Today Donald Trump urged the judge who oversaw his Manhattan trial to undo a gag order that stops him from talking about the case. Meanwhile, a founding member of the Black Panthers announced his support for Mr. Trump.
In other news, Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, changed his mind and will run for a seat in Parliament for the constituency of Clacton in the July 4 general election.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, Insubria, JW, McN, Reader from Chicago, Roger, 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.
Hypocritical Move: E*Trade Reportedly Considers Shutting Down Roaring Kitty
Welcome to the wild world of Wall Street, where the elite financial institutions play a game of high-stakes poker with the stock market, confidently knowing the house always wins. It’s a place where “market manipulation” is a dirty word—unless, of course, you’re the one doing the manipulating. When the tables turn, and the little guys start fighting back, those very same titans of finance who rig the game suddenly cry foul. This tale of hypocrisy and greed was never more evident than in the saga of Keith Gill, aka Roaring Kitty, and the army of retail investors who decided to make GameStop their battleground.
Entities like E*Trade and its overlord, Morgan Stanley, have reportedly considered shutting Roaring Kitty’s account down. Yes, Morgan Stanley, the same multinational investment bank that’s no stranger to being accused of bending the rules, now positioned itself as the guardian of market integrity. The hypocrisy would be laughable if it weren’t so infuriating.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The threat of a terrorist attack within the U.S. has risen ‘enormously’ in the past months warn top law enforcement officials.
Attorney General Merrick Garland made the astonishing admission while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday during a hearing dedicated to investigating the department’s politicization.
‘I am worried about the possibility of a terrorist attack in the country after October 7,’ Attorney General Garland said. ‘The threat level for us has gone up enormously.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California’s $20-an-hour fast food minimum wage has its first casualty.
Mexican chain Rubio’s Coastal Grill is shuttering 48 restaurants in the state — because of the ‘rising cost of doing business in California’.
‘While painful, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic long-term plan to position Rubio’s for success for years to come,’ a Rubio’s spokesperson added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s DOJ Charges Epoch Times CFO in Alleged $67 Million Transnational Money Laundering Scheme
The chief financial officer of the Epoch Times, Weidong “Bill” Guan, was arrested by federal authorities and accused of participating in a transnational money launderingscheme.
Guan was arrested on Sunday and charged with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and two counts of bank fraud. The first charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison while the following charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced in a press release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Black Panthers Founding Member Backs Trump for President
On Monday, writer and TikToker Carol Mitchell sat down with Black Panthers founding member David Hilliard to discuss his support for Donald Trump. The 82-year-old former revolutionary said he wanted to see the former president back in charge, calling him an ally of the black population.
Hilliard recalled that it was in the 1960s when he first got to know Trump, who studied at Fordham University from ‘64-’66 before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania. He said that Trump financially supported the Black Panthers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A red state city’s population boomed by nearly 100 people a day last year as locals warn ‘it’s just not the same’.
In 2023, Nashville’s population swelled by 86 people a day on average according to the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
It’s part of a wider trend across Tennessee, which saw a 1.1 percent increase in population from 2022 to 2023, with people drawn by affordable housing and low taxes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Michigan motorist who went viral last week for attending his virtual Zoom court hearing for his suspended license while driving was sent to jail due to an apparent clerical error, according to a report.
Corey Harris, 44, attended his virtual hearing on May 15 for charges related to an October traffic stop in Pittsfield Township, Michigan, where Washtenaw County Judge J. Cedric Simpson was dumbfounded to see him behind the wheel when he Zoom-called into court.
In the clip, the judge grilled Harris and his public defender, asking them if he was driving while appearing in court for his suspended driver’s license.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Says Users Will be Able to Opt Out of Seeing NSFW Content on X
On Tuesday, Elon Musk announced that his team was working on figuring out how to create a “porn free mode” on X to prevent users from being inundated with sexually explicit content. He said it was a “top priority.”
The move comes on the heels of a rule change that permitted pornographic content on the platform. While such material was never officially banned, it did not, until now, explicitly allow it either.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FBI Agent Whose US ‘Allegiance’ Was Questioned Over Capitol Riot Claims Regains Security Clearance
An FBI agent punished for harboring so-called “conspiratorial” views about the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot has regained his security clearance as part of a settlement with the bureau — and won back pay lost while on ice, according to a whistleblower nonprofit that represented him.
Staff operations specialist Marcus Allen was informed May 31 that his top secret security clearance had been reinstated following his suspension over “security concerns” about his “allegiance to the United States,” a letter from the FBI’s HR department shows.
Empower Oversight President Tristan Leavitt, whose group represented Allen, sent a letter to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Tuesday to formally withdraw retaliation complaints filed on the G-man’s behalf.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Petrified Columbia University students who have felt “harassed and intimidated” by anti-Israel protests which have gripped their college and disrupted learning for months will be provided safety escorts on campus.
The move is part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, where the Ivy League school will now offer “walking escorts” across campus and appoint a “safe passage liaison” to address any students concerns over protests.
Additionally, accommodations will be made for students who were displaced by the protests and couldn’t finish exams or assignments.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida: A Pedestrian Attacks Driver on Sawgrass Expressway
A pedestrian attacks a driver who reportedly hit her on the Sawgrass Expressway in Coral Springs. Coral Springs police say 40-year-old Nenya Rhodes was walking in the northbound lanes just before University Drive when she was hit by a car that hit the guardrail. She reportedly got into the car, trying to attack the driver by putting her fist in her mouth and trying to gouge her eyes before the driver bit her. Rhodes then ran off, landing in a drainage culvert, before she was execrated and taken to the hospital. Police say her purse contained cannabis and meth. She faces charges of burglary with battery and possession of methamphetamine.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Google’s Privacy Blunder: Sensitive Data and Kids’ Voices Scooped Up
A recently leaked internal Google database offers yet more insight into the giant’s questionable security practices and policies around collecting and storing users’ personal data.
The database consists of thousands of reports filed by Google’s own employees covering a variety of incidents, writes 404 Media, which said it has had access to the documents.
Despite the claims that each of these individual events would have likely impacted a relatively small number of people, the sheer range of the incidents paints a grim big picture, affecting the trustworthiness of one of the most impactful, regarding online privacy and security, companies in the world.
The database that is now public covers the period between 2013 and 2018 and the instances described in reports are qualified as unintentional or a result of either human or technology error, both by Google, its employees and tech, and contractors, third parties, etc.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation to sanction International Criminal Court officials involved in seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a 247-155 vote, 42 Democrats joined all Republicans in backing the bill which would force President Biden to deny entry into the US, revoke visas and impose financial sanctions on members of The Hague involved in the effort to arrest Netanyahu, 74, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, 65, over alleged war crimes related to Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on the Jewish state.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) voted “present.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hunter Biden’s Wife Lashes Out at Ex-Trump Adviser in Trial Break: ‘Nazi Piece of S**t’
Hunter Biden’s wife lashed out at a one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling him a “Nazi piece of s**t” during a break in the first son’s federal trial on gun charges.
Melissa Cohen Biden went up to Garrett Ziegler — who runs the right-wing nonprofit Marco Polo, which has exposed much of the data from Hunter’s notorious laptop — and said: “You have no right to be here, you Nazi piece of s**t,” according to a report by NBC News.
Ziegler — who was on his way back into the Wilmington, Del., courtroom — didn’t respond to the emotional outburst.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WILMINGTON, Del. — For the first time Tuesday, first son Hunter Biden’s notorious “laptop from hell” — whose scandalous contents were first reported by The Post nearly four years ago — was shown to a jury of his peers, with federal prosecutors making it a key part of their case accusing the president’s child of illegally owning a gun while addicted to drugs.
The pivotal moment unfolded after prosecutor Derek Hines brought out a plastic-wrapped laptop, walked it across the courtroom and presented it to his first witness, FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen.
Jensen took the MacBook Pro 13 and verified — after looking at the serial number on the back — that it had, in fact, belonged to President Biden’s son.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WILMINGTON, Del. — Federal prosecutors argued Tuesday that Hunter Biden “chose” to lie about his drug addiction to obtain a gun, telling a jury in the first son’s hometown that “no one is above the law” — while the defense argued their client was pushed into buying a lethal weapon.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what your name is,” prosecutor Derek Hines said in his opening statement. “The defendant Robert Hunter Biden chose to illegally own a firearm. He was a user of crack and a drug addict. He chose to lie.”
Hines said Hunter, 54, deliberately fibbed on a federal form used for background checks by claiming he wasn’t in thrall to controlled substances when he bought the Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver on Oct. 12, 2018, when in fact he was in the throes of a crack cocaine addiction.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hunter Biden Jury Members Have Personal Ties to Drug Addiction, Addicts
The majority of jurors in the Hunter Biden trial have been revealed to have ties to others with drug addictions. The relationships with the other addicts may raise questions regarding what the jurors will think when faced with a verdict decision in the trial.
President Joe Biden’s son has been charged with three felony firearms offenses having to do with the purchase of a .38 revolver back in 2018 in Delaware and lying about his drug addiction on a federal form to purchase the firearm. Hunter has pleaded not guilty to all the charges in the case, per Fox News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Jeffrey Epstein accuser is suing a prominent 91-year-old psychiatrist, alleging he raped her for years and turned her into his “modern-day sex slave” after the late sex trafficker sent her to him for treatment for depression.
The unidentified woman, referred to only as Jane Doe 11, claims Henry Jarecki started controlling and raping her in 2011 when Epstein gave her the mental health referral — calling him the “best doctor in New York City,” according to the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court Monday.
The one-time model alleged the “wealthy, well-connected” psychiatrist was Epstein’s “go-to” doctor who would regularly treat the pedophile’s victims and often shared young women’s confidential medical information with him, the filings state.
Jarecki’s lawyer, however, dismissed the allegations as “entirely false and baseless.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge to Rule on June 14 in Alex Jones Bankruptcy Case, Could Liquidate InfoWars
Over the weekend, families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting filed a motion to a bankruptcy judge to liquidate Alex Jones’ media company, Infowars. The judge is expected to rule on the case on June 14.
Jones’ media company Infowars, which operates under Free Speech Systems LLC, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022 after they were ordered to pay almost $1.5 billion to the family members of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting who sued Jones for defamation after he had claimed the massacre that left 26 people dead was a hoax. Jones later recanted the claim and apologized for the actions.
According to court documents, on Sunday, the victims’ families filed an emergency motion in the Southern District of Texas to ask the court to change the bankruptcy reorganization into a liquidation. The motion comes after Jones held a broadcast on Saturday, saying that authorities were planning on shutting down his media organization, Infowars. The Associated Press reported that Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said he will rule on the families’ motion on June 14 and that Free Speech Systems will be allowed to operate until at least that date.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A juror in a Minneapolis trial related to $250 million in stolen pandemic aid reported that she had a sack containing $120,000 in cash delivered to her door — and a note promising more if she voted to acquit.
The bribe was delivered to the juror’s home on Sunday evening — just hours before the jury was due back in court to hear the closing arguments in the trial.
Juror 52, a 23-year-old woman, was not home when the bag was dropped off but immediately notified police after family at the house showed it to her.
“This is completely beyond the pale,” said Assistant US Attorney Joseph Thompson in court on Monday. “This is outrageous behavior. This is stuff that happens in mob movies.”
All seven defendants in the case were arrested and taken back into custody following the bribe attempt.
The juror has since been dismissed from the trial, which is over whether members of the Minneapolis nonprofit Feeding Our Future stole over $40 million intended to feed children during the pandemic.
Juror 52’s father-in-law was home when the money was dropped off, and identified the woman who left it as being Somalian, according to the Sahan Journal.
The seven defendants in the case are East African.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kansas Supreme Court Backs Voter Verification Requirements for Elections
The Kansas Supreme Court has backed measures that seek to ensure that voters are who they say they are when casting a ballot in America’s elections.
The state’s high court dismissed arguments that voters should be able to bypass election security measures due to a “fundamental” right to vote.
The court ruled that there is no “fundamental” right to vote in the state’s Constitution in a case dealing with election integrity safeguards.
The majority upheld that the legislature may adopt “reasonable” requirements, like voter ID and signature matching, to prove that people are who they say they are.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minnesota Allows for Permanent Absentee Voting
(The Center Square) — Any Minnesota voter can now sign up for a permanent absentee ballot.
As of June 1, Minnesota joined eight other states and Washington, D.C. to allow all voters, irrespective of disability status or age, to register online to permanently vote absentee. This will allow voting as early as 46 days before an election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ohio Woman Accused of Stabbing 3-Year-Old Boy to Death in ‘Random’ Parking Lot Attack
A 3-year-old boy has died in Ohio after a woman allegedly stabbed him and his mother outside a Cleveland-area Giant Eagle supermarket in what is being described by officials as a “random act of violence.”
Bionca Ellis, 32, is now facing an aggravated murder charge following the incident Monday afternoon in the parking lot of the Giant Eagle at 27264 Lorain Road in North Olmsted, the city’s police department says.
“To lose their youngest child in such a violent and senseless manner is absolutely heartbreaking,” North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones said in a statement Tuesday, calling the death a “terrible tragedy for our entire community.”
Police identified the victim as Julian Wood and said his mother, 38-year-old Margot Wood of North Olmsted, has been treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is “expected to make a full recovery.”
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Encampment Erected at La City Hall; Protesters to Surround White House
Get ready for Pro-Palestinian demonstrations to spill over from universities and colleges onto city streets this summer.
Just days ago, we were the first to report that the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) group is planning to surround the White House this Saturday. Now, new reports indicate that a pro-Palestinian protester encampment was erected outside the Los Angeles City Hall in the overnight hours.
Let’s begin with the news from the local media outlet KABC:
Pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment Monday night in front of Los Angeles City Hall.
About 21 tents with about 50 protesters were seen lined up on the sidewalks outside the building at Main Street and First Street
AIR7 HD was above city hall and captured several tents with Palestinian flags and phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Republicans Tear Into AG Merrick Garland Over Trump ‘Lawfare’ After ‘Hush Money’ Conviction
House Republicans blasted Attorney General Merrick Garland Tuesday in his first congressional hearing since Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in Manhattan, accusing the Department of Justice of engaging in “coordinated lawfare” against the former president.
“Mr. Attorney General, you’ve told us that it’s a dangerous conspiracy theory to allege that the Department of Justice is communicating with these state and local prosecutions against Trump,” far-right Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said in reference to Garland’s opening remarks to the committee.
“You can clear it all up for us right now. Will the Department of Justice provide to the committee all documents, all correspondence between the department and [Manhattan DA] Alvin Bragg’s office, and [Fulton County, Ga. DA] Fani Willis’ office and [New York state AG] Letitia James’ office?” he asked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Will Consider Doctrine Case That Could Defang the Deep State
The Supreme Court has taken on a potential landmark case regarding the Chevron deference doctrine.
The case could change the way unelected bureaucrats in federal agencies are allowed to decide how to interpret laws when they are unclear.
The doctrine has become a sticking point for conservatives.
Many see the doctrine as giving the deep state too much power to control the federal government.
In effect, agency bureaucrats use the doctrine to get the power to change laws by reinterpreting them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump on Tuesday urged the judge who oversaw his Manhattan hush money trial to remove a court order barring him from bashing witnesses or jurors in the criminal case — citing time for this month’s presidential debate.
A lawyer for the 77-year-old presumptive 2024 Republican nominee — and as of last week, a convicted felon — sent a letter to Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan citing Trump’s June 27 debate with President Biden among several reasons to lift the limited “gag order.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Western Washington University President Caves to Demands of Gaza Campers
The violent faculty-backed Gaza camp at Western Washington University in Bellingham was finally disbanded last week after the university president caved to the demand of anti-Israel activists even in the face of alleged hate crimes by the campers against Jewish students. Activists and WWU president Sabah Randhawa finalized the agreement on Wednesday, and campers were given a 5 pm Thursday deadline to pack their tents and leave the lawn between Old Main and Viking Union.
The administration agreed to “meet with no more than seven students from the WWU Divest Apartheid Coalition to form a plan of action on relevant short— and long-term divestment matters,” relating to Israeli companies and companies that do business in Israel. Activists specifically called out removing foods in the dining hall such as Sabra dips, a company that was owned by a Jewish family before being sold to Pepsi and is a frequent target of the antisemitic Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement.
The administration also agreed to reevaluate relationships with study abroad programs, as activists have long sought to cut ties with universities in the Jewish state. As part of the agreement, the school’s diversity department will work on the “interpretation and use of terms, including but not limited to anti-Arab racism, sexism, anti-Blackness, anti-trans sentiment, antisemitism, etc., and how various interpretations” impact the community.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Farmers Heading to Protest Against European Climate Policy in Brussels
Angry farmers from the Netherlands and a dozen other EU countries are heading to Brussels on the eve of the European elections. They want to force an end to restrictive European climate and environmental regulations. The first Dutch farmers are on their way. Organizers promised that this time, the protest would remain peaceful.
With approximately 25 tractors and truck tractors, Dutch farmers left a meeting point in Schaijk, Noord-Brabant, at around 1:30 a.m. They first headed to Someren to collect colleagues waiting there and then continued to the border crossing at Valkenswaard. Tractors gathering in Wagenberg, near Breda, set out a few hours later.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Elections: X Outperforms Competitors in Anti-Disinformation Test
Elon Musk’s social media platform X has come first in an anti-disinformation test held ahead of the European elections.
The site beat out both TikTok and YouTube in the experiment designed by the international NGO Global Witness, despite previous statements from European Commission officials claiming that X had been left particularly vulnerable to so-called “disinformation” following reforms imposed by Musk.
According to a June 4 press release published by the non-profit, the test consisted of submitting 16 adverts containing misinformation to each platform with the request to have them circulated in Ireland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eurocrats Spooked as Private Industry Shuns ‘Green’ Hydrogen
Eurocrats have expressed concern over the failure of private industry to ramp up their production and use of “green” hydrogen.
A cornerstone of Brussels’ Green Deal, the European Commission warned on June 3 that not enough industry players appeared to be getting on board with the new technology.
“There are still too few projects moving towards final investment decisions, and too few off-takers signing contracts to switch to hydrogen,” the bloc’s energy Commissioner, Kadri Simson warned.
The body has now launched a so-called “pilot mechanism” to “accelerate” investment in the technology.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Flanders: Facebook Owner Meta Fined for Censoring Right-Wing MEP
Facebook owner Meta has been fined almost €28,000 after it censored a right-wing MEP in Belgium.
The Ghent Court of Appeal ruled on June 3 that Meta unfairly limited the reach of Vlaams Belang’s Tom Vandendriessche in 2021 with a so-called “shadowban” over allegations of hate speech.
Meta alleged that the MEP was also guilty of supporting so-called “dangerous individuals” and “hate organisations”, as well as of cases of bullying and harassment, with the social media firm also limiting his ability to advertise on the platform as a result.
According to the court, Meta was unable to provide sufficient evidence that the Vlaams Belang lead candidate actually engaged in the activities they accused him of.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France’s Senate Proposes 5% Annual Hike in Cigarette Prices to Discourage Smoking
The French Senate has proposed a bold plan to tackle the country’s smoking epidemic by raising the price of cigarettes by 5% annually until 2040.
The goal is to discourage smokers and reduce the number of avoidable deaths caused by tobacco use. According to the World Health Organization, smoking is linked to over 73,000 deaths in France every year.
The proposal, which could bring in an estimated €14 billion per year for the French state, would mean that a pack of cigarettes currently costing €12 would cost €25 in 2025. This is a significant increase, but not unprecedented. Countries like Australia and New Zealand already have similar prices for cigarettes.
However, the impact of the price hike on smoking rates is not clear-cut. While raising the price of cigarettes is widely considered to be an effective way to reduce smoking, the proportion of people who smoke in France has actually stabilized in recent years. According to OECD figures, the proportion of daily smokers dropped from 30% in 2000 to 25.5% in 2020, a decrease of 4.5%. This is lower than the change noted in other countries, such as the UK, Germany, and Spain.
Some experts are concerned that raising prices could also lead to an increase in the contraband trade of cigarettes. Last year, nearly 503 tonnes of illicit tobacco were seized by French border police as of 1 December. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the proposed price hike and whether it could lead to unintended consequences.
Despite these concerns, the French Senate’s proposal is part of a broader effort to encourage healthier lifestyles through taxation. The Social Affairs Committee has published a report on how taxation can be used to promote healthier habits, and this proposal is just one example of this approach.
The French government has already taken steps to reduce smoking rates, including restrictions on smoking in public places and bans on cigarette advertisements. If implemented, the proposed price hike could be another step towards reducing the harmful effects of tobacco use in France.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Mysterious Coffins Left at Eiffel Tower, Three Suspects Released Pending Investigation
Three individuals from Bulgaria, Germany, and Ukraine were released from custody on Monday after allegedly leaving five coffins at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, a Paris landmark that will be a prominent feature of the upcoming Olympic Games. The incident has sparked concern and confusion about the motive behind the stunt, which was carried out on Saturday.
The three suspects, including a 39-year-old Bulgarian driver, a 25-year-old German man, and a 16-year-old Ukrainian teenager, were questioned by an investigative judge and were named as assisted witnesses. They will remain free pending further investigation.
The incident has been described as an act of “psychological violence” by officials at the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has caused employees of the landmark and others to be unable to work. The motives behind the stunt are still unclear, but it is believed that the coffins were covered in a French flag with an inscription reading “French soldiers of Ukraine”.
The Eiffel Tower incident is just one of several strange incidents in recent months that have worried French authorities. Last month, graffiti showing red hands appeared on the Holocaust Memorial in Paris, while in October, stencils of blue Stars of David appeared on Paris buildings. French authorities have accused Russian security services of stirring up controversy around the stars.
The Olympic Games are set to take place from July 26 to August 11, and French authorities are on high alert to ensure the safety of spectators and athletes. The Eiffel Tower is expected to be a prominent feature of the Games, with the Olympic rings set to be displayed on the monument.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Set to Miss 2030 Climate Goals, Report Finds
Germany will not be able to meet its emission reduction target by the end of the decade, a panel of government climate advisers has warned.
A report by the country’s Expert Council for Climate has claimed that greenhouse gas emissions in the country remain too high, criticising claims made by German climate protection minister Robert Habeck and the country’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA) that reductions were on track.
Responding to the UBA’s forecast, the Council of Experts on Climate Change claimed their analysis was overly optimistic, and that targets set for 2030 would not be achieved.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Army to Boost Rheinmetall Artillery Shell Order by 200,000, Document Shows
The German army intends to order 200,000 more artillery shells from arms maker Rheinmetall than it had planned, a letter seen by Reuters on June 4 from the Defence Ministry to the Bundestag’s budget committee shows.
The army plans to get 200,000 additional 155mm artillery shells worth about 880 million euros ($960 million) within its framework agreement with the defence firm, the letter said. It had already agreed to a 1.2 billion euro deal for several hundred thousand shells, fuses and charges.
The new shells are meant to refill the army’s depots as Germany helps supply Ukraine as it fights off the Russian military, which invaded in 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Parliament Votes to Reclassify Possession of Child Pornography
The German Parliament has voted to reclassify the possession and distribution of child pornography from a felony to a misdemeanor, significantly reducing potential penalties, as reported by Gulf Insider.
Officials state that the new law aims to address inconsistencies in existing child pornography laws, which sometimes affect individuals who receive images or videos without their consent through email or social media. Additionally, cases involving minors exchanging images and facing charges for creation or possession of child pornography were cited as a rationale for the change.
Critics argue that the government could have made targeted legal adjustments for these specific situations without broadly reclassifying the crime, which they fear may offer greater legal protection to child predators. The law does not differentiate between adult offenders and minors.
The Bundestag specifies that under the new bill, “possession and acquisition should be punishable with a minimum penalty of three months’ imprisonment, and distribution with a minimum penalty of six months’ imprisonment.” As a result, the offenses detailed in Section 184b of the Criminal Code are now classified as misdemeanors instead of crimes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic Totalitarianism Wants to ‘Conquer France’, Warns Populist Leader Ahead of EU Elections
Mass migration will be the death of French civilisation and Islamic totalitarianism is seeking to “conquer France”, was the message from populist leader Jordan Bardella during the National Rally’s final campaign gathering ahead of the European Parliament elections.
More than 5,500 supporters of the populist right-wing National Rally (RN) flocked to the Dome of Paris arena on Sunday as the party’s president and the top candidate of the party’s election list, 28-year-old firebrand Jordan Bardella.
Receiving a rock star reception, Bardella cast this week’s European Parliament elections in stark terms, warning that French civilisation itself is at stake if the open borders agenda of Brussels and Paris is not reversed, public broadcaster France24 reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Ref Accused of Political Bias in Denying 2 Penalty Shouts
Official FI candidate for Rovigo council, coach’s dad up for PD
A lower-league Italian referee has been accused of political bias after she denied a team two penalty appeals in a local Third Category game on Tuesday night, local media reported Wednesday.
The official, Benedetta Fugalli, ia a town council candidate for the centre-right post Berlusconi Forza Italia (FI) party in Rovigo while the father of the aggrieved coach is a mayoral candidate for the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).
Rivarese beat Giovane Italia Polesella 2-1 after the latter’s two penalty claims were turned down and Polesella coach Nicola Tosini told reporters: “It was an inopportune refereeing appoitnment: we were penalised because of political reasons”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: League Files Bill to Bring Back Military Service
Six months of service, also civilian, for 18-26 year olds
The rightwing League party on Tuesday filed a bill to bring back military service in Italy after it ended at the end of 2004.
The bill would also offer civilian service to conscientious objectors or others not wanting to do military services, said League leader, Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini.
“The League’s bill to reintroduce six months of civil or military service for 18-26 year olds, on a regional basis and to be carried out exclusively in Italy, has been filed in the Chamber of Deputies, (Lower House)” Salvini wrote on social media.
“I am convinced about this,” he added.
“It is a form of civic education in the service of the community, of discipline, of attention to others and respect for oneself and for others that could have very positive effects.”
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
The Lithuanian Seimas, after debates on June 4, finally approved the reform of conscription into the army, which provides that young people will be drafted immediately after graduation from school — this decision was supported by 81 deputies. This is reported by LRT.
Approved amendments to the law on universal military duty and military service in Lithuania provide that the military service will be called up at the age of 18 to 22 years — that is, after graduation from school. After conscription, Lithuanian youth will not be able to enter university until they have completed their military service.
Another innovation concerns different terms of service. Lithuanian conscripts will be drafted for nine months, but depending on the needs of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, this period may be reduced to six months.
At the same time, university graduates with specialties that are not available in the army or are not taught — for example, avionics specialists, engineers, medics — will be drafted for three months for basic military training. They are expected to become part of an active reserve in case of crisis situations.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense prepared a draft reform proposal as early as last year, but it aroused resistance because it envisioned alternative service for university students. Therefore, this provision was excluded. The changes to the law will come into force in 2026.
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Mannheim Attack: German Authorities Uncover Islamic Extremist Motive
German authorities have discovered evidence of an Islamic extremist motive behind a deadly knife attack in the city of Mannheim, which has sparked calls for reforms to enable deportations to countries such as Afghanistan and Syria. The attack, which occurred last week, left a police officer fatally injured and five members of a group opposing “political Islam” wounded.
The suspected assailant, a 25-year-old Afghan man who has lived in Germany since 2014 and had his asylum application rejected, reportedly targeted the Pax Europa group, which describes itself as anti-Islamist. The attack was quickly brought to an end by police, who shot the assailant and wounded him.
The investigation has now been taken over by federal prosecutors, who are responsible for terrorism and national security cases. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann tweeted on Monday that “there are now clear indications of an Islamist motive” behind the attack.
The stabbing comes just a week before Germany’s European Parliament elections, and has sparked calls from opposition and some governing party politicians for authorities to re-examine their deportation policies. The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021, effectively suspending deportations to the country. Some are now calling for similar measures to be implemented in Syria.
As Germany grapples with the aftermath of the attack, the incident has also raised questions about the country’s integration policies and how to address radicalization among some immigrant communities.
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NATO Prepares Land Corridors for U.S. Troops in Case of Major War in Europe
NATO in Europe is developing multiple land corridors for American troops and armored vehicles in the event of a large-scale ground war with Russia. These corridors are intended to allow U.S. forces to rapidly reach the eastern borders of the Alliance, according to The Telegraph.
These logistical corridors are being created amid warnings from top NATO leadership that Western governments must prepare for a potential conflict with Russia within the next two decades. Last year, NATO members agreed to prepare 300,000 troops to be on high alert to defend the Alliance.
Under the plan, U.S. forces, which are part of this contingent, will land at one of five designated ports and proceed to the front lines via prepared routes, including railways. The five main corridors originate from the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Norway.
Additional transportation corridors are being developed through ports in the Balkans, as well as through Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
A crucial aspect of these corridors is that the troops will not be restricted by local regulations, laws, or customs duties, allowing them to transport supplies freely.
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New Dutch Party in European Election Has Close Ties With China: Report
NL Plan, a Dutch party participating in the European Parliament elections for the first time on Thursday, has much closer ties to China than its campaign spearheads of social housing and poverty reduction would suggest. Research by RTL Nieuws and Follow the Money showed that NL Plan is funded by organizations that support the Chinese Communist Party, and representatives of the party express strong pro-China views, but only in Chinese-language media.
According to the investigative journalists, NL Plan has strong ties with individuals and organizations that form part of an international influence network of the Chinese Communist Party, known as the United Front. The Dutch party received 42,000 euros in donations, a significant portion of which came from organizations in the United Front network that are committed to Beijing’s political goals and the suppression of dissident voices.
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New Leadership Horizon: European Parliament Elections and the Road Ahead
As voters across 27 European nations prepare to cast their ballots from Thursday through Sunday this week, the anticipation builds for a pivotal moment in the continent’s political landscape. The European Parliament elections, expected to witness notable gains for right-wing factions, will usher in a fresh cohort of 720 members, an increase of 15 from previous elections.
Amidst the electoral fervor, one of the foremost tasks awaiting the newly constituted parliament is the selection of its president, a decision requiring an absolute majority. Subsequently, attention turns to the appointment of the president for the European Commission, with parliamentary members entrusted to scrutinize and either endorse or reject aspiring commissioners following interviews.
Once in session, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will assume their legislative duties, engaging in the multifaceted process of drafting, debating, amending, and negotiating proposals alongside the European Commission and the European Council. While the parliament and council lack the authority to initiate legislative procedures, they wield influence through the ability to prompt the commission to propose new legislation.
Beyond legislative endeavors, the parliament assumes critical oversight roles, including the adoption of the EU budget, scrutiny of foreign policy, and pivotal decisions on matters such as EU enlargement and association treaties. Notably, the parliament retains the power to compel the resignation of the commission through the adoption of a censure motion, a potent tool underscored by past events.
Reflecting on history, the European Parliament’s authority and accountability were underscored in 1999 when, in response to a fraud and corruption scandal, it compelled the mass resignation of the entire European Commission. Such moments underscore the parliament’s pivotal role in upholding integrity and accountability within the European Union.
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Orban Cosies Up to Meloni in Hopes of Joining ECR
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he would like to join a group that includes Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
In a June 4 interview with Il Giornale, Orban opened up about his plans for future right-wing co-operation, expressing the hope that his Fidesz party could join up with Fratelli D’Italia’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, or whatever larger faction the Italians end up building after this month’s elections.
The Hungarians have been on their own in the European Parliament since they quit the European People’s Party (EPP) in 2021 over ideological differences.
Fidesz’s position on Ukraine has since prevented it from joining up with the ECR, with the group having been steadfast in its support of Kyiv.
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Polish Election Candidate Plays Cat-and-Mouse With Prosecutors
Daniel Obajtek, the former CEO of Polish fuel giant Orlen and an EU election candidate for the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland, is being pursued by prosecutors.
According to Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, Obajtek is being investigated over his activities in the energy company, with the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) accusing him of using his influence to illegally help PiS.
Authorities have now ordered Obajtek to appear before a parliamentary investigative committee on June 7.
In response, the PiS politician said that he would not “participate in a circus put on by the KO” ahead of the European elections.
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Polish Farmers Protest Against Road to Terminal Handling Ukrainian Goods
In Poland, residents of the Gmina Orly and farmers from the organization “Podkarpackie Deceived Village” have started blocking National Road 77 in the village of Dunkowice. TVP3 Rzeszów reports that they are protesting against the construction of a new road towards Zurawica. The blockade is expected to last until June 30.
The protesters claim that the construction was not agreed upon with the landowners and believe that such an investment will increase traffic on the national road and deprive local farmers of their land.
“We demand that the road construction work be stopped. This area is currently very valuable from an agricultural perspective. It will complicate the work of farmers, take away their valuable fields, and make it difficult for residents to move around,” said one of the protesters.
The demonstrators are allowing five vehicles per hour to pass, except for shuttle buses, minibuses, and food trucks. They are demanding negotiations with the investor and a change in the road route.
The road under construction is intended to provide better connectivity with National Road DK 77, which is currently the only access road to the terminal in Zurawica. The terminal handles goods transported by rail to and from Ukraine, including agricultural products.
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Polish Farmers Resume Blockade at Ukrainian Border
Starting at 10:00 Kyiv time on June 4, Polish farmers have resumed their blockade of the cargo section at the “Rava-Ruska — Hrebenne” checkpoint. This action, set to last until the afternoon of June 6, was reported by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Monday.
The blockade will result in a complete halt of truck traffic leaving Ukraine through this checkpoint. The report specifies that while outgoing cargo traffic will be stopped entirely, the entry of trucks into Ukraine will be heavily restricted. The Polish side will permit no more than 24 trucks per day, divided into two batches of 12 vehicles each. Additionally, up to four vehicles carrying humanitarian aid will be allowed entry per hour.
The State Customs Service of Ukraine has advised that this information be considered when planning routes.
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Polls Predict Far-Right Majority of Dutch Seats in European Parliament
Dutch candidates rally for the European elections amid concerns over the future of Europe, with polls suggesting potential far-right dominance.
As the European Union heads to the polls later this week, Dutch candidates hoping to win a seat in the European Parliament have been out on the streets for last-minute campaigning.
Bas Eickhout, the lead candidate for the GreenLeft-Labour (GroenLinks-PvdA) alliance, said the future of Europe is at stake in the upcoming elections.
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Slovenia Becomes Latest European Country to Recognise Palestinian State After Parliamentary Vote
Slovenia’s decision came days after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognised a state of Palestinian, which was condemned by Israel.
Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state on Tuesday after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move, following in the recent steps of three other European countries.
Slovenia’s government endorsed a motion last week to recognise a Palestinian state, and had sent the proposal to parliament for final approval, which was needed for the decision to take effect.
The parliament voted 52 in favour of recognition, with no opposing votes out of the 90-seat assembly. The remaining lawmakers abstained from the vote.
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Spain Proposes Law to Improve Children’s Online Safety
Spain’s government has proposed a law to protect children from online threats that includes virtual restraining orders for offenders, a higher age for opening social media accounts and medical examinations for teenagers to detect related emotional disorders, AP reported.
Public concern has grown after a number of cases of sexual assault and Internet-related abuse. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain is facing a “real epidemic” of pornography targeting minors. About 25% of children under 12 and 50% of children under 15 have been exposed to online pornography.
The Spanish government has banned the use of cell phones in elementary school and required secondary schools to justify their use for educational purposes. The government states that the average age of children getting their first cell phone is 11 years old.
The bill would amend the criminal code to include specific offenses related to the distribution of pornographic material to minors and the creation of “dipshit” images using artificial intelligence, especially if they target victims with sexually violent material. It also targets so-called “grooming” by sexual predators trying to gain the trust of minors.
The minimum age to open a social media account in Spain will increase from 14 to 16 years old. Technology companies will be required to install age verification and parental controls on social networks and video sharing apps.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two-Thirds of Hungarians Support the Changeover to the Euro
Since 2019, the share of the Hungarian population that supports the introduction of the euro has almost doubled. This is evidenced by the data of a sociological survey conducted by Zavecz Research on behalf of the portal 24.hu.
While five years ago 38% of respondents said that a common European currency should be introduced in Hungary, this year already 68% support the proposal. The share of opponents of the euro has decreased from 49% to 25%.
Support for the introduction of the euro in Hungarian society is uniform — even taking into account the different demographics, it is impossible to find a group in which opponents are in the majority, at most their share varies slightly. For example, the share of supporters in all three age groups studied is 68-70%, and depending on the localities it varies from 64% (municipality) to 75% (county center).
Among party supporters, support for the introduction of the euro is lowest among Fidesz and Mi Hazank voters — 53 percent for the former and 49 percent for the latter. In addition, 60 percent of respondents want joint decision-making for the EU in more areas than now, as well as closer cooperation between European countries — an increase of 9 percentage points from 2019.
On the other hand, 33% of respondents want cooperation to be less close than it is now and for decision-making power in several areas to return to the member countries. Voters of the Fidesz and Mi Hazank parties have a majority among those who hold the latter opinion (61 and 56 percent).
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UK: ‘Farage Will Win’ — Brexit Leader Tipped to Win Parliament Seat After Shock Return to Politics
Fresh from returning to the political fray in Britain, Brexit boss Nigel Farage has been predicted to come out on top in the seaside constituency of Clacton at the July 4th general election and secure a seat in Parliament.
After initially claiming to have been wrong-footed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to call for a snap summer election — which severely limited the number of days to campaign — veteran populist Nigel Farage made an about-face on Monday, declaring that he would not only return as the leader of Reform UK (formerly the Brexit party) for at least the next five years but would also seek to unseat the Tories in Clacton and become the coastal English constituency’s Member of Parliament at next month’s general election.
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UK: ‘Send Me to Parliament to be a Bloody Nuisance’: Farage’s Seaside Campaign Launch Draws Crowds
Nigel Farage launched his bid to be elected to Britain’s national Parliament on Tuesday, drawing a clearly larger-than-expected crowd of locals at the seafront in his chosen constituency of Clacton.
The leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage stood on a picnic bench outside a Fish & Chip shop at the entrance to Clacton Pier to launch his election campaign in the seat midday Tuesday, delivering a classic populist message promising to oppose the political mainstream in Westminster if elected.
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UK: Top Study Directly Links COVID Shots to Global Excess Deaths
A major new peer-reviewed study into the “unprecedented” global excess deaths figures has concluded that Covid mRNA shots are directly responsible.
The large-scale study analyzed the mortality data from 47 individual countries and was published in the world-renowned British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The scientists concluded that the Covid mRNA injections are to blame for the soaring excess deaths seen around the world since the pandemic.
Researchers from The Netherlands analyzed data from 47 Western countries and discovered there had been more than three million excess deaths since 2020.
They found that the trend continued despite the rollout of vaccines and containment measures which were meant to protect the public from COVID-19.
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Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage has been hit with a milkshake while campaigning for the forthcoming UK General Election, the second time the politician has been so assaulted.
A young woman threw a cup of milkshake at Nigel Farage while he was out meeting voters in Clacton, Essex on Tuesday. Farage had shortly before visited a pub after addressing a short-notice rally of supporters in the town. He had announced he would be standing for election in Clacton just 20 hours before.
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Biden Suggests Netanyahu Prolonging Israel’s Gaza War for Political Gains
Washington, DC — United States President Joe Biden has suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war on Gaza for political reasons, an accusation that highlights the apparent tensions between the two leaders.
In a TIME Magazine interview published on Tuesday, the US president said there is “every reason for people to draw” the conclusion that Netanyahu is perpetuating the conflict for his own political ends.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Faces Rare Protest as Kyiv Fires First US Weapon Inside Russia
Vladimir Putin faced a rare protest in Moscow by Russian women who demanded his defence minister Andrei Belousov return their mobilised husbands from the frontline in Ukraine.
A group of 18 women gathered to appeal personally to Belousov, who was appointed to the role last month. They asked him to impose strict limits on how long soldiers could serve before they were rotated out of active duty, said Paulina, 20, whose husband is fighting in Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Hints it Used Western Weapons to Strike Inside Russia After Biden’s Green Light
Ukraine finally has a green light to strike inside Russia using U.S. weapons — and it may have begun doing so.
A senior Ukrainian official hinted Monday that Kyiv had hit a missile system inside Russia using Western weapons, just days after many of Ukraine’s allies, including the United States, approved their limited use.
That followed months of pressure to ignore threats from the Kremlin and lift the restrictions, which Ukraine said had hampered its defensive effort. Even as President Vladimir Putin’s officials repeated their dire warnings, Ukraine signaled that it may have fired its first shots in this new reality, leaving observers to question what it could mean for the wider war.
A now-deleted post Monday on the Telegram messaging app from Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk showed a photo of what appears to be a burning military truck.
“It’s burning well. This is a Russian S-300. On Russian territory. The first days after permission to use Western weapons on the enemy’s territory,” her post read.
Vereshchuk did not provide any details about where in Russian territory the missile system was allegedly hit or when. She also did not specify if the weapons used in the strike were supplied by the U.S. NBC News could not verify whether the photo she posted showed an S-300 missile system, which is used for air defense.
Ukraine’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
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Why India’s Modi Failed to Win Outright Majority
Indian PM Narendra Modi has won a third consecutive term in a much tighter general election than anticipated.
His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks set to fall short of a majority and is leading in the 543-seat parliament, below the required 272 seats. However its coalition partners have gained additional seats.
The results are a personal blow to Mr Modi, who has always secured majorities in elections as both chief minister of Gujarat state and India’s prime minister, and dominated the country’s politics for a decade.
The verdict marks a surprising revival for the Congress Party-led INDIA opposition alliance, defying earlier predictions of its decline, and sharply diverging from both exit polls and pre-election surveys.
More than 640 million people voted in a marathon seven-week election, hailed as a “world record” by election authorities. Nearly half of the voters were women.
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Local media outlet Fox 45 News revealed a convicted sex offender and illegal alien was released by Baltimore County officials, blatantly ignoring the federal government’s request to keep the criminal in jail. This stunning act of defiance in the progressive-controlled Baltimore metro area raises serious questions about their commitment to public safety, upholding law and order, and adherence to the federal government.
Fox 45 spoke with the US Department of Homeland Security about 25-year-old Raul Calderon-Interiano, who was convicted of a fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault in April by a Baltimore County judge.
The illegal alien was sentenced to six years in prison, but the judge suspended all of his prison time.
Despite federal immigration officials filing a “detainer” for the officials in the county to keep the illegal alien in custody, the Baltimore County Detention Center released him anyway after his prison sentence was suspended.
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121 NYC Hotels Converted to Migrant Shelters Despite Concerns of Cost Squeeze on Tourists
A staggering 121 New York City hotels have been taken off the market and converted into migrant shelters — raising concerns that a space crunch and pricier rooms will tank tourism.
Some 16,000 former hotel rooms now booked to help with the influx of migrants into the Big Apple as the room rate for actual hotels has soared past $300 a night.
“There’s no question that taking a massive supply of hotel rooms off the market is increasing prices at the hotels,” said Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.
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Arizona Lawmakers Set to Vote on Local Police’s Border Arrest Powers
Arizona legislators are preparing for a final vote on a proposal that would allow local law enforcement to arrest individuals crossing the Arizona-Mexico border outside of designated ports of entry, effectively stepping into immigration enforcement. If approved, this measure will go before voters in November for a final decision.
Set for a vote in the Arizona House, this proposal would grant state and local police the authority to arrest unauthorized border crossers and empower state judges to order their deportation.
Mirroring a similar Texas law currently suspended by a federal appeals court, the Arizona Senate has already passed this proposal with a narrow 16-13 party-line vote. Should it pass the House, the measure will bypass Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, who vetoed a similar bill in March, and proceed directly to the November 5 ballot.
Proponents argue that despite federal laws against unauthorized entry, this state-level measure is necessary due to inadequate federal enforcement along Arizona’s extensive and porous border. They claim that some unauthorized entrants commit identity theft and misuse public benefits. Critics, however, warn that this could lead to racial profiling, burden law enforcement agencies unfamiliar with immigration law, and damage Arizona’s business reputation.
Supporters dismiss concerns about racial profiling, insisting that local officers would still need probable cause to make arrests. They also emphasize that the measure targets only the border region, unlike the comprehensive 2010 Arizona immigration law. Nonetheless, opponents note the proposal lacks geographical limitations on enforcement within the state.
The measure includes additional provisions unrelated to immigration, such as imposing a felony charge for selling fentanyl resulting in death, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and requiring benefit programs to verify noncitizen eligibility using a federal database.
Opponents highlight potential legal costs, drawing parallels to Arizona’s 2005 immigrant smuggling ban, which led to costly legal battles and a racial profiling verdict against former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The current proposal could similarly result in significant taxpayer expenses.
A first-time conviction under the border-crossing provision would be a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail. Judges could order deportation after the incarceration period, with the option to dismiss cases if the arrested individuals agree to return home.
The measure mandates the state corrections department to house those charged or convicted if local facilities lack capacity. Exceptions are provided for individuals granted lawful presence status or asylum by the federal government.
The provision allowing arrests for border crossings outside ports of entry would only take effect if the Texas law or similar laws from other states remain in force for at least 60 days.
This is not Arizona’s first attempt to criminalize unauthorized migrants. In 2010, the legislature considered but ultimately removed a provision criminalizing immigrant presence, opting instead to require officers to check immigration status during law enforcement encounters. This provision was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, despite ongoing concerns about racial profiling.
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Buffer Zone Dividing Cyprus Will Not Become Another Migrant Route — Presidential Statement
Cyprus’ president said Tuesday that he will not “open another route” for illegal migration by letting through more than two dozen asylum seekers now stuck in the buffer zone shared by the island nation, AP reported.
President Nicos Christodoulides told reporters that his government was ready to provide any humanitarian assistance to the 27 Afghan, Cameroonian, Sudanese and Iranian migrants if the need arose.
But he said the 180-kilometer (120-mile) buffer zone “will not become a new route for illegal migrants to pass through.” Turkey lets them through its territory and allows them to board planes and boats bound for northern Cyprus, Christodoulidis said.
The UN has said it has no mandate to process asylum claims and cannot send migrants back to either the north or Turkey.
In recent years, Cyprus has seen a significant increase in the number of migrants seeking asylum after reaching northern Turkey and crossing the buffer zone. Officials said a combination of tough measures, including increased police patrols along the southern borders of the buffer zone, faster processing of asylum claims and faster repatriation procedures, had reduced the number of such crossings by more than 85 percent.
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Eurostat: Asylum applications in Europe on the rise.
On May 14, EU member states took the last hurdle to a stricter, controversial migration and asylum pact after nearly a decade of wrangling.
The overhaul comes into force from 2026.
However, 15 EU countries already expressed a desire to clamp down on illegal migration even further in a letter to the European Commission on Wednesday.
Fierce debate
The EU on Tuesday gave the final green light to a landmark overhaul of its migration and asylum policies that will see hardened borders and responsibility shared among member states.
EU officials had been at pains to wrap up the migration reforms ahead of European elections scheduled for June. The issue has been politically divisive, especially since an influx of arrivals in 2015 that exposed the migration system’s weaknesses.
The new body of law is the product of years of fierce debate, which came to a head in a tense European Parliament vote in April.
The overhaul consists of ten pieces of legislation, which were supported by the vast majority of EU member states. Hungary and Poland voted against the entire package and countries such as Austria and Slovakia opposed particular parts. The Czech Republic, also a critic of the pact, abstained from all ten votes.
Following confirmation by the EU countries, the new pact will now be published in the official EU journal. The member states will then have two years to put the rules adopted on Tuesday into practice. The European Commission will soon present a common implementation plan to help the member states in this process, the Belgian EU presidency said.
The new laws require all 27 EU member states to take some responsibility for managing asylum applications — including those who voted against the reforms — but the package also makes the rules stricter for applicants. It establishes new border centres that will hold irregular migrants while their asylum requests are vetted. Deportations of those deemed inadmissible will be accelerated.
“These new rules will make the European asylum system more effective and increase solidarity between member states,” said Belgium’s asylum and migration minister Nicole de Moor.
European Council president Charles Michel called the legislation “a milestone in the EU’s response to manage migration and reform the system” on X, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a “historic agreement”.
In contrast to that, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated that while the pact was a first step towards tackling illegal migration, it was not enough. He said that’s the reason why the Czech Republic has co-founded a group of countries that want to tackle illegal migration more strongly.
A sentiment shared by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen who called the current situation with migrant flows towards Europe “unsustainable” during a conference on migration challenges on May 6 in Copenhagen. The pact is drawing criticism from migrant rights charities, some nationalist governments and researchers for different reasons. Rights group Amnesty International, for example, argued that it will “lead to greater human suffering”.
Migration researcher Judith Kohlenberger of the Vienna University of Economics and Business stated in an interview with the Austrian Press Agency that the reform was completely ignoring the fight against the causes of flight. “On the one hand, we are fending off refugees, while on the other we are constantly helping to create the reasons for flight — see the consequences of the climate crisis or economic policy. Europe is contributing to flight and labour migration,” emphasised Kohlenberg.
According to her, the only positive thing about the EU asylum and migration pact, which is to be implemented over the next two years, is that the 27 member states have finally managed to reach a compromise on migration policy.
“It would have been a declaration of bankruptcy by the EU Commission if there had been no progress here.” This would play into the hands of the right-wing parties in the EU elections in June.
The EU elections are expected to see a surge by far-right parties campaigning on the need to crack down on irregular migration. The far-right Swedish Democrats — a member of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament — for example chose “My Europe is building walls” as their main slogan for the upcoming European elections.
Petar Volgin, an MEP candidate for the far-right Bulgarian Vazrazhdane Party, said in an interview on Tuesday that “flooding” the country with migrants or, alternatively, “paying exorbitant sums to keep them from coming here in the name of [Bulgaria joining the Schengen Area for air and sea travel]” must be taken out of the picture. Only then Bulgaria could reinstate its national sovereignty and strengthen its economy.
Fabrice Leggeri, former Frontex executive director and third on the list of the French far-right National Rally party for the European elections, said he saw the June vote as “a referendum”.
Frontex is the EU agency responsible for borders. Leggeri also rejected the idea that Frontex is a “super humanitarian NGO” in an interview with Portuguese news agency LUSA, rather advocating for “pragmatism” in migration management.
Asylum applications in Europe are on the rise, according to Eurostat data. In 2023, 1.048.900 first-time asylum applicants were recorded which is an increase of 20 percent compared to 2022 (873.700), almost reaching the highs of 2015 and 2016.
The highest number of first-time asylum applicants in 2023 in comparison to the population of each member state, was recorded in Cyprus (13 applicants per 1.000 people), followed by Greece and Austria (both six applicants per 1.000 people).
Solidarity Mechanism: Take people in or pay up.
The mechanism is intended to relieve the burden on those countries where many refugees arrive — for example Italy, Greece or Spain. The plan is to redistribute at least 30,000 refugees from these countries to other EU states each year. If the countries do not want to take in refugees, they must provide support to the under-pressure nations, for example in the form of cash payments.
In Slovenia, for example, this could mean that the country would likely have to take in 126 persons or contribute 2.8 million Euro annually.
Slovakia has expressed its dissatisfaction with the new mechanism through its vote: The country voted against two proposals of the ten-point reform package — against the payment of 20,000 Euro for each unaccepted migrant and against compliance with certain asylum obligations — and abstained on eight less fundamental proposals.
“In particular, we did not agree on things such as the fact that if we refuse to take in migrants, we have to pay 20,000 Euro.
From Slovakia’s point of view, the situation is still good today. With around 30,000 migrants to be redistributed, the impact on Slovakia would be around six million Euro, but with mass migration it would be tens of millions,” Slovak Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenickì explained after the vote.
The biggest problem for Slovakia is that the new pact does not mention a financial ceiling for such payments.
Deals with third countries on the rise: 15 EU states demand further tightening of rules.
In parallel with the sweeping reforms, the EU is stepping up its deals with countries of transit and origin aimed at curbing the number of arrivals.
In recent months, that has seen agreements inked with Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt. Other examples of the trend towards outsourcing migration policies in Europe are the British Rwanda model or the bilateral Italy-Albania agreement. It entails sending migrants rescued in Italian waters to Albania while their asylum requests are processed. In February, the Albanian Parliament approved a draft law about tighter cooperation with Italy regarding migration. Through a joint letter to the European Commission, dated May 15, fifteen EU states have demanded a further tightening of the bloc’s asylum policy, making it easier to transfer undocumented migrants to third countries, including when they are rescued at sea. The letter cited the example of the arrangement it made with Turkey in 2016 to take in Syrian refugees from the war in their home country.
The coalition of countries was put together by the Czech Republic together with Denmark and Austria. The letter, which was signed by 15 interior ministers, was delivered to Brussels on Wednesday evening, a spokeswoman for the European Commission confirmed on Thursday.
According to her, the Union executive will now deal with its content. In addition, it will also deal with the implementation of those legislations that are included in the recently adopted migration package.
Signatories include Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania and Finland.
Italy and Greece receive a substantial number of the people making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to reach the EU — many seeking to escape poverty, war or persecution, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Experts: Outsourcing needs clarification.
The new migration and asylum pact proposals such as third-country pacts will fall to the next EU executive which will take office after the European elections.
Camille Le Coz, an expert from the Migration Policy Institute Europe, said that there were “many questions” about how any such initiatives could work.
Under EU law, immigrants can only be sent to a country outside the bloc where they could have applied for asylum, provided they have a sufficient link with that country. That rules out — for now — any programmes such as the United Kingdom’s deal with Rwanda to send arrivals to the African country.
Le Coz said that it still needs “to be clarified” how proposals for any EU outsourcing deals would work as well as “who the European authorities are working with and which third countries are likely to accept”.
Henrik Emilsson, migration researcher at Malmö University, also classifies the idea of handling the asylum process outside of the EU as “political slogans” rather than something that can be done, at least on a short term. According to him, asylum centres outside the EU might even need a treaty change.
(The content is based on news by agencies participating in the enr, in this case AFP, ANSA, APA, ATA, BTA, CTK, dpa, EFE, Europa Press, LUSA, Ritzau, STA, TASR, TT).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Resident Arrested for Helping Albanians Sneak Into Trucks Headed to the UK
Authorities in the Netherlands arrested a 43-year-old man accused of helping unauthorized Albanian immigrants sneak into the United Kingdom. He was accused of guiding the Albanian individuals into the trailers as they were hauled by unsuspecting truck drivers, according to the Marechaussee.
The suspect, who lives in the province of Zuid-Holland, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon on allegations of people smuggling, the Marechaussee said soon after the man was apprehended. The branch of the military is responsible for protecting the Dutch border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Empathy for Asylum Seekers Plummeting Among Dutch Voters
The Netherlands’ self-image as an open, compassionate country took a big blow when Geert Wilders and his PVV won the parliamentary elections at the end of November, and anti-asylum seeker sentiment has only grown since then. In the autumn, half of voters considered it a moral duty to take in asylum seekers, now, it is 39 percent. Nearly half want to reintroduce border controls within the European Union, the Volkskrant reports based on research it commissioned from Ipsos I&O.
There is a clear difference in political preference and how voters feel about asylum seekers. The more right-wing the voters, the more concerns they have about immigration. For example, 91 percent of PVV voters think immigration is the biggest problem of our time, compared to only 31 percent of GroenLinks-PvdA voters, who are far more concerned about the climate crisis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Immigration to the Netherlands Doubled in Ten Years
The number of people with a nationality from one of the other European Union member states living in the Netherlands doubled in ten years. On 1 January 2024, the Netherlands counted 745,500 residents with another EU nationality. On the same date in 2014, that was around 360,000, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Tuesday, ahead of the European Parliament elections this week.
Nearly 649,000 residents with another EU nationality are 18 years or older and can vote for the European Parliament in the Netherlands if they have declared that they wouldn’t vote in another country. Netherlands residents go to the polls on Thursday, June 6.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: AfD is ‘Toxic’ on Migration Issue, Senior RN Candidate Claims
A senior European Parliament election candidate for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) has lashed out at the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, denouncing its political standpoint on migration as “toxic” and “counterproductive”.
In an exclusive interview with Brussels Signal due to be published on June 5, Malika Sorel — who is second on RN’s EU elections list — lambasted her former AfD colleagues in Europe following their expulsion from the Identity and Democracy (ID) group last month.
Speaking on the political divorce, Sorel compared the AfD to RN’s French rival Reconquête, taking particular issue with its alleged attitude towards migrants
“The AfD strategy and that of Reconquête in France are totally counterproductive and I would even say toxic in many respects,” she said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Migrant Arrivals 60% Down Says Meloni
The government has managed to get illegal migrant arrivals down by 60% this year with respect to the same period last year, Premier Giorgia Meloni told the cabinet Tuesday.
“The whole government’s commitment has enabled us to get illegal arrivals down 60% compared to the same period last year,” she said, according to those present.
She said this result had been made “possible above all thanks to collaboration relations with North African countries, led by Tunisia and Libya”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Venezuelan migrant accused of shooting two NYPD cops was charged with two counts of attempted murder and a slew of other raps Tuesday.
Suspect Bernardo Castro Mata, 19, remained in a hospital bed as authorities nailed him with multiple felonies in the early Monday shooting of Officers Christopher Abreu and Richard Yarusso, both 26.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The migrant who stabbed a police officer to death and injured five others at an anti-Islamification rally last week in Germany has been revealed to be a failed asylum seeker, sparking a national debate on migration ahead of the European Parliament elections.
“Sulaiman A.”, the suspected Islamist terrorist who launched a frenzied and fatal attack with a combat-style knife at a rally in Mannheim against the increased impacts of immigration from the Islamic world by activist Michael Stürzenberger, first came to the country from Afghanistan in 2013, German paper of record Welt reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hundreds of migrants were seen posing for photos at a border wall in San Diego county moments after crossing into the US through a gap in the barrier.
The asylum seekers were spotted entering the country through the hole near San Diego in the early hours of Tuesday.
The group was composed of migrants from Mauritania, Nepal, India, China, Vietnam and others according to Fox correspondent Bill Melugin who was at the scene.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
This is the shocking moment dozens of migrants jumped off a motorboat in front of shocked tourists after landing on a Spanish beach.
In video captured on Friday, a group of around 30 migrants jump onto the sand just yards from stunned beachgoers and joggers in Aguaducle, a town in Almeria in southern Spain.
After leaping off the high-powered speed boat, the men make a run for it along the idyllic La Ventilla beach.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portugal’s New Government Tightens Migration Restrictions
The Portuguese government has made changes to its migration policy aimed at limiting the number of newcomers to the country, DW reports. The changes abolished the rule that allowed migrants from non-EU countries to move to Portugal without an employment contract and then apply for residence after paying social security for a year.
Now, migrants will need an employment contract before moving to the country. Portugal has one of the most open immigration regimes in Europe, but after the country’s government was headed by center-right Luis Montenegro, the issue of border restrictions became one of the key ones.
The head of the government said he wanted to “put an end to the excessive abuse” of migrant reception. Portugal’s foreign population has doubled in five years. Many people come from Asia to work on the country’s farms and restaurants.
According to the government, one million people have arrived from abroad, which is about a tenth of the total population. Last year, 180 thousand migrants were legalized in Portugal. Montenegro said that there are currently about 400,000 applications for regularization under consideration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Venezuelan Tren De Aragua Gang Infiltrates Illegal Immigrant Camp Near Seattle: TPUSA’s Frontlines
Members of a vicious Venezuelan gang are suspected of infiltrating an illegal immigrant encampment in Washington state. Jose Ibarra, who is the prime suspect in the death of Laken Riley, has a brother who was linked to the gang.
A report from Turning Point USA’s Frontlines’ Jonathan Choe indicate that members of vicious Venezuelan Tren De Aragua (TDA) gang have infiltrated Riverton Park United Methodist Church illegal immigrant camp near Seattle.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Can Our Politics Get Better, if Our Culture Keeps Getting Worse?
“Politics is downstream from culture” has long since passed from revelation to cliché. Culture has long since become politics and politics has become culture. All culture serves or pretends to serve political ends. And all politics, outside the nitty gritty of the actual legislative agenda, is culture.
Politics has come to be defined by social media influencers. Key cultural figures, like AOC, may have no meaningful legislative clout, but adapted social media celebrity to politics. That they don’t really do anything is almost beside the point in a culture war where no one really does anything except build their brand by virtue signaling, trolling, and insulting their opponents. The base for politics has been sharply split between issue voters and culture voters with the former still dominating elections, but the latter dominating narratives. And social media narratives preclude the need for real world results.
The internet broke our culture the way that it broke our economy. But you can’t really blame technology or even the consolidation of power by special interests using the future shock of the new on anything except the inherent weaknesses in the Weimar world of the pre-internet era that was all too vulnerable to them.
The underlying question on seeing every new low is whether the culture is making the politics worse, or the politics is making the culture worse. The answer to the chicken and egg question is that a narcissistic culture has produced a narcissistic politics. The jargon of contemporary politics that has been adopted so well by AOC leans heavily on “My truths”, “My pain”, and “I am outraged”. Every issue is reduced to a narcissistic projection with no thought for anything larger except as a secondary narrative.
A narcissistic culture did not shed its principles and convictions overnight. It was a slow process that took us from the “Me” generation to the “Selfie” generation. And at the tail end of it, political narcissism shed even the faintest pretenses of Obama’s “We are the ones” and asserted “self-care” and “safe spaces” as its highest values. The unapologetically narcissistic “My truths” dispensed with any interest in facts or truth. Principles had fallen by the wayside even earlier after being sacrificed on the altar of Hope and Change.
Can our politics get any better if our culture keeps getting worse?
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Education Diversity Consultancy Company Sees American Flags as ‘Hate’ Symbols
The co-founder and CEO of diversity, equity, and inclusion training giant Epoch Education has made it clear that those who question the ideology or refuse to go along with its teachings should be forced out of their jobs. Dr. Nancy Dome, who facilitates a number of the classes herself, claimed that such people “do not belong.”
Dole, who referred to the American flag as a symbol of “hate,” has been a vocal critic of those who push for equality over equity, arguing that the latter is necessary for a functioning society. She suggested in a 2023 LinkedIn article, for example, that without equity, people would resort to crime.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
West Hollywood Mayor Says His Favorite Part of Pride Parade is ‘Seeing All the Kids’
During the West Hollywood Pride parade on Sunday, Mayor John Erickson sat down with KTLA to discuss the event. When asked by the hosts about his favorite part, he said it was “seeing all the kids” in the audience.
The parade featured a number of floats supported by local businesses, most of which featured nearly naked men and women engaged in performances that were overtly sexual. Nonetheless, Erickson maintained that it was OK because the kids were “having so much fun.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping”
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/joe-biden-age-election-2024-8ee15246
Just figured that out, huh? Ugh.
“Prediction: If elected, I think there’s a possibility that Prince Aricept might put on his hat one day and just walk away, vanishing into the DC streets…” —posted to fb (April 2020)
“I’ve come to the conclusion that electing Prince Aricept (aka Joe “running for US Senate” Biden) is the ONLY fitting way to punctuate the 2020 chapter of this Kafka novel.” —posted to fb (July 2020)
A Letter to Governors-divest in NY state
https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/a-letter-to-governors
“A Letter to Governors-divest in NY state”
[“Please make divestment in all business conducted in the State of New York as a First resort, Relocating to States that Honor the Rule of Law and Seek to Make This A More Perfect Union.”]
Interesting timing. This was posted to fb today..
“[Easy] Prediction: If The Party’s “insurance policy” fails to achieve its putsch and “Orange Hitler” is re-elected as president in November, SECESSION will break out across Obamerica. But those who seek to disassemble the country will NOT be non-hyphenated Americans; it’ll be The Party and its cult of anti-American, Muslim-leaning Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers. These ‘tots’re mad—in the pathological sense—unconstrained and desperate. A dangerous combination.”
“The Marco Polo Project, on Hunter Biden’s laptop, notes: ‘Over 170 crimes.'”
Watch..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VWv1Q5WbPk&t=30