Reader’s Links for February 22nd, 2023

Here is a link to the VladTepesBlog social media Mastodon Pod. Please feel free to check it out and sign up for an account if you are sufficiently annoyed with Twitter and Facebook to try something new.

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

74 Replies to “Reader’s Links for February 22nd, 2023”

  1. 2 dead, 3 Injured in an Explosion at an Industrial Facility in Medley, Florida (VIDEO)
    By Jim Hoft Feb. 22, 2023 7:15 am

    Two individuals were killed and three more injured Tuesday morning when an explosion and fire devastated an industrial complex in Miami’s suburbs.

    According to footage obtained from nearby businesses and TV news helicopters, the explosion that occurred in Medley, Florida sent a large fireball into the sky and left multiple trucks and other vehicles in flames, AP reported.

    A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesperson said that when crews arrived, they found multiple people who were on fire.

    According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, two people were pronounced dead at the scene and three others were injured in the fire. According to the police, two of the injured were sent to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in life-threatening conditions.

    Before the fire started, employees were confirmed to be working on some heavy machinery, according to the authorities.

    “It seems that the company is a welding company. They were working on some heavy machinery, and right now, investigators are still trying to find out what caused this combustion,” Miami-Dade police Detective Luis Sierra said.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/2-dead-3-injured-in-an-explosion-at-an-industrial-facility-in-medley-florida-video/

    • Massive Fire Erupts in Brooklyn Lumber Storage Warehouse, Injuring 5 Firefighters (VIDEO)
      By Jim Hoft Feb. 22, 2023

      On Tuesday, a massive fire broke out in a lumber storage warehouse in Brooklyn, New York.

      At approximately 10:51 a.m., a fire broke out in a one-story lumber storage building at 335 Hewes Street and quickly spread to a neighboring three-story commercial building, according to authorities.

      “There is a lot of stock within these buildings and that’s what’s taken so long to extinguish these fires. It’s a heavy load of combustibles,” Chief John Hodgens said.

      FDNY Members are fighting a 4-alarm fire at 304 Hewes Street in Brooklyn. The call came in at 10:51 am. When units arrived, they found fire in a large commercial building containing a lot of lumber. The fire spread to an adjacent 3-story building, There is no report of injuries,” the New York Fire Department wrote on social media.

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/massive-fire-erupts-in-brooklyn-lumber-storage-warehouse-injuring-5-firefighters-video/

  2. twitter @disclosetv

    NOW – Tedros: “This week, WHO member states are hosting discussions on amendments to the International Health Regulations.

    Next week, countries will begin negotiations on a ‘Zero Draft’ of the new Pandemic Accord.”

    + 30 sec video

    https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1628411126085025798

    =============================
    W.H.O. – Media briefing on global health issues

    ( 42 min 40 )

    • BBC – Tony Blair and William Hague call for digital ID cards for all

      Sir Tony Blair and Lord Hague have called for everyone in the UK to get digital ID cards as part of a “technological revolution”.

      In a report, the former Labour prime minister and Conservative leader argue that government records “are still based in a different era”.

      The idea of introducing ID cards has been controversial.

      As PM, Sir Tony tried to introduce an ID card scheme but it was scrapped by the coalition government.

      Opponents of identity cards have raised concerns about civil liberties and what they see as unnecessary data collection and intrusion by the state.

      However, in their report, Sir Tony and Lord Hague, who faced each other at the dispatch box as party leaders, argue digital ID cards would make it easier and more secure for people to access services and for the government to understand their needs and better target support.

      “In a world in which everything from vaccine status to aeroplane tickets and banking details are available on our personal devices, it is illogical that the same is not true of our individual public records,” they write.

      They suggest such a scheme could allow people to prove their identity, age, driving licence, right to live and work in the UK and even their educational qualifications.

      But Silkie Carlo, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said the “sprawling digital identity system” proposed by the pair “would be one of the biggest assaults on privacy ever seen in the UK”.

      “Sir Tony and Lord Hague are absolutely right about the need for the UK to take leadership in technological innovation, but this means protecting people’s rights and privacy, not reviving failed proposals for an intrusive mass digital identity system and a database state,” she said.

      “Technology is not some geeky side issue to be got to once the ‘real political debates’ have raged,” the pair write in The Times. “It is the issue.”

      Many people believe the UK has chosen an overly cautious approach to the adoption of tech, while others argue that this is the only sensible option.

      The Online Safety Bill, over five years in the making, continues to wrestle with the complexities of trying to regulate big tech and online behaviour.

      Meanwhile, in everyday life, people are using their digital devices to make payments, do banking, manage diaries, run businesses and build communities.

      At work they’re using the AI Chatbot ChatGPT to write marketing copy, speeches, and computer code. Whitehall, on the other hand, is warning its staff not to use it to write emails.

      The fear of course is that when tech goes wrong, it can be catastrophic. Whether that’s huge queues at airports when the e-gates fail, or large-scale identity theft thanks to an unexpected data breach.

      There’s a saying in the cybersecurity world: everything is unhackable, until it’s hacked. And if your identity is compromised, it can be very, very hard to get it back.

      In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lord Hague called for the UK to “redesign the state around technology”, warning that other countries were “forging ahead”.

      “We’re in the fastest period of innovation in the history of human civilisation… The UK has to be one of the leaders in that field,” he said.

      Sir Tony said countries ranging from Estonia to India already had digital ID systems.

      He acknowledged there were “threats and difficulties with this technology revolution” but politicians also needed to understand its potential.

      “You need a programme for government that is done on a basis that assembles a new national purpose so that it goes across the party lines and so that even through changes of government you’re still in the same direction, with the same ambition,” he told the programme.

      https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-64729442

    • Not a Doctor in charge of World health Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha If your pet gets sick, do you take it to the hardware store, the hairdresser or a mechanic?

    • Ahead of February 23, the President spoke at a rally-concert dedicated to Defender of the Fatherland Day at the Luzhniki Stadium.

      President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

      We are having this meeting on the eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day. This phrase, these words have something powerful, enormous, I would even say mystical and sacred in them.

      No wonder one of the most popular prayers begins with the words “Our Father.” “Father” is a word that conveys something very close to every person. After all, we also say “Motherland.” This is about a family, something huge and powerful and at the same time close to everyone’s heart. It is the Motherland and the family. Ultimately, the Motherland is the family and they mean the same for us in our hearts.

      There are people – here they are standing next to me, on my left and my right – whose choice in life is to defend the most sacred and dearest thing that we have: family and the Motherland. Today, they are doing this as part of the special military operation.

      We have come together here for what is, in fact, a festive event, but I know, I just received a report from the country’s top military leaders, that a battle for our people is unfolding on our historical borders right at this moment.

      It is being led by courageous servicemen just like the ones who are standing next to us here. They are fighting heroically, courageously and bravely. We are proud of them. Let’s give a triple “hurray” in their honour so that they can hear our greetings.

      Our entire country stands behind them, which means that everyone who does it is, to a certain extent, also a defender of the Fatherland. That includes medical workers who help our troops get back on their feet, doctors, nurses and, of course, defence industry employees, transport workers, and everyone else who does this. My friends, this also includes you, the people who came here today to support our soldiers. Thank you. It includes even children who write letters to support our soldiers.

      This is very important. In this sense, in our efforts to protect our interests, our people, our culture, our language and all our territories, all our people are defenders of the Fatherland. I bow low to all of you.

      Happy upcoming Defender of the Fatherland Day.

      The National Anthem of the Russian Federation plays.

      United we have no equal.

      For the unity of the Russian people! Hurray!

      http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70574

  3. Thousands of Canadians lost their jobs because they refused the so-called vaccines, were not allowed to collect unemployment, and labeled misogynistic, racist, “fringe minority” with unacceptable views by Justine Trudeau.

    Thousands of unvaccinated individuals, invited to illegally walk across the border at Roxham Road are put up in hotels and given immediate health care and dental care.

    How much longer should Canadians “ tolerate” Justine Trudeau and the illegals entering Canada?

    How many Canadians were dropped on their heads at some point in their lives?

  4. Democrats and Their Wicked Operatives Force President Trump to Spend $10 Million on Lawfare Attacks and Frivolous Investigations
    By Jim Hoft Feb. 22, 2023 10:30 am

    Maybe someday the Democrat Party will hate America’s enemies as much as they hate effective Republican leaders. But don’t hold your breath.

    Before President Donald Trump entered office the FBI was investigating his campaign of Russian collusion based on lies launched by the Hillary Clinton campaign.

    During his entire first term, the FBI, Democrats, and their Deep State operatives harassed, smeared, and investigated President Trump based on complete BS based on his fantasy ties to Vladimir Putin. A majority of Democrats to this day believe in this debunked conspiracy used as an attempt to remove President Trump from office.

    It didn’t stop President Donald Trump

    President Trump secured the southern border, built a wall, renegotiated NAFTA to protect American jobs, renegotiated trade with China to favor American workers, established historic peace agreements in the Middle East, oversaw record economic growth, protected Americans from the Communist left, and reinstituted American greatness, something that was lost during the Obama years.

    To this day the American left hates Trump for his historic successes and his refusal to bow down to them like previous and current Republican leaders.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/wicked-democrats-and-their-operatives-force-president-trump-to-spend-10-million-on-lawfare-attacks-and-frivolous-investigations/

  5. Canadian Man Charged With Second-Degree Murder for Shooting Man Who Broke Into His Home to Rob Him
    By Cassandra MacDonald Feb. 22, 2023 9:00 am288 Comments

    A 22-year-old Canadian man has been charged with second-degree murder for shooting a man who had broken into his home to rob him.
    The homeowner, Ali Mian, was legally permitted to own the firearm, despite Canada’s strict laws.

    On Saturday morning, at roughly 5 a.m., a group of burglars broke into Mian’s Milton home with the intent of committing a robbery.

    Mian fatally shot one of the individuals, whose name has not been publicly released at this time.

    One of the burglars who got away, Romario Clarke, 20, is facing charges of breaking and entering as well as unauthorized possession of a firearm, according to a report from the Toronto Star.

    Mian’s defense lawyer, Jag Virk, told the Star that Mian lives with his mother — who the burglars were attacking.

    “[The] intruder had a gun and was attacking his mother,” Virk said

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/canadian-man-charged-with-second-degree-murder-for-shooting-man-who-broke-into-his-home-to-rob-him/

  6. Higher Cognitive Ability, Less Concern for Political Correctness – Study Finds
    BY NOAH CARL 20 FEBRUARY 2023 7:00 AM

    Britain’s elite cultural institutions – the BBC, universities, the national trust – are dominated by the woke. Since smart people tend to get ahead in life, you might assume the woke would have higher intelligence. Not so, according to a new study.

    Louise Drieghe and colleagues surveyed 300 North Americans adults using the platform Mechanical Turk. To measure participants’ cognitive ability, they administered the Ammons Quick Test, which involves correctly assigning words to pictures. Previous studies have shown that people’s scores on the test correlate strongly with their scores on more comprehensive IQ tests, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

    The researchers also assessed participants’ support for free speech and concern for political correctness. To measure the former, they constructed a 9-item scale, comprising items such as “Every individual has the unalienable right to express their thoughts freely,” and “Censorship of speech leaves little room for debate and diverse points of view”.

    To measure the latter, they used a 7-item scale developed by two other researchers. It includes items such as “I get mad when I hear someone use politically incorrect language,” and “I try to educate people around me about the political meaning of their words”.

    https://dailysceptic.org/2023/02/20/higher-cognitive-ability-less-concern-for-political-correctness-study-finds/

  7. Fascinating facts: Balloons, farmland, united fronts, shipping companies, military bases
    It’s already here

    So this happened: in 2015, a Chinese balloon company, Kuangchi Science, launched a near-space balloon from a dairy farm in New Zealand.

    But we’ll get to all that. With plenty of links, because it’s a well-documented event.

    First, we’ll take a detour on the path that led to this discovery. I don’t think you’ll regret the time.

    BREAKING: This just in. [Note: It was “just in” on Friday, when this “breaking news” entry was added. – J.E.] On Friday morning (17 February), the Wall Street Journal

    reported that unnamed U.S. officials had specifically disclosed that defense intelligence was tracking Chinese balloons over American territory during Donald Trump’s term, but didn’t inform Trump at the time because they weren’t sure what the balloons were doing. They reportedly thought the balloons might be used “to test radar-jamming systems over sensitive U.S. military sites

    As observed in my tweet, this, if true, means officials in the Pentagon thought Chinese balloons might be probing, even interfering with, the military defenses of the United States, and they didn’t inform the Commander in Chief.

    Ponder that. Ponder it especially in light of the earlier claims that the Pentagon withheld other operational information from President Trump as well (in Syria), and the evident perspective of the then-president at the end of his term that if

    https://theoptimisticconservative.wordpress.com/2023/02/20/fascinating-facts-balloons-farmland-united-fronts-shipping-companies-military-bases/

  8. China Says Ready To “Join Forces With Russia” To “Defend National Interests” As Putin Confirms Xi Visit
    Tyler Durden’s Photo
    BY TYLER DURDEN
    WEDNESDAY, FEB 22, 2023 – 09:00 AM
    Despite all latest among Washington’s repeat warnings to Beijing against strategic or military cooperation with Moscow, China is now pledging to “join forces” with “like-minded” partner Russia to defend national interests. The statement came by the close of the first day of the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee Wang Yi’s trip to Moscow.

    “The People’s Republic of China is ready to join forces with Russia to decisively stand up for national interests and promote mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas,” Wang said Tuesday while meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev. On Wednesday he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in what appeared a warm and cooperative visit.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-says-ready-join-forces-russia-defend-national-interests-putin-confirms-xi-visit

    (Richard: Xi and Putin planned this war and ordered Obiden to do the Kabuki dance that supposedly started this war. If you look at what is happening Putin is getting a blooded military. He is getting to test his military leaders in a shooting war and retiring the incompetent. His economy is growing stronger.

    On our side we are expending our reserves of munitions.

    • On our side we are expending our reserves of munitions without replacing them. This especially applies to the artillery and vehicles. They are taking them from out combat units and sending them to Ukraine.

    • global news –Joly tells UN “there’s no option but victory for Ukraine

      Joly said Canada would be there to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and said it would also help Ukraine to recover when the war ends.

      She called on the UN to address the psychological impact of the war with “the same seriousness and urgency as the physical scars” and support survivors in seeking justice.

      Joly said Canada welcomes Ukraine’s case against Russia at the International Court of Justice and supports the efforts of the International Criminal Court in Ukraine.

    • US factories ramp up weapon production

      …. the army in Ukraine are firing off between 4,000 and 7,000 artillery rounds every single day.

    • Fox News – Democratic support for Biden in 2024 rises while Republicans grow skeptical of Trump: poll

      Donald Trump launched his 2024 White House campaign in November; President Biden has yet to announce a re-election bid

      A new national poll suggests that Democrats and Democratic-leaning independent voters are becoming more supportive of the idea of President Biden as their party’s nominee in 2024.

      Half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents questioned in an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday said their party has a better chance of winning the White House in 2024 with Biden as the nominee.

      […]”This change in perception comes as Biden’s approval rating among Americans, overall, has inched up after his State of the Union Address last week,” Marist noted in a news release.

      https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democratic-support-biden-2024-rises-republicans-grow-skeptical-trump-poll

    • MSNBC – Samantha Power: ‘How Democracy Can Win’ as war in Ukraine enters second year

      Samantha Power joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss how America is supporting the Ukrainian people in their fight for democracy as Russia’s invasion enters its second year.

      “It’s not just USAID that is there providing this energy support, helping repair pipes, you know, bringing homes back online, providing heating to families, it’s much of the democratic world,” says Power.

      “And that’s a really important aspect of this one-year anniversary is to just take note of how rare that is, actually, in international conflicts that you can sustain this level of support.

      And it is really because of the manifest unjustness and brutality of this conflict imposed by Putin.”

    • Pfizer introduces groundbreaking vaccine to prevent RSV in babies

      …. it works by vaccinating a pregnant person and would then be transferred in utero to the baby.

    • FEB 22 2023 -COVID vaccine associated with fewer heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular issues: study

      New research shows the COVID-19 vaccination is associated with fewer heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular issues among people who were infected with SARS-COV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

  9. Arkansas Police Rule Suicide in Death of Clinton Aide Found Hanging From Tree with Shotgun Blast to Chest – Despite No Sign of Gun!
    By Cristina Laila Feb. 22, 2023 11:45

    Mark Middleton, Bill Clinton’s special advisor from Little Rock, Arkansas who connected the former president to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein died at the age of 59 last May.

    At first, no details of Middleton’s death were disclosed, however, the case was blown wide open after a FOIA request by Radar Online revealed the former advisor was found hanging from a tree with a shotgun blast to his chest.

    Mr. Middleton was found hanging from a tree with a shotgun blast to his chest and an extension cord wrapped around his neck 30 miles from his Arkansas ranch.

    The investigation into the so-called ‘suicide’ was reopened after Middleton was found dead on an 1,100 acre Perryville farm linked to Bill Clinton.

    The Middleton family is reportedly angry about the ‘ unsubstantiated conspiracy theories’ spreading online about the death of their loved one.

    According to a new report, Arkansas police ruled Middleton’s death a suicide despite no sign of a weapon!

    The Daily Mail reported:

    The grisly scene where a top Bill Clinton adviser was found hanged from a tree with a gunshot wound to his chest has finally been revealed nine months after he died.

    But the sheriff’s report into Mark Middleton’s mysterious death raises more questions than answers as it rules he died by suicide – despite no sign of the weapon that killed him.

    The report, written by Perry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Lawson, says he was called to the ranch by worker Samantha McElroy who had found Middleton’s abandoned black BMW SUV.

    McElroy, 46, then walked around a cottage on the ranch.

    Almost immediately after stepping around the corner of the cottage she started yelling,’ wrote Lawson.

    ‘Upon reaching the back of the cottage she pointed towards the rear of the property and asked if that was a person.

    ‘I could see what at first appeared to be a man sitting near a tree, as my eyes focused better, I could see a rope of some type going from the tree limb to the male.”

    Lawson said it was clear that Middleton was dead.

    ‘I could see that he had a gunshot wound to the chest and that he had a knot tied in an extension cord that was around his neck and it was attached to the limb directly above him.

    The deputy said a search of Middleton’s vehicle turned up three boxes of buckshot and a gun case – but no weapon.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/arkansas-police-rule-suicide-in-death-of-clinton-aide-found-hanging-from-tree-with-shotgun-blast-to-chest-despite-no-sign-of-gun/

  10. New J6 Footage Shows Officer Saying “They Set Us Up”
    By Anthony Scott Feb. 22, 2023 12:35 pm61 Comments
    New Metropolitan Police Department body camera footage from January 6th shows an officer saying he was “set up”.

    Per Kyle Becker, the new footage stems from the bodycam footage of MPD officer Lawrence Lazewski which was used in the trial of Jan. 6th defendant William Pope.

    The footage itself shows officer Lazewski approaching a group of officers on the upper Terrance of the Capitol.

    One officer in particular that appeared on Lazeweski’s body camera footage appeared to be upset about how easily the Capitol was infiltrated and stated “They set us the [expletive] up. “That’s what they did. They set us up.”

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/new-j6-footage-shows-officer-saying-they-set-us-up/

  11. Rasmussen Releases Two Edgy Poll Results – Americans Agree “It’s Ok to Be White” and “Illegal Immigration Has Made Things Worse”
    By Joe Hoft Feb. 22, 2023 12:20 pm

    It’s OK to be White” and “Illegal Immigrants are making things worse” are the results of two edgy polls from Rasmussen released today.

    Rasmussen released two reports this morning regarding their polls with results that may seem surprising to the radical left.

    In its first poll release, Rasmussen reports that Americans believe that it’s ok to white in America.

    When asked whether It’s ok to be white most Americans agreed with more than 70% agreeing with the statement. Only 12% disagree or strongly disagree. Sadly, 17% of the survey sample doesn’t know.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/rasmussen-releases-two-edgy-poll-results-americans-agree-its-ok-to-be-white-and-illegal-immigration-has-made-things-worse/

    • MSNBC – The GOP just armed Tucker Carlson with an extraordinary weapon

      House Speaker McCarthy reportedly has shared over 40,000 hours of U.S. Capitol surveillance footage from the Jan. 6 riot with him.

      House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has reportedly shared over 40,000 hours of U.S. Capitol surveillance footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection with Fox News host Tucker Carlson. If you thought the right’s attitude toward Jan. 6 was worrisome before, it’s likely about to get worse. Carlson is the most influential MAGA-aligned pundit in the country, and he can use this footage to do huge damage to public memory of one of the most brazen strikes against democracy in American history.

      Axios reported Monday that McCarthy’s office has been sharing a huge trove of raw video footage with Carlson since early February, and excerpts from the footage are expected to air in the coming weeks. Carlson appears to have admitted to the arrangement through his statement to Axios. “If there was ever a question that’s in the public’s interest to know, it’s what actually happened on January 6. By definition, this video will reveal it. It’s impossible for me to understand why any honest person would be bothered by that,” Carlson said.

      The problem is that Carlson is not an honest person.

      In 2021, the Fox News host aired a “documentary” series about Jan. 6 which peddled false and preposterous claims that Jan. 6 was an inside job by the federal government designed to serve as a pretext for surveillance and repression of the right. As I wrote at the time, the documentary was absurd, but Carlson’s story-telling tactics were clever. He exploited gaps in public knowledge, cherry-picked footage and speculated wildly based on any data points that ran counter to prevailing narratives about the riot. He also used dubious expert testimonials to buttress his claims, such as when he aired a security analyst implying, inaccurately, that organized movement among the protesters was a telltale sign of agents provocateurs. While Carlson never presented proof of his theories, he, like most effective conspiracy theorists, exploited ambiguity to try to confuse his audience and delegitimize mainstream accounts of events.

      Carlson’s capacity to cast doubt on Jan. 6 narratives could be on the brink of becoming quite a lot stronger. He may be able to accurately say that he has access to footage that no other media outlet in the country has. That, in turn, will give his claims about having the “real” story of what happened on Jan. 6 extra weight among right-wing audiences. He could also develop an even stronger capacity to confuse, mislead and manufacture false claims about what happened that day because it could be harder for other media outlets to contextualize or fact-check many claims he makes. In other words, Carlson’s authoritarian disinformation operation may have just become a lot stronger. The cumulative effect of Carlson’s access could very well further strengthen his overall authority among right-wing audiences. He could lord it over any competitor that he’s obtained something nobody else has.

      McCarthy turning over the footage to Carlson tells us a great deal about the ongoing evolution of the right in the direction of authoritarianism. McCarthy has pledged to hold a Republican version of the Jan. 6 hearings, which would blame security failures at the Capitol for the crisis and inevitably downplay the organized nature of the event. That would be bad enough: Minimizing then-President Donald Trump’s and the militant right’s role in engineering the riot reduces our ability to guard against something similar happening in the future, and it allows the GOP to bury its head in the sand about its coup-hungry wing. But Carlson can take things further. He now has the capacity to mainstream far-fetched ideas that don’t just downplay the real culprits, but instead create new villains.

      At first it was concerning when the GOP wanted to move on quickly from Trump’s role in Jan. 6. Those days now look relatively innocent. These days, the speaker of the House wants to obliterate the public’s understanding of what even happened on that day.

      https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/tucker-carlson-kevin-mccarthy-jan-6-rcna71620

      MSNBC – Tucker Carlson is a pro-Putin, pro-Orbán, pro-autocrat propagandist

      … the Fox News host will use this footage to feed his audience January 6th disinformation.

    • Tucker: This will make you shiver

      Fox News host Tucker Carlson shreds Pete Buttigieg’s lack of leadership and qualifications to be transportation secretary

  12. No injuries, release of radioactivity after uranium fire at Y-12 in Oak Ridge

    Officials with Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge said there were no injuries nor a release of radioactivity after a fire involving uranium occurred early Wednesday.

  13. HERE WE GO: Lawyers Preparing to Quash Possible Indictments After Crazy Jury Forewoman Goes on Media Tour
    By Cristina Laila Feb. 22, 2023 1:51 pm230 Comments

    Lawyers are preparing to quash any possible indictments after the Georgia grand jury forewoman went on a crazy media tour.

    Last week a Fulton County judge ordered parts of the grand jury report in the garbage Trump 2020 election investigation to be released as the prosecutor considers charges against Trump and his allies.

    The grand jury concluded that “one or more witnesses” lied under oath and recommended perjury indictments.

    “A majority of the Grand Jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it,” the report said.

    Read Also: Dr. Peter

    The Grand Jury recommends that the District Attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling,” the report said, according to CNBC.

    The forewoman of the jury, Emily Khors, suggested that the jurors recommended indicting Trump in an interview with the New York Times.

    Khors did not offer any other details about who specifically was recommended for charges.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/here-we-go-lawyers-preparing-to-quash-possible-indictments-after-crazy-jury-forewoman-goes-on-media-tour/

    (Richard: The purpose of this Grand Jury wasn’t to indict anyone, it was to throw mud on President Trump and his people. The political establishment wants to scare everyone that thinks about running for office and removing the professional politicians from power.

    During their witch hunt against President Trump the Establishment has openly violated the Constitution. Their actions are showing that they don’t believe in the Constitution and the rule of law. They want to be the Royals and Nobels of a feudal system that borrows from history and the Marxist writings. They are working hard to remove all possibility of a Legislative or Judicial solution.

    Combine the internal struggles in the Western Nations with the threat from China, Russia and the Islamic Conquest and you have a recipe for sociatal breakdown and invasion that will result into another hundred years war.

  14. New Forensic Expert’s Report Out of Allegheny County, PA Shows Duplicate Ballot Scans and over 50,000 “Non-Unique Tabulator CVR Numbers”
    By Brian Lupo Feb. 22, 2023 3:30 pm0 Comments
    Back in September of 2022, forensics expert Erich Speckin discovered over 10,000 ballots in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County that had substantially inferior image quality compared to other ballots provided:

    “Many of these images have similar defects in the printing/copying process which would indicate common source of production, but different than the remaining examined ballots. Clearly in the mail in counting area, a random printing defect that may have existed in mailing out of ballots could not consistently come back and be counted on the same scanner. Therefore, a printing defect on the printing side of the ballot creation is not the likely cause of this anomaly.”

    The Gateway Pundit reported on

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/new-forensic-experts-report-out-of-allegheny-county-pa-shows-duplicate-ballot-scans-and-over-50000-non-unique-tabulator-cvr-numbers/

  15. More Than 600 Police Officers From Other States Respond to FL Gov. DeSantis Relocation Offer
    By Margaret Flavin Feb. 22, 2023 3:45 pm26 Comments
    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited three blue cities recently to recruit police officers to the sunshine state.

    As crime spikes and police morale slips, DeSantis is offering signing bonuses to officers who relocate.

    In Elmhurst, Illinois on Monday, DeSantis told the crowd, “We have this recruitment program in place. If you come and you’re qualified from another a state and join any of our agencies – city, county, state sworn law enforcement – you get a $5,000 signing bonus immediately right off the top.”

    “The reason why you have crime that has spiraled out of control in so many different areas is because you have politicians putting woke ideology ahead of public safety.”

    There are additional perks for those who make the move such as help with adoption costs and purchasing a new home.

    It has been reported that by the end of 2022, more than 600 police officers from other states had taken advantage of this opportunity.

    CBS Chicago reports:

    The Fort Lauderdale Police Department alone recently added eight former Chicago cops. Officer Matthew Molitor went to St. Petersburg.

    “I’m from the Midwest,” Molitor said. “I’m from the Quad cities originally.”

    Molitor worked in the Near West (12th) and Town Hall (19th) Chicago Police districts for more than four years. He said he did not need much convincing when he left for the St. Petersburg Police Department in March.

    “If you can’t staff, then you can’t put enough officers on the street – and therefore, that’s where your 12-hour days; your canceled days off are coming from,” Molitor said. “Yeah, morale is definitely going to suffer.”

    Officer Molitor said morale is a big issue at the CPD.

    That is also why former Miami Police officer turned moving and storage company owner Spero Georgedakis began running commercials in Chicago at the beginning of each month – urging Chicago Police officers to head south.

    “I thought, let me help not only promote the program, but help these police officers move to Florida safely, and get their families here,” said Georgedakis, of Good Greek Moving & Storage.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/more-than-600-police-officers-from-other-states-respond-to-fl-gov-desantis-relocation-offer/

  16. GREATNESS AGENDA
    The Right Cannot Afford to Abandon Public Education
    Our schools and universities are ours. We built them, we paid for them, and we want them back.

    By Kevin Portteus
    February 21, 2023
    In his latest offensive to rid Florida’s educational system of revolutionary Marxism, Governor Ron DeSantis announced what amounts to a new direction for one of the most liberal educational institutions in the state: the New College of Florida. DeSantis appointed a slew of new trustees to the college, including the anti-Marxist journalist Christopher Rufo, Claremont Review of Books Editor and political scientist Charles R. Kesler, and Matthew Spalding of Hillsdale College. The president of the New College, Patricia Okker, appeared before the board and said that she could not cooperate with the board or with DeSantis’ plan for the institution, and she was promptly terminated.

    The importance of this move cannot be overstated. DeSantis’ previous efforts, outlawing critical race theory, rejecting the hate-filled mess that is the proposed AP African-American Studies course, and attacking the infiltration of LGBTQ ideology into our schools, were a good start, but they pale in comparison to this latest push.

    Anyone who has ever worked in any organization, be it corporate, government, nonprofit, or educational, knows that personnel is policy. The people you put in key positions are the decisive factor in determining the character of an organization. Ban whatever content you want; require whatever curriculum you want; until you have the right personnel, and are rid of the wrong personnel, you won’t solve the underlying problem.

    Educators, at all levels, obsess over curriculum and content, but these are really of secondary importance compared

    https://amgreatness.com/2023/02/21/the-right-cannot-afford-to-abandon-public-education/

  17. American Thinker

    Email
    February 22, 2023
    Gun Banning and Social Contempt
    By W.R. Wordsworth

    In attempting to make sense of things, one should always look to the insights of the wise and the experienced. But one should also heed the occasional ill-considered outbursts of loud-mouthed idiots, since these too can be quite enlightening. A ranting partisan sometimes gives the game away by thoughtlessly blurting out the cynical thinking behind their own lousy ideas. Such inadvertent and ill-advised slips make it far easier to emotionally reverse engineer partisan stances that more skilled advocates all too often succeed in dressing up as serious proposals.

    When Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 1994, Democratic representative Charlie Rangel reacted by exclaiming: “It’s not ‘spic’ or ‘(n-word)’ any more. (Instead Republicans) say ‘let’s cut taxes.'” Rangel’s remark underscored the absurdity of treating every policy difference as grounds for racial accusation by deploying the strategy in a ridiculous context, thereby exposing the emptiness of screaming “racist” at everything. His little eruption gave away the standard Democratic approach, and highlighted its absurdity.

    When Russia invaded Ukraine, many area experts cautioned there could be no solution to the crisis so long as Vladimir Putin remained in power. Lindsey Graham then unhelpfully ran to every hot mic he could find and yelped himself hoarse demanding Vladimir Putin be assassinated. Graham’s asinine chest thumping only succeeded in making any would-be Putin assassin look like an American pawn.

    A more recent example comes to us from a fairly reliable source of spontaneous stupidities: Geraldo Rivera.

    A few weeks ago the topic of gun control came up on Fox News’ “The Five,” and this prompted Rivera to unleash a stream of emotionally infantile musings. “I submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, there is no legitimate reason… to have an AR-15.” So intoned the man who just months before had pleaded only to prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from owning this particular kind of firearm. Be that as it may, Rivera’s outburst involved two elements: the first is that guns that look scary to Rivera should be seized from their lawful owners because Rivera once saw a gunshot wound, and this so traumatized him that the mere thought of anyone owning a firearm capable of inflicting such a wound is completely outrageous. So the civilian possession of commonly owned firearms should be forbidden to salve Rivera’s recollected trauma. Such narcissism scarcely merits refutation, but it’s worth noting as a psychological oddity. Childish emotional callbacks are not a sound basis for national policy.

    But Rivera had more to share with hispanelists: it seems he has solved the mystery behind the commercial appeal of AR-15-style firearms. It isn’t the firearm’s ergonomic design, ease of use, ease of cleaning, light recoil, or reliability that’s behind the sale of some 16 million units: it’s something much more vulgar. An AR-15, he scornfully observed “makes macho the people who possess it — oh look at me I’m a big deal.” So owning a firearm to which Rivera objects should be forbidden because such ownership is — in the seasoned judgment of a mature and sophisticated observer like Rivera — an adolescent masculine display that warrants nothing but mockery.

    One might ask: Why waste any mental energy on the rantings of a fading carnival barker like Rivera? We have in the past pointed out the twisted priorities and barely hidden contempt that must animate a man who simply could not bring himself to see any policy implications in an egregious murder committed by an illegal alien, but never misses an opportunity to leverage isolated incidents to demand the forced disarming of all Americans. Yet it seems worthwhile to assess the merits of Rivera’s charge that gun ownership (at least of guns Rivera finds scary looking) is inherently pathological — a symptom of toxic masculinity — and that this pathology should be actively stamped out.

    For one thing, it illuminates the arrogance that drives the gun-banning lobby. In the view of Rivera and his compatriots, the Second Amendment is not the codification of a natural right, it is an incomprehensible indulgence unwisely extended to a bunch of icky, low-rent people who are manifestly undeserving of any “right” that they might look somewhat silly exercising. This blatant, indiscriminate social contempt — this snobbery — is what lies at the core of Rivera’s bigoted remarks. But let’s for the moment treat Rivera’s outburst with more seriousness than it in fact deserves and ask: is this contempt justified?

    Imagine a typical adolescent, a boy in his teens. He has taken an interest in guns, and imagines growing up to build a collection. He looks forward to spending time improving his marksmanship at the range. If his parents are supportive, they may get him a BB gun at a young age. As that boy grows, he learns gun safety, exercises responsibility, abides by the laws, and, as he grows older, he avoids doing anything in his life that might jeopardize his eventual full participation in the right the Second Amendment guarantees. This behavior is not that of a social menace.

    Healthy masculinity involves the disciplined application of force to legitimate targets in appropriate ways at appropriate times to an appropriate degree. Gun ownership can be, and often is, a benign component in an individual’s growth into a mature and responsible person. Gun ownership, properly cultivated, is a worthy aspiration, and masculine accomplishment is not a disease. It is no accident that gun owners tend to be more law abiding than people who do not own guns.

    The smearing and scapegoating of millions of lawful, responsible gun owners for crimes to which they do not in any way contribute while violent, feral urban criminals are coddled and released by anarchist district attorneys is just one instance of the ongoing political campaign to pathologize the normal and normalize the pathological.

    People who might have started out in life like the adolescent described above do not deserve to be looked down upon and sneered at. They deserve the same basic respect our constitution extends to all free, responsible adults. They deserve a thoughtful defense when they are mocked and attacked, and they deserve — and should demand — a political voice

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/02/gun_banning_and_social_contempt.html

  18. Retail Collapse: Over 800 Big Stores Set to Close Due to Inflation, Crime, Interest Rates
    By Mike LaChance Feb. 22, 2023 5:35

    Retail stores have been in trouble since the beginning of the pandemic, but now the issue is coming into hard focus.

    Over 800 large stores are set for closure in various parts of the country.

    Inflation means people have less money to spend. Combine that with the issue of rampant crime and rising interest rates and you have a recipe for disaster.

    Bob Hoge writes at RedState:

    Retailers to Shut Down Over 800 Big-Box Stores as Inflation, Anemic Sales and Interest Rates Create Perfect Storm

    The retail world continues its downward spiral, as holiday sales failed to meet expectations and wary consumers are keeping their wallets in their pockets due to rampant inflation and soaring interest rates.

    Just to be clear: 2022 Christmas holiday sales did increase from the prior year; it’s just that expectations were primed for an even higher increase after two years of the pandemic.

    The end result: over 800 big-box stores are slated to shut down across the country in 2023.

    Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Gap, and Party City are among the big names who will be downsizing. Bath & Beyond, which narrowly escaped bankruptcy proceedings earlier this month, is the biggest loser, aiming to cut its number of stores to 480 when it once had over 1,500 locations.

    At least 416 stores have been identified for closure, along with all 65 of its locations in Canada. Thirty-five will close in California alone…

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/retail-collapse-over-800-big-stores-set-to-close-due-to-inflation-crime-interest-rates/

  19. Healthy 22-Year-Old Woman Collapses During Lunch with Friends – Had 7 Cardiac Arrests over 11 Days – Experts Suspect Virus Caused Heart Inflammation
    By Jim Hoft Feb. 22, 2023 5:15 pm183 Comments

    22-year-old woman from Eglinton, County Londonderry suddenly collapsed while out for lunch with her friends.

    Aoife Boyle, who has no family history of heart conditions, suffered seven cardiac arrests in eleven days and needed to be restarted after collapsing during lunch with her friends in a pub last month.

    “Aoife was meeting her friends for lunch at a pub, they just got in through the door, they didn’t even make it to sit down, and the next thing she just collapsed and started taking seizures,” Aoife’s mother, Tanya Boyle told BBC News NI.

    “They rang me straight away, telling me to just get there quick.”

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/healthy-22-year-old-woman-collapses-during-lunch-with-friends-had-7-cardiac-arrests-over-11-days-experts-suspect-virus-caused-heart-inflammation/