WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has accepted a plea deal with the US government that will allow him to avoid jail time. He is expected to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act, and receive credit for time served for the five years he spent behind bars in the UK while fighting extradition to the US. Mr. Assange is reportedly in ill health due to the harsh conditions he endured in Belmarsh Prison.
In other news, the governor of Louisiana has signed a bill authorizing surgical castration for sex offenders convicted of molesting children.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Vlad Tepes, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
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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.
California Reveals All Job Gains in 2023 Were Fake
In the past year we have discussed on multiple occasions that US labor market data has been repeatedly doctored to artificially appear better than it really is (see “Here Is The “Unexpected” Reason Why The Fed Will Rush To Cut Rates As Soon As Possible“, “Philadelphia Fed Admits US Payrolls Overstated By At Least 800,000“ and “Here Comes The Job Shock: Philadelphia Fed Admits US Jobs “Overstated” By At Least 1.1 Million“), although thanks to a quirk of BLS data revision reporting, we won’t have definitive proof of just how ugly the real job market has been in recent years until some time in 2025, well into Trump’s second administration.
However, while the BLS will be able to maintain the facade of “strong job gains” lies into early 2025, the dismal reality has already made an appearance in America’s largest labor market.
According to the latest report published by the non-partisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) which is an agency of the California government, is overseen by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee of the California State Legislature, and performs and publishes extensive analyses of the state’s budget in addition to providing fiscal and policy advice to the California Legislature, contrary to prior reports of over substantial job gains in the deep blue state in 2023, the reality was far uglier.
In a report titled “Newest Early Jobs Revision Shows No Net Job Growth During 2023” we learn just that: the Early Revisions to state-level data flagged here previously, suggests that California actually lost jobs during the fourth quarter of last year. As the report details, “based on the most recent release of the early benchmarks, payroll jobs declined by 32,000 from September 2023 through December 2023. On the contrary, the preliminary monthly reports showed a solid increase in job growth (+117,000 jobs) at the time.”
This, according to the LAO, means that “with the fourth quarter revision, calendar year 2023 saw essentially no net job growth (+9,000 jobs overall).“
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Economy Contracted by 0.5% in First Quarter of 2024
The Dutch economy contracted by 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Monday based on its second calculation of the gross domestic product (GDP). The contraction was slightly larger than in the first calculation when CBS reported that the economy shrank by 0.4 percent compared to quarter 4 of 2023.
The first calculations are published 45 days after the end of a quarter based on the then-available data. The second calculation follows approximately 85 days after the quarter’s end based on more complete data.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Great news for anyone trying to purchase a new or used vehicle last week but faced delays due to a nationwide cyber incident that paralyzed the backend operating systems of thousands of auto dealerships: a resolution appears to be underway.
Bloomberg reports that CDK Global, the main provider of auto dealership management systems and digital retailing solutions, is now in the process of restoring backend systems for more than 15,000 auto retailers affected by last week’s hack.
CDK sent a message to dealers over the weekend, providing a timeline of “several days and not weeks” to restore systems.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
3 in 10 Campus ‘Pro-Palestine’ Protesters Had Job Offer Rescinded in Past Six Months: Survey
A recent survey found that 3 in 10 college students or recent graduates had job offers rescinded as a result of their “pro-Palestine” activism.
Intelligent surveyed 672 students or recent college graduates who have engaged in anti-Israel activism and found that 29% of them had a job offer rescinded in the past six months and 55% believe there was bias against them in the hiring process because of their activism.
7 in 10 pro-Palestine activists said they were asked about their protest history during the interview process, according to the survey results.
Intelligent Chief Education and Career Development Advisor Huy Nguyen said that the results are consistent with other studies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alex Jones’ InfoWars to be Shut Down, Assets Liquidated: Bankruptcy Trustee
A US bankruptcy court trustee is planning to shut down conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars media platform and liquidate its assets to help pay the $1.5 billion in lawsuit judgments Jones owes for repeatedly calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax.
In an “emergency” motion filed Sunday in Houston, trustee Christopher Murray indicated publicly for the first time that he intends to “conduct an orderly wind-down” of the operations of Infowars’ parent company and “liquidate its inventory.”
Murray, who was appointed by a federal judge to oversee the assets in Jones’ personal bankruptcy case, did not give a timetable for the liquidation.
Jones has been saying on his web and radio shows that he expects Infowars to operate for a few more months before it is shut down because of the bankruptcy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Amazon Sparks Outrage With “Do Not Promote” Book Ban List Following Biden Admin Pressure
Amazon has been accused of censoring books criticizing vaccines and pharmaceutical practices, following direct pressure from the Biden administration, according to documents obtained by the House Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Representative Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, disclosed these actions as part of an investigation into what he describes as “unconstitutional government censorship.”
Internal communications from Amazon have surfaced showing the creation of a new category titled “Do Not Promote,” where over 40 titles, including children’s books and scientific critiques, were placed to minimize their exposure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Earlier this month, an anti-Israel agitator went viral after being photographed by a Jewish New Yorker on the subway after a Gaza protest outside an exhibitcommemorating the victims of Hamas’ October 7 terror attack. The Jewish man said that the Gaza activist had accosted him on the subway. The alleged attacker has since been identified as 36-year-old Christopher Khamis Victor Husary, a Bay Area activist who still lives with his parents, who hail from Jerusalem and Gaza, in their $1.8 million home.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Campaign Launches Taskforce to Combat Alleged “Cheap Fakes,” Urges Media Support
The Biden campaign is putting together a specialized task force that has been formed to counter what it considers manipulated portrayals of President Biden in online videos.
According to a staffer, who spoke with Politico, this initiative aims to “mitigate the risks” associated with these videos, which depict the president in various awkward or confusing situations.
Despite pushback on the Biden administration that the videos are actually accurate and have not been manipulated with AI, this move underscores a deepening concern within the Biden administration regarding the circulation of these clips on social media platforms, often highlighted as signs of the president’s deteriorating mental agility.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Suspect Charged in Shooting of Philadelphia Police Officer, Held on $12 Million Bail
The man suspected of shooting a police officer in Philadelphia has been identified as Ramon Rodriguez-Vazquez. The 36-year-old has had his bail set at over $10 million.
Rodriguez-Vazquez was taken into custody following the attack, and subsequently charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, violations of the Uniform Firearms Act, evading arrest or detention on foot, obstructing the administration of law, and a number of other offenses.
According to CBS News, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office revealed that Rodriguez-Vazquez’s bail was set at $12.5 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CNN’s Jake Tapper at Center of Defamation Lawsuit as He Prepares to Host Presidential Debate
CNN presidential debate moderator Jake Tapper’s show is at the center of a defamation suit brought by a consulting company which alleges that the network and one of its reporters lied about the company’s work.
The network’s defense: CNN did not intend to harm and its language was “opinion or ambiguous.”
Tapper is set to co-host the first presidential debate next Thursday which is being hosted by his network. The host has come under scrutiny from former President Donald Trump, who is set to participate in the debate, for his partiality— calling him “Fake [Jake] Tapper.”
But, as the well-known CNN personality gears up for that debate he also finds himself in the middle of a lawsuit against his employer by security consulting firm Nemex Enterprises and its owner Zachary Taylor, who worked to help evacuate Afghanis following the chaotic Taliban takeover of that country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Conservative-Backed Group is Creating a List of Federal Workers it Suspects Could Resist Trump Plans
WASHINGTON (AP) — From his home office in small-town Kentucky, a seasoned political operative is quietly investigating scores of federal employees suspected of being hostile to the policies of Republican Donald Trump, a highly unusual and potentially chilling effort that dovetails with broader conservative preparations for a new White House.
Tom Jones and his American Accountability Foundation are digging into the backgrounds, social media posts and commentary of key high-ranking government employees, starting with the Department of Homeland Security. They’re relying in part on tips from his network of conservative contacts, including workers. In a move that alarms some, they’re preparing to publish the findings online.
With a $100,000 grant from the Heritage Foundation, the goal is to post 100 names of government workers to a website this summer to show a potential new administration who might be standing in the way of a second-term Trump agenda — and ripe for scrutiny, reclassifications, reassignments or firings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dali Departs Baltimore for First Time Since Bridge Collapse, Heads to Virginia
The ship that launched multiple federal inquiries and knocked down an iconic Baltimore structure is on its way out of town.
Three months after it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent the span tumbling into the Patapsco River, the 984-foot Dali container ship began slowly sailing under its own power — assisted by four tugboats — just before 8:30 a.m. Monday to Norfolk, Virginia. After a trip of 16 to 20 hours, the Dali will tie up to unload all of its containers and receive more extensive repairs.
With crushed containers still resting on the bow and a tarp temporarily covering up a hole in the hull, the ship departed the Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal and then turned right to follow the federal shipping channel. Marine tracking data indicated the ship traveled at roughly 7 knots (8 mph) for the bulk of its morning transit.
Traffic on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis was halted for roughly 20 minutes, beginning at 11 a.m., as the ship approached the bridge. To avoid distracting drivers, the Maryland Transportation Authority sometimes stops traffic on the Bay Bridge when vessels of high public interest sail underneath.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Scolds Classified Files Prosecutor Asking to Rein in Trump’s Attacks on FBI
The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s prosecution for retaining classified documents expressed deep reservations on Monday with modifying the former president’s bail conditions to prevent him from making statements that could endanger FBI agents, suggesting redacting their names in filings was enough.
Trump-appointed US district judge Aileen Cannon also repeatedly admonished David Harbach, the prosecutor arguing on behalf of the special counsel, saying at one point she did not appreciate his tone and suggesting if he could not check his frustration, another prosecutor on the team could make arguments instead.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kennedy Supporters Protest Outside CNN Office in Burbank After He is Excluded From Debate
Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times
Dozens of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporters protested outside CNN’s western U.S. bureau in Burbank, California, June 21 after the news network announced that the independent candidate failed to meet the entry criteria for the upcoming presidential debate.
“Let Bobby speak!” the group chanted outside the main office of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company that owns CNN.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Liberal Illinois Prosecutor Kim Foxx Assaulted Near Her Home, Court Records Say
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was allegedly assaulted near her home in Chicago this weekend, according to court records.
The suspect, 34-year-old William Swetz, is charged with aggravated assaultwith a motor vehicle and aggravated battery in a public place, according to Fox 32.
Swetz allegedly shouted an insult at Foxx and nearly hit her with hs vehicle as he drove by. Foxx reportedly responded with a hand gesture, at which point Swezt reversed his vehicle and threw a drink at Foxx, striking her in the face.
Swetz was arrested soon after the incident but has since been released. Foxx was not injured in the incident.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Louisiana Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Surgical Castration for Child Sex Offenders
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed into law a bill that would allow state judges to sentence those convicted of sex crimes against victims under the age of 13 to undergo surgical castration.
Senate Bill 371, sponsored by state Sen. Regina Ashford Barrow, is expected to take effect on Aug. 1 following the Republican governor’s signature on June 18.
The law allows Louisiana judges to punish offenders aged 17 and older with surgical castration if they are convicted of aggravated sex crimes against a victim under the age of 13.
The Department of Public Safety and Corrections will oversee the procedure, but it will not be performed if “not medically appropriate,” according to the bill.
Under the law, a court-appointed medical expert will need to determine whether the offender is “an appropriate candidate” for surgical castration within 60 days from the imposition of sentence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lynchburg Registrar Found Ballots in Drop Box After Primary Election Amid Irregularity Concerns
The registrar for Lynchburg, Va., found uncounted ballots in a drop box after the primary election last week as two Republican candidates raised concerns about election irregularities.
On Monday, as the election between two Republican candidates for Ward IV Lynchburg City Council remains undecided, with the incumbent ahead by 21 votes, the Lynchburg registrar said that seven uncounted ballots were found in a drop box three days after last week’s primary election, ABC13 reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maricopa County Temp Worker Arrested for Alleged Theft at Election Center
A temporary worker at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) was arrested for theft, forcing the county to reprogram its security equipment, which will cost around $20,000.
On Friday, Walter Ringfield, 27, who was on probation for a prior felony, was arrested for allegedly stealing a security fob and keys from MCTEC, KTAR News reported. Ringfield was booked on charges of theft and criminal damage.
MCTEC released a statement to ABC15 on Monday, saying, “Maricopa County Elections has referred a matter to law enforcement that involves an alleged theft of an item by a temporary election worker from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New: Trump Agrees to Submit to Pre-Debate Drug Test — Calls on Biden to Do the Same
On Monday, just a few days away from Thursday’s presidential debate, Donald Trump called for Joe Biden to undergo a drug test. Trump added that for himself, he would “immediately agree to one.”
Trump wrote on his Truth Social account, “DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A baby girl is dead after having been left in a hot car for hours by two adoptive dads. Diana Sofia de Los Santos was just over two months old when she was found in the back of the vehicle outside her family home in San Diego, California.
Diana was adopted in April by Romer and Jayson de Los Santos, a gay couple from California. An investigation has been launched to determine who left her in the car, and whether any charges should be filed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Gunman Held on $1M Bail After Allegedly Shooting Innocent Bystander on Ues Subway Car
A Manhattan judge Monday ordered a man held on $1 million bail for allegedly opening fire on a crowded Upper East Side subway car, striking an innocent bystander.
Steven Sylvester, 34, faces an attempted murder charge after allegedly shooting at a 35-year-old good Samaritan that had tried to break up a fight between the suspect and his girlfriend on a northbound 4 train as it approached 86th St. at 2:30 a.m. on June 2nd, officials said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Woman Stabbed Ex-Boyfriend in Heart Five Times After Stalking Him: Prosecutors
An “obsessed” woman accused of stalking her ex-boyfriend before killing him in her Bronx apartment stabbed him multiple times around the heart, prosecutors said Monday.Mirda Degracia, 52, was charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon in the Sunday slaying of ex-flame Reynaldo Luna, 64.
The unhinged woman plunged a knife five times in the “vicinity of” the victim’s heart and twice in his neck in her apartment in the Sotomayor Houses on Watson Ave. near Evergreen Ave. in Soundview, police said.
Investigators believe Degracia tried to clean up the scene before calling 911 and telling police she’d stabbed her boyfriend, according to prosecutors.
“The police found bloody paper towels on the ground,” Bronx Assistant District Attorney Gary McKenna said at an arraignment Monday. “The defendant’s bloody clothes were later found inside of her hamper pursuant to a search warrant.”
Degracia snapped a picture of Luna’s lifeless, bloodied body and cruelly sent it to his brother-in-law in the Dominican Republic, the Daily News previously reported.
She also left multiple voice mails admitting to stabbing the man to death, according to the mourning family.
Following her arrest, Degracia tried to claim the violent stabbing was out of self-defense, prosecutors said.
“According to the police, she suffered no defensive wounds,” said McKenna. “There were no signs of struggle in the apartment and she got changed before making any effort to contact the police or emergency services.”
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Oakland Mayor Breaks Silence After FBI Raid: ‘I Have Done Nothing Wrong’
Oakland’s embattled mayor Sheng Thao gave her first public remarks Monday after federal agents raided her home.
“I want to be crystal clear. I have done nothing wrong,” Thao said, reading prepared remarks from the podium. “I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. I have not been charged with a crime, and I am confident I will not be charged with a crime because I am innocent.”
Her remarks, carried by FOX 2, come four days after FBI agents carried boxes out of the home she shares with her son and partner as part of an investigation that included searches of two other houses owned by another family.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Parents Outraged as City Plans to Open Homeless Shelter Next to Manhattan Elementary School
Manhattan parents are outraged after being notified that the city would be opening a homeless shelter full of drug addicts and convicted criminals right next to an elementary school.
The New York Post reported that the homeless shelter, equipped with 106 beds, is set to be situated right next to the Peck Slip School, just five feet away from the school’s doors. Community board members and local officials were notified about the decision on June 13.
The city Department of Social Services (DSS) unveiled a blueprint that would convert a former Hampton Inn located at 320 Pearl St. into a “low-barrier” homeless facility, meaning criminal records and sobriety requirements could be lifted. The shelter is scheduled to open in the fall when school returns to session.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Protest Erupts in Clashes in Front of Pico-Robertson Synagogue
PICO-ROBERTSON, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Violent clashes broke out in the Pico-Robertson area as pro-Palestinian protesters encountered counter-protesters, prompting L.A. Mayor Karen Bass to call for beefed up security at places of worship throughout the city.
The violence happened outside the Adas Torah synagogue on Pico Boulevard Sunday morning. Police in riot gear showed up in an attempt to restore order.
What started as heated verbal confrontations escalated into physical fighting. Videos posted to social media showed punches being thrown, people wrestled to the ground and kicked. Some social media posts indicated it started when pro-Palestinian protesters tried to prevent people from entering the synagogue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A longtime San Francisco McDonald’s has become the latest casualty of California’s new $20 minimum wage, according to reports.
The McDonald’s at the Stonestown Galleria shopping mall, about eight miles southwest of downtown San Francisco, was permanently shuttered Sunday after more than 30 years serving the area.
“This is a gut-wrenching day for my family,” franchise owner Scott Rodrick said, according to ABC 7.
Rodrick blamed the closure on a number of factors — but said the newly rolled-out law hiking the statewide minimum wage from $16 to $20 an hour pushed the business over the edge.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Army Admits Veteran With Vaccine Injury Was Injured ‘In Line of Duty’: Report
Investigative reporter Catherine Herridge sat down with a 24-year-old veteran of the US Armed Forces who said she suffered a vaccine injury after taking two doses of the Moderna vaccine. Further, after she was discharged due to her debilitating injuries, the Army declined to pay for her medical treatment, including complicated problems with her heart, said 24-year-old Karolina Stancik.
Stancik said that she later received a letter from the Army that admitted that her vaccine-induced was sustained “in the line of duty.” As a result, has been left with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills stemming from countless prodecures and surgeries. Shortly after receiving two doses of the Moderna vaccine in March and April of 2021, Stancik said she began experiencing health issues, and was eventually diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a condition wherein “your heart and your blood pressure don’t work in accordance with each other.” She has since had multiple heart attacks and a mini-stroke, and had to have a pacemaker to correct her ailing heart, an organ all records show was in good health prior to being innoculated against Covid-19, she told Herridge.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Judges Block Parts of Key Biden Student Debt Plan
Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday at the urging of several Republican-led states blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from further implementing a new student debt relief plan that lowers payments.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Wichita, Kansas, blocked the U.S. Department of Education from implementing parts of a student loan repayment plan not already in effect that cuts borrowers’ monthly payments and provides a faster path to have debts forgiven.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Supreme Court Still Has 6 Blockbuster Rulings to Issue
Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to release a number of significant rulings in the coming week, including ones relating to whether former President Donald Trump enjoys broad immunity for his activities as president; obstruction charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach; social media laws; and the power of federal agencies.
The high court tends to release all of its decisions for a term by the end of June, and only several days remain in the month. The justices have yet to release 14 cases for the term, which started in October 2023.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Sunday, Washington Democrats overwhelmingly passed three resolutions during their state convention which included a call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, restoring funding to The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and a halt to US military aid to Israel.
1,023 delegates participated in the process at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA. Anti-Israel activists also gathered outside the location in anticipation of the vote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Binational French Citizens to be Barred From ‘Key Jobs’, Says National Rally’s Bardella
Jordan Bardella, the President of the French hard-right party National Rally (RN) said binational citizens would be excluded from “key government jobs”, if the party were to win the upcoming snap general elections.
“I can confirm that the most strategic positions in the State will be reserved for French citizens and French nationals,” he declared at a press conference on June 24. “It’s just one way of protecting ourselves from foreign interference.
“Can you imagine Franco-Russians working at the Ministry of the Armed Forces today?” he added.
According to Bardella, the proposal was intended to “protect French interests and not weaken France’s voice on the international stage”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Don’t Call Us Hooligans: Germany’s AfD Set to Lead New European Parliament ‘Sovereigntist’ Group
Alternative for Germany (AfD) looks set to launch a new group in the European Parliament early in July, Der Spiegel has reported.
The group, which has jokingly been referred to as ‘The Hooligans’ within the Brussels bubble, will be called The Sovereigntists. According to the information published by the German news outlet, it will include 34 MEPs from seven countries, meaning it meets the European Parliament thresholds for trans-nationals groups.
The group’s philosophy is reported to be based on the so-called Sofia Declaration of April 2024 by the party Rebirth (Wasraschdane) from Bulgaria, which calls for an end to EU bureaucracy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EC Opens a New Investigation Into Apple
European Union anti-trust regulators have accused Apple of violating the bloc’s tech regulations, a charge that could lead to a large fine for the iPhone maker.
According to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), violations could result in a fine of as much as 10 per cent of a company’s global annual turnover.
The US tech company is also under investigation for imposing new fees on app developers.
On June 24, the European Commission announced that it had sent its preliminary findings to Apple after initiating an investigation in March.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Official: Green Deal is About Economic Protectionism
The objective of the EU’s Green Deal is to help reindustrialize the bloc’s economy, the head of the European Commission’s climate department declared at a recent event on green policymaking. Top European lawmakers are looking to change the focus from environmentalism to economic protectionism in light of the war in Ukraine and a deterioration of relations with China.
Kurt Vandenberghe, a key Green Deal advisor, made the comments in a panel discussion in the aftermath of the EU elections, bluntly saying that the landmark Green Deal, which first premiered in 2019, was “no longer an ecological agenda.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU to Ban Bisphenol-A in Food Packaging
European Union member states have approved a draft ban on bisphenol-A (BPA), a synthetic organic compound that is a common component of reusable plastic food containers and food packaging.
The substance has been controversial for years, and was banned in baby bottles in 2011. Several EU member states, including Austria and France, already have full bans in place.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) have claimed that the substance interferes with the endocrine system—potentially causing fertility, growth, and metabolic problems—as well as the immune system. It is also capable of migrating, in small amounts, from the plastic to the food in the container—leading to its human consumption.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Macron Increasingly Isolated Following Election Gamble
French President Emmanuel Macron is looking increasingly isolated following his June 9 decision to dissolve the French National Assembly after a crushing defeat in the European Parliament elections.
Old allies have started to abandon him.
On June 23, in an interview with TV news channel LCI, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin hinted at a possible political alliance with former Prime Minister Édouard Phillipe.
“I have known Édouard Philippe for a long time and we said to ourselves that we had to build something together tomorrow, probably something that would allow us to win in 2027,” he said
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Macron Warns Far-Right, Hard-Left Policies Could Lead to ‘Civil War’
President Emmanuel Macron on Monday warned that the policies of his far-right and hard-left opponents could lead to “civil war”, as France prepared for its most divisive election in decades.
French politics were plunged into turmoil by Macron calling snap legislative elections after his centrist party was trounced by the far-right National Rally (RN) in a European vote earlier this month.
Weekend polls suggested the RN would win 35-36 percent in the first round on Sunday, ahead of a left-wing alliance on 27-29.5 percent and Macron’s centrists in third on 19.5-22 percent.
A second round of voting will follow on July 7 in constituencies where no candidate takes more than 50 percent in the first round.
Speaking on the podcast “Generation Do It Yourself”, Macron, 46, denounced both the RN as well as the hard-left France Unbowed party.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Liberals Threaten Ruling Coalition Over Debt
Thirty MPs of the Liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) said they would withdraw their support from the German traffic-light coalition if the Socialists (SPD) rack up more debt.
Germany’s budget problems are causing heightened tensions in Berlin and the FPD and SPD are on a collision course.
Speaking to Bild newspaper, Jens Teutrine, spokesman for the FDP’s Young Group of the Bundestag parliamentary faction, said: “It must be clear to everyone: Without the debt brake, without us, a rebellion of the Young Group could expand into the FDP uprising against the coalition and lead to the end of the traffic-light government.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greens Add Five, Liberals Lose Seven European Parliament Seats
Major reshuffling ahead of the next parliamentary term is not exclusive to the right-wing groups in Brussels. Emmanuel Macron’s liberal Renew Europe group has just lost seven seats after the departure of the former Czech PM Andrej Babis’ populist ANO 2011 party in addition to the Macron Renaissance party’s own poor electoral performance. Meanwhile, the European Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA) group has grown by five, drawing in MEPs from the pan-European federalist Volt party.
All leftist groups have lost seats in the European elections, but the Renew and the Greens were the hardest hit, both losing around 20 MEPs after the initial tally.
The liberal Renew group—led by Emmanuel Macron’s party—even lost its prestigious spot as the third largest group in the European Parliament (EP) last week when the European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) group overtook it by growing to 83 seats in total, with the admission of a dozen new MEPs from five delegations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Green MEPs: Renew’s Setbacks Give US More Influence Over Von Der Leyen
The European Parliament Renew bloc’s recent loss of members will increase the Greens’ influence over European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of the European People’s Party (EPP), two Green MEPs told Brussels Signal.
Renew’s loss of seats, after seven MEPs from the Czech ANO party left the bloc June 21, “may increase the clout of the now depleted Greens/EFA group in the Parliament”, said outgoing Irish Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe.
Von der Leyen’s possible majority in parliament “looks a little shaky today as a result of Renew Europe’s fragility”, Cuffe added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Slams Sluggish German Responders Following Medical Emergency in Crucial Euro 2024 Fixture
The manager and captain of Hungary’s national football team have accused emergency responders of being slow to react to an incident involving Hungarian striker Barnabas Varga, who was knocked unconscious during Monday’s Euro 2024 fixture with Scotland.
Varga was involved in a collision with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn mid-way through the second half of the must-win group match which saw the elbow of Varga’s opponent make contact with his face at speed, resulting in him falling to the ground in an unnatural manner and requiring immediate treatment.
The severity of the injury was clear to those on the pitch, with Hungarian captain Dominik Szoboszlai visibly upset and footballers creating a makeshift cordon around the player to shield him from the television cameras.
After the game, Szoboszlai spoke to German media and claimed the emergency responders were too slow off the mark and had not clocked how serious the injury was at the time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary PM Orban Slams ‘Hungarophobic’ Manfred Weber After Latest Outburst
In a recent video posted on Facebook, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused European People’s Party President Manfred Weber of Hungarophobia.
The video begins with a clip of Weber speaking after a European Parliament vote in which he says, “Allow me to remind everyone that by approving the Article 7 proceedings, I voted against the country. Not against Fidesz. Not against Viktor Orban. Against the whole country.”
The remarks, in Orban’s view, are evidence that “Mr. Weber is a Hungarophobic man, he hates Hungarians, he has always hated us.”
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Julian Assange Expected to be Freed After 5 Years in UK Prison Under US Plea Deal
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has accepted a plea deal with the US government that will allow him to avoid jail time in the states over his leaking of top secret military information.
Assange is expected to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act and receive credit for time served for the five years he spent behind bars in the UK while fighting extradition to the US, according to court documents and reports.
Assange, of Australia, was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information for releasing classified reports of the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on his WikiLeaks site, according to the documents.
He’s expected to be released from UK custody after he pleads guilty during a federal US court hearing in the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the US this week.
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
Julian Assange Expected to be Freed in US Plea Deal
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to US criminal charges as part of a deal that allows him to go free, according to court documents.
Assange, 52, was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information.
For years, the US has argued that the Wikileaks files — which disclosed information about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars — endangered lives.
He has spent the last five years in a British prison, from where he has been fighting extradition to the US.
According to CBS, the BBC’s US partner, Assange will spend no time in US custody and will receive credit for the time spent incarcerated in the UK.
Assange will return to Australia, according to a letter from the justice department.
The deal — which will see him plead guilty to one charge — is expected to be finalised in a court in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday, 26 June.
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Netherlands: Prosecutors Appeal for Stricter Sentences in Slaying of Journalist Peter R. De Vries
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is filing an appeal regarding all nine men suspected of involvement in the execution-style murder of Peter R. de Vries. The OM said the seven men convicted in the shooting were given sentences which were too light. The office has also appealed against the acquittals of the other two men.
Delano G. was convicted of shooting De Vries near Leidseplein in the center of Amsterdam on July 6, 2021, after he appeared on an episode of RTL Boulevard. The 64-year-old journalist died nine days later. The OM said the motive was because De Vries had worked with the prosecution’s key witness in the trial against organized crime boss Ridouan Taghi, and the perpetrators wanted to cause fear among the public and to send a clear signal of what happens when taking a stand against organized crime.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Mark Rutte’s Party Scrutinized by EU Liberals for Cozying Up to Wilders
Outgoing PM Mark Rutte’s VVD (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie) will not be booted from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group after all.
According to Euronews, an observer will be sent out to the offending party instead. That person will be deployed to ascertain whether the VVD is “crossing any red lines in terms of [the group’s] values and liberal principles.”
Supplementing this work of a liberal commissar, guidelines will also be drawn up for ALDE members on how they should deal with rightist parties in a coalition scenario, declared an ALDE spokesman.
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Polish President in China: Poland is at the ‘Crossroads Between East and West’
President Andrzej Duda, during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday, expressed his desire to ensure that the economic cooperation between Poland and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) remains unaffected by historical upheavals and the current conflicts troubling Europe.
President Duda emphasized that the countries’ bilateral relations have always been based on mutual respect and recognition, and expressed his hope that these relations would remain steadfast indefinitely.
During his official visit to China, which included a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Duda recalled that one of his first foreign visits after assuming office was to China.
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Red Tape Derails AI Rollout in Apple’s European App Store
California-based technology corporation Apple will delay rolling out its new artificial intelligence technology for the European Union market until 2025 at the earliest. This is due to regulatory uncertainties that would require the app’s compatibility with rival products.
Following tensions with the European Commission over antitrust investigations and tax disputes, Apple announced Friday that it will postpone launching three new AI assistive features (Phone Mirroring, Share Play Screen Sharing enhancements, and Apple Intelligence) due to alleged security concerns.
Brussels regulators claim Apple has fallen foul of the Digital Market Act (DMA), a 2022 EU regulation that imposes interoperability requirements on platforms while also prohibiting self-preferencing practices.
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Spanish Judge Seeks Treason Charges Against Catalan Separatist Chief
$500 million and 10,000 Russian mercenaries deployed to the region, in exchange for turning the newly independent Catalonia into a cryptocoin fiscal paradise—this was the deal that a Spanish judge believes MEP and former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont may have been instrumental in brokering before he briefly declared the Spanish region’s independence in 2017 following an illegal referendum. He then fled to Belgium where he has remained a fugitive of Spanish justice ever since.
Fortunately, neither plot came to fruition, but it seems increasingly likely that Puigdemont will face treason charges, complicating his plan to return to Spain under an amnesty granted by the current socialist government.
Treason was not included in the wide amnesty law just passed for Puigdemont and other Catalan separatists.
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‘The Sovereignists’: AfD Ready to Launch New Right-Wing European Parliamentary Group
Negotiations are expected to wrap up in the next few days as the new right-wing parliamentary group, led by the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), is planned to be officially launched later this week according to a letter seen by Der Spiegel.
According to an email obtained by the German media, an AfD aide requested a room in the European Parliament to host a “constituent meeting of a new group,” expecting over a hundred attendees, on Thursday, June 27th.
AfD decided to launch a new parliamentary group after Marine Le Pen’s Identity and Democracy (ID) voted against its membership for a second time, after they earlier expelled the German delegation because of remarks by its lead candidate, Maximilian Krah that appeared to relativize the guilt of SS-soldiers during World War II
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UK Think Tank, Once Funded by US State Department, Calls for Stricter YouTube Censorship
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a UK think tank that was in 2021 awarded a grant by the US State Department and got involved in censoring Americans, has come up with a “research project” that criticizes YouTube.
The target is the platform’s recommendation algorithms, and, according to ISD — which calls itself an extremism researching non-profit — there is a “pattern of recommending right-leaning and Christian videos.”
According to ISD, this is true even if users had not previously watched this type of content.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Farage Accuses Legacy Media of ‘Collaborating’ With Kremlin to Save ‘Dying Conservative Party’
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has accused a prominent legacy media outlet of printing falsehoods and “collaborating” with the Kremlin to smear him to protect the “dying Conservative Party”.
The Mail on Sunday, the sister paper of the Daily Mail, may be facing a lawsuit from Nigel Farage over its headline over the weekend which read: “Zelensky: Farage Is Infected with ‘Virus of Putin’,” after the Brexit leader stated the West played a role in provoking the Russian invasion with EU and NATO expansionism.
Mr Farage said that the headline was “totally untrue” and said he instructed the Carter-Ruck law firm to “deal with it”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nigel Farage, Peacemaker: Stop Following Establishment Into Forever Wars
Reform leader Nigel Farage has been under sustained attack by the British press over the weekend for stating he believes Western NATO and EU expansionism contributed in provoking the Ukraine War, but notes the flak is always heaviest when you are over the target.
Speaking on the campaign trail on Monday, Nigel Farage hailed new polling for his upstart party which continues to climb ever higher, including four polls in the past three days putting his Reform UK party in second place nationally. If realised in next month’s General Election, such a result would be a historic upset, overturning a century of British political convention.
But after weeks of neutral or even favourable coverage for his return to power — a cynic might suggest as a move by the press to promote the Farage brand as a tool with which to destroy the Conservatives — the press appears to have performed a rapid turn and is now attacking him for his long-held position that NATO and EU expansionism in Ukraine had given Putin a justification to sell the Ukraine invasion to his people.
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Wales Moves Forward With Plan to Punish Politicians for Telling Lies
Authored by Jonathan Turley
Will Rogers once said that “if you ever injected truth into politics, you’d have no politics.” In Wales, it appears that the government is challenging that assessment. However, if the new legislation criminalizing political lies is successful, the Welsh are likely to find themselves with the same abundance of lies but little free speech.
A proposal in the Welsh parliament (or the Senedd) would make it the first country in the world to impose criminal sanctions for lying politicians. Adam Price, the former leader of the liberal Plaid Cymru Party is pushing for the criminalization, citing a “credibility gap” in UK politics.
Astonishingly, this uniquely bad idea has received support from a key committee. Once on track for adoption, this is the type of law that can become self-propelling through the legislature. Few politicians want to go on record voting against a law banning political lies. The free speech implications are easily lost in the coverage.
The new law would make it a criminal offense for a member of the Senedd, or a candidate for election to the Senedd, to wilfully, or with intent to mislead, make or publish a statement that is known to be false or deceptive. There is a six-month period for challenges to be brought.
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Weapons to Ukraine: Hungary Furious at EU for Breaking Rules
The EU has agreed to circumvent Hungary in order to buy more weapons for Ukraine. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjartó was outraged at the move which he says breaks European rules as it does not take into account that foreign affairs decisions have to be taken unanimously.
At a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on Monday, June 24th in Luxembourg, member states agreed to use the profits generated by Russia’s frozen assets to buy weapons for Ukraine. The first tranche of proceeds that the EU will have access to is worth €1.4 billion. “The money will come next week. … This money is for military support to Ukraine,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.
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Werner Hoyer, Former Head of EIB, Under EU Investigation for Alleged Corruption
Werner Hoyer, who led the European Investment Bank (EIB) from 2012 to January 2024, is under investigation by European Union prosecutors for alleged corruption, abuse of influence and misappropriation of EU funds.
The EIB agreed “to lift the immunity of two of its former employees, as well as the inviolability of its premises, buildings and archives”, said the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in a press release on June 24.
EU officials enjoy immunity from legal prosecution unless their institution expressly agrees to lift it.
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Will New MEPs Push EP Towards a Form of ‘Participatory Democracy’?
Following the 2024 elections, the European Parliament gained fresh faces who are already pushing for a form of “participatory democracy”.
Newly elected MEPs are now seeking to bring changes into the EP through the votes of their followers or members.
In an interview with Brussels Signal, Cypriot social media star and new MEP Fidias Panayiotou said he intended to let his followers influence his decision-making.
Although aware that many of them might be “anti-establishment”, he said he was not opposed to letting his followers decide his direction.
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Palestinian Man Shot, Tied to Jeep Says Israeli Forces Gave No Explanation
Mujahed Abadi says has not been able to sleep since Israeli forces shot him, beat him and strapped him to the hood of a military vehicle two days ago, apparently using him as a human shield.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic from Ibn Sina Hospital in the West Bank on Monday, Abadi said Israeli troops did not offer an explanation for their “crimes”.
Video footage of the incident in Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday has sparked international outrage and calls for accountability.
Abadi, 24, said he had stepped outside his uncle’s house in Jenin while Israeli troops were conducting a raid in the neighbourhood.
He was shot in the arm and the leg and took shelter behind a nearby vehicle. He said after nearly two hours of hiding while his wounds were bleeding, Israeli troops forced him out of his hideout and started hurling punches and kicks at him, including at his bullet wounds.
“It was a big shock. I was wishing I was dead at that moment,” Abadi said, adding that although he was clearly unarmed, the troops did not provide him with any medical aid.
Instead, the Israeli troops wanted to inflict more pain on him, he said.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Ship Off Yemen Coast Reports Explosion Nearby, Says UKMTO
DUBAI (Reuters) — A merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea reported an explosion in close proximity to it on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
UKMTO said the crew was reported safe and the vessel was proceeding to its next port of call.
The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) later identified the vessel as Liberian-flagged container MSC SARAH V, saying it was attacked by a missile while navigating the Arabian Sea but was not hit. The ship was sailing 246 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Nishtun.
The ship reported a missile landing in the water approximately 50 meters off the starboard side of the ship, JMIC said.
“The vessel was likely attacked due to perceived Israeli association,” JMIC’s note added.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Kremlin Responds to Reports Russian Ally Supplying Weapons to Ukraine
The Kremlin has responded to a report that ammunition from Serbia, which has traditionally been seen as an ally of Moscow, has made its way indirectly to Ukraine.
Belgrade has good ties with Moscow and has refused to join sanctions against Russia over Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
However, tensions between Belgrade and Moscow have surfaced since the start of the war, with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic calling Ukraine a “friendly country” and saying that Russian-occupied Crimea and Donbas are Ukrainian sovereign territories.
Highlighting this balance in its ties with Ukraine and Russia was the report by the Financial Times on Saturday that around €800 million ($855 million) worth of Serbian ammunition exports have reached Ukraine via third parties.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Russia claims Ukraine fired US-supplied missiles at Kremlin-controlled Crimea on Sunday, killing at least four people and injuring 151 others — and furiously vowed Monday to retaliate against America.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attack on the city of Sevastopol killed at least two children, with other Russian officials asserting that US military specialists aimed the weapons and provided Ukraine the data to use them.
US Ambassador Lynne Tracy was swiftly summoned Monday to the foreign ministry, where the Kremlin claimed America was “waging a hybrid war against Russia and has actually become a party to the conflict.”
Moscow ultimately warned Tracy that the attack would “not go unpunished” and that “retaliatory measures will definitely follow.”
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Summons U.S. Ambassador Over Ukraine’s Alleged Use of American Missiles in Crimea Strike
(AP) — The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the American ambassador on Monday to protest what it says was the use of U.S.-made advanced missiles in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea that reportedly killed four people and wounded more than 150.
Washington “has effectively become a party” to the war on Ukraine’s side, the ministry said in a statement, adding, “Retaliatory measures will certainly follow.” It did not elaborate.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. or Ukrainian officials. The Associated Press could not independently verify Russia’s claims about the missiles used.
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Zelensky Orders Purge of Ukraine’s State Guard in Wake of Alleged Assassination Plots
Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered the new chief of Ukraine’s state guard service to purge its ranks after two of its officers were accused of plans to assassinate senior officials.
The state security service (SBU) said last month that it had caught two guard service colonels accused of cooperating with Russia to plot the assassination of the Ukrainian president, military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov and other officials.
Mr Zelensky introduced staff to the new head of Ukraine’s state guard, Colonel Oleksiy Morozov, on Monday and said his main task was to ensure that only those who see their future tied with Ukraine could join the agency.
He said on Telegram: “And, of course, the agency must be cleared of anyone who chooses not Ukraine for themselves or discredits the state guard service.” The guard service provides security for various governement officials.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Attacks Carried Out by ‘Sleeper Cells’ Directed From Abroad, Claims Dagestani Governor
The Dagestani regional governor visited the site of a weekend attack by Islamist militants, which killed 20 and injured another 26.
The region observed the first of three official days of mourning on Monday following the attack — which took the lives of 15 police officers, and a 66-year-old Orthodox priest and set a church and synagogue on fire.
20 people were killed and and 26 were injured as a result of the attacks in Makhachkala and Derbent, according to the regional health minister Tatyana Belyaeva.
The regional governor Sergei Melikov visited the church and synagogue in Derbent and spoke with priests and members of the local Jewish community.
Shortly after the attacks in Derbent, the militants had fired at police in the regional capital of Makhackala before they were killed by special forces.
All five attackers were killed according to the Investigative Committee, the country’s top state criminal investigation agency. Their identities have reportedly been established.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, the Dagestani governor said it was performed by members of Islamist “sleeper cells” directed from abroad.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic terror attacks took place in two cities in the Russian republic of Dagestan on Sunday, June 23, leading to the death of 16 individuals and scores of wounded, including an Orthodox priest, who was beheaded.
Among the targets were an Orthodox church in the town of Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan; a synagogue in the town of Derbent; and a police station in Makhachkala, with the terrorists attacking with semi-automatic weapons. The various places of worship targeted in the attacks went up in flames.
The first media reports indicated that one priest was beheaded and at least 16 wounded, but later updates from Russian state television indicated that there were at least 16 dead, seven of them police officers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s economy minister Robert Habeck told reporters during his visit to China that Beijing needs to reduce its dependence on coal in order to cut carbon emissions.
“Cooperation with China must be strengthened because without it, it is impossible to meet global climate protection targets, while at the same time the country must find a secure alternative to coal as an energy source,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, who belongs to the Green party, said in Hangzhou, southern China, on Sunday.
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‘Terrorists’ Kidnap Third Priest This Month in Nigeria
Father Mikah Suleiman was abducted by armed gunmen in northwest Nigeria this weekend, the third such kidnapping of a Christian pastor in the past month.
As Breitbart News has reported, Nigeria has been experiencing a “surge” in anti-Christian violence in recent weeks, including numerous kidnappings and execution-style murders, carried out mostly by radical Islamists.
On June 2, Muslim Fulani raiders murdered a pastor, his wife, and three other Christians at around midnight in Plateau state, central Nigeria.
The following day, Muslim terrorists associated with the Islamic State executed three Christians, creating a propaganda video out of the slaying.
On Sunday, June 9, Father Gabriel Ukeh was kidnapped from the rectory of Saint Thomas Parish in Zaman Dabo in Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, an area hit hard by anti-Christian violence.
Then on June 16, armed assailants abducted Father Christian Ike — the pastor of St. Matthew’s Church in Ajalli, southern Nigeria — after a church service at an outstation of the parish.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
10 vs 2: German Teens Hospitalized by Migrant Gang, One in ‘Acute Danger of Death’
Police in Germany have launched an appeal to locate a gang of around 10 migrant men suspected of hospitalizing two young victims in a brutal assault on Sunday night.
The incident occurred in the North Rhine-Westphalia town of Bad Oeynhausen at around 1:30 a.m. when a group of young migrants confronted two males aged 19 and 20 in the spa town’s park.
Following an altercation, the public prosecutor’s office explained how the suspects punched the victims to the floor before kicking them as they lay defenseless on the ground.
After witnesses called the police, the group casually walked from the crime scene toward the town center.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Berlin Police Chief: ‘Most’ Violence Committed by Young Migrant Men
Most of the perpetrators of “violence in Berlin are young, male and have a non-German background. This also applies to knife violence,” says Barbara Slowik, the police commissioner of Berlin. In an interview with broadcaster n-tv, she talked about the recent spate of knife attacks in Germany, mostly committed by migrants—particularly young Afghan men.
“In recent years, we have definitely seen an increase [in knife attacks] in Berlin, especially among children, young people and adolescents. Knife perpetrators are getting younger,” she said, adding that there has been an increase in violent crime overall in the capital, and that non-Germans, i.e., foreigners, are overrepresented.
The recent murder of a police officer by an Afghan failed asylum seeker shocked Germany and fuelled the debate on illegal immigration, migrant crime and whether Afghan criminals should be deported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The illegal Venezuelan migrants accused of murdering Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston lured the 12-year-old girl under a bridge, where they stripped her naked to the waist and assaulted her for two hours, disturbing new court documents allege.
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, allegedly bound Jocelyn’s hands behind her back during the brutal assault, then strangled her and dumped her body in a bayou, a Harris County court heard Monday.
Her feet were also bound and her back was covered in cuts, the court heard, according to KPRC.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrants in France ‘Waiting for Labour Government’
Migrants in northern France say they are waiting for a Labour government before crossing the Channel after Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to scrap the Rwanda scheme.
Speaking to The Telegraph, some of the migrants said they would not take the risk of crossing the Channel in small boats until they knew there was a new government. Sir Keir has vowed to scrap the Rwanda deportation flights on “day one” if Labour wins power.
Most migrants in the Grand-Synth camp near Dunkirk who were contacted by The Telegraph knew about the Rwanda scheme and said they were worried about the threat of being deported.
While some said they would still attempt the crossing if they got the chance, others said they would prefer to wait until after the election, which takes place on July 4.
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The expected minister of asylum and immigration has walked back her support of a far-right conspiracy theory that mass migration to the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe is an intentional plot to replace white people with non-white people from elsewhere. Marianne Faber, who represents the far-right PVV, said on Monday that while she no longer believes in the white nationalist theory, she remains “very concerned” about the changing population of the Netherlands, she told a committee in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch Parliament.
Faber said she now “completely distances herself” from the word omvolking. The Dutch word translates as, “repopulation,” and is linked to the Great Replacement Theory. She also said she should not have used that term at the start of her confirmation hearing on Monday evening. The session began at 5 p.m., and could last an extended period due to the politician’s numerous controversial statements and ethical practices in the past.
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A case from Germany has made international headlines and even attracted the attention of Elon Musk after a 20-year-old woman was sentenced for a longer prison term than a group of men who were convicted of gang-raping a 14-year-old girl in Hamburg.
The original gang rape dates back to 2020 and was a case covered by Remix News at the time. It involved a 15-year-old girl was who raped by nine men in Stadtpark for hours. With the exception of one convicted rapist, all were given suspended sentences and did not receive any prison time.
However, a 20-year-old woman has now been forced to serve a longer prison sentence than the actual gang rapists. On Wednesday last week, the woman was sentenced in the Wandsbek district court for “insult and threat” due to a message she left one of the rapists, calling him a “dishonorable rapist pig” and a “disgusting miscarriage,” and also asking him: “Aren’t you ashamed when you look in the mirror?”
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Over Half of German Prisoners Are Migrants, Equaling 24,259 Inmates
Of the 44,232 prisoners in Germany, 24,259 are foreigners, according to data obtained from the German Federal Ministry of Justice.
That equals more than 50 percent, while the proportion of foreigners in the population is currently at 15 percent. The data, which shows the prisoner count as of March 31, 2023, was obtained after a written request from Alternative for Germany (AfD) MP Leif Erik-Holm. The Federal Statistical Office listed 44,232 prisoners on the same date in all of Germany.
German newspaper Junge Freiheit, which first reported on the data, notes that the Federal Statistical Office and the Ministry of Justice have wildly different figures for the number of foreigners in German prisons. The Federal Statistical Office lists only 15,559 foreign prisoners, while the justice ministry lists 24,259. The paper notes that it is unclear why there is such a vast difference between the two figures.
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Polish Conservatives Call for New Referendum on Migration
The main opposition party in Poland, Law and Justice (PiS), has announced plans to collect signatures for a referendum aimed at denouncing the European Union’s migration pact.
Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski declared the initiative during a speech at a party convention in Pultusk, central Poland.
Focusing much of his address on the challenges at Poland’s borders with Belarus and Germany, Kaczynski highlighted the weakened security measures under the current government. He also criticized allowing in activists who aid migrants sent by Belarusian authorities.
“Today, the border is less defended than under PiS governance,” Kaczynski told supporters.
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Britain has seen a record number of migrants arrive after crossing the English Channel in the first six months of the year.
Home Office figures show 257 people made the journey in four boats on Sunday alone, taking the provisional total for the year so far to 12,901.
The previous record for arrivals in the six months from January to June was 12,747 in 2022. In the first half of 2023, arrivals stood at 11,433.
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Non-citizens are getting voter registration forms all over the US through welfare agencies without requiring proof of citizenship. In every state with the exception of Arizona, applicants for welfare benefits or driver’s licenses can receive voter registration forms without needing proof of citizenship.
Under current law, there is no requirement to give proof of citizenship on voter registration forms, even though it is illegal for a non-citizen to claim they are a citizen in order to vote in a federal election, per a new report from the New York Post. However, millions of immigrants, both illegal and illegal, are sometimes eligible for welfare benefits that allow them to obtain voter registration forms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
There was much discontent for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at Saturday’s Equality Parade in Warsaw as the LGBT community showcased its frustrations with the current administration.
Amid the flurry of placards and chants, one rainbow-colored banner captured significant attention online. It read: “Donald the Great, your government will be toppled by the gays,” signaling considerable hostility for the left-liberal coalition government among LGBT people.
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Just in: Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Child Sex Change Bans
On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Biden administration’s challenge of a Tennessee law banning puberty blockers and sex change surgeries for minors. The decision in the case, expected in the court’s 2024 term that spans from October 2024 to September 2025, could affect around 20 states that have similar laws in place.
In United States v Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, the Department of Justice seeks the Supreme Court to answer whether Tennessee’s SB 1 “violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” The appeal comes after a federal appeals court upheld Tennessee’s ban.
Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar said in the government’s petition to the court that “the law leaves the same treatments entirely unrestricted if they are prescribed for any other purpose.”
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Louisiana Families File Lawsuit Against Ten Commandments Display in Schools
Several Louisiana families backed by human rights groups have lodged a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the state’s new law forcing public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
The suit was filed with the US district court in Baton Rouge on Monday at the start of what is expected to be an epic legal battle that could end up before the US supreme court. Christian nationalists have been itching for this fight, hoping to destroy the country’s longstanding separation of church and state.
The new law, HB71, was signed by Louisiana’s hard right governor Jeff Landry last week, making the state the first in the nation to order the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms. The law stipulates that the text must be shown exactly as written in the legislation in a frame that is at least 11in by 14 in, and in “large, easily readable font”.
Plaintiffs in Monday’s lawsuit, who include rabbis and pastors, argue that the law is blatantly unconstitutional. It violates both binding precedent from the supreme court that has stood for almost half a century and the establishment and free exercise clauses of the first amendment, they claim.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of Republicans Once Again Disapprove of Gay Marriage, Poll Finds
A majority of Republicans don’t support same-sex marriage, according to a new Gallup poll.
Forty-six percent of GOP respondents said they think same-sex marriage should be legal, down from 49 percent the previous year.
Even fewer Republicans, 40 percent, said they find same-sex relationships morally acceptable.
The new findings mark a sudden decline from 2021 and 2022, the first and only two years in which GOP respondents told Gallup they were in favor of same-sex marriage since 1996.
These views put the party at odds with a majority of their fellow Americans, according to the data.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nassau County Legislature Approves Measure That Would Reinstate Transgender Sports Ban
The Nassau County County legislature approved a measure Monday to reinstate a ban on transgender athletes from participating in women and girls’ sports at county-owned athletic facilities.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman will soon sign the legislation into law.
“I am gratified that the Republican Majority in the legislature voted in favor of this common sense measure to protect the integrity of women’s sports and the safety of women participants,” Blakeman, a Republican, said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
OMG: Disney VP Flees When James O’Keefe Confronts Him Over Anti-White Male Discrimination
Journalist James O’Keefe confronted Senior Vice President and Team Lead with 20th Television, The Walt Disney Company Michael Giordano after admitted that the organization blatantly discriminates against whites. The admission came during a “date” with an undercover OMG reporter who peppered him with questions about Disney operations. Giordano works primarily in negotiations.
After the encounter with the OMG undercover reporter, O’Keefe confronted the Senior VP at Disney about his admission that his company was biased against white people, specifically white males, and has intentionally discriminated against them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Investigating Possible Bias Crime, Arson After Portland Occult Bookstore Fire
Portland firefighters responded to reports of a fire early Monday morning at an occult bookstore. Police are investigating the fire as a possible arson and bias crime. Firefighters discovered a small pile of books burning when they arrived at around 4:30 am Monday morning and were able to extinguish it quickly. Smoke was seen coming out of a broken window at Dark Star Magick books, located on the corner of East Burnside Street and Northeast 8th Avenue, according to KGW8.
The bookstore claimed that the fire was a hate crime targeting the Pride display the story had set up for Pride month. Portland Police Bureau Public Information Manager Mike Benner told The Post Millennial that the department’s Major Crimes Unit is working with arson investigators to determine if a bias crime was committed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Reports Five Abortions a Month — Down From 4,400 Before Roe Overturned in 2022
The number of abortions in Texas has plunged from several thousand per month to less than ten since the overturning of Roe v Wade in June 2022, state data shows.
In the year leading up to the Supreme Court’s decision, 2,250 — 5,700 Texans — or 3,112 on average — were able to terminate unwanted pregnancies each month, according to figures from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
After Roe was overturned on June 24, 2022, abortion access changed overnight in several states. In Texas, a Republican “trigger law” passed in 2021 automatically came into effect, making it a crime punishable by life in prison to perform any abortion, unless necessary to protect the mother from death or serious injury.
Even before the ban took hold, in July 2022, abortions plummeted to just 68 procedures as doctors scrambled to adjust to a new legal reality and clinics began closing their doors.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Concerns Grow Over Labour’s Future Policy on Transgender Issues
If the polls are correct, Britain will have a Labour government in less than two weeks. Yet the party still can’t come clean on its stance on significant transgender issues. In fact, it increasingly appears as though Labour officials are being deliberately evasive to prevent voters from realising just how radical their plans are.
Take draft guidelines ‘banning’ children from being taught that there are more than two genders, for example. Those introduced under Britain’s nominal Conservative Party are vague—much like their flimsy guidelines for schools on whether gender-questioning pupils can ‘socially transition.’ But it seems Labour’s shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, believes they go too far.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wikipedia’s Neutrality: Myth or Reality?
Wikipedia has long been celebrated for its stated mission of providing open, unbiased information to anyone with Internet access. Central to that purpose is the site’s neutral point of view (NPOV) policy, which requires articles to be “fairly” and “proportionately” written, without “editorial bias.” My new computational analysis of Wikipedia’s content, however, found that this worthy ideal is not always realized in practice.
My study examined the average sentiment—positive, negative, or neutral—associated with 1,628 politically charged terms in English Wikipedia articles. This method, which reviewed Wikipedia mentions of hundreds of politicians, journalists, and more, sought to identify whether Wikipedia biases its content based on a public figure’s political orientation.
My analysis found that Wikipedia was more likely to portray right-leaning figures negatively than their left-leaning counterparts. This “sentiment bias” was apparent across groups, including United States presidents, senators, representatives, governors, Supreme Court justices, and journalists. Notably, the disparity was not universal; I did not find significant sentiment bias, for example, in the site’s descriptions of U.K. Members of Parliament.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In memorial:
Today, June 25th, marks the tenth anniversary of Gandolf’s final posting to Up Pompeii. God bless his soul.
Well Canada has arrested Tommy Robinson on an outstanding immigration warrant.
Never been to Canada before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9W90MmLne0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8kT93hNKus