Russian forces targeted a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv today, killing a 12-year-old boy and injuring dozens of others. Meanwhile, up to 170,000 soldiers may have left the Ukrainian army without authorization.
In other news, a trans-identified male has brought a lawsuit against the Hooters restaurant chain claiming discrimination after a location near Albany, New York declined to hire him/her/it.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, Reader from Chicago, Roger, 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.
Dutch Inflation Climbs to 3.6 Percent in October
Inflation in the Netherlands rose slightly in October to 3.6 percent on an annual basis, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported in a quick estimate. In September, inflation cooled to 3.5 percent, from 3.6 percent in August.
In September, the slight cooling of inflation was mainly caused by lower motor fuel prices. In October, motor fuel prices fell less sharply than the previous month. Food, beverages, and tobacco became 6 percent more expensive in October. This was the same as in September. The prices for services rose slightly less sharply to 5.4 percent, compared to 5.6 percent in September.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fed Posts Largest Monthly Core Inflation Gain Since April Under Biden-Harris Admin
Core inflation rose more than expected and saw its largest monthly gain since April of this year after the Federal Reserve decreased the interest rates early last month. This comes as inflation and the economy have been top issues for voters going into the 2024 election.
The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the core personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE), rose by 2.7 percent in September compared to the year prior and rose 0.3 percent from August, the largest monthly gain since April. The PCE eliminates the prices of food as well as energy, which can be more volatile at times in the economy depending on circumstances.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Inflation Hits 5%, Driven by Energy Costs
Consumer prices in Poland rose by 5 percent year-on-year in October 2024, with a 0.3 percent increase from the previous month, according to the Central Statistical Office’s (GUS) preliminary report published on Thursday.
The inflationary rise aligns with the expectations of analysts surveyed by PAP Biznes, who anticipated a 5 percent annual increase and a 0.4 percent monthly spike.
The GUS highlighted the impact of rising energy costs as a primary driver of inflation. “In October 2024, the prices of consumer goods and services according to the flash estimate were 5 percent higher than last year,” GUS reported on social media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Warsaw Has Highest GDP Per Capita, Eastern Poland is the Poorest
The latest data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS) confirms that the eastern part of the country is the poorest, with the Przemysl region in last place, and Warsaw is the richest. The data, based on GDP generated between 2020 and 2022, also shows massive differences between individual regions, reports Poland’s Business Insider.
The highest standard of living was in the Masovian Voivodeship, with GDP per capital hitting six figures at PLN 111,580 (€26,000).
However, if smaller towns outside Warsaw were included in the Masovian Voivodeship, the result would be much worse, and the voivodeship would even lose its leading position to the Lower Silesian region.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“It Did Occur” — Kentucky County Clerk Confirms Voting Booth ‘Glitch’ Shifted Trump Votes to Kamala
Earlier in the day, a video went viral of voters in Kentucky having ‘issues’ with an electronic voting machine that selected “Kamala Harris” when the voter had pressed on “Donald Trump”…
Admittedly, we have seen a few of these style of clips over the past few weeks and viewed it with the same level of skepticism we usually do.
However, this time is different because the local County Clerk just issued a statement on Facebook confirming the issue “did occur”… but not before he had denied it occurred.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Montana Man Found Dead in Tent Welcomed Suspect to Camp and Gave Him a Beer
A Montana man found slain in his tent earlier this month welcomed his alleged killer, a stranger, to his campsite and offered him a beer, the Gallatin County sheriff said Thursday.
Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, was arrested this week and is charged with deliberate homicide in the killing of 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem, whose body was found in his tent near Big Sky on Oct. 12, officials said.
It was a “chance encounter” at the campsite on the night of Oct. 10 and Abbey did not know Kjersem, Sheriff Dan Springer said at a news conference.
Abbey had planned to camp at the site, but when he arrived that night he found Kjersem was already there, with a wall tent, beds and a stove, Springer said.
Abbey in a confession to detectives “stated, Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer,” Springer said.
“At some point, this individual struck Dustin Kjersem with a piece of solid wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and ultimately hit him with the ax,” Springer said. “The motives of this attack are still unknown.”
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
A Veteran’s Fight: Army Major Sues Energy Firm for Punishment Over Tweets
Dustin Whidden, a Major in the US Army Reserves, has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Form Energy, Inc., for alleged wrongful termination. This legal action is notably backed by Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, where some of Whidden’s contentious political posts were shared.
We obtained a copy of the lawsuit for you here.
Whidden, who has over twenty years of military service, claims his firing was both retaliatory and discriminatory, based on his military obligations and his political expressions on social media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom announced last month that California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCT) had made more than 1,000 arrests in 2024. For more than a month, CBS News California has been trying to find out what happened to those people after their arrests.
No one — not the Governor’s Office, the attorney general, nor the California Highway Patrol (CHP), which runs California’s task force — could tell us how many of the people arrested for retail theft were sentenced, let alone how many showed up to court, went to jail, received treatment, or re-offended. None of the agencies could even provide the names of those 1000+ people, so we could not independently track them down.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Autism Diagnoses in America Surge 175% in the Last Decade
In the last 10 years, autism has become increasingly less rare among Americans with the diagnosis rate increasing by 175 percent across all ages, according to a new study released Wednesday. Health records analyzed between 2011 and 2022 showed how the condition has gone from 2.3 to 6.3 incidents per 1,000 people.
The study was released in JAMA Network Open, and analyzed the data of 12.2 million Americans who participated at 12 locations in the Mental Health Research Network, an association of mental health diagnostic centers. Of those assessed 77,683 were diagnosed as autistic.
Young adults ages 26 to 34 experienced the largest increase, with a 450 percent escalation. But children from the years of five to eight remain the group most often diagnosed autistic with a rate of 30 per 1,000, the Daily Mail reported. About one in 36 US children and one in 50 adults will be diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boeing Bails on Diversity Division, Reverts to “A Merit-Based” System
Will this is the straw that breaks the DEI camel’s back?
Bloomberg reports that Boeing just became the latest big corporate entity to abandon the DEI debacle amid growing pressures to perform and be woke.
Anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck, who claims credit for convincing Toyota and Harley-Davidson to scale back DEI, said he had reached out to Ortberg and board chair Steve Mollenkopf by e-mail earlier this month to alert them he was considering an online campaign against their diversity programs.
Bloomberg reports that the planemaker has dismantled its global diversity, equity and inclusion department, making it the latest high-profile corporation to make changes to its DEI policy as its new top leader oversees a broader revamp of the company’s workforce.
Staff from Boeing’s DEI office will be combined with another human resources team focused on talent and employee experience, according to people familiar with the matter.
And you’ll never guess what approach the new CEO is taking — “merit-based” performance appraisal.
“Boeing remains committed to recruiting and retaining top talent and creating an inclusive work environment where every teammate around the world can perform at their best while supporting the company’s mission,” the planemaker said in a statement.
The company added that it prohibits discriminatory hiring practices and maintains “a merit-based performance system with procedures aimed at encouraging an equality of opportunity, not of outcomes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cancer Deaths Are Still Soaring Among COVID-Vaxxed, CDC Data Shows
Official data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that cancer cases and related deaths are continuing to soar among the Covid-vaccinated.
The latest figures reveal that cancers are still increasing in the fourth quarter of 2024 and show no signs of returning to normal levels.
The alarming surge in deadly cancers was revealed by The Ethical Skeptic after the information was found buried in CDC data.
The data shows that cancer cases and excess deaths remained steady in the years before the pandemic.
However, cancer deaths started surging in mid-2021, just a few months after Covid mRNA shots were rolled out for public use.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Diddy’s Powerful Friends Are ‘Praying’ He ‘Keeps His Mouth Shut’
Hollywood celebrities and powerful elites are “praying” that rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs “keep his mouth shut,” according to a new report.
Diddy has become a pariah in Hollywood as he faces prison for alleged sexual abuse.
A source told In Touch Weekly that the hip-hop mogul’s powerful friends are keeping their distance from the rapper.
The insider revealed that Diddy’s VIP accomplices are hoping he “keeps his mouth shut.”
The embattled producer “kept meticulous records” of his exclusive A-list parties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Across the country, Republicans in tight congressional races are citing President Joe Biden’s shocking “garbage” remarks to highlight the divisive agenda of the Democrats.
As Slay News reported earlier, Biden unleashed a one-man October surprise to sink his own party during a Zoom call with Latino voters.
During the video call, Biden declared that half of the American people are “garbage.”
“The only garbage I see floating out there is [Trump’s] supporters,” Biden said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ex-NY Gov Andrew Cuomo Referred to DOJ for Prosecution Over Nursing Home Deaths
New York’s former Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo has been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for prosecution over his role in the state’s nursing home deaths during the pandemic.
A Republican-led House subcommittee found that Cuomo lied to Congress in an effort to cover up his role in the scandal.
The referral was signed by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), the leader of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
The subcommittee accuses Cuomo of engaging in a “conscious, calculated effort” to avoid responsibility for how nursing home deaths were accounted for in early 2020 when the pandemic began.
Cuomo held a behind-closed-doors meeting with the subcommittee.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Ends RNC’s Effort to Move North Carolina Ballot Envelope Case to State Court
A federal judge on Thursday ruled against the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) effort to move a case regarding North Carolina’s absentee ballot guidance back to state court.
The RNC, the North Carolina Republican Party, and a voter sued the board of elections last month in state court, but the elections board successfully got the case transferred to federal court because if they accepted the Republican position then it would violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to The Hill.
Republicans argued that the guidance violated state law that requires absentee ballots be returned in a sealed, two-envelope package. The guidance says that absentee ballots with just one envelope can still be counted by county clerks.
U.S. District Judge Richard Myers ruled that the elections board did the right thing in getting the case moved to the federal circuit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Faces Lawsuit Over Age Digital ID Verification Law for Social Media
Florida’s Attorney-General Ashley Moody has been named in a federal lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida against a state law that blocks children from accessing social media.
We obtained a copy of the lawsuit for you here.
Tech trade groups Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice are behind the filing, which alleges that the law — Florida House Bill 3 — violates First Amendment rights.
The law has received bipartisan support (30-5 in the Senate and 109-4 in the House.)
It allows 14 and 15 year-olds to sign up to social platforms provided they do it with parental consent, but bans those 13 and under. The lawsuit’s goal is to make sure the legislation does not go into effect as planned, on the first day of 2025.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The dress designer who created the infamous “Make America Great Again” gown worn at the 2017 Grammy Awards, has been forced to take down signs supporting President Donald Trump.
Andre Soriano revealed that authorities made him remove the pro-Trump signs from his home and business.
The city of Occoquan, Virginia, cited Soriano for the signs after “Karens” made trouble and complained, Fox News reported.
Philippines immigrant Soriano said he was trying to express his First Amendment rights by hanging signs in favor of Trump at the building where he has both his business and residence.
Unfortunately, local women made it impossible for him.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harvard Memorial Church to Host “Reading Taylor Swift as a Sacred Text” Event
Authored by Jennifer Kabbany via The College Fix
A Harvard Memorial Church student program is slated to host a “Reading Taylor Swift as a Sacred Text” tonight.
The Tuesday evening event is organized by the Memorial Church Student Program Coordinator & Multifaith Engagement fellow.
“What can reading the texts that matter to us as sacred tell us about ourselves and our lives? Discover a new way to engage with the Taylor Swift canon that honors the important emotional and spiritual role her work plays in many peoples’ lives. Bring your favorite Taylor Swift song and we’ll bring the sacred reading practices,” the event description states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Joe Rogan Responds to YouTube Censorship of Trump Interview
Joe Rogan has accused YouTube of making it difficult for users to find his recent interview with former President Donald Trump, saying that the platform initially only displayed short clips from mainstream media instead of the full episode. Rogan sarcastically remarked on YouTube’s actions, saying, “I’m sure it was a mistake at YouTube where you couldn’t search for it. Yeah. I’m sure it was a mistake. It’s just a mistake.”
In episode 2200, Rogan explained that even though his team contacted YouTube multiple times, the episode remained difficult to find. X CEO Elon Musk intervened, contacting Spotify CEO Daniel Ek about the issue. (Spotify exclusively licenses The Joe Rogan Experience but allows the show on third-party platforms like YouTube.)
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
John Legend’s Manager Recalls ‘Terrifying Situation’ at Diddy Party, Blasts ‘Toxic’ Music Industry
Ty Stiklorius, the longtime manager of liberal musician John Legend, has recalled a “terrifying situation” she experienced while attending a party of disgraced rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Stiklorius revealed that the experience almost caused her to quit her career because of the “toxic” music industry.
She blasted the music industry in an op-ed for the New York Times.
The article, published on October 31, is titled, “The Music Industry Is Toxic. After P. Diddy, We Can Clean It Up.”
In the opinion piece, Stiklorius addressed her perspective on the industry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Seriously Injured in South Memphis Shooting Walks to Fire Station for Help, MPD Says
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man walked into a fire station for help after being seriously wounded in a South Memphis shooting, Memphis Police said.
MPD said officers were called to College Street in South Memphis just after 7:20 Thursday evening for a shooting, but they couldn’t find anyone who’d been injured.
About five minutes later, Memphis Police said, a man walked up to the fire station at 980 East McLemore with serious injuries; he was taken to Regional One for treatment.
MPD said they have one person detained.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Metro Bus Set on Fire, Businesses Looted and Arrests Made During Dodgers Los Angeles Celebration
As Dodgers fans took to the streets to celebrate the team’s World Series victory over the Yankees Wednesday night, some revelers took it too far, as businesses were looted and a bus was set on fire.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed 12 people were arrested for looting, vandalism, and a DUI crash during the evening’s festivities, which led into Thursday morning.
A Metro bus was vandalized and then set on fire around 12:50 a.m. near the intersection of Echo Park Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard.
According to Metro, the bus driver and the five passengers were safely evacuated before the fire. “Metro is disappointed and angered by the senseless act of vandalism on one of our buses following the Dodgers World Series Win earlier this evening,” the agency said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Musk No-Shows Philly Court Over $1M Voter Giveaway, Judge Declines to Rule, Defers to Federal Court
A judge in Pennsylvania on Thursday declined to block Elon Musk’s $1 million giveaway while a federal court weighs whether to consider the matter.
Judge Angelo Foglietta said he would place the lawsuit on hold, according to Reuters.
Musk was ordered to attend the hearing but didn’t show up.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk and his America PAC on Monday, asserting that its $1 million giveaway violated state law because it allegedly operated as a lottery. Under Pennsylvania law, all lotteries must be regulated by the Commonwealth.
Musk has defended the giveaway program as stating that the winner “can be from any or no political party,” and that they do not even need to vote. Instead registered voters have to sign a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nine US Non-Profits With Ties to Terrorist Groups Referred for Investigation by House Ways and Means
The US House Ways and Means Committee has referred US tax-exempt organizations that have suspected ties to foreign terrorist organizations and fuel antisemitism to the Attorneys General of six states where those nonprofits are organized for investigation.
On Tuesday, letters were sent by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R —MO), who had previously demanded that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revoke the tax-exempt status of these organizations after the committee’s investigation into the tax-exempt sector in the United States exposed that the groups were “operating outside their tax-exempt purpose, fueling antisemitic activities, and potentially engaging in activity that violates both state and federal law.” The letter to the IRS stated that the organizations should have their tax-exempt status revoked “for fueling chaos here in America and possibly terrorism abroad.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The New York Times, Media Matters for America, and The Washington Post are stepping up their pressure on YouTube to demonetize and censor election “misinformation,” particularly statements that the 2020 election was rigged or insecure.
As these organizations push for stricter speech suppression, questions are raised about the implications for open discourse on the platform and the legacy media and activist attempts to get it shut down.
In the past months, Media Matters undertook an extensive review of content from 30 prominent conservative YouTube channels, identifying 286 videos containing what they classified as election misinformation, which collectively garnered over 47 million views. This report, backed by verification from The New York Times, pointed out that YouTube profited from ads placed on many of these videos.
Highlighted in the Times article were figures such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, all of whom have voiced skepticism regarding the legitimacy of various aspects of the 2020 election process.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Soros-Backed Alameda County District Attorney Facing Tough Recall Called ‘Inept’ and ‘Dangerous’
OAKLAND, California — Brenda Grisham had just celebrated the holidays with her family in Oakland on Dec. 31, 2010, when tragedy struck.
They were about to leave for church from their home on 73rd Ave. and Fresno St. when two rival gangs started to fight nearby. One opened fire, then the other.
Grisham’s daughter was shot first. Her son, Christopher LeVell Jones, ran to the car to get his niece but was fatally hit by a bullet. He was 17 years old.
Since then, Grisham has emerged as one of Oakland’s most vocal voices, speaking out against violence and corruption as she seeks justice not only in memory of her son but for the hundreds of families who have lost loved ones in Oakland’s crime-filled streets. She’s become an advocate for victims and their family members and has turned into a major thorn in Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s side.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
State Health Officials Ban COVID ‘Vaccines’ in Landmark Vote
Health officials in Idaho’s Southwest District Health have voted to ban Covid mRNA “vaccines” in a landmark decision.
Covid injections will no longer be offered to residents in the district and the shots have now been pulled from all 30 clinics that administared mRNA vaccinations.
The move came after the Southwest District Health Board voted 4-3 last week to ban the shots.
The decision make Southwest District Health the first health agency in America to pull the shots.
The board’s vote came after it received about 300 complaints about the “vaccines” from residents.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Rules RFK Jr Must Stay on Key State Ballots Despite Ending Campaign
In a pivotal decision, the Supreme Court has refused to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name from the ballots in key states.
The high court ruled that Kennedy’s name must remain on ballots in Michigan and Wisconsin, CNN reported.
The decision comes despite the suspension of Kennedy’s presidential campaign and his endorsement of President Donald Trump
The court ruled against Kennedy’s request, potentially affecting Trump’s support in these crucial battleground states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Town’s Entire Police Force, Including Chief, Resigns on Same Day
An entire Oklahoma police department resigned on Thursday, leaving locals confused.
“To the Citizens of Geary. We regret to inform you, and we are sad to say that our entire Police Force resigned this morning at 10:00 am,” Geary Public Information Officer Terryl Allen said in a statement. “Considering this information, we were able to quickly secure an interim Chief of Police effective immediately, so the City of Geary is being taken care of without delay.”
Allen said the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office “are aware of the situation and offered their assistance during this time of transition.”
Locals appeared to be confused by the announcement posted to Facebook, writing, “But why did they all resign?” and “I think an explanation as to what happened is what everyone wants.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The highly-anticipated trial of former Marine Daniel Penny begins with opening arguments Friday. Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide in the fatal choking of a homeless man, Jordan Neely. The incident occurred on an uptown F train in New York City in 2023 after Neely began threatening to people on the train, per witnesses.
Penny and other men on the train attempted to restrain Neely with Penny putting him in a chokehold. Doctors pronounced Neely dead at a hospital. The death was ruled a homicide by neck compression.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Sues CBS News Over Edit of Harris ‘60 Minutes’ Interview
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday sued CBS News for $10 billion, over its alleged doctoring of an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris on “60 Minutes.”
The network was embroiled in controversy over the editing of the vice president’s answer to one of the questions. The answer shown in a clip promoting the interview differed from the answer in the full interview that aired, prompting accusations of deception.
Republicans have claimed the interview was manipulated to make Harris appear better.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump’s Net Worth Plummets by Staggering $1.9 Billion as DJT Media Stock Suddenly Tanks
Donald Trump’s net worth has taken a nearly $2 billion dive as a result of his publicly traded media company floundering in the stock market over the last two days.
Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social and trades under ticker symbol DJT, dipped 11.7 percent to $35.34 on Thursday.
And that’s on top of the 22 percent drop DJT shares saw on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump: ‘Mentally Deranged’ Jack Smith ‘Should be Thrown Out of the Country’
President Donald Trump has called for “mentally deranged” Jack Smith to be “thrown out” of the country.
The call is Trump’s latest warning to the federal prosecutor behind his stalled January 6 case.
Trump has long argued that Smith is a partisan agent of the Democratic Party.
Smith, a private citizen, was appointed by the Biden-Harris Justice Department as special counsel to prosecute Trump after he launched his 2024 campaign.
While discussing immigration with New York City radio hosts John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby, Trump suggested Smith should be classified as insane and deported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vance Laments ‘Hyper-Woke’ Democratic Rhetoric: Five Takeaways From Three-Hour Spot With Joe Rogan
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Republican vice presidential candidate, spent three hours and 15 minutes on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, roughly 20 minutes longer than former President Donald Trump, discussing a variety of political and non-political topics.
Vance and Rogan talked about censorship, foreign policy, illegal immigration, religion, and much more during the lengthy sit-down.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: DC Begins Boarding Up Ahead of Election Over Social Unrest Fears
Washington, DC authorities are hardening security for potential social unrest after next week’s presidential election. With four days remaining, workers have been busy boarding up government buildings and retail stores with plywood.
“Work crews have begun covering up the windows of buildings and stores near the White House as the election comes down to the final week,” DC resident Andrew Leyden wrote on X.
Leyden posted a video on YouTube of himself riding around on a bike near the White House complex, showing the various buildings being boarded up.
In the video’s description, he wrote, “When there is a threat of civil unrest, these landlords cover their windows, much like you do when a hurricane is coming.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: RFK Jr. Explains Plan for Reforming the CIA
Authored by Ken Silva via Headline USA,
Former President John F. Kennedy threatened to “splinter [the CIA] into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds” before he was assassinated in 1963. JFK’s nephew, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., wants something perhaps less dramatic.
In a Trump campaign event with Tulsi Gabbard on Saturday, RFK explained his idea for reforming the CIA. According to him, reforming the CIA is as simple as splintering the “espionage” and “plans” divisions, which handle matters of intelligence and paramilitary operations, respectively. Those divisions are referred to today as the Directorate of Intelligence and Directorate of Operations.
RFK said the two divisions need to be reorganized so the intelligence/espionage area has oversight of the paramilitary operations. He said his father had a similar plan when he was Attorney General.
“My father had a reform plan … Break up espionage division from the plans division, which is paramilitary division that fixes elections, buys newspapers, assassinates foreign leaders and so on,” he said.
“I would break up those divisions and … put espionage division oversight of plans division.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
With less than a week to go before Election Day, businesses in Portland, Oregon are preparing for the worst. Many are taking precautions in case there is any post-election fallout, as riots have ensued in the city after previous elections, however, the leftist bookstore owner is not concerned over the matter.
According to KATU News, Portland Police on Wednesday as well as other city leaders gathered to discuss the violence that has already occurred with ballots being burned in drop-off boxes. However, some are not so concerned over possible election fallout, including Katherine Morgan, the leftist owner of Grand Gesture Books. The Instagram page for the store says it is “Queer Black woman owned.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The New York Times’ Nico Grant reached out to prominent YouTubers earlier this week to inquire about the “election misinformation” beleaguered far-left media watchdog Media Matters had claimed to have found in their videos. Grant also reached out to YouTube for his article. The platform said that “none of the 286 videos violated its community guidelines.” YouTube further told The Times that “what’s important to use is that we’re representing a broad spectrum of views.”
Grant asked Tucker Carlson, Tim Pool, Ben Shapiro, Andrew Klavan, Benny Johnson, and the Babylon Bee, among others about those videos before digging into their relationship with YouTube, asking “Are you a member of the YouTube Partner Program? If so, how frequently does YouTube demonetize your videos? Has YouTube sent you messages, emails or notices in the last year that your content contains misinformation?” When reached for comment, most of those commentators responded with some variation on “f*ck you” and posted the correspondence on X.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Monthly Food Bank Use in Canada Soars to Record 2 Million: Report
Canada’s reliance on food banks has soared to a grim new milestone, according to data from Food Banks Canada.
The organization says it recorded more than two million visits in March 2024 — nearly double the monthly visits five years ago in March 2019, and six per cent above last year’s record-breaking figure.
Its annual survey of food bank use in Canada says rapid inflation, housing costs and insufficient social supports are driving poverty and food insecurity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Montreal City Hall to Remove Welcome Sign Featuring Woman in Hijab
A depiction of a woman in a hijab as part of a welcome sign at Montreal’s city hall will be removed amid public backlash and in response to criticism that the image is at odds with Quebec’s commitment to secularism.
The recently renovated city hall featured a welcome sign in the lobby with a drawing of three individuals, two men and a woman in a hijab.
The pencil-style sketch said “Welcome to Montreal City Hall!” written in French above them.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told Radio-Canada during an interview on Sunday that the decision to remove the image was made in response to the “discomfort” it causes and also because institutions should remain secular.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poilievre Pledges to Release Names of MPs Involved in Foreign Interference if Elected
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s office confirmed that he would release the identities of all MPs “deemed to have knowingly participated in foreign interference,” if elected.
During his testimony before a federal inquiry on foreign interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed he is aware “of a number of parliamentarians, former parliamentarians and/or candidates” within the Conservative party who are “engaged, or at high risk” of foreign interference.
Trudeau said that as prime minister, he was briefed on this classified information.
However, Poilievre accused the prime minister of “lying” and demanded he release the names of said MPs in a committee report in which he called the intelligence “troubling.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Smith Urges Poilievre to Amend Canadian Bill of Rights for Broader Civil Liberties
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called on federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to promise further free speech and other rights protections at the national level as her government prepares to amend the Alberta Bill of Rights.
Smith encouraged Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to amend the Canadian Bill of Rights to strengthen protections that may be missing in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“I think that we should stop looking at the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as the full, comprehensive expression of all rights and freedoms we are endowed with,” said Smith.
The premier said she believed Poilievre could make these amendments if he’s elected prime minister without having a huge constitutional discussion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: ‘We Have to Take a Stand!’ — School Leader in Vienna Warns of Rising Islamization
A longtime principal and educator in Vienna has issued a stark warning about what he describes as a “rapid Islamization” of Austrian schools, alongside rising violence and anti-Semitic incidents.
In a recent interview with the Christian magazine Corrigenda, Christian Klar detailed his observations from nearly 40 years in education, which he has also chronicled in his book, What’s Going on in Our Schools? A School Report.
Klar called for urgent action, stating, “Islam is changing our society in ways we do not want.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Antwerp Diamond Trade ‘Faces Collapse’
The centuries-old diamond trade in Antwerp is facing a severe crisis, with local traders having expressed fears that the industry could soon vanish altogether.
According to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), imports of rough diamonds have fallen 38 per cent in the first nine months of this year alone. Over the past decade, the total stands at 70 per cent.
Trade in polished diamonds has declined by about 14 per cent in the past year and 40 per cent in 10 years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Zoo Files Complaint With European Commission Over Slovakian Bear Hunts
A zoo in Czechia has filed a formal complaint with the European Commission, accusing Slovakia of violating EU laws through the controlled culling of brown bears.
The practice, according to the management of Tabor Zoo located in the Czech South Bohemian Region, contravenes European wildlife protection statutes, and the zoo argues that these measures are needlessly endangering the bear population.
Evžen Korec, the zoo’s director, stated in a press release that hunters in Slovakia have already culled 86 brown bears this year and may kill an additional 100 by year-end, citing Slovakian environmental policies that permit this practice.
“The brown bear is a protected species within the European Union and is part of Annex II to the Bern Convention, i.e., the Convention on the Protection of European Fauna, Flora and Natural Habitats. Slovakia has decided to ignore European legislation,” he said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Details of EU Plan to Use Russian Assets for Ukraine Are Leaked
The European Commission plans to allow Euroclear, a Belgium-based financial service, to use some of the interest profits of frozen Russian assets to protect a €45 billion G7 loan to Ukraine from potential retaliation from Russia.
Euroclear, which manages the aforementioned Russian assets, has suffered significant losses due to Russian sanctions, so such a solution could serve as a last resort to ensure compensation, according to Hungarian outlet Portfolio.
According to supporters of the proposal, the profits from €200 billion in frozen Russian assets could be used to repay Ukraine’s debts. This would focus strictly on interest profits instead of tapping directly into the €200 billion in Russian money.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Europe’s Small Arms Companies Struggle for Cash Despite Military Spending Boom
Europe’s small and medium-sized defence companies are struggling to access finance needed to drive innovation and grow production lines even as demand soars due to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts, government officials, firms and experts say.
A lack of access to public funding, red tape and banks’ reluctance to lend on fears of falling foul of environmental, social and governance regulations (ESG) are all hindering growth for smaller players in Europe’s defence sector, they say.
This as global military expenditure hit an all-time high of €2.25 trillion in 2023, up 6.8 per cent from the prior year and the most since 2009, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Communist Party Leader Seeks Right-Wing Voters, Blames Hard-Left for Election Demise
French Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel has said he holds the La France Insoumise (LFI) party responsible for his demise during French legislative elections in the summer and was now actively distancing himself from the hard-left party.
On October 27, Roussel announced the creation of a new Communist-led hunting federation aimed at appealing to right-leaning rural voters.
Roussel expressed concern over what he said was the mistrust of Green Party leader Marine Tondelier in rural areas, fearing it could undermine the Communist Party’s traditional support there.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Braces for Halloween Horror Amid Gaza Tensions
Germany has been bracing for a night of terrors this Halloween, with authorities expecting riots amid tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The European Union country has seen an uptick in street violence in relation to Middle-Eastern issues.
Similar violence is now expected for the night of October 31, with Die Welthaving reported that police were preparing for unrest.
In Berlin, police announced they would ramp up their presence in “certain areas and locations” as well as “adapt to any hot-spots that may arise” over the night.
While no exact numbers were given by officials, more than 1,000 extra officers from surrounding regions were deployed to the German capital last Halloween to deal with possible rioting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Berlin Braces for Halloween Chaos Amid Explosives Incident & Fire Evacuation
In a suspected terrorist incident at Neukölln S-Bahn station, federal police attempted to question a man on Wednesday afternoon, but he fled, leaving behind a bag containing what appeared to be an explosive device. Nius reports that the bag held a “grayish substance” believed to be TATP, or “Mother of Satan,” a highly unstable explosive linked to prior attacks in Europe. The police detonated the bag safely in a nearby park, though the suspect remains at large.
In a separate incident, Berlin emergency services were called to a major fire at the Amrit Indian restaurant in Berlin-Mitte early Thursday morning. Bild reports that the fire spread quickly from the ground-floor restaurant through ventilation ducts to apartments above, forcing a full evacuation.
Over 113 firefighters tackled the flames, which were finally extinguished around 10 a.m. Four residents sustained minor injuries, while ten others were treated for smoke inhalation. The fire department declared the scene a “mass casualty incident” and took further steps to prevent any lingering embers from reigniting the blaze.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Berlin-Funded Music Show Censors Anti-Communist Song
A well-known anti-Communist song has been censored by a show co-funded by the German Government, local media have reported.
Udo Lindenberg’s Sonderzug nach Pankow — Special Train to Pankow — openly mocks the Communists that formerly controlled the country’s east, with the song taking particular aim at the then-Soviet-backed state’s strongman lex-eader, Erich Honecker.
This part of the song will now be censored at an official event put on by the Humboldt Forum Foundation, with the government-funded organisation complaining that one part of the song mocking the former East Germany tyrant was offensive.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Man Flees Berlin Police Stop, Leaves Behind Bag of Notorious Terrorist Explosive
A man fled a police stop on the Berlin mass transit rail, dropping a bag as he fled containing over 17 ounces of a terrorist-favoured home made explosive.
Berlin police are seeking an unidentified man who they tried to subject to a stop and search on the platform at Neukölln S-Bahn (mass rapid transit railway) on Wednesday afternoon, but who resisted and managed to escape.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Half a Billion Euros in German Child-Benefit Sent Outside the Country, Government Says
More than €500 million in German child benefit allowance payments was sent outside the country in 2023, government data provided to local media outlets has shown.
The documents, reported on by news outlet Bild on October 31, also revealed that the country was on track to see another €500 million in child payments sent abroad in 2024, although the total value of such payments was down by 0.58 per cent in the first half of this year.
According to Bild, a total of €525.7 million was sent to bank accounts outside Germany last year, with a further €258.5 being sent abroad in similar fashion in the first six months of 2024.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Labour’s First Budget Thumps UK Farmers, Businesses, and Working People
You would have struggled yesterday, as the UK’s newly installed Labour government unveiled its first budget in 14 years, to read a mainstream news article or listen to a radio broadcast that failed to celebrate this being the first ever to be delivered by a woman. Not that this has softened the heavy blow of what one analyst described as “the worst budget I have ever heard a British chancellor deliver, by an enormous margin.”
Chancellor Rachel “Robbing” Reeves, as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK now dubs her, may have offered some breadcrumbs to businesses and citizens, but these were overshadowed by a massive tax raid and the stunting of the very growth that Labour has promised over and over again to pursue.
Taxes have been raised by £40 billion (€47.81bn), including a £25 billion (€29.88bn) increase in employers’ contributions to national insurance (NIC), one of the UK’s two main sources of taxation on income. Experts on these matters say this hike will be paid for by working people—the very people Labour promised over and over again not to tax even more (noticing a trend?).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lagarde: US Dollar World-Order Here to Stay as Overregulation Holds Back EU
The US dollar world-order is not going anywhere anytime soon, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has claimed.
Lagarde also repeated warnings that the European Union economy was falling further behind China and the US, largely as a result of overregulation.
Speaking to Le Monde on October 31, she expressed doubt as to the viability of the proposed alternative international payment system floated by the BRICS intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Rijksmuseum to Close During Museum Night After Extinction Rebellion Announces Protest
The Rijksmuseum will not be participating in the Museum Night event because Extinction Rebellion (XR) has announced a protest action in the museum. The Rijksmuseum announced that they feel forced to keep the doors closed during the event “considering the threat to the safety of the public, staff, and art.”
Extinction Rebellion announced on Wednesday their intention to carry out a “secret action” at the Rijksmuseum during the annual late-night cultural event. “Governments and large companies must do everything in their power to reduce emissions to zero immediately. It is, therefore, incomprehensible that the Rijksmuseum has chosen to maintain its sponsorship relationship with major polluter ING,” said XR spokesperson Merlijn Runia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Official Report Calls on Brussels to Build CIA-Style EU Intelligence Agency
The European Union needs to set up its own spy agency that would be in charge of coordinating intelligence sharing among member states to boost the bloc’s readiness for war and crises, argued Finland’s former president, Sauli Niinistö, in a report unveiled on Wednesday, October 30th.
If enacted, the proposal would further extend the power and competencies of Brussels, most likely at the expense of member states’ sovereignty.
Similarly to the Draghi report on how to fix the EU’s competitiveness crisis, the document was ordered by the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen back in March to serve as a blueprint for the incoming European Commission on how to raise Europe’s preparedness for future military conflict.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Commission Urges ‘Treason’ Charge for Ex-Defence Minister
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government-appointed commission investigating Russian influence has produced a report urging prosecutors to charge former Conservative (PiS) defence minister Antoni Macierewicz with treason.
The report by the body set up in May this year looked into his actions that allegedly helped Russia to weaken Poland’s defences.
In 2023, when the PiS was in government prior to the current administration, it set up its own body to investigate Russian influence. That move was slammed by the Tusk-led then-opposition and the European Commission as an attempt to discredit the current PM ahead of the last elections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain Flash-Flood Death Toll Hits 95 and Counting
BARRIO DE LA TORRE, Spain (AP) — Survivors of the worst natural disaster to hit Spain this century awoke to scenes of devastation on Thursday after villages were wiped out by monstrous flash floods that claimed at least 95 lives. The death toll is expected to rise as search efforts continue with officials removing bodies from vehicles and an unknown number of people still missing.
“Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles,” said Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente in reference to hundreds of cars and trucks stranded on roads stained brown with mud.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Training the Next French Conservative Generation: An Interview With Alexandre Pesey
The Institut de Formation Politique (IFP), founded in 2004 by three young Frenchmen with the aim of providing a training programme for young French conservatives, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Alexandre Pesey, one of its founders, spoke with The European Conservative.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Tobacco Giant Philip Morris to Close German Plants as Europeans Smoke Less
US multinational tobacco giant Philip Morris has said it planned to close two German factories due to falling demand across Europe.
Philip Morris International (PMI) made the announcement on October 29 and said the closure was part of the company’s broader strategy to adapt to changing market conditions, where smoking rates have been decreasing.
“In recent years, demand for cigarettes in Europe has fallen significantly,” the company said in a statement, adding that it saw the same trend for roll-your-own tobacco.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Base Hit by Debris From Alleged Hezbollah Rocket, No Soldiers or Staff Injured
A Polish base was hit with debris from what was believed to be an alleged Hezbollah rocket attack, raising concerns about the safety of UN peacekeeping troops. Just yesterday, eight Austrian UNIFIL troops were injured in a rocket attack on the force’s headquarters in Naqoura.
“Today in the afternoon in the area of responsibility of IRISHPOLBATT, in the structure of which the UNIFIL PMC operates, a rocket attack was reported, most likely conducted by Hezbollah forces towards Israel,” the Armed Forces Operational Command reported in a statement cited by Do Rzeczy.
“Immediately after observing the rocket fire, a shelter alarm was announced and soldiers went to the shelters in accordance with safety procedures,” it added.
Poland’s Operational Command stressed that none of the soldiers or employees of the Polish Contingent in the Republic of Lebanon were injured as a result of the incident.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
At Least Five Killed, Four Injured in Gas Explosion in Southern Russia
At least five people have been killed and four others injured in a gas explosion in a residential building in southern Russia.
The blast occurred early in the morning in the city of Cherkessk in the Karachay-Cherkessia region, which borders Georgia, about 1300 kilometres south of the capital Moscow.
The explosion partially destroyed two upper stories of a five-storey residential building, emergency officials said.
“It was a loud bang. And then I just couldn’t understand, everything started falling from the ceiling onto my face, glass too. I covered myself with my hands. My husband was in the next room. I said that I thought it was a dream,” said one female resident.
| — Hat tip: TN | [Return to headlines] |
North Korean Troops Deployed to Frontline Will ‘Surely Return in Body Bags’, US Says
The US and South Korea have called on North Korea to withdraw its troops from Russia that are reportedly already inside Ukraine.
“Should DPRK’s troops enter Ukraine in support of Russia, they will surely return in body bags. So I would advise Chairman Kim to think twice about engaging in such reckless and dangerous behaviour,” Robert Wood, US envoy to the UN, said.
South Korea and its allies have claimed that North Korea has sent at least 11,000 soldiers to Russia, with more than 3,000 of them now deployed close to the frontlines in Ukraine, a presidential official in Seoul said on Wednesday.
The US said some of the North Korean soldiers were in Kursk, a border region where the Russian forces have been fighting off a Ukrainian incursion since August. A couple of thousand more were heading there, the Pentagon said.
This came as Ukraine drafted 160,000 more people in anticipation of grinding warfare and a frozen battle zone in the upcoming winter, the third such under Russian invasion.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Strikes Kharkiv With Glide Bombs, Killing Child and Injuring Others
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces struck a residential building in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv on Thursday, killing a 12-year-old boy and injuring scores of others, and launched scores of other attacks as they continued their grinding onslaught in the country’s east.
Regional head Oleh Syniehubov said the boy was fatally injured when the building was hit by a Russian 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) glide bomb.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Up to 170,000 Soldiers May Have Fled the Ukrainian Army, Zelensky Looks to Increase Recruitment
Ukraine has a serious manpower problem, as deserters continue to increase. Anna Szkorohod, a representative of the Ukrainian Supreme Council, gave an interview to the Novosztyi Live YouTube channel, according to which the situation is getting worse, as many people are leaving the Ukrainian army without authorization.
“I will not give an exact number, but I would say more than 100,000,” she said.
Other sources have put this figure as high as 170,000, including military lawyer Roman Likhachev, who recently spoke about such levels of desertion, and Stanislav Kravchenko, the president of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, who said the number of desertion attempts has increased tremendously.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky Hints Poland is Cowardly, Claims ‘They Didn’t Even Dare’ Shoot Down Russian Missiles
Volodymyr Zelensky accused Poland of finding more reasons not to help Ukraine on key issues, including refusing to shoot down Russian missiles or hand over MiG fighter jets to Kyiv. His choice of words, which hints at cowardice on Poland’s part, is likely to further inflame tensions between the two countries, which have been steadily growing apart.
The Ukrainian leader used words like “scared” while speaking about Poland and other NATO countries during a meeting with the heads of the territorial communities and oblasts of Zakarpattia. In addition, he singled out Poland, saying they “didn’t even dare” shoot down Russian missiles.
“NATO countries are afraid to make decisions on their own. We have good relations with Poland — Polish citizens support us. However, we have been constantly asking them to shoot down missiles heading towards Poland. We have gas storage facilities near Stryi, on which our lives depend, especially in winter. We asked for protection of these storage facilities because we do not have enough air defense systems,” said Volodymyr Zelensky.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Singapore: Pro-Vax Doctor Suffers Stroke After Mocking ‘Meltdown of Anti-Vaxxers’
A prominent doctor, who used her large social media following to smear and mock those who chose not to receive Covid mRNA “vaccines,” has suffered a stroke.
Dr. Jessica Ee, a Singaporean dermatologist, revealed that she has been hospitalized for six months while recovering from a stroke.
In October 2021, the Singaporean government banned unvaccinated people from entering public spaces such as malls and restaurants.
Dr. Ee expressed her delight on social media at this decision.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Japan Raises Alarm as Deaths Continue to Climb Among COVID-Vaxxed
Some of Japan’s most prominent medical experts are raising the alarm over concerns that deaths are continuing to climb among the vaccinated population, long after people received their Covid “vaccine.”
Official data from the Japanese government shows that excess deaths skyrocketed after the Covid mRNA injections were rolled out in early 2021.
However, rather than slowing down after the government’s countermeasures were lifted following the pandemic, deaths have continued to climb.
Alarmingly, mortality rates are increasing in vaccinated people even as vaccine uptake in the country has reduced significantly.
The warning was issued by a team of Japanese researchers investigating mortality rate changes during and after the pandemic in Japan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Terrorism: Genocide and Kamala’s Childhood in Africa
On the last leg of her African tour, Vice President Kamala Harris paid a visit to an otherwise unremarkable office building in Zambia. Her staff and local embassy personnel had spent a great deal of time looking for it and everyone was hoping it was the right place.
Kamala, with her Jamaican and Indian roots, needed a tangible connection to Africa to win over African-American voters and convince them that she was one of them. And everyone settled on the office building as being the next best thing because it was the former spot of the building where she had once stayed as a little girl with her Indian mother on a visit to her grandfather.
President Hakainde Hichilema welcomed her as “a daughter of our own country, someone who spent time here in her early years.”
Kamala responded by launching into a story about having visited “Zambia, Mr. President, as a young girl when my grandfather worked here” as “an advisor to Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda” to “serve as a director of relief measures and refugees.”
The vice president then began singing the praises of Kaunda, a brutal socialist dictator allied with the Soviet Union, who had banned opposing political parties and ran as the only candidate for president until he was finally ousted, and praised Zambia’s “democracy”. Kaunda, whom Kamala fondly recalled meeting with JFK and MLK “to discuss peaceful forms of protest” had demanded nuclear weapons from LBJ. Hichilema, who had narrowly survived being arrested by a previous regime, had nothing to say about Kamala’s fond memories of Zambian democracy.
Or the “peaceful forms of protest” carried on with nuclear missiles and terrorism.
But behind Kamala’s childhood time in Zambia and her grandfather’s work is a lot of blood, along with a horrifying and mostly forgotten story of terrorism, atrocities and mass murder.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Panama: Female Bodybuilding Star Johanna Perez Dies Suddenly at 35
Popular female bodybuilding star Johanna Perez has tragically died suddenly, according to her family.
The Panamanian fitness influencer mysteriously died just days after she celebrated her 35th birthday.
Perez was an internationally recognized award-winning bodybuilder who had nearly 46,000 Instagram followers.
The family of Perez, known to her followers as Johafit, confirmed her passing in a social media post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Hamburg Senate is facing strong criticism for allegedly using legal loopholes to bypass public consultation in the construction of a migrant accommodation facility in Barmbek-Nord.
The project, intended to house 400 asylum seekers, is being fast-tracked under the pretense of public safety laws, a move that Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group leader Dirk Nockemann has condemned as “brazen” and “alien to citizens.”
Nockemann and other critics argue that the Senate is invoking the public safety and order law (SOG) not for its intended purpose but rather to sidestep community opposition and citizen involvement in local planning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The 40-year-old Tesfalem A., a migrant from Eritrea, is standing trial for raping and impregnating his own 12-year-old daughter.
The girl first went to the hospital for stomach pains only for doctors to discover that she was five months pregnant. Once an abortion was conducted, a DNA test was ran on the baby’s umbilical cord, which confirmed that the baby’s father was Tesfalem A. The girl was already five months prengant before she went to the doctor.
Tesfalem A. is currently standing trial in the Giessen Regional Court of Hesse. The prosecutor states that the man, who works as a nursing assistant, had “sexual intercourse with his daughter” on July 23, 2023, impregnating her.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Immigrant Faces Hate Crime, Terrorism Charges in Shooting of Jewish Man in Chicago
An illegal immigrant suspected of shooting a Jewish man multiple times as he made his way to a Chicago Synagogue is now facing terrorism and hate crime charges in connection to the incident.
Chicago Police Department Chief Larry Snelling announced during a press conference Thursday that Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, was charged with one felony count of terrorism and one felony count of a hate crime.
“We want everybody to know that we will never tolerate violence that’s rooted in hate and bigotry,” Snelling said. “This shooting is deeply personal to members of our Jewish community. We know that. But this shooting should be personal to everyone across the city.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Backs America First Legal Bid to Secure List of 218K Voters Without Citizenship Proof
America First Legal (AFL) won its lawsuit against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) on Thursday over 218,000 voters who were incorrectly registered as providing proof of U.S. citizenship.
The Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County ruled on Thursday that Fontes must provide the list of more than 218,000 voters who did not provide proof of U.S. citizenship by Monday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris Blasts Trump’s ‘Offensive’ Pledge to Protect Women From Illegal Alien Crime
Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris has argued that President Donald Trump’s pledge to protect American women from illegal alien crime is “offensive.”
During his Green Bay, Wisconsin, rally this week, Trump said he wants to the crimes being committed by “criminal migrants” who were “imported” into America by Harris.
He argues that the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies have enabled “savage criminals to assault, rape, and murder our women and girls.”
Trump vowed to protect women and girls from such crimes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Revealed: More Than 30,000 Migrants Have Crossed the English Channel So Far This Year…
— as photos show MORE arriving in Britain this morning
More than 30,000 small boat migrants have reached Britain so far this year, official figures confirmed today.
Home Office data showed 564 people arrived from northern France yesterday aboard 12 dinghies.
It took the running tally since the start of the year to 30,431 — 14 per cent higher than at the same point in 2023.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
They arrived in construction vests and surgical masks, armed with signal jammers, sledgehammers and blowtorches. The bank heist crew, made up of mainly Chilean nationals, hit multiple banks across California, according to federal prosecutors, and made off with $2.5 million.
In Fresno, the crew hit a Wells Fargo in May and used tools to get inside an ATM vault through an adjacent unit and made off with more than $80,000 in cash. The next month in Auburn, they scored $226,000 from a Golden 1 Credit Union branch and followed that up several days later by stealing money from two ATMs in Clovis estimated to have carried $150,000-$200,000 each.
But earlier this month, 10 individuals believed to be part of the crew were charged in connection with the robberies. Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California charged Alex Moyano Morales, Maite Celis Silva, Erik Osorio Olivarez, Pablo Andres Valdez Rodriguez, Rosa Francisca Bastias Serra, Camilo Andres Sepulveda Guzman, John Doe 2, Bassil Alejandro Cacosta Frias, Camilo Alarcon Alarcon and Michelle Alondra Parada Muñoz on Oct. 21. The charges were first reported by the East Bay Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A migrant who has racked up millions of views on TikTok documenting his attempts to make it to the UK is finally on British soil after his latest video showed him crossing the English Channel in a small boat.
Asylum seeker Mada Pasa, who has a Kalashnikov face tattoo, has provoked fury with his online videos in which he pretends to fire a gun and ‘vlogs’ his efforts to illegally reach Britain from northern France.
In one post, Pasa, believed to be from Afghanistan, is seen imitating firing a weapon with three young women sat on his lap. In another, he is staying in a tent with two hooded friends, one of whom is posing with a real gun.
Now in his latest video, Pasa appears with a black face mask, waterproof jacket and baseball cap aboard a small dinghy crammed with migrants as he crosses the sea to Britain.
As he turns the camera away from himself, what looks like an official French patrol vessel follows in the wake of Pasa’s boat.
Met Police confirmed on Thursday night that Pasa had since been detained after arriving in Britain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Internal CIA Documents, Presentation Show Effort to Mandate DEI at the Center of the Intel Agency
A newly revised Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI) strategy for the Central Intelligence Agency promises to put diversity at the center of promotion decisions and attempt to solidify programs to withstand changing administrations, according to internal documents and a public presentation by senior agency diversity official.
“We see it as the core of our mission,” CIA’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Jerry Laurienti, said of DEI in a presentation earlier this year. He delivered his remarks to the biannual business meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI) in May.
Fred Fleitz, a former CIA agent and national security official in the Trump Administration, told Just the News that DEI initiatives are “dug in quite deep” at the agency and warns they are detrimental to the execution of the mission.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland’s New Hate-Crime Law Gives Legal Status to 72 Genders
Ireland has brought a new Hate Crime Bill into law but leading Irish gay and feminist advocates have said the new legislation was sloppily drafted and “threatens free speech and places our rights at risk”.
The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act, which Irish President Michael D Higgins signed into law on October 29, defined gender as “the gender of a person or the gender which a person expresses as the person’s preferred gender or with which the person identifies and includes transgender and a gender other than those of male and female”.
Annaïg Birdy, co-founder of Not All Gays, told Brussels Signal: “Many lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens are concerned that this rushed and poorly defined legislation will undermine our rights and the clarity of legal protections moving forward.”
During debate on the bill in the Seanad (upper house), Senator Sharon Keogan spent 25 minutes reading a list of 72 genders which, under the bill, would gain legal status under law.
[Comment: Huh?]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trans-identified male Brandy Livingston has brought a lawsuit against Hooters, a restaurant chain known for its scantily-clad female waitresses. Livingston claimed discrimination after the location outside of Albany, New York denied Livingston’s three employment applications filed with the restaurant. Livingston has filed a claim with the New York State Division of Human Rights and after an investigation on their part, they found Livingston’s rights may have been violated.
Livingston was a regular at the Colonie location on Wolf Road and filed three applications to work at the chain. “I said, do you want to see my experience or anything? Because I had previous jobs I had written down. And he said, ‘Oh, we don’t care about experience. We hire on the basis of personality. And there’s an image that needs to be met,’“ Livingston told News10.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |