German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a peace conference with Russia, which the AfD views as a sign the government is bowing to its pressure. Meanwhile, the AfD’s polling numbers in Brandenburg have risen from 24% at the beginning of August to 30% in September.
In other news, illegal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio have reportedly been eating local wildlife, grabbing up ducks by their necks and cutting their heads off and taking them away to eat.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, LP, Reader from Chicago, TN, 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.
Big Lots Files for Bankruptcy, Operates 1,400 Stores
Big Lots, the discount home retail store, filed for bankruptcy Monday, putting the future of its 1,400 stores in jeopardy. The Chapter 11 filing is another example of how American retailers and restaurant chains continue to struggle, with 2024 seeing the most bankruptcy filings for businesses since the Covid pandemic in 2020, when stores had insufficient funds to operate, leading to partial or total closures, the Daily Mail reported.
For the first half of 2024, 21 stores have filed for bankruptcy, Standard & Poors said in a July report. LL Flooring just announced that it is closing all of its 442 stores and Red Lobster — perhaps the best-known seafood chain in America — has filed for bankruptcy but only after shutting down 100 restaurants. About a dozen other restaurant chains are in the same financial straights.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France Asks EU to Let it Delay Submitting Budget Deficit Plan
France has asked the European Commission to extend beyond September 20 a deadline for submitting a plan to reduce its public deficit to align with Paris’ 2025 draft budget, La Tribune du Dimanche said on Sunday, citing the Finance Ministry.
France could see its budget deficit spiral unexpectedly higher this year and next if extra savings are not found, the finance ministry said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this month, as the eurozone’s second-biggest economy lurches deeper into political crisis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After a DOJ indictment against two employees of RT who are alleged to have been funneling money to Tennessee-based Tenet Media, Wired conducted an analysis of the work that had been reportedly funded with Russian state media cash. What they found was that the videos covered topics such as “free speech, illegal immigrants, diversity in video games, supposed racism toward white people, and Elon Musk.”
“The content of these videos was described by prosecutors as ‘consistent’ with Russia’s aim of sowing political discord in the US. Among the areas covered: free speech, illegal immigrants, diversity in video games, supposed racism toward white people, and Elon Musk,” Wired reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden-Harris Administration ‘Strongly Opposes’ SAVE Act, Attaching it to Funding Bill
The Biden-Harris administration has announced that it “strongly opposes” the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This comes as House Republicans tried to attach the bill to a spending package that would fund the government until March 2025. The act would simply make proof of citizenship a requirement to vote.
A White House statement on the SAVE Act reads: “The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Federal elections—it is a Federal crime punishable by prison and fines.” However, that does not mean that voter registration requires proof of citizenship.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Big Tech’s Latest “Fix” for AI Panic is to Push a Digital ID Agenda
A research paper, authored by Microsoft, OpenAI, and a host of influential universities, proposes developing “personhood credentials” (PHCs).
It’s notable for the fact that the same companies that are developing and selling potentially “deceptive” AI models are now coming up with a fairly drastic “solution,” a form of digital ID.
The goal would be to prevent deception by identifying people creating content on the internet as “real” — as opposed to that generated by AI. And, the paper freely admits that privacy is not included.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Portland Antifa ‘Ringleader’ Alissa Azar Sentenced to Jail Over Felony Conviction
An Oregon judge has sentenced a violent Portland Antifa ringleader to jail time and probation following a trial last month. A jury of mostly women convicted Alissa Eleanor Azar, 33 (b. Feb. 12, 1991), of felony riot and disorderly conduct on Aug. 14 following a five-day criminal trial at the Clackamas County Courthouse in Oregon City.
Azar, who became a self-styled chief propagandist for Antifa in the Portland area, was sentenced on Monday afternoon by Judge Todd L. Van Rysselberghe for the 5th Judicial District Circuit Court of Oregon. He sentenced her to 14 days in a local jail, followed by 36 months of supervised probation and GPS monitoring.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Joseph Edelman announced that he would resign as a trustee at Brown University in an op-ed published Sunday in The Wall Street Journal, citing his opposition to a divestment vote on Israel, especially following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel.
“As a member of the Brown University board of trustees, I disagree with the upcoming divestment vote on Israel,” Edelman wrote. “I am concerned about what Brown’s willingness to hold such a vote suggests about the university’s attitude toward rising antisemitism on campus and a growing political movement that seeks the destruction of the state of Israel.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House GOP Releases Afghanistan Withdrawal Report Finding Biden-Harris Admin. Failures, WH Responds
The GOP-led House Foreign Affairs Committee released a report Sunday that criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and argued that the death of 13 U.S. service members could have been prevented.
The release of the report coincides with the three-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan is demanding that the Biden-Harris administration’s Transporation Security Administration (TSA) turn over documents related to the committee’s inquiry into the recent surveillance of Tulsi Gabbard with the Quiet Skies program. The Quiet Skies program marks those that need to be closely monitored by the US government when they are traveling by air.
According to the letter from Jordan to the TSA head, “On August 21, 2024, the Committee wrote to you requesting information and documents about the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) recent surveillance of former Representative Tulsi Gabbard. To date, you have failed to comply with the Committee’s requests. We write to reiterate our August 21 requests and ask for your voluntary cooperation with our oversight.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illinois Trucking Company With 480 Drivers Abruptly Ceases Operations
By Clarissa Hawes of FreightWaves
An Illinois-based trucking and logistics company, which contracted with the U.S. Postal Service to haul mail has notified over 650 employees, including more than 480 drivers, that the carrier is ceasing operations, according to sources familiar with the closure.
Former truck drivers for Midwest Transport Inc. (MTI), headquartered in Robinson, Illinois, told FreightWaves that they received telephone calls from their regional managers late Thursday notifying them the company was winding down operations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘I’m Going to Kill a Lot of People.’ I-75 Shooting Suspect Sent Texts Before Attack
London Shortly before opening fire on unsuspecting travelers on Interstate 75, Joseph Couch sent a chilling text to his ex-wife pledging, “I’m going to kill a lot of people.”
He added, “Well (I’m going to) try at least.”
Couch sent a follow-up text: “I’ll kill myself afterwards…”
The stunning details emerged Monday in affidavits released by authorities connected to criminal charges slapped on the 32-year-old man. The documents were reviewed by the Herald-Leader.
Couch was charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault, according to state attorney Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele, the felony prosecutor for Laurel County.
The shootings occurred about 75 miles south of Lexington on one of the nation’s busiest north-south interstates just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to the affidavit, Couch sent the texts to his ex-wife at 5:03 p.m.
The murder and assault charges are based on the injuries and attacks on the same five people.
Police also could charge Couch with wanton endangerment and criminal mischief for shooting into other cars where people were not hurt.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Independent Presidential Candidate Cornel West to Appear on Virginia Ballot After State Reversal
Independent presidential candidate Cornel West will appear on Virginia’s November ballot now that the state has reversed its decision on the matter.
The Virginia Department of Elections wrote to West’s campaign Friday saying the agency had “reconsidered” its previous decision to bar him from the ballot.
The state previously rejected West’s name over purported issues with his elector forms, The Washington Examiner reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Internal Memo to Trump Campaign Staffers About Leaking Information is Also Leaked
President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign officials have been raising concerns about information being leaked to the media.
As with any high-level campaign, leaks from within are inevitable, even with Trump’s well-oiled campaigning machine.
According to reports, someone within the campaign recently leaked a memo about leaking information to the press.
The issue proves that leakers are a given in this day and age of anonymity and multiple methods to stay incognito.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
JD Vance Slams Kamala Harris’ Brand New Policy Positions, Rebuts Each Point One by One
JD Vance rebutted policy proposals released on Sunday by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, rebutting each point one by one. Harris’ proposals would continue many policy plans of her current Biden-Harris administration, such as allowing for mass illegal immigration, and addressed her new plans for price controls. The Harris camp said she would “grow the economy” and “secure the border.”
Vance went through the policy proposals in a detailed thread on X, saying, “It has been 50 days since Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. In the dead of night yesterday, she finally released her campaign policy page. Here’s what I think of it.” Two main topics of concern were the border and the economy, two key issues for voters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jill Stein Could Serve as a Spoiler Candidate in Swing States Thanks to Muslim Voters: Poll
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein could serve as a spoiler candidate again in critical swing states this November, due to a surge of support from Muslim voters who are disgruntled with both mainstream political parties.
A poll from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) revealed on Monday that Stein was the most popular candidate among Muslim voters in Arizona (with 35%), Michigan (40%), and Wisconsin (44%). Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris was most popular among likely Muslim voters in Georgia (43%) and Pennsylvania (37%), while former President Donald Trump led in Nevada with 27%.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jonathan Turley: Supreme Court Will View ‘Evidence’ in Trump’s ‘Hush Money’ Case as ‘Privileged’
Legal scholar Professor Jonathan Turley has weighed in on President Donald Trump’s so-called “hush money” case after the sentencing hearing was delayed until after the election.
Trump and his lawyers have scored a mountain of legal victories in recent months.
The latest victory came after Trump’s sentencing in the New York “hush money” case was once again rescheduled, as Slay News reported.
Legal scholars, such as lawyer Turley, analyzed the situation, according to Newsweek.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris is Secluded in a Hotel With a Trump Impersonator
Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news
Fox News reporter Bryan Llenas revealed at the weekend that Kamala Harris’ campaign has got her in a hotel in Pittsburgh on a fake stage with a Trump impersonator, desperately practising for Tuesday’s debate.
“We know that Vice President Kamala Harris is in her hotel in Pittsburgh. They’ve got the lights as if it’s in a studio,” Llenas claimed, adding “They’ve got the stage. They’ve even brought in somebody who’s dressed and acting like the former President.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris Backs Radical New Proposal to ‘Reshape’ Supreme Court
Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris has expressed support for a radical new bill that targets the restructuring of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The legislation, introduced by Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), proposes significant changes to the court’s composition.
These changes include both adding and disabling justices based on ideological lines.
This move has ignited a firestorm of debate about the implications for judicial independence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Legal Group Warns of Voter ID ‘Loophole’ in Election Battleground: ‘Ripe for Exploitation’
A legal group is sounding the alarm after uncovering a legal “loophole” in the battleground state of Wisconsin that voters to cast ballots without showing any identification.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) warns that the election “loophole” is “ripe for exploitation.”
WILL issued the warning in a research report.
According to the report, 144,347 people in Wisconsin are classified as “indefinitely confined.”
This status means they could cast an absentee ballot without showing ID.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Local Colleges See Effect of Supreme Court Ruling
A steep drop in the number of Black students in the Class of 2028 at Amherst College compared to the preceding year’s incoming class, and less racial diversity in the first-year class, is likely a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against affirmative action, according to college leaders.
“Other institutions have seen a similar impact, and all colleges and universities are evaluating the outcomes of this first admission cycle under the new legal standard,” reads a late August letter sent to the campus community by President Michael A. Elliott, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Matthew L. McGann, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Sheree M. Ohen, and Chief Student Affairs Officer and Dean of Students Angie Tissi-Gassoway.
“At Amherst, we will continue and deepen our ongoing efforts — in accordance with the law — to reach and recruit students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences,” they write. “This process will take time, but we are very confident that we will continue to build a community that reflects the diversity of the world around us.”
The Supreme Court’s decision means that colleges and universities can no longer consider race on their applications.
Statistics for the federal reporting guidelines publicly posted to Amherst College’s website show that 3% of the 480 students in the Class of 2028 are Black or African American, compared to 11% of the 488 students in the Class of 2027. Similarly, the college saw a decline in domestic students of color, from 47% in the Class of 2027 to 38% in the Class of 2028.
The drops were not uniform, though, with Asian students actually increasing from 18% to 20%, but Hispanic/Latino students dropping from 12% to 8%, and multiracial students going down from 9% to 8%.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Look What Democrats Said About Dick Cheney a Few Years Ago
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news
As we highlighted yesterday, the Harris campaign is bragging about Dick Cheney endorsing her, after he described Trump as the greatest threat to America in history.
Indeed, Harris herself said she is “honored” to have Cheney’s endorsement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anybody who’s spent time in New York City (and even broader, the state) is likely to tell you — New Yorkers are empowered, alright. By their very nature.
Direct and opinionated — do they really need the government to “empower” them some more? And to do what — snitch on fellow citizens?
But that’s the gist of what New York Attorney General Letitia James is now proposing, all buzzing with buzzwords like “election misinformation” (“AI generated,” mind), and just in general, what somebody might decide to consider “misleading” online content.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NHTSA Proposes New Rule to Protect Pedestrians From Front-End Crashes
Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it has proposed new standards meant to reduce harm from vehicle-to-pedestrian crashes.
The standards, if enacted, would apply to all vehicles with a gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less — a cap that includes every new consumer vehicle currently sold in the United States. The rules would set test procedures simulating a head-to-hood impact and performance requirements to minimize the risk of pedestrian head injury.
“We have a crisis of roadway deaths, and it’s even worse among vulnerable road users like pedestrians,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman in a press release. “This proposed rule will ensure that vehicles will be designed to protect those inside and outside from serious injury or death. We will continue to work to make our roads safer for everyone and help protect vulnerable road users.”
Though the rule strives to improve safety for America’s increasingly dangerous roadways, the agency estimates that the changes will not dramatically reduce the annual number of pedestrian fatalities.
| — Hat tip: TN | [Return to headlines] |
Pelosi Suggests ‘30%’ of Republicans Are Racist, Sexist, Homophobic: They’d ‘Never’ Vote Democrat
AUSTIN, Texas — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested that “30%” of Republican voters will never vote for Democrats because of their racism, sexism and homophobia.
Speaking at the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival on Saturday, Pelosi was pressed by podcast host Kara Swisher on why the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump is so close.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pelosi Claims Trump Will Chicken Out of Debate With Harris: ‘I Know Cowardice When I See it’
Democrat Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has claimed that President Donald Trump will chicken out of Tuesday night’s presidential debate with Kamala Harris due to “cowardice.”
Pelosi made the remarks during an appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival over the weekend.
At the event, sat down for a live interview with journalist Kara Swisher about a variety of topics.
Pelosi spoke out a number of topics before signing copies of her latest book.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: ABC Campaign Coverage Has Been 100% Positive for Harris, 93% Negative for Trump
ABC News program World News Tonight has shown an overall positive spin on its reporting of Vice President Kamala Harris, versus its overall negative reporting on former President Donald Trump, according to a recent report.
A report from the Media Research Center’s (MRC) NewsBusters found that an analysis of “100 campaign stories” aired on World News Tonight, hosted by David Muir, found “25 clearly positive statements” made about Harris from “reporters, anchors, voters or other non-partisan sources,” which represented a 100 percent positive spin on the outlets reporting for Harris.
The 100 campaign stories that MRC reviewed stemmed from July 21, when Harris entered the 2024 presidential race, to September 6.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Name to Appear on Michigan Presidential Ballot, in Blow to Trump
LANSING — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name will appear on Michigan’s Nov. 5 presidential ballot, over his objections, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The majority ruling reverses a Friday opinion from the Michigan Court of Appeals, which said there was no valid reason not to remove Kennedy’s name from the ballot, as Kennedy requested when he suspended his campaign and endorsed former Republican President Donald Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Orders NC Ballots Reprinted Without RFK Jr.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/AP) — After back and forth in the North Carolina courts, the state Supreme Court Monday ruled that ballots for the upcoming Presidential election must be reprinted without Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listed.
The court decision Monday is a win for former president Donald Trump, a Republican who is running in the 2024 election and who RFK Jr. has chosen to help in battleground states, such as North Carolina.
Kennedy is attempting to withdraw his name from states where the presidential race will be close in November. He had scored a legal victory in North Carolina on Friday before Monday’s Supreme Court decision.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Surveillance for Sale? House Republicans Challenge Biden on Data Broker Exploitation
A number of US House Republicans earlier this week asked the Biden-Harris administration to get behind legislation that would put an end to the current exploitation of surveillance carried out by data brokers — that happens to be warrantless.
The letter signed by nine members of Congress came after news of a security breach that reportedly ended up with personal data from 2.7 billion people getting exposed in a hacking operation.
We obtained a copy of the letter for you here.
Clearly, that’s a number greater than the total number of US citizens, so what’s going on here?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Time Snubs Elon Musk for ‘100 Most Influential People in AI’ List Following Trump Endorsement
Time Magazine has provoked a backlash after it was revealed that the publication has completely snubbed X boss Elon Musk from an artificial intelligence (AI) industry feature.
The outlet chose to omit Musk from its “100 Most Influential People in AI” list.
However, the move to snub Musk, one of the leading voices in AI technology, has prompted criticism from industry experts and social media users.
Time even included celebrities in the list such as Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson, who made the cover.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top Biologist: COVID Shots Are ‘Bioweapons’ That Target ‘Populations’
A celebrated professor of evolutionary biology has revealed that Covid mRNA shots are “bioweapons” that can target entire populations by “trigger[ing] the immune system to stand down.”
Dr. Bret Weinstein dropped the bombshell during a recent interview with podcaster Joe Rogan.
Weinstein was discussing biological weapons when he explained that Covid mRNA “vaccines are also the product of bioweapons research.”
Covid mRNA injections “include the spike protein which was the innovation that made the ancestor of SARS CoV2 into an infectious human pathogen,” Weinstein told Rogan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump plans on tying Kamala Harris to her record as Vice President in the Biden-Harris administration, as California Attorney General, and as San Franciso’s DA in Tuesday’s debate against the Democratic candidate, which takes place at 9 pm eastern and is in Pittsburgh.
On a press call in the lead-up to the debate, the Trump camp informed reporters that Kamala Harris will have to “defend her record” as the VP during the last few years. “Kamala Harris not only has to defend her record as vice president, but it’s also really her record as president, as co-president, because she’s the one running the country,” Senior Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller told reporters on Monday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kelowna Woman Stabbed, Attacked by Woman in Her Own Home
A Kelowna, B.C., woman is sharing her story about being attacked by a stranger in her home.
Tanya Gonzales is still in the hospital after being attacked on Saturday afternoon.
She was stabbed multiple times during what police have described as a home invasion.
“Still in pain and in shock but better than yesterday,” Gonzales told Global News on Monday.
“As far as I remember we were just moving desks outside, going to the basement where our room was.”
Gonzales left a door open at their Kelgen Crescent home and that is when police say the suspect attacked Gonzales before being confronted by another family member.
A few hours later, 24-year-old Morgan Marie Smith was arrested and later charged with aggravated assault.
She remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
British Justice is Broken — And Labour is Making it Worse
The mass release of criminals who have served less than half of their prison sentences begins tomorrow, September 10th, while victims of crime across the country remain unsupported by a broken justice system.
Around 2,000 prisoners will be released in just one day on Tuesday, followed by a further 1,700 in one day next month. Whistleblowers claim that serious sexual offenders will be among them, despite assurances to the contrary.
So it is no wonder that Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, has warned that victims of domestic violence will be having “sleepless nights” over this early release scheme—a “high proportion” of the beneficiaries of which will be domestic abusers, according to a government source.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brussels Weighs Freezing Billions in EU Funding for Slovakia
Slovakia could be about to suffer the same fate as Hungary amid reports the European Commission is considering withholding funding earmarked for Bratislava over concerns in Brussels of democratic backsliding.
According to a report by the U.S. media outlet Bloomberg, the EU executive is preparing to launch proceedings against the administration of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico that could see up to €12.8 billion in funding be suspended until the Eastern European member state conforms to Brussels’ expectations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Capital Flight: Record Number of Millionaires Set to Flee Britain Amid Looming Labour Tax Raids
Nearly ten thousand millionaires are predicted to flee the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom this year amid expected tax raids from the left-wing Labour Party government of Sir Keir Starmer.
While the previous Tory government of Rishi Sunak ushered in the highest tax burden since the Second World War, in large part to pay for the debts accrued during the coronavirus lockdowns, it is widely predicted that the fall budget of the Labour government will see further money grabs by the British state, with likely targets including capital gains and inheritance taxes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Draghi Insists ‘Harder Climate Push Will Solve EU Energy Crisis’
Former European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi has called for more power to be handed to the EU in order to fight climate change and solve the bloc’s competitiveness crisis.
In a leaked copy of his long-awaited report, seen by Brussels Signal, Draghi warned that the EU was falling behind both China and the US in numerous areas, especially on emerging technology.
He highlighted three “areas for action to reignite growth” that could help solve the problems Europe was facing: Closing the tech innovation gap between it and its geopolitical rivals, the creation of a “joint plan for decarbonisation and competitiveness”, and working towards increasing the bloc’s security.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Competitiveness Report Calls for €800 Billion in Added Yearly Investments
Brussels finally unveiled its long-awaited “Report on the Future of European Competitiveness,” written by former European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi at the request of the European Commission. Although the document calls for “urgently” pouring up to €800 billion into the EU’s economy to avoid being left behind by the likes of the U.S. and China, there is little to no political appetite for it in member states.
The report was originally planned to be published last spring in the hope that it would generate public debate during the EU election campaign period. However, as the publication of the 400-page report was delayed over and over, enthusiasm in EU capitals diminished. Brussels may have one of the most ambitious economic reform plans in its history on the table, but very few countries have the means to foot the bill right now.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Macron Booed at Paralympics Games Closing Ceremony
During the closing ceremony of the Paralympics Games at the Stade de France, the audience heavily booed French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron was presented to the public at the event on September 8, together with Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee.
Rather than applauding Macron for the Games when he appeared on big screens at the Stade de France, the crowd started booing and jeering broke out.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Le Pen’s Far-Right Party to Judge Barnier on Performance
French far-right party Rassemblement National (RN) has vowed not to oppose President Emmanuel Macron’s pick for prime minister, said party figurehead Marine Le Pen and party leader Jordan Bardella over the weekend, adding that Michel Barnier would instead be judged on his performance.
Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator appointed by Macron 60 days after July’s legislative elections, was tasked with forming a new government on Thursday, although its formation is still subject to a vote by the new National Assembly of 577 lawmakers.
However, “the issues of the Rassemblement National” would have to be considered, said Le Pen and Bardella, whose party won 126 seats in the new parliament — a result that puts the party in a position to make or break Barnier’s new line-up.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Free Speech Meltdown: German Green MP Proposes Banning X in Europe
In the wake of the attack in Solingen and the shooting in Munich, German Green MP Anton Hofreiter is calling for blanket censorship after news story after news story shows the damaging effects of his open borders ideology.
“One of the biggest problems of extremism is online radicalization,” he told the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper. In case of doubt, he said authorities must also be prepared to block the social media platform X.
“We must stop the spread of anti-human and anti-constitutional content on the internet,” demanded Hofreiter, who serves as the chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag. Violations of applicable law must be punished consistently. With regard to social networks, this means that they “will be blocked if necessary,” said the Green politician. This would also include the X platform owned by Elon Musk, which the left views as an imminent threat due to its emphasis on free speech, according to Frankfurter Rundschau.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Officials: Poland is Sabotaging Our Nord Stream Explosion Investigation
Germany has accused Poland of sabotaging an investigation into the main suspect behind the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. Polish officials deny failing to execute the European arrest and search warrants issued against the alleged organiser of the plot, a Ukrainian diving instructor named Volodymyr Z.
These serious allegations appeared in the newspaper Welt Am Sonntag on August 9th. Welt reports that an official with knowledge of the matter claimed that Poland was sabotaging the investigation. Another person familiar with the inquiry said it was “obstruction of justice.”
According to the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), August Hanning:
The Polish government obviously let [Volodymyr Z.] go in order to cover up its own involvement in the attack on the pipelines.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Brandenburg Elections: Another AfD Triumph on the Horizon
Right-wing anti-immigration AfD’s strong performance in last week’s German regional elections (first place in Thuringia and runners-up in Saxony) has evidently propelled the party to the top of the opinion polls in the state of Brandenburg.
The party received around a third of all votes in the elections on September 1st and, according to a recent survey, is set to do the same in another eastern state, Brandenburg, which is holding elections on September 22nd.
AfD’s polling numbers in Brandenburg have risen from 24% at the beginning of August to 30% in September, mirroring its results in Thuringia (33%) and Saxony (31%).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Far-Right AfD Cheers Scholz’s Call for Peace Summit With Russia
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a peace conference with Russia on Sunday, a move the far-right AfD saw as a sign the government was bowing to its pressure.
Russia was not invited to the recent international peace conference on its war of aggression against Ukraine, held in Switzerland in June.
“There will definitely be another peace conference. And the [Ukrainian] President and I agree that it must also be one with Russia,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD/S&D) told public broadcaster ZDF on Sunday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary: PM Orban Hints at Cabinet Reshuffle
Prime Minister Viktor Orban is proposing a “peace budget” for next year, which would also require a cabinet reshuffle, he said in a social media post on Sunday.
Sharing a part of his keynote speech at Kötcse, where conservatives meet in the Hungarian countryside to mark the traditional opening of the autumn political season in Hungary, Orban said:
“We have the action plan. It hasn’t been presented (yet), it’s not announced, it’s not yet under political work, but we refer to it as the peace budget, which is already in the desk drawer,” he said.
“At the heart of this peace budget or action plan is putting economic growth in the 3-5 percent range by 2025. We need to do a budget that can deliver 3-5 percent growth while maintaining fiscal balance, which is necessary because of the credit rating agencies and the financial global crisis. That is the basis of everything, and I think we can do that,” he continued.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lack of Productivity Growth ‘Existential Challenge’ for Europe, Draghi Report Says
Europe is facing an “existential challenge” to increase its productivity, Mario Draghi’s long-awaited report on European competitiveness states, with the main priorities focused on advancing the tech sector and ensuring a successful transition towards climate neutrality.
“Now more than ever, we have to lean on productivity, but productivity is weak, very weak,” Draghi said at a press conference presenting the report on Monday (9 September).
If Europe fails to increase productivity, it will be impossible to meet its political ambitions, Draghi argues in the foreword of his report.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands Wants to Ban Free Travel of Russian Diplomats Over Espionage Concerns
The Netherlands and seven other EU countries are lobbying together to restrict travel for Russian diplomats in the European Union. They want to restrict these diplomats’ free travel to the country in which they are accredited instead of allowing them free travel in the Schengen zone. This is due to suspicions that many Russian diplomats are actually secret agents involved in influencing operations, sabotage, and espionage, Trouw reports.
The Czech Republic started the lobby late last year and gained support from the Netherlands, Denmark, several Eastern European countries, and the Baltic States. In June, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky sent a letter to Josep Borrel, the EU’s foreign policy chief, on behalf of eight EU countries. “This measure will significantly reduce the operational space of Russian agents,” the Minister wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Pakistani Mullah Jalali, Political Leader Rizvi Convicted of Calling for Wilders Murder
A Pakistani religious leader was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison for trying to convince people to kill Dutch far right politician Geert Wilders. The District Court of The Hague convicted Mullah Muhammad Jalali, 56, in the verdict it issued on Monday. The court also convicted his compatriot, Saad Hussain Rizvi, the 29-year-old head of the far-right Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan political party. Both men were convicted in absentia, and did not appoint an attorney to represent them during the trial.
Jalali was convicted for attempted incitement to commit murder, trying to incite murder with terrorist intent, and making threatening statements. Jalali abused the authority he has as a spiritual leader, the District Court of The Hague said in the verdict. The 56-year-old had issued a fatwa against Wilders, a direct order to his followers to kill the leader of Dutch coalition party, PVV.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New French PM Barnier Gets Frosty Reception — Both at Home and Abroad
Reports say that more than 100,000 people protested across France on Saturday against the appointment of Michel Barnier—a long-time member of the Brussels elite—as the new prime minister.
The figure falls short of the mass “mobilisation” called for by leading figures on the Left, who described the appointment as contrary to the mandate established in July’s legislative elections(which delivered a hung parliament), and who insist that this weekend’s protests have been underplayed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
No, Grazie! Italy Demands EU Drop ‘Absurd’ Green Scheme to Ban Combustion Engine Vehicles
The conservative government of Giorgia Meloni in Italy has called on the EU to scrap its green agenda scheme to ban the sale of new combustion engine vehicles by 2035.
Speaking from Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, Italy over the weekend, Rome’s energy minister, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin bluntly stated that “the ban must be changed,” accordingto Bloomberg.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland “Breaks Up Group of Saboteurs” Planning Cyberattacks on Behalf of Russia and Belarus
Poland’s government says the security services have in recent days “broken up a group of saboteurs” working on behalf of Russia and Belarus who were targeting Polish institutions with the aim of extorting information, carrying out blackmail and conducting “de facto cyberwarfare”.
Announcing the news, digital affairs minister Krzysztof Gawkowski also reported that, in the first half of this year, more cyberattack incidents were reported in Poland than in the whole of 2023.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: PiS Thanks Voters for Over €1 Million in Donations, But the Battle is Far From Won
The Law and Justice (PiS) party has received some 5 million zlotys (€1.2 million) from its supporters, according to the head of the PiS parliamentary group and former deputy prime minister, Mariusz Blaszczak.
“We are very encouraged by the voters’ response. Thank you very much. Usually these transfers amount to several dozen, one hundred zlotys. That’s what we wanted,” said the head of the PiS club on Polsat News’ “Graffiti” program.
Blaszczak noted that the party had been forced to ask voters for financial assistance to continue their campaign due to actions taken by the Tusk-led coalition to weaken PiS ahead of next year’s presidential election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Opposition Condemns Police Raids on Organisers of Independence March
Polish opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has condemned yesterday’s searches by police of properties linked to the annual Independence March. He called on supporters to join a demonstration next week “against this attack on Polish patriotism”.
Prosecutors say the raids were carried out as part of an investigation into suspected crimes committed at the march, which is organised every year on 11 November — Poland’s Independence Day — by far-right groups but which also attracts participants from the mainstream right.
However, Kaczynski, leader of the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, characterised the development as part of efforts by the government to “pacify” the population and thereby make it easier to bring Poland under foreign rule.
[Comment: Article dated September 5, 2024.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Journalists Guilty of Defamation Over TV Satire
Three Polish journalists have been found guilty of defamation, a criminal offence in Poland, for their part in a Polish TVP programme in which a well known charity chief and a former mayor of Warsaw were portrayed as greedy money-grabbers.
They will have to pay almost €20,000 to The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOSP), founded by Jerzy Owsiak, which raises money for paediatric and elderly care. The three must also do community service of 20 hours per month for five months.
The three are Polish journalist and TV presenter Michal Rachon, together with Barbara Piela, the creator of the latex figures used in the stunt, and Krystian Krawiel, the editor of a TV show broadcast on Polish state TVP in 2019. They were found guilty on September 6 of defaming Owsiak and former Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz in a private action brought by the ex-mayor.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Retrofit of Germany’s Eco-Friendly Battle Vehicles ‘Will Cost Billions’, Government Says
Fixing the problems with Germany’s eco-friendly Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) will cost billions of euros, the country’s government has admitted.
Initial estimates drawn up by the defence ministry indicated that making the Puma class of vehicle “fully operational” would cost somewhere in the region of €700 million.
One of the key reasons behind the retrofit was the machine’s poor reliability. Problems with the eco-friendly fire extinguishers it was previously fitted with prompted scandal in 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Slovenia Bows to Pressure and Nominates Female Commissioner
Slovenian’s left-wing government has proposed former ambassador Marta Kos as its nominee for the European Commissioner after Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen reportedly pressured it into abandoning the first-choice candidate because he was a man.
Tomaz Vesel, a former auditor, withdrew his candidature on Friday amid reports that, during a visit to Slovenia last week, von der Leyen had put pressure on prime minister Robert Golob to nominate a woman to the role—to ensure gender parity on the new Commission.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain Did Maduro a ‘Favour’ by Granting Asylum to Opposition Leader, Centre-Right PP Argues
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro must be “celebrating” Spain’s decision to grant asylum to Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia — the opposition’s widely recognised winner of the July 28 elections — the leader of Spain’s People’s Party (Partido Popular/EPP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo said on Monday (9 September).
In an interview aired by private television station Antena 3, the chief of Spain’s centre-right opposition in parliament implied that by granting asylum to Venezuelan opposition leader Gonzalez Urrutia, the Spanish government under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (PSOE/S&D) has indirectly eased a major source of tension for Maduro. The Venezuelan government has yet to publish the official electoral results.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: 450-Year-Old Remains of Medieval Saint Found in Remarkable Condition, Leaving Experts Stunned
Experts have been left stunned after the tomb of a medieval Catholic saint was opened and the remains inside were in remarkable condition.
The tomb of St. Teresa of Jesus was opened last month for research.
The opening of the tomb was announced in an August 28 press release by the Diocese of Avila.
The statement, translated from Spanish to English, revealed that the saint, also known as St. Teresa of Avila, was a Discalced Carmelite nun who died in 1582.
The tomb was last opened in 1914, explained the diocese, which is located in Spain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tusk Government Proposes ‘Self-Criticism’ for Polish Judges Facing Disciplinary Proceedings
Justice minister Adam Bodnar and Prime Minister Donald Tusk have proposed that judges undertake a process of “self-criticism” as part of an assessment as to whether they stay in post and avoid disciplinary proceedings.
The judges in question were appointed under the previous Conservative (PiS) government and approved by President Andrzej Duda.
The opposition PiS party criticised the idea floated on September 6, with Michal Moskal MP saying on Polish public radio that the notion of self-criticism was “reminiscent of the Stalinist period”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: London: Two Arrested for Telling the Truth About Terror at Gaza March
“Hamas is terrorist.” That’s the official position of the British government — although from recent events, you wouldn’t know it.
On Saturday, September 7th, two protestors unveiled a banner bearing the same slogan, summarising the legal position of the organisation—which is proscribed under UK law—in front of one of London’s regular “pro-Palestine” demonstrations. The duo was separated and both campaigners were detained and charged separately.
Mark Birbeck, a co-founder of Our Fight, which campaigns in support of Israel, emerged from the cells on Sunday morning. His bail conditions include him not contacting co-demonstrator Niyak Ghorbanii, not attending Middle East-focused protests for three months, and not entering the City of Westminster borough in London during any protests related to Israel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Police Were Too Slow to Arrest ‘Jihad’ Protesters at Weekly Palestine Rallies, Says Top Cop
London’s police were too slow to arrest at the endless series of Palestine protests that followed the October 7th terror attacks on Israel last year and would act more quickly now, a senior officer has said.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for public order Matt Twist told think tank Policy Exchange his officers had been too slow in confronting extremists at Palestine protests and claimed they act much faster now. As previously reported at length, the position of London police appeared to be to allow these protests to continue unmolested, and then only to attempt to arrest certain individuals long after everyone had dispersed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Warsaw Police Force in ‘Emergency Mode’ Due to Critical Personnel Shortage
The shortage of police officers in the Polish capital of Warsaw has reached a crisis point, a leading figure in the capital’s police force has claimed.
Speaking to an RMF FM journalist over the weekend, Metropolitan Police Commander Inspector Dariusz Walichnowski warned that resources were stretched so much that officers could not perform all expected tasks and Polish citizens were suffering as a result.
“We are operating in emergency mode,” said Walichnowski.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After Croatia, Serbia Also Brings Back Military Conscription
Following in the footsteps of neighboring Croatia, Serbia is also bringing back military conscription in the form of a 75-day basic training for men and an option for similar volunteer service for women, announced Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
The reinstatement of the compulsory conscription, which was abolished in 2010, was first discussed by the Serbian Army’s General Staff in January, as it was considered the most effective way to replenish and rejuvenate the active and reserve forces amid rising tensions in the region, in particular with Bosnia and Kosovo.
Earlier this year, the Serbian General Staff considered that a four-month period of compulsory service would be necessary, but President Aleksandar Vucic has already talked of a shorter period of two and a half months. In his opinion, compulsory military service should be introduced in a way that does not scare people away and force them to leave the country. He said that 75 days is a really short period, “the least anyone can do for their country.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey’s Erdogan Calls for Summit of Muslim Country Leaders on Gaza War
ANKARA, Sept 9 (Reuters) — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to convene an emergency summit to discuss the war in Gaza and what he called Israel’s attacks on Jerusalem.
Erdogan, who has been a vocal critic of Israel during its war against the Hamas militant group in Gaza, called on Islamic countries at the weekend to form an alliance against what he described as Israel’s “expansionism”.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said Israel was targeting the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem as part of its “expansionist” drive. Jerusalem and the mosque — known to Jews as Temple Mount — was Ankara’s “red line”, he added.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Reports: Ukraine Struggling to Enlist Young Men to Replace Battlefield Losses
Reports published in the past week indicate that Ukraine is struggling to conscript enough soldiers to replace its staggering battlefield losses against Russia.
The Russians have taken horrific casualties as well, but their vastly larger population could be the key to eventually winning a war of attrition.
Fears of a manpower shortage led Ukraine to modify its conscription law in April, removing demobilization limits that formerly rotated soldiers out of service after 36 months on the battlefield. The draft age was also lowered from 27 to 25.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Three More Nepalis Confirmed Dead in Russia-Ukraine War, Death Toll Rises to 43
KATHMANDU — The deaths of three more Nepali nationals in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war have been confirmed, raising the death toll of Nepalis recruited in the Russian army to 43.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohan Tamang of Udayapur, Dhruva Gharti of Baglung, and Ranjit Gurung, whose addresses remain unknown, have been identified as the latest casualties. The Russian government sent the medical reports confirming their deaths to the Nepali Embassy in Moscow.
Similarly, Russia has sent a letter to Nepal requesting DNA samples of 35 more individuals. The request is to provide DNA samples of close family members to help identify the bodies of those who died while serving in the Russian army. Previously, DNA samples of 22 individuals had been sent, but Russia has not yet provided any updates about those samples.
On September 2, the Nepali Embassy in Moscow wrote to the Department of Consular Services in Kathmandu, requesting it to send the DNA samples…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine F-16 Crash Shows What Happens ‘When Training is Rushed’, Western Official Says
The fatal crash of a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet late in August was what happens when pilot training has been rushed, a senior Western defence official has reportedly said.
According to The Wall Street Journal on September 5, the accident has led to some questioning the speed at which Ukrainian pilots were trained on the advanced US combat aircraft.
Speaking to the publication, the anonymous defence official said there were no plans to change how Ukrainian pilots were being trained on the aircraft as of yet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wilders and Zelenskyy Discuss Ukraine War, Pathway to Peace, Nord Stream Explosion
PVV leader Geert Wilders met with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday. Among other things, they discussed the war, possible peace talks, and the attack on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Wilders saidon X.
“I just met with the President of Ukraine about the terrible war in his country and the support of the Netherlands,” the notoriously pro-Russian PVV leader, wrote on X. “But we also talked about the corruption in Ukraine, the chance of peace and the conditions for it, the Nord Stream issue and the Ukrainian men who stay in the Netherlands instead of helping in Ukraine.” He called it a “good conversation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelenskyy in Italy: Peace Plan Will be ‘Ready in November’
Ukraine will have its peace plan ready in November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said as he met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the weekend.
The two met at the Cernobbio Forum on Lake Como, after which Zelenskyy spoke to Italian media directors, revealing that his roadmap for peace will be presented in November but will remain confidential for the time being.
“We are closer to the end of the war than we were at the beginning,” said Zelenskyy, adding that he first wanted to present his plan to Biden and candidates in the upcoming US presidential election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australian Intelligence Official Threatens to Ban Private Messaging
Another day, another attack on online encryption: now it’s the turn to (re)launch one by Australia’s spies, the Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO).
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess is telling Big Tech to get ready for the day when encrypted communications on their platforms will no longer be safe and private for their users.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany is reading to help fund South Africa’s energy project worth 390 billion rand ($22 billion) and designed to connect more solar and wind power projects to the national grid. The cost may be enormous, but Western leaders want to meet climate change goals and fix South Africa’s disastrous energy situation, which has led to rolling blackouts in the “rainbow nation” for well over a decade.
Some of the money has already flowed to South Africa. For example, last year, €500 million from German taxpayers was sent to South Africa through the KfW Development Bank. The money is “intended to create new jobs and, in the long term, to build a competitive and transparent electricity market through private investment.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Venezuela Accuses Spain of Lying About Asylum Deal for Opposition Leader
Venezuela’s vice president has accused the Spanish government of lying over a deal to grant asylum to opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez. Spanish ministers have insisted there was no special deal with the Venezuelan government to allow Gonzalez to seek asylum in Madrid.
Gonzalez arrived in Spain on Sunday, seeking political asylum in the wake of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election. Hard-left dictator Nicolas Maduro claimed to have won re-election, but opposition leaders published vote tallies showing Gonzalez had defeated Maduro by a landslide.
Following weeks of unrest across the country, Gonzalez sought asylum in the Spanish embassy in Caracas. On Saturday, he left Venezuela on a Spanish Air Force plane.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arrest of Illegal Immigrant Previously Convicted of Rape in Maryland Marks Record for ICE
Immigration authorities in Baltimore, Maryland, have arrested 153 illegal immigrant sex offenders this fiscal year, a record, with the latest being a Honduran man who was deported from the United States after he was previously convicted of raping a Maryland resident.
The Enforcement and Removal Operations branch under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said last week that Madai Gamaliel Amaya was taken into custody on Aug. 29 in the suburb of Montgomery Village.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium Condemns Hungarian Threat to Bus Migrants to Brussels
Belgium’s migration chief Nicole de Moor responded to the Hungarian government’s threat to send busloads of illegal immigrants to Brussels, saying it “undermines solidarity and cooperation within the [European] Union,” on Monday (9 September).
Budapest has been threatening since late August to bus people to the Belgian capital, where most of the EU’s institutions are headquartered.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chuck Schumer Blocks Proposal to Link Proof of Voter Citizenship Measure With Spending Bill
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has blocked the upper chamber from voting on a measure to require voters to prove their citizenship.
Republicans had sought to combine the measure with a short-term spending legislation to get around Democrat efforts to block election integrity bills.
However, Schumer revealed Sunday that he plans to block the election security bill from reaching the Senate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sometime after 11:00 P.M. on Saturday, police in the town of Srem received calls reporting a bloody fight on the beach at Lake Grzymislawskie. Two locals had to be transported to the hospital for treatment due to injuries sustained, while four non-locals were arrested, one Argentine citizen and three Colombians.
“The police are investigating the situation, determining the course of events, in which several people took part. Two men, residents of Srem, were taken to the hospital with injuries. The police detained four men suspected of participating in the fight. One of these men is a citizen of Argentina, and three are citizens of Colombia. All were taken into police custody,” Senior Inspector Ewa Kasinska said.
Kasinska also told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) on Sunday that the perpetrators used broken bottles and that three of the men arrested were drunk. The daily “Glos Wielkopolski” additionally reported that traces of blood were still visible in the morning, stretching out along the nearby residential area.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elise Stefanik: ‘People Have Died’ Because of Kamala Harris’ ‘Open Border Czar’ Role
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) has blasted Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris over her failings as vice president.
During an interview on the Fox News show “Life, Liberty & Levin,” Stefanik noted that “people have died” because of the VP’s role as the Biden-Harris administration’s “open border czar.”
Stefanik, the fourth-ranking House Republican, blamed Vice President Harris’s failures as border czar for deaths tied to failed immigration policy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Plans to Bring Back Border Checks From Monday; Dutch Cabinet Plans to Cooperate
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced on Monday that she wants to re-introduce passport controls at all national borders. She hopes to drastically reduce the number of people entering the country without a valid visa. Dutch Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber said she understands very well why Germany will once again be introducing border controls to combat undocumented migration.
This is already in line with what her party and the Cabinet wants, she told the Telegraaf. Faber wants to work with her counterparts across the border on the matter, she said. The new Dutch Cabinet’s overview agreement also stated that border controls should be stricter. Faber is a member of the far-right PVV, which has long taken a tough stance against immigration, especially those seeking asylum through legal and illicit means.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Foreigners Dominate Organized Crime, Cause Billions in Damage to Taxpayers
Foreign organized criminal gangs are costing Germans billions, according to a new report from the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).
According to the BKA report, criminal gangs in Germany caused damage worth €2.7 billion last year, more than double the previous year’s figure and almost three times the average of the past 10 years. That is the highest figure in the past 10 years, and a huge jump from 2022, which saw only €1.3 billion in damages, according to the “Federal Situation Report on Organized Crime,” presented by Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) and the President of the BKA, Holger Münch, in Berlin.
These costs come on top of the already massive amount of taxpayer euros flowing to migrants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Iranian Woman Gang Raped in NRW, Police Arrest 4 Men With Iranian Origins
After an Iranian refugee woman was gang-raped in the city of Iserlohn, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, four suspects have been arrested, all with Iranian origins. They will be brought before a judge today, according to prosecutors in Hagen, with authorities alleging the rape was “politically motivated.”
According to police, the four men tied up the 30-year-old woman and “sexually humiliated” her inside an old brewery building on Saturday. Witnesses heard screaming coming from the building and alerted police at around 11:30 p.m., police and prosecutors reported.
Officers found the injured woman, who was taken to the hospital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Greens Reject Agreed Migration Clampdown
An agreed package on stricter migration laws in Germany faces opposition from the Greens, despite Green Minister Robert Habeck being part of the negotiating team.
After a knife attack by a reported Islamist in Solingen, where three people were murdered and several badly injured, the German government hatched plans to curb knife possession and tighten migration laws in order to enhance security.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) agreed on a number of measures, including the use of AI and biometric matching to identify potential terrorists.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Gang Rape May Have Been Triggered by Disagreement Over Iranian Politics
A refugee may have been gang-raped by his fellow countrymen over a disagreement on the regime in Tehran, in an attack in a derelict brewery in a German state.
An Iranian male seeking refuge in Germany was found tied up injured by police responding to reports of screams coming from abandoned buildings in Iserlohn, Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia on Saturday night. It is stated the man had been subjected to a gang-rape.
A police helicopter scoured nearby woods leading to four individuals being arrested. The 30-year-old victim was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment, but the severity of his injuries has not been announced.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Reiterates Threat to Bus Migrants to Brussels
The war of words on migration is escalating between the EU and the conservative Hungarian government, as Budapest made it clear once again that it will send illegal migrants to Brussels if the EU keeps forcing Hungary to let them in.
If Brussels “wants us to let them in, we will let them in—put them on the bus, and drop them off in front of [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen’s office,” Tamas Menczer, the spokesman for the conservative Hungarian ruling party Fidesz said in a video posted on his Facebook account on Monday, September 9th.
On Friday, Bence Rétvari, the Interior Ministry’s State Secretary, held a press conference in front of a row of passenger buses with illuminated signs reading “Röszke-Brussels,” signalling a one-way route that would take migrants from the southern border of Hungary to the capital of the EU.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Migrant Indicted Over Serial Child Rapes on Ritzy Island Where Obamas Own $12M Mansion
A 24-year-old illegal migrant has been indicted over serial child rapes that took place on posh Martha’s Vineyard — the Massachusetts getaway beloved by the rich and famous.
Warley Neto, a Brazilian national, who had been living illegally in the country since 2018, was charged with five counts of rape of a child and five counts of enticing a child under 16-years-old.
On August 23, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) went to the island to arrest Neto at Dukes County Superior Court in Edgartown.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Investigative reporter James O’Keefe published unclassified information from the US Army North Division on X, revealing that the Venezuelan prison gang wreaking havoc across the northern Denver suburb of Aurora has become a nationwide crisis. Law-abiding Americans will soon feel the growing consequences of the Biden-Harris administration’s failed open southern border policies (recall what’s happening in Springfield, Ohio) of importing the third world into the first world.
“O’Keefe Media Group has obtained Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) from the US Army of the North Division, highlighting the growing presence of one of Venezuela’s largest criminal organizations in the US. The document states that Tren de Aragua “has established a presence in Brooklyn, Bronx, and Williamsburg, NY, “with “approximately 400 TdA members” living in these cities. The CUI also warns that TdA members in Denver “have been given a ‘green light’ to fire on or attack law enforcement,” with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York receiving a similar report.
The document details how the criminal organization is using advanced technology and surveillance,heightening the danger to US military personnel and law enforcement. It states, “Coordinated efforts between local, state, federal law enforcement, and the military are crucial” to protect against these expanding threats.
With National Guardsmen recently seen in subway stations across New York City, the situation is escalating as Venezuelan gang members, linked to the TdA, have been involved in violent incidents, including an attack on a Colorado apartment complex in late August.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A resident of Springfield Ohio, a small town which has gained national attention in the topic of immigration after it has been flooded with 20,000 Haitian illegal immigrants, has alleged that Haitian migrants in the community have been eating local wildlife.
At a Springfield City Commission meeting in late August, a resident shared concerns, stating that Haitian illegal immigrants are “in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking off with them and eating them.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Venezuelan Man Arrested in Wisconsin, Charged With Physical Abuse, Sexual Assault of Woman and Child
Police in Prairie du Chien, WI arrested a noncitizen from Venezuela Thursday for allegedly attacking and sexually assaulting a woman and a child. Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate, 26, is also suspected of being affiliated with the Venezuelan international gang Tren de Aragua, ABC News 19 reported.
After his arrest, Zarate was detained at the Crawford County Jail. Police went to the 300 block of East Wells St. after reports of a disturbance and found a woman and girl who were allegedly attacked by Zarate.
Police charged the Venezuelan with domestic disorderly conduct, battery, strangulation, physical abuse of a child, and second-degree sexual assault. Prairie du Chien Police Chief Kyle Teynor suggested that the arrested man was familiar with the victims and that it was not a random attack, according to WMTV in neighboring Madison.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dodgers Kowtow to Teachers Unions, Honor ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’
Authored by Brenda Lebsack & Rebecca Friedrichs via RealClearPolitics
The “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” according to Catholic Vote, is “a vile anti-Catholic organization.” Their motto is “Go and sin some more” and they use the cross for pole dances. The group satirizes Catholic beliefs for the sake of activism. They mock Easter Sunday with a Hunky Jesus/Foxy Mary contest. According to the Catholic League, they hold “Midnight Confessional Contests” awarding the “hottest confessions.”
So it makes sense that Dodgers fans came unglued when they heard their team would be rewarding the anti-Catholic, anti-Christian group. The Dodgers withdrew their award in response to customer outrage and disinvited the “Sisters,” but the California Teachers Association stepped in and strong-armed the Dodgers into standing with perverts against the will of their paying customers. CTA’s May 2023 New Business Item states, “CTA shall release a public statement condemning the Dodgers’ recent decision to rescind the Community Hero Award for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A new bill proposed by a far-left Brooklyn Democrat would see that wigs, hair extensions, tucking undergarments, prosthetics, chest binders, and other items be provided to transgender inmates in New York City.
The bill from Councilwoman Crystal Hudson titled “Requiring that people in the custody and staff of the DOC have access to gender-affirming items and medical devices,” would amend local law to require that “correctional health services, during intake screening, shall establish a process by which people in custody may request access to wigs, hair extensions, chest binders, tucking undergarments or gaffs, prosthetics, or other similar items or medical devices that are used by individuals to affirm their self-determined gender identity.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Switzerland: Migrant Liberal Politician Uses Mary and Jesus Image for Target Practice
Zurich Green Liberal Party (GLP) politician Sanija Ameti has sparked outrage with a tasteless post on Instagram after publishing photos of a shooting exercise in which she took aim at an image of Mary and Jesus, as Blick reported.
“Switch off,” wrote the local councilor who is co-president of Operation Libero. The perforated heads of Mary and the baby Jesus could be seen.
The reactions were fierce. The Russian propaganda channel RT took up the matter, and Romanian nationalists and Catholics from the United States also spread the screenshots on social media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Toolmaker Under Fire for DEI Hiring and LGBTQ Lobbying, Faces Boycott
U.S. toolmaker Stanley Black and Decker is under fire for embracing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies that conservatives describe as “woke,” which could lead to a boycott of the company’s products.
According to a new report from the advocacy group Consumers’ Research, Stanley Black and Decker, which owns the DeWalt, Black and Decker and Stanley brands, is seeking to increase minority suppliers by at least 10% by next year, donate about $10.5 million to “racial equity” organizations, and require “equity training” sessions for senior level employees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey should be kicked out of NATO
And Israel taken in instead. At least, the alliance would have a purpose again and wouldn’t have to justify its continued existence with blatant lies. And we’d live in a simpler world when the smoke has cleared.
“Turkey should be kicked out of NATO”
“And Israel taken in instead.”
I think—and, for years, have suggested that—Russia should be invited to join NATO; and, then, Obamerica should resign.
Leave Europe to the Europeans.
Kennedy Junior just said something I happen to agree with – that NATO, since 1990 or so, is not a united protection treaty but a locked market for the US/british military industrial complex.
Therefore – Russia would not be able to join NATO unless they dismantle their weapons production facilities and turn them over to Boeing, Rayethon, Lockheed – etc.
Therefore – Russia cannot join NATO.
“Kennedy Junior just said something I happen to agree with – that NATO, since 1990 or so, is not a united protection treaty but a locked market for the US/british military industrial complex.”
Jr says alotta rubbish (his late uncle was one of my early heroes), but I can’t argue with this.
This actually was on the table at some time after the end of the Soviet Union. A solid peace treaty was worked on and some even suggested Russia might join NATO. I don’t know how far this went, but for a while Russia was very sympathetic and tried its best to be part of the European family, which, of course, ethnically it is. But something happened and the hardliners in the West won, or they demanded some form of submission which would have humiliated Russia. They will never do that, you have to treat them as equals. And now we’re supposed to hate them again. They were even denied to have their case heard at international courts before the action started. Only then they felt they had no other choice to stop the killing in Donbass. Eerily reminiscent of what sparked the attack on Poland in ’39, if you ask me. As if someone wants real bad to start something bigger. But Russia is wise to consider that.
I don’t know about Israel, everybody has their own opinion about it. But NATO isn’t just Europe anyway. Islam threatens all unbelievers, Jews especially but at the end of the day, it doesn’t make a difference to us. Israel may be seen as a frontline state. If it falls, we’re next. NATO has outlived its raison d’etre and does more damage than good if it needs to keep up conflict artificially or even cook up new ones. Here it would actually have a purpose, if only the West could grow a pair and be honest towards its own people about Islamic ideology. If there is any force which needs to be contained, it is this.
“But something happened and the hardliners in the West won, or they demanded some form of submission which would have humiliated Russia.”
“Note to Prince Aricept: I’d offer an international agreement declaring Ukraine to be a “neutral state” (akin to Austria or Switzerland) and making clear that any attack on Ukraine will result in an international retaliation against the attacker. I reckon Putin would sign such an agreement. Alas, if only The Prince (or any of his ‘toddler attendants) had a [working] brain..” —posted to fb (1 Feb 2022)
“Why not offer Russia membership in NATO? As a member, they’d have no reason to fear NATO—no NATO member state has ever attacked another NATO member state—and they’d have the US as an ally rather than a foe. Of course, such a deal might make China “cranky”, but life’s a bitch.” —posted to fb (Mar 2022)
“At a meeting here in the Kremlin with the outgoing President Bill Clinton, right here in the next room, I said to him, I asked him: ‘Bill, do you think if Russia asked to join NATO, do you think it would happen?’ Suddenly he said, ‘You know, it’s interesting. I think so. But in the evening, when we met for dinner, he said: ‘You know, I’ve talked to my team, no, it’s not possible now.’ You can ask him. I think he will watch our interview, he’ll confirm it.” —Putin to Carlson
https://nypost.com/2024/02/08/news/putin-says-bill-clinton-told-him-russia-could-join-nato-before-pulling-back-hours-later/
With Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian hamas supporter leading NATO, I don’t see that happening soon.
Turkey has the only real army of the lot! Might as well disband, if Turkey leaves…
AFD must win in Brandenburg, must !!, and they will, this Eastern Germans are fed up big time!! With shit , they know exactly what is communism, that’s why they are voting for AFD , the only hope for this country
_________________________________________________________
How NATO & Russia are Preparing to Fight Total War
https://youtu.be/lakdZIuZe7c?si=u2W4eTkekWQpZY6_
– – –
RealLifeLore 7,57 mn prenumeranter
Please Subscribe: / @reallifelore
– – –
RealLifeLore @RealLifeLore
7,57 mn prenumeranter
2 693 759 visningar 22 apr. 2024
Is It possible to Find a Few Folk in Government Who Can Count and Do Basic Math? https://shorturl.at/hakau
“Donald Trump ACTS like a MORON, but most of what he’s DONE as president has been brilliant for America, [non-hyphenated] Americans and the free world.” —posted to fb (Apr 2017)
“Prediction (posted 30 minutes BEFORE The Debate): Although The Party’s anti-Trump candidate, The Blacktivist Queen, is a former prosecutor—prosecutors are well-trained in the art of oratory and debate—she’ll do little more than regurgitate The Party’s [hackneyed] focus-group-tested platitudes and ‘toddlerian policy statements. The Party’s media drools will declare her the winner. The election remains “Orange Hitler’s” to lose.” —posted to fb 30 minutes PRIOR to the debate (10 Sept 2024)
“I was gonna wait ’til the debate ends to post my comments, but it’s clear that my prediction was correct.
As predicted, the debate revealed a MOSTLY brilliant former president who [still] ACTS like a MORON and a beautifully-coiffed commie-hairtree trained to repeat The Party’s focus-group-tested platitudes (e.g., “Trump’s abortion ban”). The choice being presented to Obamericans: the MORON or the HAIRTREE. Oy veh..” —posted to fb one hour into the debate (10 Sept 2024)