billion (€9.24 billion) in military support.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The youth wing of Germany’s Christian Democrats has criticised media for allegedly ignoring evidence of Islamist motives behind a recent knife attack.
The Junge Union of Mecklenburg—Western Pomerania wrote online that some of its members had been present during the assault at a Brandenburg motorway service station on September 7.
“Five members of the Junge Union Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were on their way back from the Eastern Conference of the Junge Union Deutschlands in Cottbus when they stopped at a gas station outside Berlin,” a social media postby the Junge Union branch explained.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Draghi: ‘Europe Must Change Perspective or Risk Servitude’
Former European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi has warned about “servitude” towards other economies at his first public meeting since the publication of his advisory report on EU competitiveness.
Speaking at the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera‘s Time of Women 2024event on the evening of September 12, Draghi said the European Union “needs a change of perspective”.
In his report published on September 9, Draghi had warned that the EU was falling behind China and the US in numerous areas, especially emerging technology, and said high energy costs in Europe were an obstacle to growth.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dresden Bridge Collapse Highlights Germany’s Crumbling Infrastructure
The collapse of a major bridge in Germany has shone a spotlight on the dismal state of the country’s public infrastructure.
At around 3am on September 11, inhabitants near the Carola Bridge (Carolabrücke) in Dresden, the capital of the German State of Saxony, were awakened by a loud rumbling noise. A span of the bridge, a main road and tram crossing over the river Elbe, had collapsed under its own weight into the waters below.
There were no casualties — the last tram of the day had driven over the section less than 20 minutes before it failed, according to the Dresden public transit operator.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Driver Who Killed Jogger to be Jailed on UK Return
A speeding driver who hit and killed a jogger in south-west London will be sent to prison for five years if he ever returns to the UK, a judge has said.
Rashid Ali, 30, from Slough, was driving at twice the 20 mph (32 kmph) speed limit when his Range Rover Sport hit 29-year-old Jack Patrick Ryan near Battersea Bridge in west London on 13 January 2021.
In August, Ali was convicted in his absence of causing death by dangerous driving after failing to attend his trial.
At a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey, the court was told he is currently in Pakistan but intends to return to the UK.
[Comment: I don’t think that Ali will voluntarily return.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Scientists Win Ig Nobels for 350,757 Coin Flips, Drunk Worm Study
For the fifth consecutive year, Dutch scientists have won Ig Nobel Prizes. Dutch professor Eric-Jan Wagenmakers won in the Probability category for his research into coin flips. And a Dutch-French team won the Chemistry prize for their research involving racing drunk and sober worms to study the separation of active polymers.
Wagenmakers, affiliated with the University of Amsterdam, and a team of international scientists investigated an earlier scientifically substantiated theory that, in a coin flip, the coin will more often land on the side facing up in the hand but that it makes very little difference.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Consumer Groups Slam Video-Games Companies for ‘Tricking’ Players Into Overspending
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and 22 other organisations across Europe have accused the world’s biggest video-games companies of misleading gamers into spending money.
The consumer groups have filled a complaint against Epic Games, Electronic Arts and Roblox plus four others companies with the European Commission and the European Network of Consumer Authorities.
According to them, those companies have breached European Union consumer protection laws by “purposefully tricking consumers” into overspending. It is claimed that consumers, especially children, cannot see the real cost of digital items.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Protests at Iranian Transfer of Long-Range Missiles to Russia
The European Union has issued a statement protesting against the Iranian transfer of long-range missiles to Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
In the statement published on September 13, the Council of the EU said that it “strongly condemns the recent transfer of Iranian-made ballistic missiles to Russia”, as well as the decision by Tehran to hand the Kremlin “Iranian UAVs and ammunition”.
Writing on social media, outgoing EU foreign affairs tsar Josep Borrell described the move as “a direct threat to European security amidst Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Government Ups Anti-Trump Assault
The German Government has doubled down on its public assault against US presidential hopeful Donald Trump.
The German foreign office sparked controversy on September 11 with a post accusing Trump of getting a claim about the country’s weakening “green” energy situation wrong during his debate with US Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Despite receiving backlash in the US, German authorities have decided to up their attacks, with a minister publicly accusing Trump of spreading “disinformation”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: AfD Blocking Minority in Saxony Possible as Likely Ally Steps In
An Alternative for Germany (AfD) blocking minority in the Saxony State parliament is once again a possibility after a likely ally of the party entered the fray.
Matthias Berger, the mayor of Grimma, was elected to the parliament during the September 1 election via the rare so-called direct mandate system, despite his Free Voters (FW) party not breaking the 5 per cent threshold to win faction-allocated seats.
According to a report from Der Spiegel on September 13, Berger has confirmed he will take up his new mandate in Dresden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greeks Present Tax Breaks and Cash Benefits to Boost Birth Rate
The Greek government on Thursday announced new government policies to boost the country’s lagging birth rates. Greece is already spending about €1 million per year on pro-child measures.
The new measures, intended to make it more affordable to have children, include tax breaks for new parents, vouchers to pay for child care, pension increases, social contribution reductions, and a raised minimum wage. The plan, which was originally intended to be presented in May, also includes affordable housing for young people and financial support for assisted reproduction.
The 2024 fertility rate for Greece is 1.264 births per woman—a 0.08% increase from 2023. In 2022, births hit a 92-year low, driven by the debt crisis, austerity, emigration, and changing youth attitudes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
More Incidents of Honor Violence in Netherlands; Victims Almost Always Women
The police have noticed an increase in honor-related violent incidents in the Netherlands. Last year, the police registered 619 cases of violence because the family honor was violated and had to be “restored,” including four honor killings. Ten years ago, there were 460 cases. The victims are almost always women. A few cases involve men who “violated family honor” with their sexual orientation or affairs, NOS reports.
Almost two-thirds of last year’s cases involved threats or assault. Permanent surveillance, sexual abuse, and forced marriages also occurred. Four people were killed.
Almost a quarter of honor violence incidents last year involved Syrians. Turkish, Moroccan, and Afghan are also common backgrounds. Syrian people’s overrepresentation is due to the inflow of refugees in recent years. Over 150,000 Syrians now live in the Netherlands.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Brothers Say Their Father is Guilty of Murdering Their Sister in Honor Killing
The brothers Muhanad (24) and Mohammed (22) Al N. denied the accusations that they killed their sister Ryan on Friday. “I would never do that,” the brothers explained on Friday in the court in Lelystad. They called Ryan their “favorite sister.” Both have said that their father committed the murder.
The two appeared in court for an initial preliminary hearing in their criminal case. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) suspects the brothers of killing the 18-year-old Ryan along with their father, Khaled Al N., on the night of 27 leading into May 28, with a premeditated plan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The European Court of Justice found that with the introduction of mandatory discounts on some types of food in supermarkets last year, the Hungarian government regulation infringed free competition.
The government’s obligation to sell certain agricultural products, such as wheat, milk, and eggs, at a set price and stock sufficient quantities of them, prevented traders from freely determining their selling prices and the quantities they wished to sell on the basis of economic considerations.
In response to the ruling, Hungarian Economics Minister Marton Nagy said that the ECJ has sided with the price-cutting and profit-hunting multinationals instead of families, with Nagy saying those multinationals are trying to cover up their profit-hunger with a continuous battle against the Hungarian government, instead of families.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Reward Those Who Serve Our Planet’: Von Der Leyen Floats ‘Nature Credits’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today (13 September) called for a new financial tool to reward nature protection, which takes inspiration from the EU’s carbon trading scheme.
Farmers would be a key beneficiary of President von der Leyen’s plans, following a year of protests, and the conclusion this month of her programme of ‘strategic dialogue’ with agricultural stakeholders.
“We need new financial tools, to compensate farmers for the extra costs of sustainability, and compensate them for taking care of land, water, and air,” she told an environmental conference in Munich.
“It is time to reward those who serve our planet,” she added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scientists Sound Alarm as Untreatable Deadly ‘Syndrome’ Emerges in COVID-Vaccinated
A disturbing new deadly and untreatable “vaccination syndrome” has emerged in people who have received Covid mRNA shots, scientists are now warning.
The new phenomenon was revealed in a medical case study published in the prestigious Cureus journal.
The researchers investigated the case of a patient who was suffering from “cerebral disease, eye disease, and SFN [small fiber neuropathy].”
According to the study, the patient had developed a new syndrome which was caused by the Pfizer (BNT162b2) Covid mRNA “vaccine.”
The scientists diagnosed the patient, a 47-year-old male, with the first confirmed case of “Post-Acute Covid Vaccination Syndrome” (PACVS).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain Tries to Calm Spiralling Row With Venezuela
Spain is in a war of words with Venezuela as relations between the two countries have almost reached breaking point after Caracas recalled its ambassador.
Venezuelan foreign minister Yvan Gil summoned the Spanish ambassador to a meeting on Friday after ordering his country’s envoy to Spain to come home for “consultations.”
The new flare-up followed Spain’s defence minister Margarita Robles calling the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a “dictatorship” on Thursday and expressing her support for “the Venezuelans who had had to leave their country” because of his regime.
Gil called the comments “rude and insolent”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Starmer’s Nanny State: Sweeping Bans on Junk Food Ads and Energy Drinks
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is plotting a vast expansion of the nanny state to ‘save the NHS’.
The government will bring forward measures including a ban on junk food advertising on social media, as well as prohibiting children from buying energy drinks, following a damning report on the state of Britain’s National Health Service.
In a sign that ministers want to try to ‘cure’ the public of bad behaviour, the government also confirmed that they would press ahead with a 9 p.m. watershed for junk food ads on television—originally proposed by Boris Johnson in 2021.
In a speech on the future of the NHS, the Starmer said: “I know some prevention measures will be controversial, but I’m prepared to be bold, even in the face of loud opposition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Support for Dutch Coalition Holds Below 40%; Nearly 70% Expect Cabinet to Collapse
After its first few months in office, confidence in the Schoolf I Cabinet is relatively stable at 39 percent, about the same as it was in June. At the same time, 69 percent of voters expect the Cabinet to collapse. Even people who voted for the coalition parties are pessimistic — 54 percent expect the Cabinet won’t survive its full term, according to an EenVandaag survey of over 22,000 members of its Opinion Panel.
Despite the pessimism, 42 percent of voters hope the Cabinet will serve a full term, pointing out that the previous two Cabinets both collapsed. “In these times, it is more important than ever that the country is governed and that society can function,” a ChristenUnie voter said. “Moreover, new elections cost a lot of money and don’t solve anything.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Lawmaker Dawn Butler to Summon Elon Musk Over “Misinformation” and Algorithm Use on X
In the UK, ruling Labour MP Dawn Butler has announced plans to have X owner Elon Musk over, as “a witness” to be questioned in the country’s parliament about his social platform.
Misinformation, and the spread thereof, probably to the surprise of precisely nobody, is what this is all about. Butler seems to be laboring under the impression that X might be guilty.
Butler told the Financial Times that it is “vital for the committee to formally examine the use of algorithms in pushing hateful material” and the moderation of such content.”
While noting that this pertains to “other” social platforms as well, she only named, thus singled out, X.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Oxford University Study: Hydroxychloroquine is a ‘Safe & Effective’ Treatment for COVID
Scientists at the world-renowned Oxford University in England have just confirmed that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is “safe and effective” when used to treat COVID-19.
A study into the effectiveness of the drug against Covid was conducted by the COPCOV Collaborative Group.
The group, led by Dr. William H. K. Schilling, is part of the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) Tropical Health Network.
The study sought to better understand the safety profile of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) after multiple reports emerged during the pandemic that the antiviral drug had been successfully used to treat Covid.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Famous Bodybuilder ‘The Mutant’ Dies Suddenly of Heart Attack at 36
World-famous bodybuilder Illia “Golem” Yefimchyk has died suddenly after suffering a heart attack, according to reports.
The Belarusian man, dubbed the world’s “most monstrous bodybuilder,” was just 36 years old when he died.
Known as “The Mutant” and the “340lbs beast,” Yefimchyk was 6ft 1 inch tall and boasted a 61-inch chest and 25-inch biceps.
Yefimchyk ate seven times a day and consumed 16,500 calories, including 108 pieces of sushi and 5 1/2 lbs of steak.
He reportedly suffered a heart attack and died at home on September 6.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Partisan War: Ukraine Claims Another Strike by Rail Saboteurs Against Russia
A railway behind the front lines of the Ukraine war was bombed and taken out of service this week with a freight train destroyed, Ukraine claims credit while Russia says it is launching a criminal terrorism investigation.
A freight train was derailed with serious damage to the locomotive and 11 boxcars thrown off the track on Tuesday night, closing the rail line leading to Valuyki, Belgorod from the Russian interior. The railhead is just 50 miles away from the frontline fighting at the Vovchansk ‘meatgrinder’ on the Kharkiv front.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia’s state-controlled media has declared Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris the winner of her debate with President Donald Trump this week.
In multiple articles from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s media outlets, the Kremlin praised Harris for the way she “masterfully” handled Trump.
It comes after Moscow denied having any interest in the debate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Expels Six British Diplomats it Accuses of Spying and Sabotage Activity
Russia’s FSB security service said on Friday (13 September) it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow whose actions it said showed signs of spying and sabotage work.
Britain’s embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The FSB, the main successor agency to the Soviet KGB, said it had documents showing that a British foreign office department in London responsible for Eastern Europe and Central Asia was coordinating what it called “the escalation of the political and military situation” and was tasked with ensuring Russia’s strategic defeat in its war against Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine May Buy Russian Nuclear Reactors From Bulgaria
The Bulgarian parliament has decided to extend by six months the deadline for the government to negotiate the sale of two Russian nuclear reactors and related equipment to Ukraine.
The Sofia authorities received the reactors from Russia’s Atomstroyexport more than six years ago, but they were already unusable because the country had abandoned the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant.
The reactors are currently stored near Belene and are waiting to be sold. Bulgaria has been negotiating the sale of the equipment with Ukraine for almost two years, and the parliament has obliged the government to conclude the deal for at least €600 million, the same price as the Bulgarian National Power Company paid to Russian nuclear power exporters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainians Warn of Being Surrounded as Russia Advances in East
The situation is critical, a Ukrainian military officer in the east told the BBC near the front line south of Pokrovsk.
Russia’s military strategy now appears to be surrounding the city, which is a key transportation hub in the region.
The officer, who preferred to stay anonymous, said his military leadership want to hold their positions at all costs, often leading to the loss of troops and resources.
That approach, he says, was resulting in a number of “cauldrons”, large territories surrounded by the Russian forces.
One of them is south of Pokrovsk — between Nevelske, Hirnyk and Krasnohorivka.
“We are not planning to advance towards the city of Donetsk any time soon, so why are we holding positions near Nevelske when we’re losing Hirnyk?” said the officer.
Far better to retreat to Hirnyk, he believes, with a minimum loss of resources and hold those positions.
“When your enemy has more people and resources than you do, this strategy is reckless,” the Ukrainian officer added.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Malaysia: COVID Shots Trigger Sudden Death by Attacking Heart & Brain, Study Warns
A group of leading scientists is calling for everyone who received Covid “vaccines” to be placed under medical monitoring after a major study linked the injections to the global surge in sudden deaths.
The study was led by medical microbiologist Professor Kai Wei Lee at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
The team, which also included scientists from the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia, sought to identify the cause of “a spectrum of cardiac and neurological disorders was reported among vaccinated individuals” “following mass vaccinations for the control of the COVID-19 epidemic.”
The study’s paper was published in the National Library of Medicine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Under Treatment Bangladesh Islamist Leader Gives Call for Breaking India From Hospital!
In a video statement, Jashimuddin Rahmani, the leader of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an al-Qaeda affiliate, also made several provocative demands, urging Pakistan and Afghanistan to “liberate Kashmir”, appealing to China to “capture the Chicken’s Neck corridor”, and encouraging Sikhs to “claim Khalistan” with an aspiration to “free the Seven Sisters in North East India”. Furthermore, the recently released terrorist boasted that “India will be partitioned, and Islamist flags will be hoisted over Delhi”
Upendra Bharti | HENB | New Delhi | Sept 13, 2024:: Recently released Bangladeshi Islamic radical Jashimuddin Rahmani has called on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to “declare Bengal’s independence from Modi’s rule” in a viral video. Rahmani, the leader of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a designated terrorist organization, also threatened to “break up” India and “hoist Islamist flags in Delhi”. His release was facilitated by the interim government following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s administration.
In a video statement as uploaded by YouTube channel. ‘Waz Official’, Jashimuddin Rahmani, the leader of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an al-Qaeda affiliate, called on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to “declare independence from the Modi government’s rule”. Rahmani also made several provocative demands, urging Pakistan and Afghanistan to “liberate Kashmir”, appealing to China to “capture the Chicken’s Neck corridor”, and encouraging Sikhs to “claim Khalistan” with an aspiration to “free the Seven Sisters in North East India”. Furthermore, the recently released terrorist boasted that “India will be partitioned, and Islamist flags will be hoisted over Delhi”
Our Dhaka-based fact-checker has verified the authenticity of a video featuring Jashimuddin Rahmani, likely recorded in a hospital ward, to HENB. The video was probably shot in the first week of September, as Rahmani references the “one month anniversary of the revolution” that led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. This “revolution” refers to the protests in Bangladesh that culminated on August 5, when Sheikh Hasina fled the country, marking the end of the demonstrations. It is also evident that the interim government in Bangladesh is providing tacit support to terrorists like Jashimuddin Rahmani, enabling them to pursue their anti-Indian and anti-Hindu agenda.
Jashimuddin Rahmani, previously imprisoned for five years for the murder of a blogger, was released on parole in August. This came shortly after a military-backed interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, assumed power.
Jashimuddin Rahmani, an Islamic extremist with known ties to Pakistan-based terrorist groups, has made a public statement advocating for the secession of West Bengal. In his remarks, Rahmani expressed support for various separatist movements across India and addressed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging her to “declare independence” from the central government led by Prime Minister Modi.
Rahmani cautioned India against taking any aggressive actions towards Bangladesh. He emphasized Bangladesh’s distinct status, saying, “Bangladesh is not like Sikkim or Bhutan; it is a nation of 18 crore Muslims.” Rahmani implied that any provocation would lead to strategic retaliation, underscoring the potential consequences of such actions.
He, then issued a threat to India, stating that if the country takes any action against Bangladesh, he would seek China’s assistance in severing the Siliguri corridor, also known as the “chicken’s neck”. This narrow, 20-kilometer stretch connects India’s northeastern states to the rest of the country. Rahmani warned that he would request China to close this critical passage and encourage the Seven Sisters (Northeastern states in India) to join a “freedom movement” in response to any Indian aggression towards Bangladesh. Rahmani also urged the Sikh community, encouraging them to actively pursue the establishment of Khalistan, a proposed separate state for Sikhs, without delay.
Rahmani’s message to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as her government is currently facing widespread public outrage and criticism following the recent rape and murder of a 31-year-old Post Graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital…
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
Mohammed Alameddine was arrested earlier this year after police conducted a search of the 40-year-old’s unit as part of a firearm prohibition order compliance check.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Labor Says Weapons Expo Should Return to Melbourne, Despite Disruptive Protests
Melbourne will host more military weapons exhibitions, despite the violence and disruptive protests that marred this week’s event, Treasurer Tim Pallas says.
But Pallas said the government might consider moving future Land Forces expos away from South Wharf’s Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre after anti-war demonstrations caused transport chaos and prompted a police response that could cost taxpayers up to $15 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil Unfreezes Elon Musk’s X and Starlink Assets After Receiving $3.3 Million Payment
Brazil’s Supreme Court on Friday restored access to the bank accounts and assets of Elon Musk’s X and satellite company Starlink after the country’s government received a $3.3 million payment.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes blocked the social media platform X last month after the company failed to name a new legal representative or remove certain content by the Brazilian court’s deadline.
De Moraes has claimed his actions to ban the platform were legal because of the country’s requirement that foreign companies have representation in the country so they can be notified of any pending legal activities.
The justice unfroze the X and Starlink accounts after receiving approximately 7.2 million reais, which equals $1.3 million, from X, and roughly 11 million reais, or about $2 million, from Starlink, according to the Associated Press.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
63% of Likely Voters Say Kamala to Blame for Border Crisis: NYT/Siena Poll
The majority of likely voters blame Vice President Kamala Harris for the massive problems of illegal immigration and border security that have been rampant since she and Joe Biden took the White House in 2021, according to a new poll.
The New York Times/Siena poll of likely voters recorded that when likely voters were asked “How much blame, if any, do you think Kamala Harris as sitting vice president should receive for … problems at the border?” 63 percent of likely voters said Harris should receive “a lot of blame” or “some blame” in regarding the problems on the border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria has no choice but to take responsibility for illegal migrants denied entry to Germany, regardless of concerns expressed by Vienna, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann has claimed.
The spat between the two neighboring nations over who must receive illegal migrants refused at new German border controls escalated late on Thursday, as the CSU politician responsible for home affairs in Germany’s most southern state had his say.
“This is not about whether Austria will take someone back, but rather whether Germany will deny someone entry,” Herrmann said in an interview with Welt.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Immigration Minister Marc Miller threatened to use any available “levers” against provinces that don’t comply with a proposed plan to relocate asylum seekers originally destined for Quebec and Ontario to provinces with a lower ratio of refugee claimants to its population.
According to a Liberal government briefing document obtained by True North, the proposed plan would have provinces take in a “proportionate share” of the asylum claimant population. It outlines a quota for each province to accept based on a proportion of each province’s current population.
The document shows that Quebec and Ontario are currently the most popular destinations for asylum seekers to Canada, taking in most refugee applicants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump Floats Visiting Colorado and Ohio Amid Migrant Crisis
Former President Donald Trump on Friday floated the idea of visiting Springfield, Ohio, or Aurora, Colorado, and hosting a town hall or campaign event.
Both towns have come into national focus recently over reports that Venezuelan migrants are taking over an apartment complex in Colorado, and allegations that Haitian migrants are stealing and eating pets in Ohio.
Real America’s Voice anchor Amanda Head, who co-hosts the “Just The News, No Noise” television show with John Solomon, asked Trump if he would be campaigning in either town.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch PM: Asylum Emergency Declaration is Justified; No Deal on When Emergency is Over
Prime Minister Dick Schoof has that it will be a tough job to justify declaring an asylum crisis. There are specific requirements to declare a crisis like this, such as force majeure or a war or natural disaster, so according to Schoof, “the motivation is essential.” Despite this, he has confidence that the Cabinet will be able to go to the Council of State with a well-substantiated argument, which will then judge whether the crisis law of the Cabinet is correct or incorrect.
The prime minister said the Cabinet needs to discuss precisely how the justification will look. Schoof said, “I think the proposal can withstand criticism.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal ICE Agents Arrest “Violent Offenders” on Nantucket in Multi-Day Operation
Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency have been active on Nantucket this week, making several arrests of “violent offenders” around the island in unmarked vehicles.
It’s unclear how many people have been arrested during the multi-day operation or what charges they are facing. Photos and videos sent to the Current by island residents this week showed arrests being made at Park Circle on Wednesday, another on Surfside Road Thursday morning, as well as on Bartlett Road and Essex Road.
According to a press release issued by the Nantucket Police Department, the ICE agents were on Nantucket “to serve administrative arrest warrants for immigration violations. The arrest warrants were specifically for ‘violent offenders’.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Arrests Syrian National Over Plot to Kill Soldiers
MUNICH (Reuters) — A 27-year-old Syrian national suspected of radical Islamist views has been arrested over a plot to kill German soldiers with machetes in the Bavarian town of Hof, prosecutors said on Friday.
The accused obtained two machetes approximately 40 cm (15.75 inches) long. He planned to attack Bundeswehr soldiers in Hof who were spending their lunch break there, and to kill as many of them as possible, a statement said.
“With the act, the accused wanted to attract attention and create a feeling of uncertainty among the population,” it said.
Germany is tightening border controls after recent deadly knife attacks in which the suspects were asylum seekers.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a knife attack in the western city of Solingen that killed three people in August.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Needs a Border Fence, Demands AfD Party Leader Alice Weidel
At a regional campaign event in Brandenburg, Alternative for Germany Co-chairman Alice Weidel spoke in front of several hundred guests, with the focus of her speech on blocking the massive influx of migrants, with one of her key policy proposals being a border fence for Germany.
“Border security goes through border fences, it’s as simple as that,” said Weidel. Brandenburg will hold key elections on Sept. 22.
In the Bundestag, Weidel also made the same demand, saying that “hundreds of thousands of poorly integrated young men on our streets could raise the question of power at any time.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Scholz Defends Border Policy in Call With Polish PM Tusk
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday spoke with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, after criticism from Warsaw over Germany’s plan to introduce further checks on its borders.
The two leaders agreed in a call that the challenges posed by illegal migration and smuggling could only be overcome in unison, and that close cooperation between European partners is essential, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin.
Hebestreit said Scholz gave Tusk explanations over his government’s new “migration policy measures,” which are due to be implemented from Monday at Germany’s borders with Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Border checks are already in place at Germany’s other borders, including with Poland, despite the Schengen area rules on free movement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Woman Facing Murder Charge After Running Over African Mugger
A 65-year-old Italian woman has arrested amid a murder investigation after she allegedly ran over a North African migrant who stole her purse, according to reports.
The harrowing incident unfolded at around midnight on Sunday in Viareggio, a Tuscan city on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Cinzia Dal Pino was reportedly preparing to get into her SUV when a man accosted her and demanded her valuables, warning he was armed with a knife when she resisted.
The mugger grabbed Dal Pino’s purse and was walking away when the victim suddenly rammed him with her vehicle.
Surveillance footage shows a Mercedes SUV crashing into a storefront and apparently reversing over the thief’s body multiple times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mexican Government Begins Busing Migrants to America’s Open Southern Border
The Mexican government has started busing migrants to America’s Southern Border in a controversial new scheme to transport “foreigners” from Mexico to the United States.
The migrants can make appointments using a phone app implemented by the Biden-Harris administration that allows them to be paroled into the U.S.
Once the migrants book the appointment using the app, the Mexican government transports them to America’s open border.
The Mexican National Institute of Migration posted a video of what it said was the first bus transporting “foreigners.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Moroccan Migrant Rapes Social Worker in Belgian Prison Days Before His Scheduled Release
A Moroccan migrant who was jailed for burglary just days after arriving illegally in Belgium has been charged with raping a social worker in his prison cell during a visit to discuss his scheduled release.
Younes. I., 25, had only been in Belgium for ten days when he was arrested back in February for robbery and aggravated theft in Antwerp.
He was jailed after being found in possession of stolen goods including a watch and jewelry, as well as carrying a screwdriver. He was found to have been part of a gang targeting a residential street in the Belgian port city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pennsylvania Town Up in Arms Over Plans to House Migrant Kids in Civil War-Era Orphanage
A Pennsylvania community is fuming over proposed plans to house 1,000 undocumented migrant minors in a historic Civil-war era orphanage.
A recent letter from a representative for Indiana-based disaster response organization, USA Up Star, asked to use the facility to ‘provide shelter for refuge[e] families’.
The Scotland School for Veterans Children, once an orphanage, was most recently used as a summer camp and is located in Scotland, Pennsylvania.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Remote Control Crime? Gang Leaders Running Swedish Criminal Operations From Abroad
Swedish police have identified approximately 600 individuals engaged in organized crime aimed at Sweden from abroad, with some holding Swedish citizenship and operating from 57 different countries. According to the National Operational Department of the Swedish Police Authority (NOA), about 150 of these individuals are either in custody or internationally wanted.
“We have a serious and constantly evolving crime trend in Sweden where a large portion of crimes are ordered and directed from abroad. These individuals thus influence the crime we are now seeing in the country,” said Petra Lundh, National Police Commissioner.
The criminal actors have strategically positioned themselves internationally to boost their criminal activities and evade Swedish law enforcement. They are mainly involved in drug trafficking, violence, and money laundering, with additional crimes including arms trafficking and fraud.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden Proposes Grants Up to €30,000 for Migrants to Leave
The Swedish Government, in collaboration with the Sweden Democrats, has proposed a relocation grant of up to 350,000 krona (€30,000) for each migrant who wished to return to their home countries as part of the upcoming autumn budget.
The initiative is designed to encourage voluntary return migration, particularly for those who have struggled to integrate into Swedish society.
Ludwig Asplen, the Sweden Democrats’ party spokesperson for migration policy, stated on September 12 that the relocations should be completed by 2026.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Cops Triggered Female Assault Victim Said ‘A Filthy Migrant’ Spit on & Attacked Her
An infuriating video out of the UK shows the moment a woman claiming to have been assaulted by a man was chastised by responding police officers when she told them a “filthy migrant” was behind the attack.
When the female victim, who was filming her encounter with the police, asked them if they had a problem with her saying “a dirty migrant just spat on me,” one officer responded, “We have a duty to challenge that language because we’re police officers and it’s the law.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Up to 124,000 Illegal Migrants Exploit Flaws in Dutch System to Access Labour Market
Illegal migrants from outside the European Union have been able to enter the European labour market via weaknesses in the Dutch population registration system, it has been revealed.
Around 124,000 people from all corners of the world reportedly obtained a citizen service number (BSN) through the population register in recent years, Dutch newspaper NRC reported on September 11. An unknown number of these illegal migrants are in Europe without a residence permit.
Currently, four investigations are underway by the labour inspection authorities and judiciary into intermediaries who are said to have used this administrative loophole to bring illegal migrant workers into the Netherlands, it was reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Terrifying footage obtained by DailyMail.com shows a shooting in one of the Colorado apartments controlled by Venezuelan super gang Tren de Aragua — as law enforcement officials warn about a coming gang war.
The July 28 clip recorded on the cell phone of a resident shows two people fighting in the courtyard of the Aspen Grove apartments in Aurora — one of three rental properties under gangster rule.
As the courtyard brawl played out, other residents watching the commotion ducked and screamed when shots rang out.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Marianne Willamson, a former Democratic presidential candidate, cautioned Democrats against attacking claims of Haitian migrants eating pets would hurt them in the election, asserting that “voodoo is real.” She then went on to call Democrats “smug elite jerks who think they’re too smart to listen to anyone outside their own silo.”
This after residents of Springfield, Ohio, claimed on social media that Haitian migrants have been capturing and eating pets and geese. However, local city officials have denied that they have received any substantiated reports. Vice President Kamala Harris used the claims to attack former President Donald Trump as unstable after he spoke out on the issue during the presidential debate earlier this week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Appeals Court Upholds Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy for Minors
Sept. 13 (UPI) — An appeals court Thursday ruled against a challenge to Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors, saying the state can continue to prohibit the controversial anti-LGBTQ intervention.
In a 2-1 decision, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the prohibition does not impinge free speech nor does it target religion. The ban aligns with the medical consensus that conversation therapy is “ineffective and harmful” and “rationally serves” the interests of the state to protect minors, the court said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: Taxpayers Paid $70K for Study Promoting “Polyamory” as Healthy for Kids
The Liberal government used taxpayer funds to pay for a research studythat promoted exposing kids to “polyamory” as being healthy and positive for children’s development.
On Aug. 7, Quebec researchers published an article on “Children’s views on the romantic partners of their polyamorous parents” in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
The research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, a federal grant-giving body that distributes taxpayer funds to academic projects.
SSHRC communications advisor Nicole Swiaterk confirmed to True North taxpayers paid $70,662 between 2019 and 2021 for the study. Funds were awarded via the Insight Development Grants competition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Undeterred by Parliament Vote, Polish Government Gives Women Access to Abortion
The Polish Government, undeterred by losing a parliamentary vote on abortion in July, has issued guidelines allowing terminations to be performed on demand at any stage of a pregnancy.
Any such procedure would be based on a doctor’s discretionary opinion that a pregnancy was a threat to a woman’s physical or mental health.
On September 12, Conservative lawyers’ think-tank Ordo Iuris responded by taking the government to the Constitutional Tribunal, or court, (TK), a body whose judgments are not recognised by the Tusk administration.
As a result of a TK ruling in 2021, abortion in Poland was outlawed in all cases with the exception of those where a pregnancy was as a result of crime or if a woman’s life was endangered. The move lead to a fall in the number of legal terminations, from more than 1,000 in 2020 to 107 in 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Germany Needs a Border Fence, Demands AfD Party Leader Alice Weidel”
…I say this is win for the globalist elite, as “closing the borders” was the plan all along.
Anyhow – it was possible to cross the Iron Curtain, it will sure as hall be possible to cross a “border fence” just as well. Unless – the Germans build real Iron Curtain once again, with multiple fenced corridors and guard dogs running inbetween, or something like that. Not gonna happen in the near future.
Anyhow – Germany was the driving force that opened up whole Europe to the invasion – and now they want to build border fence around Germany?
Isn’t that ironic, don’t you think?
Poland, The Protektorat, Austria… We all have something to say about that, dear Germans. Not the least that the migrants migrate wherever they get free [excrement]
Not a problem of the Protektorat, as people in the Protektorat eat dirt already, no sane migrant will want to migrate here.
On another note…
Germany is now holding 2/3rds of natural gas that was bought by the Protektorat for this winter, and the word is – Germans will not share – even what was paid by the Protektorat. Because – What kind of German Ubermensch would share such a valuable resource with the stupid Eastern Europeans?
But the problem is – 2/3rds of Czech Electricity production is being exported to Germany.
We might actually end up in a situation where Germans keep our gas and won’t share, so Czech Republic will keep it’s electricity, and will not share…
This scenarion is purely hypotetical, at this moment, but there is a not insignificant possibility that this is what will happen, this winter.
It would help the globalist if the EU Nations started to fight again. IMHO. They want the crisis to be as big as possible.
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Richard Jomshof (SD) steps aside
UPDATED YESTERDAY 4:53P
PUBLISHED YESTERDAY 11:22 AM
On Tuesday the 17th, Richard Jomshof (SD) will be served with suspicion of incitement against a ethnic group, and therefore he is temporarily leaving his role as chairman of the Riksdag’s justice committee, he tells Kvartal.
On Tuesday the 17th, Jomshof will be called to an interrogation where he will be informed of the suspicion, he says in the interview with Kvartal.
According to him, the reason is that he shared two Islam-critical satirical cartoons on X, where Muslim migrants are depicted as villainous caricatures, including the words “Rape Jihad”. The pictures were originally posted by another person.
According to Jomshof, this type of satire falls within the scope of freedom of expression.
“Is my own decision”
Jomshof says the decision to pause his mission is his own, because of the uproar he believes will follow the news.
– I will not work on the committee at all, he says.
Commenting myself on X
On X, Jomshof writes that what happened “raises many questions” and that the report against him is an attempt to silence him as a politician.
“Political satire has often been used to create debate about many important social problems over the years and we must defend that right if we are to have a functioning public debate and democracy in Sweden”.
During the Kvartal interview, Jomshof returns to the fact that there was criticism when he was elected committee chairman. The fact that he is now temporarily leaving his post is because he wants to avoid a similar situation.
– Because I feel that we can’t have this breakdown again, I don’t think it’s worthy. If we’re going to talk about something, it’s the matter itself.
SD and M comment
SD’s group leader in the Riksdag, Linda Lindberg, writes to SVT:
“Purely in principle, this is of course a very important issue. Our freedom of expression must be far-reaching when it comes to the right to problematize, criticize and even parody important social issues in order to create debate”.
Mattias Karlsson, group leader for the Moderates in the Riksdag, writes to SVT that Jomshof’s decision to pause is “wise” and that the legal process can now take its course.
The SD profile republishes posts
Sweden Democrat Mattias Karlsson has republished one of Jomshof’s posts on X:
“If someone wants to report me to the police too because I post a photo below, in the name of information, of Richard’s reposting of the satirical drawing in question, then feel free,” he writes.
I just wrote this, thoughts?
5 to 0 and 3 Against 1
https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/5-to-0-and-3-against-1
The long and short of it all is that we still do not know what she stands for and have no idea what her policies are.
Au contraire – it is very much obvious what her policies are and who are her targed audience (not very smart people) and what kind of tactics she will rely on to gain power (subvert elections) and if she succeeds she is bound to start a civil war in America by bringing in even more immigrants…
Rule of thumb: Vice presidents are more dogmatic and fanatical than presidents for if the president gets killed, or moved out of the way, the vice president is bound to finish the job in much more “gloves off” manner.
Her job is to destroy the USA.
Prove me wrong…
Her “army” are the brainwashed idiot masses + propaganda apparatus.
“Her job is to destroy the USA.”
Nah. TBQ’s job is to “fix” Obamerica. And the “fix” I’m referring to is the colloquial veterinary form: neuter.
It’s The Party’s job to LIE whilst slowly turning up the flame so Obamericans can boil before they get sufficiently steamed to jump outta the pot and start swingin’.
Just sayin’..
“The one thing I can say after reading the transcript of the debate is that ABC would make Joseph Goebbels proud – they behaved like the good students that they are.”
Good call! I’ll add that The Party’s been plagiarizing Goebbels since (at least) ’08.
The following was written in response to an Aug ’23 Wash Post article lionizing Prince Aricept’s “Bidenomics” scam, but it was reposted again during the debate. In fact, it covers virtually any- and everything that comes outta the mouths of The Party and their armies of anti-American, Muslim-leaning Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers (aka ‘toddlers).
“F’ing ‘toddlers. I haven’t seen such blatant PROPAGANDA since Joseph Goebbels told the German people that Germany’s enemies “will lose the war and bear all the fateful consequences” just days before he committed suicide (following Hitler’s suicide) and the Soviets overran Berlin.” —posted to fb (Aug 2023)
Oh, and congratulations Grandad!
ATTENTION!
The translation is of abysmal quality.
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The great people-to-people exchange
14/9-2024 – snaphanen.dk
Renaud Camus, self-portrait, https://www.snaphanen.dk/upload/2024/09/Renaud.Camus-www.renaud-camus.net-photo-0H2I-1536×1024.jpg
Renaud Camus: – It is not extreme to resist an invasion
By Arnt Jensvoll – Dokument.dk
Renaud Camus is controversial. He is a leftist, an atheist and a homosexual, but it is on the right that he resonates.
In the media, he is called a “right-wing extremist” because – according to him – he speaks loudly about what should not be talked about under any circumstances – “Le Grand Remplacement” – the replacement of the indigenous population in Western countries.
The 21st century’s crime against humanity
In The European Conservative, Camus says that the Great Migration, far from being a right-wing conspiracy theory, is a chrononym on a par with “the World War” or “the Great Depression” – it is the name of the most significant phenomenon of our time.
– The Great Replacement is not a far-right conspiracy theory. Describing the crime against humanity of the 21st century – the replacement of Europe’s population – in this way makes the most sense.
The administration of the human park x x x x
Camus thinks it is an understatement to describe him as “misunderstood” and “slandered”.
– I have almost never been read by those who attack me. I have been dragged through the mud, slandered, wikipediafied, accused of all sorts of sins, dropped by all publishers, denied a voice in the media, sl￦t in court, fined and imprisoned (the sentence was later overturned). The reason for this could not be simpler: since the high population turnover is by far the most important and most ￥obvious phenomenon in Western society today, it is precisely this that must not be mentioned by name under any circumstances. Anyone who dares to do so must be silenced by all means.
– If Houellebecq’s warnings have not had a greater impact than mine, despite the fact that he has far more readers, it is because anyone who opposes the human trafficking industry is silenced, vilified, crushed, silenced and socially killed.
Democratic farce
According to Camus, there is one main reason why the election results for the Rassemblement National were disappointing compared to the opinion polls: et
– The mediocrity of some of the parties’ candidates is one reason, but an important reason is that the supposedly democratic election was a farce. In the major audiovisual media, democratic parity was counter-intuitively respected by allocating the parties fifteen minutes each day in the official news programs.
But the rest of the time was used to slander Marine Le Pen’s party, which was implicitly compared to the Vichy regime. Themes such as Hitler’s rise to power, the Night of the Long Knives, Kristallnacht, the death camps, etc. were raised. The Rassemblement National could not protest, as that would be to admit that they felt influenced. The manipulation of the mind did not stop for a moment.
– The fact that the media consistently describe the right as extreme is fundamentally absurd when the Rassemblement National has the support of almost 40% of the electorate.
– There is, of course, nothing extreme in being against substitutes, in refusing to consider people as interchangeable consumer goods, in opposing invasion, in refusing to be colonized.
– Europeans must not forget that they are the original peoples of Europe and that the invaders imposed on them against their will are the colonizers.
– Europeans already have an appropriate demography that contrasts with the uncontrolled demography of the invaders. We must prevent the occupiers from having children in our countries and, if possible, encourage them to have fewer in their own countries.
Three main elements
According to Camus, the great population exchange has three main elements: there is the Davocracy’s idea of replacement (the WEF meets in Davos), then there are the replacements and the replaced. The replacements are allies of the Davocracy, they form the base of their power. But since they ￤r are the most powerful ￤r they are also￥ the most s￥rible and will be the first to be up￤t, ￤even if b￥da think they are using the others to achieve their m￥l.
According to Camus, a prerequisite for making people interchangeable is that the population “flows together” (as Zygmunt Bauman describes it). Last out are the sexes:
– Everything that could stand in the way of a “denationalized, deculturalized, dehistoricized humanity”, a “densification of the species” and a globalist “Davocratic hypercapitalism” is gradually eliminated:
First it was different ethnic groups, now it is the sexes. Human matter must be completely fluid.
Europe must rediscover its history
According to Camus, if Europe is to rise, it must return to the history it abandoned in shame and despair, fear and greed after the Second World War.
– Europe must once again consider itself a great power, it must resist the demographic invasion from Africa and Asia, the cultural invasion from America and the economic invasion from China – as well as the military invasion from Russia – although this is a special case.
Culturally and geographically, Russia is part of Europe – just like Britain. It is not Russia that we must resist, but the old methods of Eastern despots: invasions, coups, arbitrary imprisonment, torture and murder.
Hope lies in despair
When asked what gives hope in these dark and chaotic times, Renaud Camus answers: ‘despair’.
(https://www.snaphanen.dk/2024/09/14/den-store-udskiftning/#more-201893)
Attention! Here is Renaud Camus’ interview with The European Conservative:
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/interviews/interview-with-renaud-camus/
Which I had submitted to the Gates of Vienna News Feed:
https://gatesofvienna.net/2024/08/gates-of-vienna-news-feed-8-16-2024/#629918
Do you read this blog?
“ATTN DONALD TRUMP: The Harris campaign is demanding a rule change of NOT muting mics at the debates. Why? They’re betting you won’t STFU and will lose the debate – as you did with Biden.” —Ann Coulter (26 Aug 2024)
https://x.com/AnnCoulter/status/1828090551524282507
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“In a marketing class, many years ago, I learned that “overexposure breeds contempt” (think: Mr. Pillowhead). Last evening, a friend said something that brought everything I’ve been thinking into tight focus: “We’ve now lived through [what feels like] eight years of a Trump presidency in only a few months, and I’ve grown tired of the daily tweets, speeches, [campaign] rallies, public duels and sky-is-falling media-reportage.” And I think he’s right.
I’ll say it again, Trump Tedium’s real and I believe it’s spreading fast. Perhaps, not quite with as much velocity as Trump’s tweets, but it’s getting there. And in the words of the robot….”Danger, Will Robinson!” —posted to fb (Jul 2017)
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“Prediction: Although I was [severely] afflicted by mid-2017, I think “Trump Tedium”—the “My Pillow” syndrome of over-pitching the same snake-oil over and over and over again—is gonna play a big part in 2020.” —posted to fb (Aug 2019)
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In tandem with Trump’s…..well, let’s just say “inarticulate performance” in the debate with TBQ the other night, I reckon sanity demands that non-hyphenated American citizens best have a Plan B ready. Just sayin’..
LIVE: Interview With Tommy Robinson That Media BANS
From Mahyar Tousi TV – From a few hours ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8SQIfKJA9w
Pretty funny story in there.