This Week in the News

EU Foreign Policy Chief Anti-Semitic?

The Jordan Times wrote on September 14:

“Israel’s foreign minister again accused EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell of ‘anti-Semitism’ Saturday after the top diplomat expressed outrage at the killing of UN staff in an Israeli strike in Gaza. ‘Josep Borrell is an anti-Semite and Israel-hater who consistently tries to pass resolutions and sanctions against Israel in the EU, only to be blocked by most member states,’ foreign minister Israel Katz said in a statement. On Thursday, Borrell said he was ‘outraged’ by the killing of six employees from the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in an Israeli air strike…

“Katz has repeatedly levelled accusations of ‘anti-Semitism’ against the European Union foreign policy chief… ‘There’s a difference between legitimate criticism… and the anti-Semitic, hate-filled campaign Borrell is leading against Israel — reminiscent of history’s worst anti-Semites.’”

Borrell is not the only one. Note the next article.

Anti-Israel Media Bias

Israel Today wrote on September 13:

“The apparent bias of the ABC TV moderators in failing to call out the falsehoods reportedly spoken by US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, in the debate with former President Donald Trump this week has attracted much critical comment… over the past few years, the media’s shocking pro-Democrat, anti-Trump partisanship has destroyed its role as the guardian of democracy and established it instead as an army of ruthless activists for a political cause…

“The impression given by the British media for the past 11 months of this war has been that Israel is willfully killing huge numbers of Gaza’s women and children, recklessly bombing hospitals and schools full of displaced people, and preventing humanitarian aid from getting to civilians. Those claims are the reverse of the truth

“The most egregious serial offender is the BBC... For decades, it has sanitized Palestinian Arab terrorism and painted Israel falsely as the aggressor in the region. And during the current war in Gaza, its coverage has been overwhelmingly malevolent…

“The network’s double standards in item after item, the soft-soaping of Palestinian supporters and the aggressive interruptions of Israel’s defenders, the acceptance of Hamas propaganda and blood libels about Israeli ‘war crimes’ as fact and the equally knee-jerk assumption that the Israelis are lying, all demonstrate… that the BBC is institutionally hostile to both Israel and the truth. It is therefore a national disgrace… they have been inciting often murderous hatred of Israel around the world.

“The media may have subverted and undermined American democracy. But when it comes to Israel, it has blood on its hands.”

The whole world, and especially Europe, has ganged up on Israel.

No More German Weapons for Israel?

Reuters reported on September 18:

“Germany has put a hold on new exports of weapons of war to Israel while it deals with legal challenges, according to a Reuters analysis of data and a source close to the Economy Ministry. Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($363.5 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase from 2022… However approvals have dropped this year, with only 14.5 million euros’ worth granted from January to Aug. 21… Of this, the ‘weapons of war’ category accounted for only 32,449 euros.

“A source close to the ministry cited a senior government official as saying it had stopped work on approving export licences for arms to Israel pending a resolution of legal cases arguing that such exports from Germany breached humanitarian law…

“… the issue has created friction within the government as the Chancellery maintains its support for Israel while the Greens-led Economy and Foreign ministries, sensitive to criticism from party members, have increasingly criticised the Netanyahu administration. Legal challenges across Europe have also led other allies of Israel to pause or suspend arms exportsBritain this month suspended 30 out of 350 licences for arms exports to Israel due to concerns that Israel could be violating international humanitarian law.

“In February, a Dutch court ordered the Netherlands to halt all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns about their use in attacks on civilian targets in Gaza.”

The situation won’t improve. Note the next article.

Detonation of Hezbollah Radios

Newsmax wrote on September 18:

“Hezbollah was rocked Wednesday by a second wave of explosions with thousands of two-way radios exploding throughout Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut and in the southern region of the country. The blasts took place one day after thousands of personal pagers exploded Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring another 2,800 people.

“Sources said… that Israel was also behind the explosions of the personal radios, which are used by Hezbollah members rather than cell phones. Their walkie-talkies had been booby-trapped with explosives in advance of their delivery to Hezbollah, which uses them as part of its emergency communications system, which would be used in a war with Israel, the sources said.

“The Jerusalem Post reported that according to its sources, the explosions occurred at and near the funerals of four Hezbollah members in Lebanon… Associated Press journalists working at the scene reported the funeral was for three Hezbollah members and a child who were killed by the exploding pagers on Tuesday…

“The Post said that unofficial reports claimed that iPhones, video cameras, IC-V82 radios, and other devices also detonated, in addition to the walkie-talkies, and that Hezbollah has told its operatives to stay away from all communication devices… The Lebanese media also claimed drones and aircraft had been seen flying over western and central Lebanon while the explosions were going on. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for both attacks, but Jerusalem has been publicly silent on the issue. Several foreign media outlets have reported that Israel’s Mossad and the Israel Defense Forces intelligence were behind the incidents.”

The New York Post wrote on September 18:

“The AR-924 pagers that were detonated on Tuesday were all the latest models acquired by Hezbollah five months ago and allegedly manufactured in Budapest, according to a statement released by Gold Apollo — a Taiwanese firm that authorized the use of its brand on the pagers.  Hungarian officials however, deny the allegations, saying it has no such manufacturing facility in the country…

“Israel allegedly hid explosive material in the Taiwan-made Gold Apollo pagers before they were imported to Lebanon, the New York Times reported… The material was implanted next to the battery with a switch that could be triggered remotely to detonate. The exploding pagers were then detonated by a message impersonating the leaders of the group on Tuesday afternoon, officials said….”

Hezbollah vowed revenge. The situation in the Middle East will surely escalate.

No More Welfare Benefits for Ukrainian Refugees?

Reuters wrote on September 14:

“European governments should halt welfare benefits to Ukrainian men of military age who are living in their countries, Poland’s foreign minister said, a measure he said would help Ukraine call up more troops to fight Russian forces… More than 4.1 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in European Union countries as of July this year, and about 22% of them were adult men… ‘Stop paying those social security payments for people who are eligible for the Ukrainian draft. There should be no financial incentives for avoiding the draft in Ukraine,’ Sikorski said at a conference of international leaders in Kyiv…

“Kyiv needs more soldiers…  Earlier this year, Ukraine adopted new legislation and implemented other measures, including lowering the call-up age or combat duty to 25 from 27… Kyiv ordered Ukrainian men living abroad to renew their military draft information online and encouraged them to return to Ukraine and join the fight.

“Ukraine imposed martial law at the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, banning men aged 18 to 60 from travelling abroad without special permission and beginning a rolling mobilisation of civilian men into the armed forces. But many men of military age have still fled abroad to avoid the draft amid reports of corruption in the army recruitment system, allowing some men to bribe their way out of army service.”

Fighting in war is sin and murder. Europe is becoming more and more an “armed camp,” determined to fight and kill in unjust and ungodly wars.

No German Long-Range Weapons for Ukraine?

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 14:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday ruled out the delivery of long-range precision to Ukraine in the future regardless of decisions made by NATO allies… Scholz said that the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles would entail ‘a great risk of escalation’

“Taurus cruise missiles have a range of around 500 kilometers (310,6 miles), which would allow Ukraine to strike targets in Moscow. ‘I said no to that,’ Scholz asserted. ‘And of course that also applies to other weapons…’ adding that this would not change ‘even if other countries decide differently.’

“At the same event in Prenzlau, Scholz said that Berlin seeks to prosecute the perpetrators of an attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines. ‘That was a terroristic act,’ Scholz said, adding that his government had called on security authorities and public prosecutors to continue investigations into the incident. ‘We want to bring those who did this, if we can get a hold of them, to court in Germany,’ he said, adding that there would be no ‘leniency’ in this case… He said that replacing Russian gas with other source shad cost Germany substantially more than €100 billion ($110.8 billion).”

Germany is under pressure from Russia. Politico reported on September 13, 2024:

“German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius shrugged off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat of retaliation should Western allies allow Ukraine to use their long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia… The Russian leader delivered an explicit message Thursday night to Ukraine’s Western partners, warning them against letting Kyiv use donated long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia. ‘This will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are fighting Russia,’ he said.”

Pistorius is not in charge. And Scholz’ reply seems to be an attempt to appease Russia. In addition, strong implications suggest that in some way, Ukraine was behind the attack on the two pipelines.

German Warships a “Security Risk”?

BNN wrote on September 15:

“The passage of two German Navy ships through the Taiwan Strait on Friday ‘increased security risks’ in the region, the Chinese military has said. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing accused Berlin of staging a ‘provocation’ and violating the One-China policy. Taiwan has been de facto self-governing since 1949, when the Nationalist forces lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communists and fled to the island. Taiwan is currently recognized as a sovereign nation by only 12 countries in the world. While adhering on paper to the One-China policy, in which the government in Beijing is the sole ruling authority over Chinese territories, the US has for decades maintained unofficial relations with and supported Taipei.

“China insists that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory, with President Xi Jinping warning that Beijing could resort to military force to regain control over the island. In a post on X on Friday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed that a ‘German naval frigate and a supply ship each sailed through the Taiwan Strait from north to south today.’ The passage of the Baden-Wuerttemberg frigate and the Frankfurt am Main replenishment ship was the first of its kind in 22 years

“German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Friday that ‘international waters are international waters, it is the shortest route, it is the safest route given the weather conditions… so we pass through.’ Despite China’s repeated protests, the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and France have sent warships through the waterway on multiple occasions.”

China and Russia have indicated that they would work together militarily against their enemies in case of a conflict.

Germany’s (and Europe’s) Immigration Problem

The Daily Mail wrote on September 16:

“Germany brings in its plan to end unchecked illegal immigration to the country today with enhanced border controls at all nine of its borders. The new controls will be in place for an initial six months and are expected to include temporary structures at land crossings and spot checks by federal police.  The coalition government hopes to show its seriousness about efforts to tackle irregular migration following a spate of Islamist attacks in recent months that have galvanised groups on the far-right. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser insisted yesterday that the step would help ‘put a stop to criminals and identify and stop Islamists at an early stage’.

“But the policy has not been without its criticism internally, and risks fracturing Germany’s centre-left coalition and alienating its European neighbours.  Poland and Austria are among the neighbours that have voiced concern, while the European Commission has warned that members of the 27-nation bloc must only impose such steps in exceptional circumstances.

“Germany lies at the heart of Europe and borders nine countries that are part of the visa-free Schengen zone, designed to allow the free movement of people and goods. Border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland were already in place before the crackdown was announced. But these will now be expanded to Germany’s borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, too…

“In recent weeks, a string of extremist attacks have shocked Germany, fuelling rising public anger. Last month, a man on a knife rampage killed three people and wounded eight more at a festival in the western city of Solingen. The Syrian suspect, who has alleged links to the Islamic State group, had been intended for deportation but managed to evade authorities. The enforcement failure set off a bitter debate which marked the run-up to two regional polls in the formerly communist east, where the anti-immigration AfD scored unprecedented results.

“With national elections looming next year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government has been under intense political pressure to toughen its stance on migrants and asylum seekers. Scholz was in Uzbekistan on Sunday to sign a migration deal for workers to come to Germany, while simplifying deportation procedures in the opposite direction so that ‘those that must go back do go back’, the chancellor said. Closer to home, the German government has presented plans to speed up deportations to European partners.

“Under EU rules, asylum requests are meant to be handled by the country of arrival. The system has placed a huge strain on countries on the European periphery, where leaders have demanded more burden-sharing. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that Germany tightening its borders means that it would ‘essentially pass the buck to countries located on the outer borders of Europe’. Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said his country ‘will not accept people who are rejected from Germany’, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned Germany’s move as ‘unacceptable’. Warsaw has also struggled with migration and accused Moscow of smuggling people from Africa and the Middle East into Europe by sending them through Belarus to the Polish border….

“Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, meanwhile, mocked the German chancellor on social media site X, writing: ‘Bundeskanzler Scholz, welcome to the club! #StopMigration.’  Germany took in more than a million asylum seekers in 2015-16, many of them Syrians, and has hosted over a million Ukrainians since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022…

“In the Netherlands, Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Friday unveiled the country’s strictest migration policy yet, saying it will request an opt-out from EU common policy on asylum next week. A four-party coalition dominated by far-right firebrand Geert Wilders’s Freedom Party wants to declare an ‘asylum crisis’ to curb the influx of migrants through a tough set of rules including border controls.”

All of this comes far too late for Germany, as criminal immigrants and terrorists are already in the country. And sadly, it all seems to be dictated by politics—with the hope that incompetent politicians might be reelected.

Controversial EU Commissioner Resigns Because of Controversial von der Leyen

Euro News wrote on September 17:

“Thierry Breton, the powerful European Commissioner in charge of the internal market, abruptly resigned on Monday, claiming that Ursula von der Leyen had pressured France, his home country, to submit another candidate to replace him ‘for personal reasons.’… ‘A few days ago, in the very last stretch of negotiations on the composition of the future of the College, you asked France to withdraw my name – for personal reasons that in no instance you have discussed directly with me – and offered, as a political trade-off, an allegedly more influential portfolio for France in the future College,’ Breton wrote. ‘… in light of these developments – further testimony to questionable governance – I have concluded that I can no longer exercise my duties in the College…’

“Breton’s shock exit deals a new blow to von der Leyen’s ongoing efforts to build her new College of Commissioners, a delicate undertaking that requires balancing considerations on gender, geography and party politics. The presentation of her new team has already been delayed due to a political fight in Slovenia, where the conservative opposition has contested the appointment of Marta Kos as the country’s Commissioner-designate…

“Still, the magnitude of Breton’s departure cannot be understated: the Frenchman had acquired a strong profile in Brussels after playing a key role in the bloc’s production of COVID-19 vaccines, the industrial ramp-up to provide Ukraine with more military support and, most notably, the regulatory push to rein in the excesses of Big Tech and AI.

“But he had also become a divisive character in the city. His letter to Elon Musk in August ahead of the billionaire’s interview with Donald Trump was decried as an assault against freedom of expression and a blatant case of power overreach…”

“British Army Stockpiles Depleted Amid £7,600,000,000 of Military Aid Sent to Ukraine”

MSN wrote on September 16:

“Military aid to Ukraine has left gaps in the UK armed forces’ capabilities. The UK has sent Challenger 2 tanks, millions of rounds of ammunition, and hundreds of boat and land vehicles to help Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

“It’s made a difference, with all of the Challengers donated last summer being deployed on the frontlines against Russia’s Soviet-built tanks.”

And Now Australia… Censoring Free Speech

Rebel News wrote on September 12:

“Elon Musk has slammed the Australian government, labelling them ‘fascists’ in response to proposed legislation to combat what it sees as misinformation on social media platforms. Musk, who owns X (formerly Twitter), made the blunt comment in reaction to a post outlining the new laws, which could fine social media companies up to 5 per cent of their annual revenue… The highly controversial proposed laws… will give the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) unprecedented powers to control online in the name of cracking down on misinformation.

“ACMA could fine platforms and even approve an industry code of conduct to address the issue if self-regulation fails. However, critics argue that these laws could severely limit free speech. John Storey from the Institute of Public Affairs described it as ‘the biggest attack on freedom of speech in peacetime Australia,’ warning that it could capture ‘any difference of opinion.’”

It’s happening all over the so-called “free” world.

Second Assassination Attempt on Trump

NBC News wrote on September 15:

“One [sniper] is in custody after shots were fired Sunday in what the FBI is calling an apparent second ‘attempted assassination’ of former President Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. An AR-style [Ak-47] rifle was recovered from the scene, law enforcement officials told NBC News. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was ‘safe’ after the incident…

“A representative for the Secret Service said at the news conference that it wasn’t clear whether the suspect ‘was able to take a shot at our agents’ before the agents shot at the suspect… The Secret Service spokesperson… said the suspect… was an estimated 400 to 500 yards away from Trump…”

The New York Post reported that the arrested sniper is a long-time Democrat from Hawaii. “The alleged shooter mounted a GoPro on the fence and was ‘intent on filming’ what would have been the murder of a former president, officials said… [He] was previously convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction… [He] was also arrested over two decades ago following a three-hour standoff…”

We are living in dangerous times, because Satan the Devil is very angry. We ALL need God’s protection.

Reckless Rhetoric to Blame for Second Trump Assassination Attempt

On September 15, 2024, the New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine:

“It’s a frightening development that highlights the recklessness of the hateful rhetoric constantly aimed at Trump by his political opponents, even after he was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania in July. Last week, Kamala Harris falsely accused Trump of calling Nazis ‘fine people,’ promising a ‘bloodbath,’ and being responsible for ‘the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.’ She and Joe Biden and their surrogates constantly exaggerate the J6 Capitol riot and use it to frame Trump as a ‘threat to democracy.’

“Biden has labeled Trump and ‘MAGA Republicans’ as ‘semi-fascists’ and domestic terrorists. Tim Walz called Trump a ‘fascist’ and a ‘threat to Democracy’ who will ‘put people’s lives in danger.’ On Saturday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) described Trump as ‘a candidate explicitly running on the promise of political violence.’ In Orwellian fashion, they accuse Trump and his supporters of stoking violence, when the evidence is almost all the other way… What will it take for these demented partisans to lower the temperature?”

Devine has a point. Also note the next article.

Media Ite wrote on September 16:

“Former President Donald Trump directly blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for a gunman targeting him at his West Palm Beach golf club on Sunday… [Trump] claimed the gunman was motivated by the top Democrats’ ‘highly inflammatory language.’ ‘He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,’ Trump said, claiming, ‘Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out’

“Trump pointed to Biden and Harris’ past comments casting Trump as a ‘threat to democracy,’ while telling Americans they are ‘unity’ leaders… ‘It is called the enemy from within. They are the real threat,’ Trump added…” 

Abhorrent Security Failures… and Unintended Consequences

On September 16, The Sun published the following article by Piers Morgan:

“How could this have happened again…? I would have assumed that after the catastrophic security failure in July, when that shooter was able to lie on a roof 150 yards from a Trump rally stage, the Secret Service would have made… sure nobody could get that close to their protectee again. I was sadly, shockingly wrong… please spare me any applause for the Secret Service.

“The fact this shooter could get that close was another abject security failure of horrifying proportions, and even more inexplicable and disgraceful coming so soon after the last one. Why wasn’t the whole perimeter of the course being monitored? The answer is staggering… Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Trump would be receiving more security if he was still in office… Have you ever heard anything so dumb?…

“The agency is self-evidently failing… And I dread to think what would happen to America if Trump ever does get assassinated… As for the political repercussions of this latest assassination attempt, it can only be a massive boost to Trump, as the last one was. Once again, he showed immense calm in a life-threatening crisis, with witnesses saying his main concern was to make sure others on the course with him at the time were OK…  Love him or hate him, Trump has shown balls of steel over these threats to his life, and that won’t be lost on an American public who like their commanders-in-chief to be strong.

“The latest incident has also completely supplanted a news cycle that was being dominated by very negative fallout over his debate loss last week to Democratic rival Kamala Harris… There’s an incredible irony that right when he was enduring the worst week of his presidential race, Trump has been handed an election-winning lifeline by another attempt on his life.”

Melania Trump: Beware of the FBI

Newsmax wrote on September 15:

“Former first lady Melania Trump issued a warning to all Americans that the Biden-Harris administration’s FBI could threaten their Fourth Amendment rights that protect against unreasonable searches and seizures. Trump used X on Saturday to post a video reminding users of the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago in August 2022. ‘I never imagined my privacy would be invaded by the government here, in America,’ the former first lady said in the video. ‘The FBI invaded my home in Florida, and searched through my personal belongings. This is not just my story. It serves as a warning to all Americans, a reminder that our freedom and rights must be respected.’…

“In another X post earlier this week, Melania Trump fanned the flames of conspiracy surrounding the [first] assassination attempt on her husband, saying efforts need to be made to ‘uncover the truth.’ ‘The attempt to end my husband’s life was a horrible, distressing experience,’ she said of the incident in July in Butler, Pennsylvania. ‘Now, the silence around it feels heavy. I can’t help but wonder: Why didn’t law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech? There’s definitely more to this story, and we need to uncover the truth.’”

We would agree with Melania Trump on both counts, especially in light of the second assassination attempt on her husband. Important questions are not being addressed or discussed..

Clearly Biased ABC Moderators

Breitbart wrote on September 15:

“ABC News’ Linsey Davis, one of two moderators for last week’s presidential debate, admitted to the Los Angeles Times that the plan was only to fact-check former President Donald Trump, and not Vice President Kamala Harris… Davis and co-moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump seven times — often incorrectly — while never fact-checking Harris once, even when she used hoaxes, such as the Charlottesville ‘very fine people’ hoax.

“Davis told the Times that ABC had deliberately targeted Trump — and only Trump — because of perceptions that he had been allowed to get away with false statements in the CNN debate against President Joe Biden in late June…. Davis admitted that the moderators studied past statements… but somehow did not prepare to check Harris’s repeated use of hoaxes…”

This is appalling! But no surprise! That is how politics is being made.

ABC News Must Correct False Claim Regarding Abortion

Fox News wrote on September 12:

“A prominent pro-life group isn’t happy with ABC News over its hosting of Tuesday’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump.  Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America on Wednesday sent a letter to ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic and debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis that urges them to issue a correction and meet with abortion survivors over a viral moment where Davis fact-checked Trump.

“‘[The] ABC News Presidential Debate featured network moderator Linsey Davis attempting to debunk former President Trump’s assertion that some states allow for the killing of an infant after birth,’ Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America president Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote in the letter…  

“During the debate, Trump referred to infamous comments made by former Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam in 2019 but was promptly ‘fact-checked’ by Davis. At the time, Northam suggested that in those rare instances of third-trimester abortions, a baby could be born alive… ‘The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother,’ Northam said in 2019.

“Trump’s apparent reference to Northam at the debate drew a quick rebuke from Davis. ‘There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born,’ Davis said. 

“Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America claims the ABC moderator was ‘inaccurate’ and should correct the record. ‘This is 100% inaccurate. Her statement tragically ignores the reality of babies who survive failed, late-term abortions but are denied basic medical care and left to die,’ Dannenfelser wrote. ‘We are writing to request a swift correction from Ms. Davis and ABC News. It is undeniable that babies are born in this country after failed abortions…’ ‘It’s also a fact that, as a U.S. senator, Kamala Harris voted against protections for babies born alive after failed abortions. And as a member of Congress, her running mate Tim Walz even issued a public apology for ‘accidentally’ voting for said legislation after he previously voted against it,’ Dannenfelser wrote.”

The conduct of the two ABC moderators was appalling. And don’t hold your breath if you expect that they or ABC News will correct their false assertions.

Eating Pets in Ohio?

The Associated Press wrote on September 15:

“Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance did not back away on Sunday from the… claims he and Donald Trump have been making that Haitians in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets, even as the state’s GOP governor and other officials insist there is no evidence of such behavior.

“Vance, an Ohio senator, said constituents in Springfield are bringing concerns to him and that at least 10 were ‘verifiable.’ In a series of news show interviews, he said he was amplifying the claims as a way to draw attention to Democrat Kamala Harris’ immigration policies, which he said are lax, while adding, ‘Everybody who has dealt with a large influx of migration knows that sometimes there are cultural practices that seem very far out there to a lot of Americans.’”

Vance only states the obvious. Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Biggest Loser in the Trump/Harris Debate.” 

Pope Francis Recommends Voting for the Lesser Evil

LifeSiteNews wrote on September 13:

“Pope Francis has weighed in on the U.S. presidential race by claiming that he doesn’t know whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris is the worse candidate because opposing migration and supporting abortion are both ‘anti-life.’ ‘Sending migrants away, not giving migrants [the] ability to work, not giving migrants [a] welcome is a sin, it’s serious,’ Francis said… At the same time, Francis said, ‘sending a baby away from its mother’s breast is murder, because there is life.’ The Church ‘does not allow abortion because it is killing,’ he added…”

At the same time, the Catholic church does allow killing in a “righteous war,” even though that is killing too. And is it a sin to not allow murderers and rapists into our country?

The Daily Mail wrote on September 13:

“Pope Francis on Friday slammed both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration and advised American Catholics to choose the ‘lesser evil’ in the upcoming U.S. elections…

“Francis said migration is a right described in Scripture, and that anyone who does not follow the Biblical call to welcome the stranger is committing a ‘grave sin.’ He was also blunt in speaking about abortion… ‘One should voteand choose the lesser evil,’ he said. ‘Who is the lesser evil, the woman or man? I don´t know,’ he said. ‘Everyone in their conscience should think and do it.’

“It´s not the first time Francis has weighed in on a U.S. election. In the run-up to the 2016 election, Francis was asked about Trump´s plan to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexican border. Francis declared then that anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants ‘is not Christian.’…”

Where does it say in the Bible that migration is a right and the violation of that right is a sin? Also, the argument to fulfill one’s “civil duty” to vote for the lesser evil ignores willfully the fact that one would still vote for an evil—something a Christian is prohibited to do in God’s Word.

Francis’ Blasphemous Comments

LifesiteNews wrote on September 13:

“The Holy See Press Office has released a misleading English translation of Pope Francis’ controversial comments about all religions leading to God, as criticism of Francis’ words continues to grow. Addressing an inter-religious group of young people in Singapore on September 13, Pope Francis drew heavily on the nation’s multi-religious nature: ‘Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true? There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.’

“However, the Holy See Press Office has published a markedly different and misleading translation of the papal comments in the English transcript of his meeting. The Vatican’s official English version reads: ‘Religions are seen as paths trying to reach God.’ The difference is notable, and the online transcript of Francis’ remarks appear as far less controversial or problematic than his actual remarks.”

The pope’s statements are in clear violation of the First Commandment.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

The Trump-Harris Debate: Three Against One

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on September 11:

“Donald Trump got to Kamala Harris’ core problem in his debate close, waving off all her promises about what she’d do in office: ‘Why hasn’t she done it already?’ Hard to think of a better riposte… Harris had a pretty smooth night: She did her homework for once, including prepping lines guaranteed to get under Trump’s skin — some of which plainly did put him off-balance.

“And of course she had backup from the moderators, ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis — who targeted far more questions at Trump than at Harris, and all of their ‘fact-checking.’ Worse: Whenever she started to babble in trying to defend her own record, they rescued her by changing the subject. And by changing it again whenever Trump was truly on a roll…

“Trump was erratic — notably taking her bait when she claimed people walked out of his rallies and when she fictionalized his remarkable business success… [Harris] needs to take more risks, and on less friendly ground, or she’s still headed for defeat.”

This was to be expected… that is why Harris refused to have a debate with Trump moderated by Fox News.

The Rigged Debate

The New York Post added on September 11:

“When Trump argued that crime in the US is increasing because of migrants allowed into the country on Harris’ watch, ‘World News Tonight’ anchor David Muir interjected: ‘President Trump, as you know, the FBI says overall violent crime is actually coming down.’ Trump fired back with his own fact check that ‘they didn’t include the cities with the worst crime,’ referencing the omission of data from Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago…

“At another point, ‘World News Tonight Sunday’ host Linsey Davis intervened after Trump made reference to former Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2019 remarks about aborting babies after birth… ‘There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born,’ stated Davis after Trump concluded, drawing howls from conservatives who noted that six states and the District of Columbia currently do not place any limits on the procedure…

“Trump allies and Republican commentators were left fuming and compiling a long list of missed opportunities for Muir and Davis to rebuke Harris… ‘David Muir is out of control,’ tweeted Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton, writing, ‘It isn’t ‘fact-checking,’ it is attacking.’ Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) tweeted, ‘ABC News has refused to “fact-check” Kamala Harris on lying about Trump’s positions on: – Project 2025 – Charlottesville comments – ‘Bloodbath’ comments – IVF.’”

For the moderators to state that violent crime is down in the USA is ludicrous, and to falsely claim that no state allows killing a baby after birth is appalling and unjustifiable. Those moderators need to go.

Breitbart wrote on September 11:

“Vice President Kamala Harris issued a slew of false claims and hoaxes that ABC debate moderators did not fact check during Tuesday’s debate against former President Donald Trump.” Breitbart then listed “and rebutted 21 false claims and hoaxes that Harris uttered on live television, in front of millions of Americans.” https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/10/21-kamala-harris-false-claims-hoaxes-that-debate-moderators-did-not-fact-check/

Fox News wrote on September 11:

“The biggest loser in the… presidential debate… was ABC News… The moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, embarrassed themselves and their network by, among other things, fact-checking Trump in real time on more than one occasion – sometimes incorrectly – while allowing Harris to spout serial lies and distortions. .. Trump, on the other hand, failed to prosecute his case. While Harris appeared over-prepared and practiced, with ready-to-go gestures and studied mannerisms, Trump was clearly under-prepared. It is frustrating to his supporters, because he has the facts on his side…. But instead of forcefully arguing about his successes, he meandered. And, he forgot to smile.”

Trump did not do too well, as even conservative commentators acknowledged:

“Let’s make no mistake. Trump had a bad night,” Fox News host Brit Hume said. “We just heard so many of the old grievances that we all know aren’t winners politically.”

Trump lost the debate, and whining about the moderators doesn’t change it,” conservative radio host Erick Erickson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said afterward that the former president’s debate team should be fired and that Trump was unprepared, calling the debate a “disaster.” 

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 11:

“… the consensus among pundits and pollsters appears to be that Harris narrowly won the night. But whether this makes a difference in the election, just under two months away, is less clear.”

The liberal left-wing media went over the top again, as can be expected. The Drudge Report wrote: “The Night Trump Lost it all… The Worst Performance of his Career.”

Trump Falls For Harris’ Provocations

Die Welt wrote on September 11:

“What impression did Harris leave? A surprisingly good one… Above all, she didn’t let Trump bother her at all. Unlike in the past, she did not resort to making condescending gestures or comments towards Trump. However, her lecture repeatedly had a tiring pastoral quality.

“What impression did Trump make? He performed poorly compared to the disciplined and concise Harris. Even arch-Trump fans like a Fox host said Trump had ‘missed some opportunities.’

“Initially, Trump was good at countering Harris’ attacks. On several occasions he did not answer questions from ABC journalists, but instead responded directly to an attack from Harris. Sometimes Trump scored a direct hit, for example when Harris tried to interrupt him… But Harris increasingly succeeded in irritating Trump. For example, when she claimed that his campaign appearances were boring and that people were leaving early in droves. Instead of shrugging off the comment, Trump went on a tirade that his rallies are ‘the biggest in history because people want their country back.’

Can this duel decide the election? Absolutely not. Harris may have been able to win over voters tonight. But the race is so close that a single evening of television probably won’t give the Democrats the large number of undecided votes they need to win the election. The TV duel was therefore a stage victory for Harris. But nothing more.”

Bild Online wrote on September 11:

“Kamala Harris’s tactics worked in the first presidential debate last night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She skillfully infuriated Donald Trump and stayed cool herself… Trump provided her with plenty of templates. Especially when it came to immigration, actually a possible winning issue for the Republican, Harris hit a sore spot: Trump’s vanity. ‘I invite you to go to one of Donald Trump’s events,’ she said to the millions of TV viewers… ‘You’ll notice that people leave his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.’ Sentences which were practiced before and which were the core of her tactics. The ex-president’s eyes first narrowed, then anger flared up. Trump took Harris’ bait and chose to talk about his events instead of migration…’

“The Democrats were euphoric after the debate. Trump’s Republicans practiced damage control. BUT: Hillary Clinton also clearly won her first debate against Trump in 2016…”

Immigrants Eat Pets?

The Daily Mail wrote on September 11:

“One of the stranger moments of last night’s fiery presidential debate… came when the former president ranted about Haitian migrants ‘eating pets’ in Springfield, Ohio… The claims, dismissed during the debate by the Vice President as ‘unbelievable and extreme’, have electrified the American political debate. 

“While city officials and law enforcement officers in Springfield say there have been no credible reports to suggest they are true, some fed-up residents maintain that it’s a problem… One aggrieved man made the claim during a city commission meeting last month to address the influx of legal Haitian immigrants – which has revitalized the local economy, but also sparked controversy among locals. ‘I really challenge you guys to get out here and do something,’ he told the meeting. ‘These Haitians are running into trash cans, running into buildings, they’re flipping cars in the middle of the streets. ‘They’re in the park, grabbing up ducks by their neck, and cutting their head off and walking off with them. They’re eating them.’…

“During last night’s debate, ABC’s David Muir told Trump there had been no credible reports of pets being stolen and eaten. Trump shot back to say he did not necessarily believe what city officials were saying

“[A Facebook] post combined a screenshot of an earlier Facebook post from a Springfield community group, in which one user made an alarming claim that cats and dogs were being strung up to eat by Haitian migrants, with an image of an unidentified man carrying what appeared to be the corpses of two geese.  The Facebook post read: ‘My neighbor informed me that her daughter’s friend had lost her cat… One day she came home from work, as soon as she stepped out of her car, looked towards a neighbor’s house, where Haitians live & saw her cat hanging from a branch, like you’d do a deer for butchering, & they were carving it up to eat. I’ve been told they are doing this to dogs, they have been doing it at Snyder Park with the ducks & geese.’

“The unsubstantiated story, when paired with the image of an unidentified man, spread like wildfire across X, garnering millions upon millions of views.  Its influence was confirmed when Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance amplified the narrative about ‘Haitian illegal immigrants’ in a September 9 post on X that said: ‘Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.’ The VP hopeful later walked back his claims in a following post, writing: ‘It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.’…

“Vance was by no means the only prominent Republican shared posts parroting the narrative on migrants eating pets and Springfield wildlife. Among them was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who posted a photo of kittens with a caption that said to vote for Trump ‘So Haitian immigrants don’t eat us.’…”

However, usually, where there is smoke, there might be fire.

Kamala Harris the Next President? A Frightening Scenario!

Daily Mail published the following article on September 9 by Charlie Spiering, which was written BEFORE the debate:

“As a seasoned political journalist and author of Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris In The White House – a comprehensive investigation into how this eccentric San ­Francisco attorney was fast-tracked to becoming potentially the next leader of the free world – I find the lack of scrutiny applied to this ­shallow and desperate political ­figure to be maddening. Since winning the nomination, ‘Calamity Kamala’… did nothing to enhance her authority. Senior Democrats in Washington tell me that her ­campaign is increasingly riven and dysfunctional.

“In my opinion she combines naked political ambition with an instinctive cunning, a lack of scruples and a willingness to jump on every fashionable bandwagon… It is genuinely alarming that with the world in turmoil, from war in Ukraine to escalating conflict in the Middle East, this comparative ­novice could soon be in power…. The West is confronted by an array of tyrants and terrorists, but our destiny could be imminently in the hands of an amateur...

“Harris’s parents divorced when she was seven and she was largely raised by her Hindu mother, with her Jamaican-born father ­working as a senior professor at Stanford University. This mixed-race upbringing has been useful for her career amid the American Left’s fanatical embrace of identity politics

“By rights, the presidency should be a step too far for a candidate of her ­calibre.  But there is no predicting the American electorate – and I fear the prospect of this individual becoming president is all too likely – and all too terrifying.”

Sentence Delayed in Trump’s “Total Fraud” Case

Newsmax wrote on September 8:

New York Judge Juan Merchan decided to delay former President Donald Trump’s sentencing on his New York business records convictions until after the election to allow himself more flexibility in sentencing the GOP nominee, Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus, told Newsmax Sunday… ‘I think he’s going to say this conviction warrants imprisonment… Of course it doesn’t. It warrants nothing, but I think that’s what he’s going to do or give him a probationary sentence and home confinement.’…

“Dershowitz argued that the case against Trump is a ‘total fraud’ and the judge and prosecutors should be ‘disciplined’ for bringing the case to court… ‘ I am probably the most experienced criminal lawyer in this country with 60 years of teaching, practicing, and writing about criminal law. I don’t understand the charges.’… Dershowitz said Sunday that the charges would be misdemeanors that would be barred by the statute of limitations, but ‘they magically tried to turn it into a felony.’ ‘It’s the most absurd criminal charge I’ve seen in my 60 years of being an expert in criminal law,’ said Dershowitz. ‘And if I can’t figure it out, how do you expect the defendant, a nonlawyer like Donald Trump, to understand that?…it’s an outrage to every American.’”

Can Germany’s Far-Right Win Across the Country?

The Week UK wrote on September 7:

“A startling AfD triumph in eastern Germany’s regional elections lays bare the fragility of the country’s mismatched coalition government. A far-right party has won a regional election in Germany for the first time since the Second World War. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party took 32.8% of the vote in the poll in the eastern state of Thuringia on Sunday, giving it a clear win over the conservative CDU, which came second with 23.6%. In neighbouring Saxony, the CDU defeated the AfD by just 31.9% to 30.6%.

“Björn Höcke, the AfD leader in Thuringia… hailed the victory as ‘historic’ and warned rival parties against excluding it from any coalition deals in the regional parliament. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose SPD party was trounced in both states, urged other parties to govern without the AfD, which he accused of ‘ruining our country’s reputation’… [Even though it is Scholz and his incompetent bickering government who have been completely running the country’s reputation.]

“The results have ‘sent shockwaves of fear and despair across Europe’. It was especially humiliating for Scholz, says the Times.  His governing coalition has proved ‘one of the weakest in the Federal Republic’s history’ [probably THE weakest] and all three of the mismatched parties within it fared badly. The results prompted Scholz to hold urgent talks with other party leaders on how to form state governments without the AfD – and even on ‘how to hold together his fractious coalition’.

“A former history teacher, [Höcke] has criticised Germany for dwelling on the crimes of the Holocaust; he seems to model his rhetoric on Hitler’s; his young supporters call themselves the ‘Höcke Youth’, an echo of the Hitler Youth; and members of his own party have tried to expel him for being too extreme. Yet none of that deterred voters in Thuringia, who have gifted him an extraordinary personal triumph… the AfD’s tough message on migration, and its calls to end the war in Ukraine, appealed to voters anxious about rising energy prices, and about Germany’s ailing economy.

“Scholz has tried to combat the AfD by echoing its hardline rhetoric… in the wake of the Solingen terror attack, he proposed tightening border controls and stepped up deportations of asylum seekers. But that strategy isn’t working. Why? Because voters in places such as Thuringia are frustrated about more than migration and war, said… Der Spiegel. When roads and bridges are dilapidated and ‘every train ride is a lottery’, a feeling takes hold that ‘nothing works anymore’, and that nobody in Berlin cares. It’s this sense of hopelessness that mainstream parties must address if they are to halt the AfD’s rise.”

Germany is more than ready for a new government. However, nobody seems to be on the horizon who could substantially change the dire situation. But that person LIVES, and will manifest himself in due time.

Germany Now Greece’s Most Important Economic Partner

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 7:

“Germany is the ‘honored country’ at this year’s Thessaloniki International Fair, which kicks off this Saturday in Greece’s second city. Not so long ago, this would have been unthinkable. At the peak of Greece’s sovereign debt crisis in 2014 and 2015, Greece teetered on the brink of leaving the eurozone currency union… Banks were nationalized, companies folded and [many] Greeks blamed the austerity measures, which they felt had been dictated by Berlin… A decade later and much has changed in the economic relations between these two EU members.

“In February 2024, Deutsche Bank reported that Greece had made an ‘astonishing economic comeback’…  The modernization of 14 regional airports by Fraport Greece, a subsidiary of the German airport operator Fraport AG, is seen as one of the country’s model investment projects… the Fraport investment was a success, specifically because the Germans invested in smaller airports, thereby attracting even more visitors to Greece… Despite all the tension between the two countries during the Greek sovereign debt crisis, Germany is now Greece’s most important economic partner and a major market for Greek exports.

“And it works both ways: Products that are ‘Made in Germany’ are in great demand in Greece. Indeed, when it comes to imports, Germany is still right at the top of Greece’s list.”

The improved relationship between Germany and Greece is remarkable, as according to the Bible, the two countries will cooperate and work together in the future… much to the detriment of the Jewish people.

More Dictatorial Measures in Germany?

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 8:

“Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s proposal is reminiscent of a method practiced by the ‘the Stasi,’ the Ministry for State Security of the former communist East Germany, whose secret police infiltrated the homes of suspected regime opponents in order to tap their phones… Now… Faeser wants to empower investigators to use the method once again. However,… the German parliament must first give its approval. The Interior Minister is proposing to allow the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) to enter terrorism suspects’ homes in order to install spy software on their smartphones and computers...

“It is unlikely that the neoliberal… FDP… will agree to government-authorized secret home break-ins, as defending citizens’ rights is at the heart of the party’s trademark… At the moment, German security authorities are allowed to tap suspicious persons’ electronic devices without breaking into their homes, under certain circumstances — using remote forensic software to obtain data from suspects’ devices without them noticing. German police have been allowed to use this method to monitor suspects’ homes as part of ‘online searches’ since 2017. However, every single such action must first be approved by a court — or in especially urgent cases, by a public prosecutor’s office

“But online searches have always been controversial. One 2008 Federal Constitutional Court ruling was considered groundbreaking, which stated that online searches are only permitted if human life or the state itself is at risk.

“So covert searches are supposed to be an absolute exception when fighting crime in Germany. Open raids on homes, on the other hand, are a normal part of everyday police work. They, too, can only be carried out on the order of a court or a public prosecutor’s office [However, judging by Faeser’s recent deplorable conduct, such orders seem to be easily obtainable.] As a rule, searches are undertaken in the suspect’s presence.

“Some raids make news headlines. A recent example of this was when the home of the head of the German… Comcast magazine… was searched  to secure evidence. The magazine had been banned by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in July 2024. But then the Federal Administrative Court allowed Elsässer to continue publishing because the court had doubts about the proportionality of the ban, on whether it impinges on freedom of the press and freedom of opinion.

“Despite the partial victory for magazine publisher Elsässer, his house could still be ‘secretly’ searched — theoretically — because in 2021 Compact was classified as a ‘confirmed right-wing extremist’ publication by Germany’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution [a seemingly phony decision]. That designation authorizes so-called ‘undercover investigations,’ which can include ‘entering a person’s home’ — but only remotely.

“Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP), rejected Faeser’s new proposal on X: ‘There will be no authorization given to secretly snoop in people’s homes. We don’t do that in a constitutional state. That would be an absolute breach of taboo,’ he wrote… He urges proportionality, warning that, ‘If a law allows the state to secretly break into a home to search it, many people will lose their trust in the rule of law.’”

Absolutely! In addition, such governmental actions would not be limited to suspected terrorists and “right-wing extremists.” Everyone would be in danger of governmental despotism. Sadly, it WILL come to that.

Macron’s Dubious Role in the Telegram Affair

Politico wrote on September 7:

“One of the first things Pavel Durov did when he was arrested on Aug. 24 at Paris’ Le Bourget airport was to tell the police he had flown to France to have dinner with President Emmanuel Macron… Macron’s office said the president had been unaware of Durov’s arrival and staying at his vacation home in a northern France beach town when the arrest was made… Much of the speculation about the reasons for Durov’s detention swirled around allegations that France was seeking to censor a platform known for its commitment to privacy…

“Durov’s arrest presents a challenge for France, which faces accusations of seeking to suppress free speech on platforms like Telegram, and for Macron, who has a long-standing relationship with the tech tycoon.  There is growing public speculation about whether Durov’s arrest may have deeper motivations — namely, a possible effort by Western powers to assert control over Telegram

“According to a French security expert who requested anonymity, landing at Le Bourget airport is akin to knocking on the front door and saying, ‘it’s me.’…

“In addition to being both a French and Russian citizen, Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, where he resides and operates Telegram, as well as the Caribbean island state of Saint Kitts and Nevis, which grants citizenship in exchange for investment. Both Russia and the United Arab Emirates offered Durov diplomatic assistance — which he declined

“… he does have a relationship with the French president that goes back to the early days of Macron’s presidency when he was going to great lengths to entice global tech leaders to invest in France. As part of that effort, Macron offered Durov French citizenship. ‘We made the decision in 2018 I believe — it is a decision I fully take ownership of,’ Macron said during a trip to Serbia on Aug. 29… Durov was officially granted citizenship in 2021, according to the French official journal.”

Durov’s arrest and “detention” in France is more than suspicious, and Macron’s role in this is certainly very dubious.

Unstable France in Uproar

ABC News wrote on September 7:

“Thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, responding to a call from a far-left party leader who criticized as a power grab the president’s appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier. The protests are a direct challenge to President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to bypass a prime minister from the far-left bloc following a deeply dividing legislative election in July. The left, particularly the France Unbowed party, views Barnier’s conservative background as rejecting the electorate’s will, further intensifying the EU’s second economy’s already charged political atmosphere.

“Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), warned that Barnier was ‘under surveillance’ by his party as well…

“Barnier, 73, is the oldest of the 26 prime ministers that have served modern France’s Fifth Republic. He replaces the youngest, Gabriel Attal, who was 34 when he was appointed just eight months ago. Attal was forced to resign after Macron’s centrist government suffered a major defeat in the July snap legislative elections. Macron called the election in the hopes of securing a clear mandate, but it instead produced a hung parliament, leaving the president without a legislative majority and plunging his administration into turmoil.

“Attal was also France’s first openly gay prime minister. French media and some of Macron’s opponents, who immediately criticized Barnier’s appointment, quickly dug up that, when serving in parliament in 1981, the new prime minister had been among 155 lawmakers who voted against a law that decriminalized homosexuality. Though Barnier brings five decades of political experience, his appointment offers no guarantee of resolving the crisis. His challenge is immense: He must form a government that can navigate a fractured National Assembly, where the political spectrum is deeply divided between the far left, far right, and Macron’s weakened centrist bloc. The outcome of the snap poll, far from providing clarity, has only served to destabilize both the country and Macron’s grip on power.

“The president’s decision to turn to Barnier, a seasoned political operator with deep ties to the European Union, is seen as an attempt to bring stability to French politics. And Barnier, who gained prominence as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has faced daunting tasks before. Critics say Macron, elected on the promise of a break from the old political order, now finds himself battling the instability he once promised to overcome…”

France in Turmoil

AFP wrote on September 8:

“French conservative leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday urged President Emmanuel Macron to hold a referendum on key issues such as immigration, suggesting that giving the French a direct vote might help break the political deadlock… analysts say the country is set for a period of instability, with Barnier’s hold on power seen as fragile and dependent on support from Le Pen’s eurosceptic, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party, which is the largest party in the new National Assembly.

“More than 100,000 left-wing demonstrators rallied across France on Saturday to protest against his nomination and denounce Macron’s ‘power grab’. Le Pen, who leads RN lawmakers in parliament, has said her party would not be part of the new cabinet… Le Pen also indicated she would watch Barnier’s every move. ‘If, in the coming weeks, the French are once again forgotten or mistreated, we will not hesitate to censure the government,’ she added… The left-wing coalition has also vowed to topple Barnier with a no-confidence motion…”

As the Bible says, France (Reuben) is as unstable as water…

Royal Navy in Utterly Dire State

Daily Mail wrote on September 6:

“The ‘utterly dire’ state of the Royal Navy fleet can be revealed today, with not one of its six attack submarines at seaOnly nine out of 25 warships and attack – as opposed to nuclear – submarines are active or deployed.  The rest of the fleet has racked up a staggering 30 years of missed days at sea as vessels are either broken down, being modified or undergoing trials. The shocking figures, confirmed by Navy sources, emerged as fears intensify over the future of the Armed Forces.

“Despite the threat posed by Russia, instability in the Middle East and the rise of China, the new Government is making defence cuts. Retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry said last night: ‘This situation is utterly dire – we haven’t got enough ships to protect our aircraft carriers and we haven’t got any attack submarines to protect our nuclear deterrent.’ It is understood that shortages of engineers and dry-dock facilities are exacerbating the situation.

“The worst offenders in the naval fleet are assault ship HMS Bulwark and destroyer HMS Daring – which have both been inactive for more than seven years…. Most alarmingly, the shortage of attack submarines has apparently led to US submarines being called on to protect the UK’s ‘bomber’ submarines.”

Great Britain’s “glory days” are long past…

“Trans Madness”

The Sun wrote on September 6:

“DO those who have convinced confused teenagers to change gender, sometimes tearing apart their loving families in the process, never worry about the appalling harm they have done?

“… These kids have been encouraged online or by classmates to believe they were born in the wrong body. Being trans became fashionable on social media.

“Professionals, possessed of the liberal-Left’s arrogant moral certitude, couldn’t wait to steer them towards life-changing decisions about their bodies, ­brainwashing them about their ‘true’ identity while shoving their worried parents out of the way…  Anyone dissenting from all this is instantly branded a ‘transphobe’.”

Such terrible developments in our “civilized” “enlightened” Western societies!

Unparalleled US National Debt

The Daily Hodl wrote on September 7:

“The US national debt has ballooned by over half a trillion dollars in just three months… America’s national debt jumped from $34,635,364,143,328 on June 3rd to $35,319,686,640,609 on September 3rd – a surge of $684,322,497,000. The massive rise is coming just over a month after the US national debt crossed the $35 trillion mark. The US credit rating giant Fitch continues to sound the alarm on the growing debt and deficit… ‘The government has failed to meaningfully tackle large fiscal deficits, the growing debt burden and looming increases in spending associated with an aging population.’

“The rating giant notes that… trust in the US and the dollar may erode if the country continues to rely on debt to fund expenses. Last year, Fitch downgraded the long-term rating for the US from the ‘AAA’ gold standard to ‘AA+,’ citing expected fiscal deterioration over the coming years.”

Such debt is unsustainable, especially because the trust in the USA and the dollar WILL erode.

American Citizen Shot and Killed by Israel

Newsmax wrote on September 6:

“The White House announced it is requesting an investigation after an American woman was shot and killed by Israeli troops… ‘We are deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Egzi Eygi, today in the West Bank and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones,’ White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement. ‘We have reached out to the government of Israel to ask for more information and request an investigation into the incident.’

“Eygi had been attending a protest against Israeli settlements in the northern West Bank, according to reports. The Israel Defense Forces said it opened fire ‘toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the force and posed a threat to them.’ ‘The details of the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review,’ the Israel Defense Force said.

“Eygi had dual citizenship with Turkey. Turkey President Recep Erdogan said he condemned ‘barbaric intervention against a civilian protest against the occupation in the West Bank,’ in a statement. Two doctors on the scene said she was shot in the head. ‘We tried to save the American citizen, we tried to revive the heart for several stages, but unfortunately, we did not succeed in restoring the heart to function,’ one of the doctors told the AP. A month ago, American citizen Amado Sison was shot in the leg by Israeli forces, he said, as he tried to flee tear gas and live fire.”

The Associated Press wrote on September 10:

“The Israeli military said it ‘expresses its deepest regret’ after its inquiry ‘found that it is highly likely that [the American/Turkish  protestor] was hit indirectly and unintentionally by (Israeli army) fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot.’

“… U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the killing as ‘unprovoked and unjustified’ while speaking Tuesday at a news conference in London….”

The shaky relationship between the USA and Israel will continue to deteriorate. Archenemy Turkey, of course, uses the opportunity to continue its hateful expressions against Israel.

USA Unprepared for World War III

The New York Post wrote on September 6:

“The U.S. is treading on ground not seen since World War II, according to Fox News senior strategic analyst and retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane, who warned that ‘we’re on a pathway’ to a third world war. His comments come amid conflicts in the Middle East and Europe and growing tension in the Pacific, and echoes former President Trump’s warning that the U.S. is ‘heading into World War III territory.’

“Keane told FOX… that a recent congressional commission on the Biden administration’s national defense strategy that he took part in revealed that the threat of another major war is very real. According to the recent commission,… the U.S. faces the ‘most serious’ and ‘most challenging’ threats since 1945, including the potential for a ‘near-term major war.’ It also found that… ‘the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat.’

“Keane pointed out that there was a change in the behavior of U.S. adversaries that occurred between the Biden and Trump administrations. ‘What has fundamentally changed from one administration to the other is Russia, China, Iran and North Korea working together, collaborating, coordinating, and truly helping each other,’ he stressed… Keane reiterated the commission’s conclusion that the U.S. has ‘not seen a period of time like this since World War II’ and warned of what may be to come….”

Ultimately, the trumpet of war will sound in America, and nobody will fight.

All in Favor of IVF?

The New York Post wrote on September 8:

“Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ripped into Sen. JD Vance and former president Donald Trump at a LGBTQ+ advocacy group Saturday, speaking about the importance of fertility treatment access without acknowledging Trump’s recent pledge to make IVF treatments free…  Vance was met with renewed scrutiny early September after reports circulated that he endorsed a Heritage Foundation report that proposed sweeping restrictions to abortions and fertility treatments.

“Access to IVF has been in the news since February when the conservative Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling that would have basically ended access to IVF treatment. Since then, Republicans have been distancing themselves from the decision while Democrats have been using the issue to attack GOP rivals. Last month Trump pledged to expand access to in-vitro fertilization treatment through a combination of both insurance mandates and government funding, even though some conservative supporters oppose the move…

“Walz is viewed as an LGBTQ ally, with Minnesota enacting laws protecting access to gender-affirming health care and abortion, as well as banning conversion therapy.”

Please note our recent StandingWatch program, “What Does God Say About Abortion and IVF?” 

Parent Responsible for Child’s Criminal Conduct?

Fox News wrote on September 6:

“Georgia is one of at least 42 states and Washington, D.C., to have laws allowing parents to be held criminally responsible for their children’s actions… Colin Gray, 54, faces multiple charges over the alleged actions of his son, Colt Gray, 14, who is accused of killing four people and injuring nine others in a shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday. The charges against Colin Gray include four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.

“Authorities said the elder Gray knowingly allowed his son to possess a weapon.

The parental responsibility laws vary from state to state, with some focusing on parental negligence in preventing a child’s access to firearms, while others address broader forms of delinquent behavior…  Georgia’s law allows for parents to face criminal liability if they are found to have contributed to their child’s delinquent behavior through neglect or failure to properly supervise. If a parent in Georgia knowingly allows a child to gain access to firearms or engages in reckless behavior that leads to harm, for example, they can face criminal charges, including involuntary manslaughter or child cruelty.”

Dr. Ben Carlson Appointed as National Faith Chairman by Trump  

Breitbart wrote on September 6:

“Dr. Ben Carson announced that he was ‘honored to serve as the national faith chairman’ for former President Donald Trump and his campaign… Trump added that Carson would ‘work with leaders of the faith community on behalf of the campaign to promote the protection of religious freedom’ in the United States…

“After Trump was elected president in 2016, Carson joined the Trump administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)… while serving in this role, Carson was invited by Trump to offer a prayer during the beginning of a cabinet meeting: During his prayer, Carson observed that ‘separation of church and state means that the church does not dominate the state, and it means the state does not dominate the church.’

“Carson has also spoken out against abortion. While speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2019, he spoke about his time working as a neurosurgeon and how he had operated on prematurely born babies, explaining that ‘they can feel’ and ‘can react.’”

On October 29, 2015, The Times of Israel wrote the following about Carson’s faith—an interesting mixture of truth and error:

“When Joe Lieberman became the first observant Jew with a reasonable chance at being president – after Al Gore named him his vice presidential running mate in 2000 – he faced a host of questions about how his Sabbath observance might impact his presidential duties. Now that Ben Carson, a Seventh Day Adventist, has emerged at the top of the polls in the Republican presidential primary, he’s facing similar questions about his religion. So far, Carson’s faith — which, like Judaism, celebrates the Sabbath on Saturday and abjures eating the non-kosher animals listed in the Book of Leviticus — hasn’t been an impediment to his campaign. The neurosurgeon-turned-candidate doesn’t seem to be a Sabbath-observer in the strictest sense: He has held campaign rallies on Saturday and made Saturday stops on book tours. But Carson says he tries to respect the day of rest. ‘Sabbath is still a precious day for us. We go to church as often as we can,’ he [said]. ‘ Even if we’re on the road we treat it as a different day than all the others.’

“While the religion shares some commonalities with Judaism, Adventists believe the second coming of Jesus may be imminent. The Adventist church also focuses on health and wellness, and members are encouraged, but not required, to forgo alcohol, tobacco and meat. Carson is on a mostly vegetarian diet, but he does eat milk and egg products and occasionally chicken… Carson frequently cites his faith as the reason for his policy positions. On taxation, for example, Carson has proposed a tithing system… ‘Now we don’t necessarily have to do it 10 percent, but it’s the principle,’ Carson said in a 2013 speech…

“Like many other Christian candidates, he also cites religion for his opposition to abortion, including in cases of rape or incest (though not if the mother’s life is in jeopardy). ‘All you have to do is go and look up the many stories of people who have led very useful lives who were the result of rape or incest,’ he told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’…

“Carson… suggested in September that he’d have trouble with a Muslim in the White House, saying that any Muslim who became president would have to reject certain tenets of Islam that are incompatible with the presidency… He also believes Jews shouldn’t take offense if someone wishes them a ‘Merry Christmas’ ‘That’s a salutation of greeting, of goodwill. We’ve got to get over this sensitivity.’

“More controversially, Carson suggested in a new book and in interviews in early October that gun control was partially responsible for Hitler’s slaughter of Europe’s Jews, allowing the Nazis to ‘carry out their evil intentions with relatively little resistance.’ His comments came as part of his reaction to the deadly mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., after which Carson argued that better armed citizens, rather than gun control, is the best way to stop such mass killings.

“Several weeks later, Carson defended his comments, saying on ‘Meet the Press,’ ‘I’ve heard from many people in the Jewish community, including rabbis, who said, “You’re spot on. You are exactly right.’”

“Like many devout believers of all faiths, Carson attributes his successes in life to God. ‘There’s no question God sets these things up. My whole life, I feel, has been orchestrated by him,’ Carson said in 2013. ‘We always have to remember that no matter what’s going on, no matter how much of a spotlight we have, that all of that comes from God and everything we do should reflect glory on his name.’”

Can you determine for yourself from the Bible where Carlson is right… and where he is wrong?

Europe Without US Help?

Sky News wrote on September 6:

“Polls indicate the race for the White House has become much closer since the decision by current incumbent Joe Biden to drop out, but there remains a very real prospect that Donald Trump could win a second term as US president. Such an eventuality would have repercussions way beyond American soil, with analysts suggesting it could be pivotal for the war in Ukraine… [Experts also say] a Trump victory may leave Europe ‘in a tight spot’ – and urged leaders in the continent to begin planning for that result…

“[It was pointed] out that Trump has warned that he would immediately cut all US aid to Kyiv [he later said he would grant Ukraine money in form of repayable loansand demand a quick end to the war, which would likely require Ukraine to cede a significant part of its territory to Russia… Trump has long questioned the value of NATO, so it is not inconceivable that he would strip back the US commitment to defend Europe… Trump could act quickly, by vowing never to order US troops to fight for Europe. Europe, as a result, would be forced to confront a security crisis on a scale it has not faced since World War II…”

Without any question, the situation pertaining to Ukraine and Europe would drastically change if Trump were to be elected.

An Unholy Alliance of Western Leaders

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 10:

“As should be clear to all now, ‘war’ has broken out. There is no need for further pretence about it. Rather, there is evident glee at the prospect of a crackdown on the ‘Far-Right’ and its internet users: i.e. those who spread ‘disinformation’ or mal-information… There will be prosecutions, convictions, and fines for cyber ‘actors’…  There is an unholy alliance of western leaders – Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz – whose hatred of what they call populism is undisguised. In his recent visits to Berlin and Paris, Starmer constantly referred to the threat posed by populism…  These days virtually every political problem is blamed on populism …

“The war, for the moment, is targeted at the ‘unaccountable’ billionaires: Pavel Durov, Elon Musk, and his ‘X’ platform. The survival or not of Elon Musk will be crucial to the course of this aspect of the war: The EU’s Digital Service Act was always conceived to serve as ‘Brutus’ to Musk’s ‘Caesar’…”

EU vs. Google and Apple

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 10:

“The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday that Google had violated antitrust laws and that Apple needed to pay the EU €13 billion ($14.3 billion) in back taxes… Google was fined €2.4 billion, but had appealed to the ECJ, which has now upheld the fine…

“Europe’s case against Apple began in 2016… The EU has long demanded that Apple pay back billions of taxes for two Irish subsidies that the company argues are primarily taxable in the United States. Arguing that they were being subjected to double taxation

“Both the judgments against Google and Apple are final and cannot be overturned… Apple…  said in a statement: ‘The European Commission is trying to retroactively change the rules and ignore that, as required by international tax law, our income was already subject to taxes in the US.’”

Europe’s fight against American companies is clearly in full swing.

Renewed Russian Threats

Express wrote on September 6:

“Putin has once again threatened the use of nuclear weapons after accusing Ukraine of attacking a power plant in the Kursk region…  Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, Putin said: ‘One can only imagine what will happen if we strike back; what will happen in Europe.’…

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also sent a warning to the US over reports that Washington could supply long-range weapons to Ukraine to enable them to strike territory deep within Russia…”

Words and more words… but very often, words lead to wars.

The Shroud of Turin—NOT a Depiction of Jesus

Newsmax wrote on September 5:

“The blood stains on the Shroud of Turin are consistent with the description of torture and crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, a new scientific study from Italy finds… Fanti’s and several other scientific inquiries have confirmed that the Shroud contains evidence of a real person with real blood and other bodily effluents. Fanti says the findings indicate the cloth was used on someone with bloody injuries, rather than forged using ink, dye, paint, or other techniques.

“The 14-foot-by-4-foot Shroud of Turin is imprinted with an image of the body and face of a man wearing a ‘crown of thorns’ from a plant, and is covered in bloodstains… Materials that were typical in ancient Jerusalem also were discovered, the study says, suggesting the shroud may have originated in the region and not in Europe where many skeptics think it was created as a medieval forgery

“‘Bloodstained marks all over the body image which are consistent with pre-crucifixion flagellation, bloodstained marks on the head that are consistent with a ‘crown’ of thorns, blood marks on the hand and feet that are consistent with crucifixion and the bloodstain on the chest that evidences a post-mortem wound that corresponds with the post-mortem spear wound that Christ received as is described in the Bible.”

The Shroud does not depict Jesus Christ. For more information, please read our Editorial in this issue.

Parents Sell Their Children For Covid Tests

Report 24 wrote on September 4:

“In fact, a disturbing number of parents decided to have their children vaccinated [against Covid-19] without knowing the exact side effects and potential subsequent damage. But even worse: The pharmaceutical companies also needed parents or guardians for the clinical trials, who exposed their charges to the associated risks. If you look at the ‘expenses’ for this, you will notice: babies and children can be had cheaply…

“According to this, a study on Covid vaccinations for babies has been running in Lincoln (Nebraska) since January 2023, in which healthy infants aged 12 weeks to 6 months are given an experimental vaccine in order to then examine a possible immune reaction via a blood sample. The compensation ‘for time and travel’ is ‘up to 1,800 dollars’

“Do these parents feel like heroes when they let Big Pharma tell them that they are allowing unsafe and as yet unexplored substances to be injected into their offspring for the common good, the ‘greater good’? Who is attracted by sentences like ‘Your baby could be part of important research for an investigational vaccine against the coronavirus (COVID-19)’?…

No less perverse seems the vaccination study for children that was previously conducted in Lincoln, starting in late summer 2022… This study was aimed at children – as compensation for participation over two years, parents were promised ‘more than $3,000’

“It was [a study that] aimed at babies from six months, toddlers up to five years and children up to eleven years… The consequences of a failed vaccine test are unlikely to have been explained to the young participants; young children also have no idea what a lifelong motor or cognitive disability would mean for them.

“The extent to which sacrificing a child who can never give ‘informed consent’ is morally justifiable in the context of clinical trials is an ethical question that Big Pharma is unlikely to care much about. The fact that parents are giving up their own children and exposing them to risks because they do not question the narrative of the ultimately dangerous Covid-19 or the practices of the pharmaceutical industry, for which profit has always been the top priority, should certainly give us food for thought…”

This is tragic and terrible indeed.

Sending Man to Mars?

The Sun wrote on September 9:

“THE man behind SpaceX, Elon Musk, has pledged to take humans to Mars in just four years’ time onboard his Starship mega-rocket. The eccentric billionaire, who also owns Tesla and X, said Starship’s first [uncrewed] flight to Mars will occur in two years’ time, when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens. Earth-Mars transfer launch windows occur every 26 months… Musk doesn’t just have hopes of taking Earthlings to the Red Planet, but of building a Martian metropolis there, too. ‘Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years,’ he added in the same post…

“Starship, at nearly 400ft tall, with 33 engines, is the tallest rocket ever leave the ground… the first stage of Starship, known as the Super Heavy booster, is the most powerful rocket ever built… Starship is being developed as part of a $1.15 billion contract with Nasa to deliver astronauts to the Moon in the US space agency’s Artemis programme…

“The newly declared timeline came just a day after China unveiled plans for a crewed mission to Mars in 2033…  Under President Xi Jinping, China spent roughly $14 billion (11.2 billion) on its ambitious space programme in 2023… The US space agency has dominated the industry so far, though has only recently swallowed the bitter pill of scrapping the Viper Moon mission after $450 million had already been spent, citing spiralling costs and delays…”

What possible benefit to mankind could there be in sending expensive rockets and men to Mars? Sadly, none whatsoever, while these amounts of money could be used for worthwhile purposes.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

Daily Mail’s Terrible Indictment of Harris and Walz

The Daily Mail wrote on August 30:

“Four weeks into campaigning, she finally granted an interview — to a very friendly CNN, toting her VP pick Tim Walz along for reasons unknown. Moral support, perhaps?… it wasn’t a winning look for someone who wants to be president of the United States. As for her answers: Harris was vague, policy-free, and at times just plain full of it… In attempting to answer Dana Bash’s unimaginative first question — ‘What would you do on Day One in the White House?’ — Kamala was the proverbial car engine struggling to turn over, delaying an actual answer with extraneous, redundant verbiage…

“Kamala… claimed she was taken by total, utter surprise when President Biden called her on that fateful Sunday, informing her of his decision to withdraw from the 2024 race. Bash allowed Kamala to feign shock — even though the Democratic plot to oust Biden… is now well reported…

“Walz, sitting uselessly by…, doubled down on the lies he’s already told. If this otherwise pointless interview proved one thing, it’s that Harris clearly saw a fellow traveller in Walz: a shameless prevaricator and a fraud who will say anything…

Harris is incapable of articulating her thought processes because they don’t exist. She cannot speak extemporaneously. She has no intellectual reservoir, no internal editor, no cogent line of reasoning… Asked why she should be president, she said: ‘I believe that I am the best person to do this job.’ In an interview where Harris was unclear on nearly everything, one fact came into sharp focus: she is quantitatively not the best person for this job.”

In a related article, the Daily Mail wrote on August 30:

“The fact CNN had agreed to Walz’s presence showed the network had effectively thrown in the towel before the interview even started. As president, Harris would have to deal with the world’s most powerful dictators… Yet she doesn’t feel up to facing a middling broadcast journalist like Bash on her own? It was all a bit pathetic

“The interview was pre-recorded, Harris’s people (probably rightly) concluding that ‘live’ was too risky

“Though we learned nothing new and Harris made no serious gaffes, the interview reminded us of what has largely been forgotten in her recent reinvention: that in essence Harris remains a mediocre lightweight given to glib answers with no substance.…”

And she wants to be America’s next President? It is hard to believe that apparently many (willfully ignorant?) Americans are willing to vote for her…

George Clooney—the Weasel

On September 2, the New York Post published the following article by Piers Morgan:

“… it was [actor George Clooney] who first publicly plunged the knife into Biden’s back with a withering op-ed in the New York Times in which he demanded his presidential head on a plate. But it was the details of Clooney’s reasoning that were so brutal…  The op-ed was the catalyst for many other leading Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, to join in the humiliating campaign to force Biden to quit the 2024 race, something he had made absolutely clear he didn’t want to do…

“What he did to Biden was a political hit job of the most ruthless kind. He took a cold, calculating sniper aim at his friend and metaphorically sprayed him with a hail of bullets…

Yet now the same George Clooney wants us to believe Biden’s in fact the new George Washington who many polls of Americans say was not only the nation’s first president but also its greatest. In a press conference at the Venice Film Festival, he waxed lyrical about the man he’d just politically assassinated… Nobody, as Judas Iscariot could attest, forgets a famous friend who so publicly betrays another famous friend. Least of all Joe Biden, who is reportedly still spitting blood at the way you all set him up….”

USA—Moving Towards a Totalitarian Society

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on August 29:

Facebook worked in concert with the Biden administration to censor content related to COVID-19…  The government is not protecting us from ‘dangerous’ disinformation campaigns. It is laying the groundwork to insulate us from ‘dangerous’ ideas that might cause us to think for ourselves and, in so doing, challenge the power elite’s stranglehold over our lives…

“The steady, pervasive censorship creep that is being inflicted on us by corporate tech giants with the blessing of the powers-that-be threatens to bring about a restructuring of reality straight out of Orwell’s 1984, where the Ministry of Truth polices speech and ensures that facts conform to whatever version of reality the government propagandists embrace. Orwell intended 1984 as a warning. Instead, it is being used as a dystopian instruction manual for socially engineering a populace that is compliant, conformist and obedient to Big Brother…

“Eventually, depending on how the government and its corporate allies define what constitutes ‘extremism’, ‘we the people’ might all be considered guilty of some thought crime or other… We should all be alarmed when any individual or group—prominent or not—is censored, silenced and made to disappear from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram for voicing ideas that are deemed politically incorrect, hateful, dangerous or conspiratorial…

“Eventually, as Orwell predicted, telling the truth will become a revolutionary act. If the government can control speech, it can control thought and, in turn, it can control the minds of the citizenry… With every passing day, we’re being moved further down the road towards a totalitarian society characterized by government censorship, violence, corruption, hypocrisy and intolerance, all packaged for our supposed benefit in the Orwellian doublespeak of national security, tolerance and so-called ‘government speech.’

“What we are witnessing is the modern-day equivalent of book burning which involves doing away with dangerous ideas—legitimate or not—and the people who espouse them. Seventy-plus years after Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 depicted a fictional world in which books are burned in order to suppress dissenting ideas, while televised entertainment is used to anesthetize the populace and render them easily pacified, distracted and controlled, we find ourselves navigating an eerily similar reality.”

Canada has already become a dictatorship. The USA is next in line, perhaps together with the UK. Of course, we all should know the path Europe is walking.

America a “Beached” Superpower

The Hill wrote on August 30:

“The root problem is growing uncertainty about America’s willingness to fight and die on behalf of its nominal allies… Would the U.S. mobilize to fight a hot war against Russia in Eastern Europe?… There is already dispositive evidence that America will not fight in defense of non-NATO members in Eastern Europe… The U.S. can be counted on to supply critical military and economic aid — for a time, at least — but it has announced in no uncertain terms that Americans will not be placed in harm’s way in defense of non-allies in Europe.

“In reality, there is also reason to doubt whether the U.S. would risk nuclear war with Russia in defense of some NATO members, such as Poland or the Baltics… sitting U.S. leaders would work hard to de-escalate any future conflict with Russia, even if it meant abandoning nominal allies in a time of need

“The U.S. is a beached superpower [in Europe]…”

The allies will not be helped by the USA, and the USA will most certainly not be helped by its allies.

Abortion Is Always Wrong

The Federalist wrote on August 27:

“The intentional ending of an innocent human life is always wrong; so too then is every abortion and every destruction of a human embryo by an IVF clinic. However, a majority of Americans will never vote to ban all abortions or prohibit the destruction of embryos created for IVF. Our country has tumbled too far down the slope of situational ethics, brainwashed along the way with the rhetoric of choice. And if the overturning of Roe v. Wade proved anything, it was that a large swath of Americans will readily accept the lies of abortion apologists to prevent even a hypothetical complete ban on abortion — even if that means sacrificing a few thousand near-term babies demand by the Left’s extremism of abortion on demand, until birth.

“… the Republican platform and the Trump-Vance ticket has abandoned any effort to advance pro-life positions, and, to the contrary, appears supportive of the unregulated destruction of human embryos through IVF…

“Trump may not govern as a pro-life president, but Harris will most assuredly be the most pro-abortion president ever elected…”

So, there are really no good choices for voting-hungry Americans. When it comes to IVF clinics and procedures, the Heritage Foundation wrote on February 15, 2023:

“One key battleground is in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is the process whereby ova are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory rather than in a woman’s body. The resulting live embryo is then implanted in the biological mother or a surrogate. For those who believe that life begins at conception, IVF is morally troubling indeed… To date, over one million babies have been born using IVF. Another one million embryos are frozen… They are ‘disposable’ babies due to common IVF practices like embryo destruction, freezing, genetic testing, and genetic editing.

“Let’s take embryo destruction. IVF is an attractive option for couples who are struggling with infertility, same-sex couples, and single persons. To raise their odds of success, doctors create multiple embryos. After testing them for genetic problems or physical traits, they then destroy the ‘unfit’ embryos. The remaining embryos are either implanted or frozen. Embryo freezing serves many purposes. In each case, it allows men and women to delay childbearing beyond normal limits. Stories like the embryos created in 1992 but not born until 30 years later will only become more common. Still, many don’t realize that only 53% of defrosted embryos result in a live birth.

“When it comes to genetic testing…, doctors routinely destroy the embryos suspected of carrying traits the parents deem undesirable. If they’re hoping for a male baby, out go the female embryos. Embryos with a treatable disease like cystic fibrosis face a similar fate. Genetic editing takes this process one step further… [It] alters the very makeup of an embryo. It can be used to change an embryo’s IQ, physical ability, or the ability to contract a disease…

“Rather than accept children as gifts, IVF treats children like products to be bought, sold, or designed. Worse, it destroys embryos that are deemed not good enough. Any practice that destroys or subverts innocent human life, even at the earliest stages, is at odds with pro-life principles.”

This horrible practice is of course ungodly. The Bible calls it murder.

America’s ”Missionaries” Bring “Evil” to Africa

LifeSiteNews wrote on August 29:

“African Catholic archbishops are sounding the alarm over Western efforts to indoctrinate Africans into homosexual lifestyles in what one prelate describes as a new kind of proselytism – one of ‘evil.’… The efforts are pervasive enough that archbishops from Kenya to Cameroon and Ghana to Tanzania are all testifying to similar problems, which reportedly include LGBTQ classroom indoctrination and gay sex parties. Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Cape Coast, Ghana described… how tourists will entice boys with money to pull them into homosexual activity… Archbishop Palmer-Buckle alluded to a growing phenomernon in Africa in which boys are paid money, which is little by American standards but astronomical by African standards, to be in homosexual pornography films. These boys are then sent to recruit others, for which they are paid even more.

“Archbishop Leonard Nkwande [of Tanzania] said [that his] experience has also suggested that the Biden administration has been involved in promotion of homosexuality in his country… This is consistent with the declaration of U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby last year that so-called ‘LGBTQ+ rights’ are a ‘core part’ of U.S. foreign policy, and the December 2023 report that the U.S. had spent more than $4.1 billion in taxpayer money on LGBT-promoting initiatives around the world…

“The West is not only corrupting Africans through on-the-ground efforts but through virtual influence via social media… This is especially the case in places like Kenya, where more than 60 percent of residents have a smartphone, much more than in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa…”

That is the kind of example the “ungodly” nation of the USA is setting.

Now Persecution of Musk in Brazil 

The Hill wrote on August 30:

“X owner Elon Musk slammed Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes [a Catholic] as an ‘evil dictator [cosplaying as a judge]’ Thursday as he threatened to shut down the billionaire’s social media platform in the country….

“The months-long feud between Musk and de Moraes reached a fever pitch Wednesday night when the judge ordered X to name a legal representative in Brazil within 24 hours or face a ban… ‘Soon, we expect Judge Alexandre de Moraes will order X to be shut down in Brazil – simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents,’ X’s Global Government Affairs team said in a post. 

“X closed its office in Brazil earlier this month after de Moraes ordered the platform to remove posts from the site. If X failed to comply, the judge said he would levy a daily fine of $3,650 and an arrest decree against its representative, Rachel Nova Conceicao….  Starlink, Musk’s satellite company, also revealed Thursday that de Moraes had frozen its finances and was blocking the firm from conducting financial transactions in Brazil…  ‘It was issued in secret and without affording Starlink any of the due process of law guaranteed by the Constitution of Brazil…’”

Brazil’s Dictatorship

The Associated Press wrote on August 31:

“Brazil started blocking Elon Musk’s social media platform X early Saturday, making it largely inaccessible on both the web and through its mobile app after the company refused to comply with a judge’s order… To block X, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, told internet service providers to suspend users’ access to the social media platform. As of Saturday at midnight local time, major operators began doing so… The justice said the platform will stay suspended until it complies with his orders, and also set a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900) for people or companies using VPNs to access it

“X and its former incarnation, Twitter, have been banned in several countries — mostly authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Venezuela and Turkmenistan. Other countries, such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, have also temporarily suspended X before, usually to quell dissent and unrest. Twitter was banned in Egypt after the Arab Spring uprisings… but it has since been restored.”

Even Apple and Google were initially instructed to remove X from their app stores and implement so-called anti-VPN obstacles that would make it more difficult for users to find access, but de Moraes later reversed that part of his order, saying it would not be needed.

Judge de Moraes has a controversial history. He was a member of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party. He was accused of covering up police violence. He was accused of defending Brazil’s main drug trafficking group. Already in 2020, he was criticized by outlets such as The Intercept on the basis of censorship and attack on the freedom of the press. In 2022, he ordered the suspension of the messaging app Telegram, accusing it of repeatedly failing to block accounts spreading disinformation (so he said), and ignoring previous court decisions. President Bolsonaro called the ruling “inadmissible“. In October 2022, the Superior Electoral Court gave de Moraes the unilateral authority to order the removal of online content that did not comply with previous TSE rulings, as part of an effort to combat disinformation. Bolsonaro supporters and legal experts criticized the move, fearing that it could allow for censorship. American journalist and lawyer Glenn Greenwald has criticized several decisions of de Moraes, accusing him of censorship and undermining freedom of speech.

In 2023, the New York Times published a piece questioning if the decisions of de Moraes were beneficial for democracy, and noted that he “has jailed people without trial for posting threats on social media; helped sentence a sitting congressman to nearly nine years in prison for threatening the court; ordered raids on businessmen with little evidence of wrongdoing; suspended an elected governor from his job; and unilaterally blocked dozens of accounts and thousands of posts on social media, with virtually no transparency or room for appeal.”

It is clear that this Supreme Court Judge rules as an unhinged dictator.

Without Telegram Many Things Would Not Have Been Possible…

Report 24 wrote on August 30:

“When the arrest of Pawel Durow was announced – according to rumors, the Telegram founder was even lured to France by… Macron personally – the MFG party invited people to the big freedom demonstration in Vienna. Durow is now out on bail – but he is not allowed to leave France and is in danger of becoming the next ‘Assange case’

“One thing is certain: Without Telegram, many things that probably saved millions of lives from the dangerous mRNA experiment would not have been possible. With the free messenger, Pawel Durow opened up the opportunity to live freedom of expression.  The problem in recent years has not been that there has been a problem with radical, dangerous or violence-glorifying opinions. It was simply about being able to openly express and promote a completely legal opinion guaranteed by fundamental rights, the constitution and the basic law.

“The ‘Western’ governments have banned and censored these dissenting opinions as they did in the darkest days of the past. A uniform opinion was and is sold as ‘science’…

“And one must not forget: Just because Durov is temporarily free on bail, doesn’t mean that the Deep State doesn’t want to lock him up for a long time – or want to blackmail him into restricting or turning off Telegram’s privacy and capabilities.”

The Bible makes it very clear that Europe will become a complete dictatorship. We are already seeing the beginning of this prophesied development.

Scholz—Germany’s Best Chancellor?

ntv wrote on August 30:

“Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach emphatically praised Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly before the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia. When asked whether Scholz was the right candidate for chancellor for the SPD in the next federal election, Lauterbach told ‘Stern’: ‘Olaf Scholz is the best chancellor we have ever had.’ He is convinced of that… 

“Lauterbach himself expressed interest in holding the office of Health Minister for another term…”

Lauterbach has been called the German Dr. Fauci. His credibility is finally gone… if he even had some credibility left. But calling the worst German chancellor after the Second World War the best chancellor is the absolute height of ludicrous nonsense.

Victory for AfD in Thuringia and Saxony

Report 24 wrote on September 1:

“[FPÖ leader] Herbert Kickl congratulated the AfD and the voters in the German states of Thuringia and Saxony on the historic election results: ‘The clear victory in Thuringia and the head-to-head race with the CDU in Saxony – each with the historic ones best results – are an expression of hope for a system change. The system parties were massively punished. At the federal political traffic light, all three lights went out at the same time. [The coalition parties of the government] were presented with the bill for her harmful policies with a total of less than 15 percent for three parties in both federal states.

“‘The election results are also a lesson for all those who exclude and refuse democracy, who now have to show whether they are still capable of learning or whether they want to stubbornly continue their path to political insignificance,’ said Kickl.”

The FPÖ is an Austrian right-wing party that was led at one time by Joerg Haider and was later a coalition party in Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s government. In 2024, the FPÖ reached first place in the election for the European Parliament.

The CDU won in Sachsen with 31,9 percent; the AfD reached second place with 30,6 percent. In Thüringen, the AfD won with 32,8 percent, and the CDU only got 23,6 percent. The coalition parties of the government were far behind in both states. According to the Wall Street Journal, it is “a fresh embarrassment for Olaf Scholz’s government” and “a political earthquake and a milestone for a continent where centrist parties are increasingly on the defensive.”

“Correction” of German State Election in Thuringia

Breitbart wrote on September 2:

“Right-wingers and populists have devastated legacy left-wing parties in two state elections in Germany, even if a ‘software error’ in one state was blamed for changing the initial official results, taking two seats away from the right. The right-populist anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has won a state election for the first time, taking 32.8 per cent of the vote in east Germany’s Thuringia… This is particularly consequential to the AfD, as it no longer has a blocking minority in the state, which could have allowed it to block certain votes like the appointment of constitutional judges, the state auditors, and even a vote to dissolve the parliament. In such instances, votes need a two-thirds supermajority to pass, and now the AfD is one seat short…

“In both elections, voter turnout was at historically high levels, and in the case of Saxony, it was the highest state election turnout in modern German history…  In many cases, responses to the state-level success of the AfD in this election have been dismay in the international press, with the label ‘far right’ routinely applied to the AfD, even as such words lose their power through over-use…

“For the AfD themselves, the votes in their favour yesterday are all about the German public rejecting tone-deaf, failed establishment parties delivering stagnation…

“As is now typical for many European elections, while a populist-right party may have the largest number of seats, it does not hold close to a majority and few friends to build coalitions with, which may leave these states heading towards yet more rainbow coalition governments to keep the border control right out at all costs…”

One might wonder about the “software error”…

Nazi Comparisons Exaggerated and Punishable?

Report 24 wrote on September 2:

“The election results from Thuringia and Saxony are just as displeasing to the traffic lights [Germany’s governing coalition] as they are to the loyal system press: Corresponding derailments were to be expected. Yesterday, September 1, ZDF [Germany’s second public broadcast company] viewers witnessed particularly disrespectful statements: Editor-in-chief Bettina Schausten quickly put the election in the context of the start of the Second World War 85 years ago:

“‘On September 1, 1939, World War II began with the Wehrmacht attack on Poland. Germany spread suffering and death across the world and murdered 6 million Jews. On September 1, 2024, 85 years later, a party will become the strongest political force in the German state of Thuringia, which, according to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is proven to be right-wing extremist, with a candidate at the top who talks like a fascist and can also be called one. This is difficult to bear and makes this September 1 a political milestone and a reminder to those born after. More than 30% of voters in Thuringia and Saxony voted right-wing extremist. For the most part, they are not neo-Nazis, but, and this is no less shocking, they don’t care about voting right-wing extremist.’

“What users on social networks find particularly difficult to bear is the fact that they also finance the constant defamation and criminalization of voters with their compulsory fees. Sharp criticism also comes from legal experts: Volker Boehme-Neßler, professor of media and telecommunications law, demanded [Schausten’s] immediate dismissal.

“Lawyer Markus Haintz has now filed a criminal complaint against Schausten – and it is based on an argument from the same public prosecutor’s office, according to which an alleged comparison with the Third Reich in the Corona context constituted incitement to hatred. Thus, in Haintz’s view, any argument against the existence of sedition in Schausten’s case is a dismantling of one’s own previous argument. On X he discussed:

“‘According to the public prosecutor’s own argument, to whom I sent the criminal complaint, this is a case of sedition. A client… was charged with a criminal warrant by the same public prosecutor’s office due to an alleged COVID-related settlement and was convicted in the first instance by a district court for alleged incitement to hatred. The appeal against this has been with the regional court for almost 2 years, which is obviously having problems handling the case…

“A conviction by the district court should never have been made. Based on the arguments of the public prosecutor’s office and the district court, I also filed a criminal complaint against Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on suspicion of incitement to hatred. A preliminary investigation has been initiated in this regard, which as far as I know has not yet been completed… In his speech on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Steinmeier made a connection between the Ukrainian War and the Wehrmacht’s war of annihilation in Eastern Europe. Schausten provided a context with the Wehrmacht’s attack on Poland on September 1, 1939 and 6 million murdered Jews.

“I’m really curious to see how the politically dependent public prosecutor’s office… will try to get out of this ‘legal dilemma’. I call on my legal colleagues to oppose the countless wrong decisions made by courts and authorities, the unconstitutional impairments and the state’s excesses of power, especially since March 2020…’

“What happens with the legal complaint remains to be seen. In Germany, politicians and their court reporters are often said to have the freedom of fools that is typical of totalitarian systems. This would be an opportunity to prove that the same ‘right’ still applies to everyone. But will [this opportunity] be used?”

Mongolia Asked to Arrest Putin

The Sun wrote on August 31:

“Putin is due to visit Mongolia on September 3… Ukraine has called on the Mongolian government to arrest Putin blasting him as a war criminal… But Putin’s mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov shot back at suggestions of an arrest saying: ‘No, no worries about this. We have a great dialogue with our friends from Mongolia.’…

“Arresting the dictator and sending him to The Hague is up to the signatory countries as the ICC doesn’t have its own police force. Many powerful countries are not members of the court – such as the US, Russia, and China.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant in March of last year against Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The Kremlin has dismissed the accusation, saying it is politically motivated.

“The warrant obliges the court’s 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory… Putin is set to visit the country to mark the 85th anniversary of the victory of Russian and Mongolian forces over Japan in WW2….”

Putin will not be arrested in Mongolia—home of Genghis Khan. It will be seen what action, if any, other signatory member states of the ICC will take against Mongolia.

Russian and Mongolian Cooperation

Reuters wrote on September 3:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin received a red carpet welcome on Tuesday on a state visit to Mongolia, whose failure to arrest him under a warrant from the International Criminal Court was criticised by Ukraine as a blow against justice… The Mongolian leader said he hoped the visit would boost trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

“Mongolia is on the planned route of a major pipeline that Russia wants to construct in order to carry 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year from its Yamal region to China. The project, Power of Siberia 2, is part of Russia’s strategy to compensate for the loss of most of its gas sales in Europe since the start of the Ukraine war. It is the planned successor to an existing pipeline of the same name which already supplies Russian gas to China and is due to reach its planned capacity of 38 billion cubic metres per year in 2025.”

A Synagogue on the Temple Mount?

Israel Today wrote on August 28:

“The US State Department stated on Tuesday that it ‘strongly opposes’ Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s call for construction of a synagogue on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. The proposed Jewish house of worship ‘on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount’ would ‘demonstrate blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem,’ Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, said…

“Ben-Gvir said in an interview with Israel’s Army Radio on Monday that Jewish prayer is allowed on the Temple Mount. That prompted a denial from the Prime Minister’s Office… During the interview, Ben-Gvir was asked repeatedly if he would build a synagogue on the Temple Mount. He replied, ‘yes.’

“Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were among the Muslim countries that officially condemned Ben-Gvir’s comments…”

A synagogue or a Temple on the Temple Mount? Even though some are still determined to dispute the overwhelming biblical evidence and the signs of the time, a Third Temple will be built PRIOR to the return of Jesus Christ.

Hamas—a Murderous Terrorist Organization

Newsmax wrote on September 1:

“Israel said it recovered the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in Gaza where they were apparently killed shortly before its troops reached them… ‘they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists a short time before we reached them,’ military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters in a briefing.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… said Israel would not rest until it caught those responsible… Senior Hamas officials said that Israel, in its refusal to sign a ceasefire agreement, was to blame for the deaths… The recovered bodies were from about 250 hostages captured during the Hamas-led shock incursion into southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza on Oct. 7 last year. Their deaths leave 101 Israeli and foreign captives still in Gaza, but around a third of these are known to have died, with the fate of others unknown…”

How anyone, including Americans, Europeans and others, can think that one can or should negotiate with murderous lying terrorists is beyond comprehension.

Biden vs. Netanyahu

The Times of Israel wrote on September 2:

“US President Joe Biden on Monday said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, while revealing that his administration was ‘very close; to presenting a final hostage deal offer later this week… At a press conference later Monday, Netanyahu denounced calls for Israel to make concessions after Hamas ‘murderers executed six of our hostages.’ ‘They shot them in the back of the head…and now, after this, we’re asked to show seriousness? We’re asked to make concessions? What message does this send Hamas? It says kill more hostages, murder more hostages, you’ll get more concessions,’ Netanyahu stated, speaking in English in response to a question.

“‘The pressure internationally must be directed at these killers, at Hamas, not at Israel. We say yes, they say no all the time. But they also murdered these people. And now we need maximal pressure on Hamas. ‘I don’t believe that either President Biden or anyone serious about achieving peace and achieving their release would seriously ask Israel, Israel, to make these concessions,’ the prime minister argued…

“The Israeli sources said Monday that Biden’s statement that Netanyahu was not doing enough to reach a deal was also dangerous because it came days after Hamas executed [six hostages] who were all kidnapped on October 7.”

The position of the Biden Administration and most of the international community is not only stupid and incompetent, it is also dangerous, anti-Semitic and extremely worrisome. 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

Kamala Harris’s Clueless Hypocrisy

The New York Post wrote on August 23:

“Will the real Kamala Harris please stand up?… Harris finally took the floor to speak of herself Thursday night.  She spoke well and forcefully and electrified the Chicago convention hall, but color me as confused as ever.  Other than not being Donald Trump or Joe Biden, who is she? What does she really believe and what would she do as president? If she knows the answers, she’s keeping them a secret.

“Promises to ‘chart a new path forward’ and ‘be a president for all Americans’ are so boilerplate, they ought to be outlawed. Then there was this: ‘The future is always worth fighting for..’ You don’t say! 

“The economy is the top issue for voters, and as vice president for the last three and a half years, you would think she would have nailed down some ideas that could improve upon the mess she and President Biden made. 

In which case, you would be mistaken…

“Her 37-minute speech capped a remarkable shift in Democratic fortunes, made possible only by the political assassination of Biden, ostensibly by his friends.  Et tu, Barack Obama? Et tu, Nancy Pelosi?…

“… the entire Democratic convention has been a disappointment in that it relied on lies about Trump to attack him. Starting with Biden Monday and ending with Harris Thursday, many speakers accused Trump of planning to sign a national ban on abortion and of supporting an arch-conservative program called Project 2025. The problem with those accusations is that Trump has said repeatedly that he will not sign a national abortion ban and has made it clear he wants all states to include exceptions in cases of rape, incest and the health of the mother. He also publicly scorned Project 2025, saying he did not support it…

“The touting of his conviction in the rigged Manhattan bookkeeping trial further betrays their desperation… Harris…  cited the case as a reason why Trump can’t be trusted. Oddly, she didn’t seem to mind working with Biden despite his family’s influence-peddling scheme, which netted it some $27 million. Or that Hunter Biden is an accused tax cheat and has already been convicted of a gun felony…”

This and the following are typical cases of hypocrisy by politicians. A true Christian ought not to have anything to do with this. Note the next article.

More and More Hypocrisy!

The New York Post wrote on August 22:

We will not soon forget the way in which [Nancy Pelosi] said that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had ‘established one of the most successful presidencies of modern times.’… But the standout moment was her tribute to Biden. Only a few weeks ago, Pelosi went to see him and brutally ended his career, reportedly telling him he must either stop his run or get pushed out ‘the hard way.’… Her performance was second to none as she paid tribute to the man whose career she so recently ended… And during Biden’s own performance, she could be seen enthusiastically waving a ‘We love Joe’ sign. It takes an actor of once-in-a-generation skill to do what Nancy did…

“Who could fail to be impressed when [Hillary Clinton] held a smile even as she said that Kamala should be the first woman to make it to the Oval Office? Some viewers may have gotten the feeling that Hillary was about to…  burst out screaming, ‘It should have been mine’ at any moment. But she didn’t. She kept herself measured and turned in a performance of rare, multi-layered complexity, underscored by a raw, sublimated rage…

Bill Clinton compared Joe Biden to George Washington and said that, like Washington, Biden had exited the stage at a time of his own choosing. Historians are still looking for the Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama and George Clooney characters of 1797.

“Leading a prayer onstage, [Cardinal Blasé Cupich] praised the idea of Americans being united by ‘profound aspirations of life.’  The cardinal had clearly not toured the abortion… trucks that were doing big business outside the convention….

Oprah Winfrey [will be remembered] not least for her inspiring claim that she understood — because she had suffered from — ‘income inequality…

Joe Biden… managed a whole speech, whipped himself up into a rage over things that nobody said and wiped a tear from his face as he accepted the gratitude of a party that wanted him gone…

“The Democrats have managed to create a whole new candidate. Not the Kamala we thought we knew. But a new, special Kamala whom we apparently don’t know at all. A Kamala who is hyper-competent, super-inspiring and a fresh face in politics…”

But there are many more examples of hypocrisy. Note the next articles.

The Daily Mail wrote on August 22:

Tim Walz is everything Kamala Harris needs him to be: steady Midwesterner, brave veteran, working-class hero, bumbling… dad — and, oh yes, a compulsive liar!… Whether Coach Walz is spinning a yarn about using ‘weapons of war’ during his pretend time in combat, or concocting a tale about his long-suffering wife Gwen’s ‘IVF’ treatment that didn’t actually happen, [he] is willing to spend credibility for the cause….”

The Guardian wrote on November 11, 2016, about Michelle Obama’s decision not to run:

“… she feels politics is very dirty and she doesn’t want to be in the gutter.”

Now she asked everyone to vote for Kamala, even though she initially refused to endorse her.

Breitbart wrote on July 21:

“[Barack] Obama and Pelosi stand out among Democrat leaders for not [initially] specifically endorsing Harris…”

The New York Post wrote on July 22:

“After Democratic bigs knifed Joe Biden in the back, wresting the candidacy from his stubborn, locked grip, they rushed to valorize him with effusive praise and glowing political obituaries. They’ve called him a ‘patriot’ and a ‘hero’... the trinity of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer…. especially with the backing of the big-money donor class and Hollywood hotshots… in a calculated campaign to remove the presidentthreatened him with the 25th Amendment in a ‘palace coup’…”

The New York Post wrote on July 24:

“[Barack] Obama’s hope was to get Biden out of the way, and an op-ed written by George Clooney in the New York Times asking him to step aside was a part of that plan. However, the higher-ups in the Democratic Party didn’t count on Biden endorsing Harris right away and ‘Obama was shocked’ when the president endorsed her… Obama is ‘furious’ that things haven’t gone his way, ‘which is why he is not joining in the Democratic Party’s support of Harris…”

Later Barack and Michelle endorsed Harris in their infamous staged phony phone call with Kamala.

Biden’s Impeachable Offenses

The New York Post wrote on August 21:

“It’s infuriating that House Republicans waited so long to release their devastating report that President Biden committed impeachable offenses when he ‘actively participated’ in a foreign influence-peddling conspiracy to enrich his family and then defrauded American voters by ­lying about his abuse of office.  Even more infuriating is that Biden will not be held accountable by Congress for his malfeasance.  It’s hard to find a clearer-cut case for impeachment than selling access to the White House to foreigners, including the Chinese Communist Party, for tens of millions of dollars. 

“The report… is believed to have been ready for release back in April, when Democrats were still pretending that Biden was a viable candidate for re-election. But fears that as many as 10… House Republicans would refuse to impeach the president led to the report being shelved until this week…

“But while Biden will not get the impeachment he deserves, the report’s meticulous array of evidence stands forever in the official record. It laughs in the face of all the nauseating eulogies for Biden this week at the Democratic National Convention as the greatest president of all time, a man of integrity and honor so great, he deserves to be memorialized on Mount Rushmore….

“But the same people who turned a blind eye and covered up Biden’s corruption are the ones who covered up his cognitive incapacity and who now are trying to smuggle mirage candidate Harris into power without real scrutiny or policies or accountability for her role in the Biden administration’s disasters…”

Trump on Kennedy

The New York Post wrote on August 22:

“The 45th president has said he would be open to a Kennedy endorsement and would even consider adding him to his team. ‘I like him a lot, I respect him a lot, I probably would if something like that would happen,’ Trump told CNN in an interview on Tuesday about the possibility of adding Kennedy to his administration.”

The Sun wrote on August 24:

“Hours after Kennedy Jr. announced that he would suspend his campaign for president, he made a surprise appearance at Trump’s rally in a show of support…. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever introduced anyone who’s gotten applause like he just did,’ Trump said of Kennedy’s entrance. Trump called Kennedy his friend and said he ran ‘an extraordinary campaign’ for the last 16 months… he is a brilliant, phenomenal person… I’m proud of Bobby if you want to know the truth…”

On April 28, 2024, The Telegraph wrote:

“Trump described Mr Kennedy as ‘a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected.’… He said Mr Kennedy ‘was far more LIBERAL than anyone running as a Democrat… Juniors’ a so-called Independent, but he’s not, he’s a Radical Left Lunatic … No Republican can vote for this guy.’”

A lesson that one ought to carefully choose one’s words. Note the next article as well.

Kennedy Attacked Trump

CNN wrote on August 26:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr… has a long history of criticizing the man he now supports, including calling Trump a ‘threat to democracy,’ and, as recently as July, a ‘terrible president.’ For years, Kennedy has repeatedly condemned Trump, referring to him as a ‘bully,’ who appealed to ‘bigotry,’ ‘hatred,’ ‘xenophobia’ and ‘prejudice.’ Among the chief attacks Kennedy has leveled at Trump through the 2024 campaign is to accuse him of corruption for turning his administration over to corporate lobbyists and special interests and failing to ‘drain the swamp’ as he’d promised.

“But on Friday, Kennedy was full of praise for Trump, saying that while he and the former president ‘don’t agree on everything,’ they do share similar isolationist views on US foreign policy, government censorship, and the need to address chronic disease in America…”

Vance on Trump:

Bild Online wrote on July 28:

“[In 2016, Vance said : ‘He is simply a bad man. A morally reprehensible person.’

The Guardian wrote on July 27:

“Vance… was selected because he faithfully reflected the ideological gut instincts of Trump, despite having previously called him ‘America’s Hitler’”

Of course, he totally changed his opinion on Trump. Right?

Kennedy’s New Role

When announcing that he would suspend his candidacy, Kennedy said this, according to the Daily Mail, dated August 24:

“He [said that] the Democrats ‘ran a sham primary that was rigged to prevent any serious challenge to President Biden.’  Once Biden, he said, ‘predictably bungled’ the debate against Trump, a ‘palace coup’ took place. ‘The same shadowy DNC operatives appointed his successor, also without an election,’ Kennedy charged.  ‘They installed a candidate who was so unpopular with voters that she dropped out in 2020 without winning a single delegate,’ Kennedy said….

The article also said this:

“Kennedy’s siblings – who support Harris – released a joint statement slamming their brother’s decision.  ‘Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear,’ said Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy. A number of other Kennedy family members work in the current Biden administration.”

What were the values of John and Robert Kennedy which Trump is now ‘betraying”?

The Sun wrote on August 24:

“The Republican nominee [Trump] also pledged that he would create a panel to look into the causes of childhood health issues including auto-immune disorders, autism, obesity, infertility, and more. Trump said that ‘top experts would work with Bobby’ on this panel. The former president said he wanted to ‘salute’ Kennedy Jr.’s ‘decades of work as an advocate for the health of our families and children.’… ‘Nobody has done more,” Trump said of Kennedy Jr.’s philanthropy work and activism. ‘Millions and millions of Americans have concerns about toxins in our environment and pesticides in our food,’ Trump said in his announcement of the health panel….

“During his time on stage, Kennedy Jr. took aim at the CDC, the FDA, the USDA, big food processing companies, and chemical companies. ‘Our children are the unhealthiest, sickest children in the world,’ Kennedy Jr. claimed.’ Don’t you want healthy children? Don’t you want a safe environment for your children? Don’t you want to know the food that you’re feeding them is not filled with chemicals that will give them cancer and chronic diseases? Don’t you want a president that will make America healthy again? Well, that is what President Trump told me he wanted,’ Kennedy Jr. said.”

The New York Post added on August 24:

“Kennedy also touted Trump’s vows to keep the US out of foreign wars, end censorship  and protect ‘America’s freedoms’ from ‘totalitarianism.’”

All laudable goals. Would they be accomplished under a Trump presidency?

Biden Administration Fraudulently Manipulating Job Growth Statistics

Newsmax wrote on August 21:

“Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused the Biden administration of ‘fraudulently manipulating’ statistics after the government announced revised job growth numbers for this year showing lower growth than previously reported. The Labor Department released a revised report this week showing that the U.S. added 818,000 fewer jobs between April 2023 and March 2024 than originally stated in a previous report. The initial report showed the U.S. added an average of 242,000 jobs per month during that time, but the revised figures show the U.S. added 174,000 jobs per month.

“… Trump called the revelation a ‘MASSIVE SCANDAL!’… Trump added: ‘The Harris-Biden Administration has been caught fraudulently manipulating Job Statistics to hide the true extent of the Economic Ruin they have inflicted upon America. New Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the Administration PADDED THE NUMBERS with an extra 818,000 Jobs that DO NOT EXIST, AND NEVER DID. The real Numbers are much worse than that…’”

This IS scandalous… but to be expected from lying politicians.

Zuckerberg Confirms Improper Conduct of Biden Administration

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 27, 2024:

“Zuckerberg said it was improper for the Biden administration to have pressured Facebook to censor content in 2021 related to the coronavirus pandemic, vowing that the social-media giant would reject any such future efforts… In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan… he wrote that senior Biden administration officials, including from the White House, had ‘repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn’t agree.’ At the time, Facebook’s publicly stated goal was to push millions of people toward Covid 19 vaccines

“Zuckerberg said that he believed the pressure from the administration ‘was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it… we’re ready to push back if something like this happens again.’

“… In his letter to Jordan, Zuckerberg said that Meta [which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and others] ‘shouldn’t have demoted’ a New York Post story about President Biden’s son Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 election… At the time, dozens of former intelligence officials signed a letter that then-candidate Biden cited in a presidential debate saying that the release of the emails had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation’… ‘It’s since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn’t have demoted the story,’ Zuckerberg wrote. In a social-media post, Jordan said that the letter was a ‘big win for free speech.’”

Parents Responsible and Not Responsible For Mass Killings of Their Children

Newsmax wrote on August 19:

“The parents of a former student accused of killing 10 people in a 2018 school shooting near Houston cannot be held responsible for what happened, a jury decided Monday. The victims’ lawsuit sought to hold Dimitrios Pagourtzis and his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, financially liable for the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018. The lawsuit alleged the parents failed to provide necessary support for their son’s mental health and didn’t do enough to prevent him from accessing their guns. Authorities say Pagourtzis fatally shot eight students and two teachers. He was 17 years old at the time.

“Pagourtzis, now 23, has been charged with capital murder but the criminal case has been on hold since November 2019, when he was declared incompetent to stand trial. He is being held at a state mental health facility. In April, Jennifer and James Crumbley were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison by a Michigan judge after becoming the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting. Pagourtzis’ parents are not accused of any crime…

“Similar lawsuits have been filed following other mass shootings. In 2022, a jury awarded over $200 million to the mother of one of four people killed in a shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. The lawsuit was filed against the shooter and his father, who was accused of returning a rifle to his son before the shooting despite the son’s mental health issues.”

Many Children Survive Abortions… Before They Die!

eSiteNews wrote on August 23:

“In Canada, not a single federal leader will discuss abortion – except to affirm their support for feticide in all its forms. Thus, there has been no response to a gut-wrenching new study by medical statisticians at the University of Montreal that found that one in four babies aborted at 23 weeks gestation in Quebec are born alive. One of the ‘complications’ of later-term abortions is known as ‘live birth,’ and ‘live birth rates’ after abortion have increased in Quebec, most noticeably in abortions between 20 and 24 weeks…

“The study found that 90% of these babies died within three hours, and… ‘only 24.5 percent of the babies born alive were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) while only 5.5% received palliative care.’

“The authors noted a strange trend, reporting that the likelihood of a baby surviving an abortion actually increased between 1989-2000, when it was 4.1%, and 2011-2021, when it was 20.8%…”

This is SO horrible. What a heartless civilization we live in, condoning, supporting and promoting such barbarous and ungodly conduct!

Telegram CEO Arrested in France

Breitbart wrote on August 24:

“Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov (39) was arrested in France on Saturday after his private jet landed at Le Bourget Airport, French media reported. Durov was arrested under a warrant related to ‘various violations of his encrypted messaging service,’ according to a report by Le Monde… French authorities are accusing Durov of a ‘lack of moderation’ involving Telegram. The messaging app is reportedly under attack in Europe for the ‘viral circulation of false information.’ ‘Telegram has shielded itself from state moderation rules, at a time when the European Union and the United States are putting pressure on major platforms to remove illegal content,’ Le Monde reported. France’s OFMIN (Office to Combat Violence Against Minors) issued the warrant as part of an investigation into ‘offenses ranging from fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, glorification of terrorism, and fraud,’ a source told the French newspaper.

“Durov, who doesn’t often sit down for interviews, spoke with Tucker Carlson in April, telling the former Fox News host that the Russian government was the first entity to demand that he censor speech — via his other platform, VK — in an effort to quell protests in the country. ‘We were requested to ban these [protest organizing] communities — and I refused,’ Durov explained. ‘But that did not go too well with the government.’ ‘A few years from then, in 2013, we had a similar situation where you had these protests in Ukraine where people, again, would use VK to organize themselves and go to the main square of the city and show their disagreement with the government,’ Durov continued. ‘We received a demand from the Russian side, saying, “You have to give us the private data of the organizers of this protest,” and our response was, ‘Wait, a minute, this is a different country, we won’t betray our Ukrainian users because you asked us to.” We decided to refuse, and that didn’t go too well with the Russian government as well,’ he added. As a result, Durov chose to resign as the CEO of VK.

“‘I had to make a difficult decision,’ he said. ‘Because I was offered basically a choice between two suboptimal options: one of which was I would start complying with whatever the leaders of the countries tell me to do, and the other one was I could sell my stake in the company, retire, resign as the CEO, and leave the country. I chose the latter.’

“Carlson reacted to Durov’s arrest in a Saturday X post, writing, ‘In the end, it wasn’t Putin who arrested him for allowing the public to exercise free speech. It was a western country, a Biden administration ally and enthusiastic NATO member, that locked him away.’ ‘Pavel Durov sits in a French jail tonight, a living warning to any platform owner who refuses to censor the truth at the behest of governments and intel agencies,’ Carlson added. ‘Darkness is descending fast on the formerly free world.’”

Indeed, darkness is descending on Europe. Of course, Europe was never really free, but now it is clearly being held captive by Satan the devil.

Europe’s Persecution of Freedom of Speech Continues…

Reuters wrote on August 25:

“The arrest of the 39-year-old technology billionaire prompted on Sunday a warning from Moscow to Paris that he should be accorded his rights and criticism from X owner Elon Musk who said that free speech in Europe was under attack… [Hypocritical Russia is making these demands!!!] Durov, who has dual French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, was arrested as part of a preliminary police investigation into allegedly allowing a wide range of crimes due to a lack of moderators on Telegram and a lack of cooperation with police, a… French police source said.

“Russian lawmaker Maria Butina, who spent 15 months in U.S. prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent, said Durov ‘is a political prisoner – a victim of a witch-hunt by the West.’…

“Telegram, based in Dubai, was founded by Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK social media platform, which he has sold. The encrypted application, with close to one billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union. It is ranked as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.

“Durov, who is estimated by Forbes to have a fortune of $15.5 billion, said in April some governments had sought to pressure him but the app should remain a ‘neutral platform’ and not a ‘player in geopolitics’. Durov came up with the idea of an encrypted messaging app as a way to communicate while he faced pressure in Russia. His younger brother, Nikolai, designed the encryption…

“After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has become the main source of unfiltered – and sometimes graphic and misleading – content from both sides about the war and the politics surrounding the conflict. The platform has become what some analysts call ‘a virtual battlefield’ for the war, used heavily by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his officials, as well as the Russian government.

Russia began blocking Telegram in 2018 after the app refused to comply with a court order granting state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages… Telegram says it ‘is committed to protecting user privacy and human rights such as freedom of speech and assembly.’

“Durov has previously accused U.S. law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of seeking to get a backdoor into the platform...

Musk, billionaire owner of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, said after reports of Durov’s detention: ‘It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme.’”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe Attacks America’s Freedom!” 

Europe’s Increasing Persecution of Dissidents

Austria’s Report 24 wrote on August 26:

“While Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France, Rumble boss Chris Pavlovski departed Europe… Elon Musk could be next on the list. In the new age of censorship and surveillance, there is no place for privacy and freedom of expression.

“Europe is returning to dangerous ways of thinking. In the past, countless people from the Old Continent fled across the Atlantic to the New World to be safe from religious or political persecution. In the meantime, European politicians present themselves as ‘democratic’ and ‘liberal’, but as a result of the leftward shift in the political party system, they seem to prefer to rely again on repression against those who think differently, and on total surveillance.

“Pavel Durov… was targeted… because he stood up against the total surveillance by authorities and secret services on his platform and protected freedom of expression. But there is no room for that in Europe for censoring and control-hungry politicians…

“Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of the video streaming platform Rumble, which presents itself as a free alternative to Google’s heavily censorious YouTube, explained on X that he had just left Europe ‘for good reason’. His platform was also threatened by France because they did not censor free speech there.

“All of this raises the question of when the French and European authorities will also want to take appropriate measures against Elon Musk. After all, the tech billionaire is also an advocate for the greatest possible freedom of the press and freedom of expression. However, this is something that no longer has a place in Europe. A woke, left-liberal and green-minded totalitarianism will prevail there in the future.”

Arrest of Durov Alarming!

The New York Post wrote on August 27:

Americans should be worried… French investigators were quick to assure the public that this was most certainly not a political detention, which means it most certainly was… Durov is a seasoned veteran in the fight to protect free speech and association.

“Elon Musk has dealt with similar threats by foreign entities demanding he crack down on his platform, or else. We can expect that European-style censorship will find a welcoming audience in the DC swamp…  the major social media platforms do remain magnets for the worst of the worst elements; possibly criminals, terrorists, and traffickers. But criminals plan and commit crimes using the telephone, too, and governments around the world aren’t locking up the phone companies.

“The message of Durov’s detention is simple — hand over the data of the private citizenry, monitor and police their free speech, or face political persecution… We cannot allow our long-standing freedom of speech and assembly to become subject to European laws or lawmakers. And certainly not to the whims of globalists at the United Nations or in Davos. Durov is a walking target for refusing to capitulate to the surveillance state…”

The Associated Press wrote on August 28:

“In 2022, Germany issued fines of $5 million against Telegram’s operators for failing to establish a lawful way to reporting illegal content or to name an entity in Germany to receive official communication. Both are required under German laws that regulate large online platforms.”

Business Insider wrote on August 26:

“Musk described the arrest as a violation of freedom of expression. ‘It is essential to supporting free speech that you forward X posts to people you know, especially in countries where censorship exists,’ Musk wrote on X on Sunday. He also posted a tweet from Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of Rumble, a right-wing competitor to YouTube. Pavlovski said in a post on Sunday that France had ‘crossed a red line’ with the arrest of Durov.”

The Guardian wrote on August 25:

“Elon Musk reposted a clip from that interview with Tucker Carlson where Durov praised Musk’s takeover of X as ‘a great development’… He followed up with a second tweet: ‘Liberté! Liberté! Liberté?’

“According to Fox News, dated August 26 , the arrest prompted ‘swift outcry from free speech advocates, including fellow tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk, and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr..”

Macron responds, according to Al Jazeera, dated August 25:

“Macron insisted that there was no political motive [that it was not a political decision], and that Durov had been detained as part of a judicial inquiry. ‘I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov. France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so,’ Macron said in a post on X.”

France Persecutes Rumble—”Macron Is Lying”!

Nius wrote on August 28:

“It’s a worrying development: in the UK people have to worry about being visited by the police for sharing posts on ‘X’, in Germany citizens who criticize the government are being sued and in France the founder of the messenger service Telegram has now been arrested. The reason: He would not take sufficient action against criminal activities on his platform.

“Now the next shock for freedom of expression: The CEO of the Canadian video platform ‘Rumble’, Chris Pavlovski, decided to leave Europe in the wake of Durov’s arrest. On ‘X’ he writes: ‘France has already threatened Rumble, now they have crossed the red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO. Rumble will not tolerate this behavior and will fight by every legal means for freedom of expression, which is a universal human right. We are currently fighting in court in France and hope for Pavel Durov’s early release.’

“Pavlovski’s video portal, an alternative to YouTube, was banned in France in 2022 and is still in legal battle with the country over its refusal to remove blocked Russian accounts. In another post on ‘X’, the Rumble CEO accuses French President Emmanuel Macron of lying. ‘We had to shut down Rumble in France because you show no commitment to freedom of expression’. He is responding to the president’s statement that Durov’s arrest was legal and that France is deeply committed to freedom of expression.

“’Rumble’ has been working with Donald Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ social network since 2021. The current [proposed] Vice President J.D. Vance has already invested in the video platform.”

The Associated Press wrote on August 28:

“French authorities handed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov [six] preliminary charges Wednesday for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app, and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation.”

But he has avoided jail with a 5m euro bail. He must check in at a police station twice a week.

Terror Attack in Solingen, Germany

Daily Mail wrote on August 24:

“A knifeman has left at least three people dead after stabbing random passersby in the neck in a horrific ‘terror attack’ at a diversity festival in Germany.  Eight others have been injured, five of them seriously, in the knife attack in the western German city of Solingen last night, police have said.  A desperate manhunt has been launched to find the killer who fled after carrying out the ‘brutal and senseless’ killings…

“Solingen is also known as the ‘City of Blades’, as it has long been renowned for the manufacturing of fine swords, knives, scissors and razors made by famous firms.  The tragedy comes amid a heated political debate about rising knife violence in German cities… The ‘Festival of Diversity,’ marking the city’s 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was supposed to run through Sunday, with 80,000 people expected.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 24:

“The man suspected of the stabbing in Solingen turned himself in to the police, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia told the news agency DPA. According to the German daily Bild, the man, still covered in blood, approached the officers shortly after 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) and said: ‘I’m the one you’re looking for…’  He had reportedly been hiding in a backyard since the crime.

“German news magazine Spiegel reported that the suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian, who came to Germany in 2022 and applied for asylum in Bielefeld.  Because he came from a country in civil war, he was allowed to stay in Germany… The so-called ‘Islamic State’ has claimed responsibility… In a statement on social media, IS’ Amaq media wing said the knifeman was a ‘soldier of the Islamic State’ who targeted a ‘Christian gathering’ in what it said was ‘revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.’

Breitbart wrote on August 24:

“It was claimed that, according to witness statements gathered by police, the attacker had shouted out the Jihadi war cry ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he carried out the attack…”

Reuters added on August 24:

“The episode comes ahead of three state elections next month in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg, in which the anti-immigrant far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has a chance of winning… a top AfD candidate for one of the state elections, Bjoern Hoecke, [posted] on X: ‘Do you really want to get used to this? Free yourselves and end this insanity of forced multiculturalism.’”

Bild reported on August 25 that an arrest warrant was issued for him because of alleged murder and membership in a terrorist organization (IS), and that the investigation is now in the hands of the federal prosecutor.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

The Attack on the Nord Stream Pipeline

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 16:

“The attack on the Nord Stream Pipeline was shocking, the damage enormous, and the geopolitical consequences are still keenly felt almost two years after the attack. The 1,200-kilometer (746-mile) Nord Stream 1 served as the key delivery system between Russian energy giants and their buyers in Germany,  with Berlin braving the ire of its allies to construct another undersea delivery system,  Nord Stream 2, which would run mostly parallel to the first one and carry another 55 billion cubic meters (1.942 trillion cubic feet) of gas per year.

“It was not to be. A series of underwater blasts on September 26, 2022 crippled the pipelines, which were already out of action due to tensions between Berlin and Moscow provoked by Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine. Nearly two years later, no suspects have been arrested, and it is not fully clear who was behind the sabotage.

“This week, however, a series of reports in high-profile German media, including Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the US-based Wall Street Journal pointed to a team of Ukraine divers who may have had backing from top officials in Kyiv. Sources cited by the Wall Street Journal say the plan to blow up the pipelines was initially approved by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then, the CIA allegedly got wind of the plan and urged Zelenskyy not to go through with it. Zelenskyy ordered a halt to the scheme, but Ukraine’s top general at the time, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, decided to go through with it anyway, according to the paper.

“Zaluzhnyi, now Ukraine’s ambassador to London, denied any knowledge of the bombing and dismissed the claims to the opposite as ‘mere provocation’ when contacted by the US daily. The White House has refused to comment on the report…  ‘Ukraine’s involvement in the Nord Stream explosions is absolute nonsense. There was no practical sense in such actions for Ukraine,’ Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP on Thursday… Despite Podolyak’s claims, however, Ukraine did have valid reasons to oppose the project. If reactivated, the pipelines would have been filling Moscow’s war chests… Additionally, a direct line of export to Germany via both pipelines would have made it much easier for Moscow to close off established gas routes through countries like Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia, giving it even more influence in the region…

Poland is also mentioned in the media as the possible provider of logistical support for the Ukrainian diving team which is said to have sabotaged the pipelines. German officials have confirmed that the main suspect was living in a village outside Warsaw until recently, but managed to slip out of the country despite Germany issuing an arrest warrant for him. Warsaw blamed Berlin for the mishap, saying German officials failed to update the Schengen register that would flag the suspect as wanted.

“On Friday, Poland  strongly denied claims made by the former boss of Germany’s BND intelligence agency August Hanning that Warsaw ‘was heavily involved in the preparation of this attack.’ ‘It has to be said clearly that this is a lie,’ Polish deputy prime minister , Krzysztof Gawkowski, told TV channel Polsat News. ‘Poland did not take part in anything…’

Russian officials have long blamed the West for the Nord Stream blast, most notably accusing  ‘British navy specialists’ in 2022 of participating in ‘planning, provision and implementation’ of the attack. Following a report on the alleged US involvement by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh in February 2023, Moscow said it was not surprised. ‘Our assumption was that the US and several NATO allies were involved in this disgusting crime,’ Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow at the time.

“The latest narrative of the CIA attempting to avert the plot seems to have done little to persuade Moscow, even with top Kremlin officials staying silent on the subject. On Friday, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anataly Antonov, said there was no way for Kyiv to attack the pipelines without getting a ‘wink’ from the US. ‘They seek to shift all responsibility to their Ukrainian puppets,’ Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said in a statement on Nord Stream…  Antonov also pointed to US President Joe Biden’s statement from February 2022, just ahead of the full-scale war. The US leader said Washington would ‘bring an end’ to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia invades, even with Germany controlling the project. ‘I promise you, we’ll be able to do it,’ Biden said at the press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“Antonov’s stance was echoed by Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who commented that the West was trying ‘to absolve itself of responsibility for the terrorist attack.’

Berlin has been notably restrained in its comments regarding the ongoing investigation into the blasts, which sabotaged a critical investment worth billions that took over a decade to build. Earlier this week, Germany insisted its help to Ukraine was ‘completely independent’ from the probe and its ties to Kyiv are unaffected…”

While German politicians may say it differently, more and more Germans are opposed to assisting Ukraine much further. 

The Blame Game

The Guardian added on August 16:

“Initially, many assumed Russia was to blame. Later, others suggested the CIA could have been involved. Last year, the New York Times reported that US officials had seen intelligence suggesting a ‘pro-Ukrainian group’ was behind the explosions, while last month, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, called the explosions ‘an act of terrorism carried out at the obvious direction of the Americans’… Ukraine has always denied involvement in the explosion and on Thursday a spokesperson for Zelenskiy again accused Russia of carrying out the sabotage…

“However, German police and prosecutors are reportedly pressing on with an investigation that is now homing in on senior Ukrainian military officials and could prove embarrassing for Berlin, given that it involves an ally launching an act of sabotage against key infrastructure… Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the opposition CDU who serves on the foreign affairs committee of the German parliament, urged caution about the allegations raised in the WSJ report. He told German radio there were ‘intensive interests’ in ‘letting all the clues lead back to Ukraine’, warning that this could be ‘part of the disinformation’.”

EuroNews wrote on August 15:

The operation was concocted during a drunken night in May 2022, as Ukrainian military officers celebrated halting Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country and were looking to deal another blow to Moscow, the newspaper (WSJ) said, citing four anonymous sources familiar with the plan… The outlet said it had spoken to four senior Ukrainian defence and security officials who either participated in or had direct knowledge of the plot and that all of them considered the pipelines as a legitimate target as it defended itself against Russia…

“The WSJ also said that portions of the sources’ accounts had been corroborated by a German investigation into the matter. Yet, German intelligence officials have said that they doubt that Ukraine was really behind the sabotage…”

What Else Did WSJ Correspondent Say?

According to an article by the Wall Street Journal of August 15, WSJ correspondent Bojan Pancevski said the following:

“I’ve been, as you know, on the story since literally day one after it happened, and now we have an answer to who did it. It was a small group of patriotic Ukrainians. The idea was dreamt up during a drunken night, sometime early May in Kyiv. Some of them were military officers. Businessmen helped fund the project, which was executed under the command of the Ukrainian military. They decided to use a very unusual method of blowing up the single biggest offshore pipeline system in the world, which NordStream was. They used six people, five men, one woman on a small leisure boat, and they loaded it with explosives and off they went. The operation worked like this. It’s a small boat, a 50 feet yacht called Andromeda, and there were at least four skilled divers on it. They worked in pairs. Two divers would go at a depth of some 80 meters each day, and then the other two the next day. What they did is they loaded these explosive packages into their bags and then they went down all the way and they attached them to the pipeline and they attached a timer to ignite the explosive when the time came. So it was a timed bomb. You have to understand all the expert divers we’ve spoken said this was extremely dangerous, obviously, for everyone involved… 

“What happened was the Dutch Military Intelligence Service got wind of the operation already in the early stages of its planning. So sometime by June, 2022, so a month into the planning, the Dutch warned the CIA. Upon receiving that report, the CIA warned the Presidential administration of Ukraine not to do it, and President Zelenskyy told his commanding general, General Zaluzhnyi, to knock it off. What happened was that Zaluzhnyi just didn’t do anything. The operation went ahead as planned. It was operating like a startup company essentially. It was insulated from the officialdom, and in a nutshell, it was [a] very quick small operation on a shoestring. The whole thing cost around $300,000 to destroy a pipeline, which cost 23 billion to build…. 

“Every single Ukrainian I spoke to, and in fact some people in the West said this was a legitimate target. Why? Because it was 90% owned by Russia and because it generated enormous revenues for Vladimir Putin’s war machine. So from a Ukrainian perspective, they were cutting the vital revenue to the aggressor state that was invading them at that time. Prosecutors in Germany obviously take another stand. They think this was an attack on their critical infrastructure, which deprived them of vital gas supplies at a time where there was an energy crisis. What the Germans have so far is some evidence on the actual sabotage crew that was on the boat, but they have nothing on the higher-up command chain.”

Pancevski also said that the idea that Russia was behind the sabotage was “complete nonsense.” The truthfulness of the German government’s claim that the latest discoveries will not negatively influence Germany’s commitment towards Ukraine may be very doubtful. Note the next article. 

Germany Freezes Weapons for Ukraine

Express wrote on August 17:

“Germany has stunned Ukraine after announcing a freeze to military aid, as Kyiv’s forces struggle to repel a Russian advance in the Donbas. Olaf Scholz’s government claims a budgetary crisis means it can no longer afford to supply Ukraine with new weapons. However, opponents have accused the German Chancellor of ‘hypocrisy’ and of making a cynical play to win votes in federal elections this autumn. Scholz reportedly told his Defence Minister Boris Pistorius that no more money for weapons would be forthcoming earlier this month… Pistorius had drawn up a wish list for €4billion (£3.4billion) in additional military supplies to Ukraine…

“The freeze in military aid will not affect outstanding orders but has already impacted new ones. After a Russian air strike on a Kyiv children’s hospital in July, Diehl Defence, the arms manufacturer, offered to supply an IRIS-T air defence system to help defend the Ukrainian capital’s airspace. Scholz, however, reportedly refused to pay for the missile system, despite the deal being backed by his Defence Minister.

“The move is said to have caused severe friction inside the German government, with both the defence and foreign ministries opposing the freeze. The news could not come at a worse time for Kyiv’s army, which is coming under severe pressure in the Donbas, where Russian troops are advancing on the city of Pokrovsk – a strategic road and rail hub. Ukraine’s army says it is running short of critical ammunition and spare parts for its German-supplied tanks and armoured vehicles.

“Scholz’s political opponents have accused him of trying to win over voters in Germany’s eastern states, who are opposed to the war in Ukraine… Ingo Gädechens, an MP for the centre-Right Christian Democrats, said that Scholz had engaged in an ‘unprecedented spectacle of hypocrisy’ by promising Kyiv unconditional support while trying to pose as a ‘peace chancellor’ at home.”

Breitbart added on August 17:

“With Germany representing Ukraine’s largest single financier in Europe, the cessation of further aid payments could represent a significant hurdle for Kyiv to continue the war against the much larger and richer Russia… Berlin is reportedly banking on future aid to Ukraine coming from the $300 billion pot of Russian central bank assets seized by Western allies in the aftermath of the 2022 invasion. While the G-7 nations agreed at their Italian summit in June to use the interest on the assets to help finance a $50 billion loan for Kyiv, there has been no formal agreement on whether the assets themselves or the income generated from interest could be sent directly to Ukraine to prop up the war effort.

“Indeed, the Green Party’s chairman in the Bundestag parliament’s budget committee said that currently ‘there is unfortunately nothing concrete on the use of Russian assets.’ The deputy budget spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Andreas Schwarz, added that it is unknown how soon Russian assets could be diverted to Ukraine or ‘whether this is legally possible at all.’

“The spending freeze will likely further exacerbate ongoing issues with the lack of support from GermanyFAZ [Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung] reported that due to a lack of spare parts and ammunition, some German guns already supplied to Ukraine can only fire three to four rounds per day, undercutting the usefulness of fast-firing guns such as the Panzerhaubitze 2000. The paper also reports that many working German Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks are being ‘cannibalised’ by the Ukrainians in order to keep others going due to a lack of spare parts supplied by Berlin.”

Zelenskyy Calls Out US, UK, France Over Slow Weapons Deliveries

Politico wrote on August 19:

“As Ukraine gains territory inside Russia but is pushed back in its own Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy heaped pressure on his Western allies for more help. ‘Our guys are doing great on all fronts. However, there is a need for faster delivery of supplies from our partners,’ Zelenskyy said… ‘ Decisions are needed, as are timely logistics for the announced aid packages. I especially address this to the United States, the United Kingdom and France,’ he added.

Ukraine has been struggling to fend off Russia’s assault in the east, hence the calls for accelerated weapons deliveries. Russia is rapidly advancing near Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region. Russian forces almost seized Krasnohorivka and occupied New York, a town in the Donetsk region, a Ukrainian army brigade said… ‘The enemy is spreading across the region. The rate of advancement is very high. And, unfortunately, now his offensive potential here is limited not by the strength of our resistance, but rather by his reserves,’ the brigade said…

“Ukraine is finding more success across the border on Russian soil, where it caught the Kremlin’s forces on the hop nearly two weeks ago now.”

Russia to Strike New York and London With Nuclear Weapons?

Newsweek wrote on August 19:

“Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Russian pundit Stanislav Krapivnik recently said Moscow is ‘already at war with’ the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), adding that it should retaliate by striking cities like New York and London with a nuclear weapon.

“Krapivnik, a Russian-American and former U.S. Army officer who defected to Russia in the ’90s, repeatedly referred to the U.S. as the enemy of Russia, accusing it of wanting ‘to destroy the Russian people’ during an appearance on a Russian media program hosted by Roman Guz…  in which he repeatedly dehumanized Americans and said, ‘These are not people, these are animals.’ … ‘If we want to end this war, we need to completely destroy Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Not defeat, but total destruction. Not taking them prisoner. There should be corpses, mountains of corpses!’ Krapivnik said during his interview.

“On August 6, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise attack on Russia’s Kursk region, successfully pressing into the Kursk and Belgorod area over the past two weeks, marking the largest assault on Russian soil since World War II. The area is home to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), which is a major electricity producer for Russia. On Saturday,  [the] Russian foreign ministry… accused Ukrainian forces of preparing to attack the facility. 

“Ukrainian officials denied the accusation to Reuters, dismissing it as ‘insane’ propaganda. However, Krapivnik reiterated that idea and said, ‘This is an attack with nuclear materials, trying to cause a nuclear explosion of the reactor on the territory of Russia.’ He added that ‘this is a direct provocation that warrants wiping Kyiv off the face of the Earth… This is open war, and in response, an American city will be wiped off the face of the Earth or there will be a strike on London, based on who armed them,’ Krapivnik said, suggesting that ‘there will be an explosion, and New York will be gone and Washington will be next.’

“To summarize Krapivnik’s remarks, Guz asked, ‘Essentially, there should be a direct threat, straight from the President [Putin], that if something happens, nuclear missiles will fly against Washington and London. Do I understand it correctly?’ Krapivnik replied: ‘Absolutely, absolutely,’ affirming that nuclear weapons should be targeted at the U.S. and U.K….

“The Russia-Ukraine war has heightened global fears of a potential nuclear conflict, following months of rising tensions and repeated threats from Russia to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. and NATO countries. Putin has previously approved tactical nuclear weapons drills, and earlier in August, Russia advanced to the third stage, aimed at ‘preparing units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the combat use of nonstrategic nuclear weapons,’ the Russian defense ministry said… Russia has an estimated 5,580 nuclear warheads, according to a 2024 report by the Federation of American Scientists, which says the U.S. has 5,044.”

Iran Closes German Institute

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 20:

“Judicial authorities in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Tuesday closed down two branches of German Language Institute (DSIT) in the city…  the branches had been designated ‘illegal centers affiliated with the German government’ which had ‘breached Iranian law, committed various illegal actions and extensive financial violations.’… The DSIT was founded in 1995 by the German Embassy in Tehran and describes itself on its website as ‘one of the leading institutions for the learning of the German language,’  offering courses of various levels for both young people and adults.

“Germany’s Foreign Office condemned the closure of the institute which it said was ‘in no way justifiable’ and summoned the Iranian ambassador… [demanding] the immediate reopening of the institute…

“Another media outlet, Nournews… suggested that the closures were a response to the closure of the Hamburg Islamic Center in Germany in July. At the time, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had described [it] as an ‘important Iranian propaganda center in Europe.’ Iran had summoned the German ambassador in Tehran in protest at what it called a ‘hostile action’ and a ‘clear example of Islamophobia.’

“… German-Iranian diplomatic relations have suffered in recent years with several German nationals, some of whom hold dual German and Iranian citizenship, arrested and imprisoned in Iran on suspicion of espionage….”

German Military Base in Lithuania

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 19:

“Lithuanian and German officials on Monday took part in a ceremony marking the start of construction for a new military base that will house up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops when completed in late 2027. Another 1,000 contractors will be housed elsewhere in the country… with Germany committing last year to permanently deploy troops in the NATO and EU member state— the first permanent foreign deployment of German troops since World War II…

“German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has compared the decision to deploy Bundeswehr soldiers in the Baltics to that of the Allies posting soldiers in West Germany during the Cold War… In Berlin, budget infighting threatens to hamper German pledges to upgrade the country’s military, with requests such as €2.93 billion for more than 100 Leopard 2 A8 tanks — some of which are to be stationed in Lithuania — hanging in the balance….”

EU Plot to Censor Elon Musk Blasted

The New York Post wrote on August 16:

“The House Judiciary Committee has slammed the European Union’s efforts to ‘silence great Americans like Elon Musk,’ and is threatening to investigate their attempted ‘infringement on free speech,’ according to letters reviewed by The Post. On Thursday Committee Chair Jim Jordan fired off a missive to EU Commissioner Thierry Breton who, he alleges, is trying to ‘weaponize’ law against Musk… Jordan accused Breton, a liberal, of singling out conservatives Musk and Trump and attempting to intimidate them…

“The letter comes days after the French politician posted an open letter to X warning Musk against amplifying ‘hateful content’ ahead of a broadcast conversation with former President Trump. The letter pointed to EU legislation passed in 2022 which makes the owners of social media platforms such as X, Facebook and Tik Tok potentially liable for billions in fines for the ‘amplification of content which promotes hatred, disorder, incitement to violence or certain instances of disinformation’ in European countries…

“Soon after Breton posted his letter, the European Commission quickly distanced themselves, saying they had not authorized it.

“The Trump campaign also slammed the EU, claiming its official is trying to interfere with US politics. ‘The European Union should mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the US Presidential election,’ Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said. ‘Let us be very clear — the European Union is an enemy of free speech and has no authority of any kind to dictate how we campaign.’

“Jordan is also holding US leaders responsible and slapped the State Department with subpoenas to learn about the Administration’s communication with the EU about this matter. ‘The silence from the pro-censorship Biden-Harris Administration is deafening—you would think censorship of American speech by foreign governments would be a step too far even for them,’ Jordan’s spokesman told The Post.

“Jordan’s harshly worded missive is part of a larger effort from members of Congress to push back against censorship. Over the last year, the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government began investigating ‘to what extent the Executive Branch has coerced or colluded with companies and other intermediaries to censor lawful speech.’ ‘In furtherance of our oversight, the Select Subcommittee has examined how other governments, including the European Union (EU), have sought to censor speech online,’ one of their reports noted. While members of Congress cannot investigate foreign governments, they can defend American companies and protect them by publicly pushing back against censorship.”

The censorship employed by the US government and its collusion with the social media are appalling. Note the next articles. 

Europe, Biden and Harris in Cahoots to Censor Free Speech

On August 20, 2024, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“… Now, that very right [of freedom of speech] is again under attack from another European government, which is claiming the right to censor what Americans are allowed to say about politics, science and other subjects. Indeed, the threat from the European Union may succeed in curtailing American freedom to an extent that the Axis powers could not have imagined. They may win, and our leaders have not said a thing yet about it.

“… One of the greatest threats to free speech today is the European Digital Services Act. The act bars speech that is viewed as ‘disinformation’ or ‘incitement.’… In Europe, free speech is in free fall. Germany, France, the United Kingdom and other countries have eviscerated free speech by criminalizing speech deemed inciteful or degrading to individuals or groups...

“According to polling, only 18 percent of Germans feel free to express their opinions in publicFifty-nine percent of Germans do not even feel free expressing themselves in private among friends. Only 17 percent feel free to express themselves on the internet… there is now a massive censorship bureaucracy in Europe and the desire to silence opposing voices has become insatiable.

“Some in this country have the same taste for speech-regulation. After Elon Musk bought Twitter and dismantled most of the company’s censorship program, many on the left went bonkers. That fury only increased when Musk released the ‘Twitter files,’ confirming the long-denied coordination and support by the government in targeting and suppressing speech. In response, Hillary Clinton and other Democratic figures turned to Europe and called upon them to use their Digital Services Act to force censorship against Americans.

“The EU immediately responded by threatening Musk with confiscatory penalties against not just his company but himself. He would have to resume massive censorship or else face ruin… The anti-free speech movement had finally found the one man who could not be bullied, coerced or threatened into submission. Musk’s defiance has only magnified the unrelenting attacks against him in the media, academia and government…

“This campaign recently came to a head when Musk had the audacity to interview former president Donald Trump. In anticipation of the interview, one of the most notorious anti-free speech figures in the world went ballistic. European Commissioner for Internal Markets and Services Thierry Breton issued a threatening message to Musk…

“To recap, the EU is now moving to force censorship upon American citizens to meet its own demands of what is false, demeaning or inciting… Biden and Harris are not displeased with but supportive of letting the EU do what they are barred from doing under our ConstitutionThis administration is arguably the most anti-free speech government since John Adams signed the Sedition Act. They have supported a massive system of censorship, blacklisting and targeting of opposing voices. Democratic members have given full-throated support for censorship, including pushing social media companies to expand in areas ranging from climate control to gender identity.

“So, after only 80 years, our leaders are silent as a European government threatens to reduce our political speech to the lowest common denominator, which they will set according to their own values. Not a shot will be fired as Biden and Harris simply yield our rights to a global governing system… If free speech is truly the ‘indispensable right’ of all Americans, we need to treat this threat as an attack on our very existence. It is not only the rawest form of foreign intervention into an election, but a foreign attack on our very freedoms…”

First, the USA is destroyed from the inside, then it will be destroyed from the outside.

Facebook Censures Promotion for “Reagan” Movie

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“After actor Dennis Quaid accused Facebook of censoring promotional content for his upcoming movie Reagan, the social media giant has admitted to ‘incorrectly’ rejecting ads for the movie… ‘While there are no restrictions on this page that would prevent the admins from posting, we did identify a handful of ads from this account that were incorrectly rejected,’ a Facebook spokesperson told the outlet. ‘This happened because our automated systems mistakenly determined that content about President Reagan required prior authorization in accordance with our policies for ads about Social Issues, Elections or Politics. This was a mistake and the restriction on the ads has been lifted.’

“Earlier this week, Dennis Quaid accused Facebook of censoring Reagan marketing content as well as twice suspending the movie’s official Facebook page. The apparent efforts to censor Reagan come during a presidential election year — a time when left-wing Silicon Valley giants have censored content that they believe will hurt Democrats. The 2020 election saw widespread  censorship of the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop report as well as the banning of then-President Donald Trump’s social media accounts. As Breitbart News reported, a recent study conducted by the Media Research Center (MRC) has uncovered 39 instances of Facebook interfering with U.S. elections since 2008.”

Social Media, including Facebook, Google and others, continue their dirty procedures of censoring “unpopular” content. Facebook’s “explanations” don’t hold any water. Note the next article. 

Facebook’s Explanation Doubtful 

Fox News wrote on August 16:

“‘Reagan’ star Dennis Quaid responded on Tuesday to Facebook’s explanation for why it was throttling efforts to boost marketing of his new biopic about the 40th president, suggesting it didn’t hold water.

“At first, Facebook reportedly wouldn’t allow the movie’s marketing team to boost a post with Quaid’s picture promoting the movie through a paid advertisement. Also, Facebook suspended the movie’s official account on at least two occasions over clips it posted of Quaid discussing the movie in media appearances. The marketers said they were told by Facebook that the post ‘mentions politicians or is about sensitive issues that could influence public opinion, how people vote and may impact the outcome of an election or pending legislation.’ But, as Quaid pointed out to Fox News’ Trace Gallagher, Reagan died in 2004 and certainly isn’t eligible for another term in office.

“‘It seems to be automated that way for some reason. No one’s responsible for that,’ Quaid said. ‘This happened several times, actually, and we were suspended two days in a row … The last time I heard, Reagan hasn’t been on the ballot in 40 years and not only that, he’s not even eligible to run because he served two terms.’..;

“Quaid also told podcast giant Joe Rogan this week that he’s all too aware of social media, in his view, trying to cancel conservative viewpoints

“Quaid did acknowledge that after he and the film’s production team sent a letter to Facebook complaining about the targeting, the big tech platform admitted it was a ‘mistake,’ though he didn’t appear too convinced by the excuse. ‘… They said that yesterday because we put out a letter to it in an article on Newsweek. And they said they made a mistake. It was – their automatic systems had detected it.’ ‘Oh, how convenient,’ Rogan replied sarcastically, before going on to suggest that ‘rogue’ far-left employees might have had something to do with the ‘mistake.’ 

“‘Reagan’ will be released in theaters nationwide Aug. 30.”

Quaid’s concerns are well-founded.

Musk Quits in Brazil Because of Censorship

The Guardian wrote on August 17:

“Elon Musk announced on Saturday that the social media platform X would close its operations in Brazil ‘effective immediately’ due to what it called ‘censorship orders’ from the Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes

“X claims Moraes secretly threatened one of its legal representatives in the South American country with arrest if it did not comply with legal orders to take down some content from its platform. Brazil’s supreme court, where Moraes has a seat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment…”

Censorship all over the place…

Kennedy One of the Most Disruptive Independent Candidates in Decades

Fox News wrote on August 16:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is denying reports that he sought a position in a hypothetical Democratic administration. Kennedy was accused this week of reaching out to Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris’ team to discuss the possibility of working inside a future Cabinet — the claim appeared in a report from the Washington Post.  ‘That’s fake news. I didn’t ask Kamala Harris for a Cabinet position but I’ve reached out to all the candidates. I’ve met with some,’ Kennedy told guests during his ‘TikTok Town Hall’ live-streamed event… Kennedy said he wasn’t sure he would be able to serve in a Harris-Walz administration unless ‘a lot of different changes’ were made… Kennedy was previously recorded on video speaking to former President Trump during a meeting at last month’s convention in Milwaukee, in which Trump appeared to allude to potential positions in his administration.

“Nevertheless, Kennedy has continued to campaign and make regular media appearances with the expectation that he can win the election, the report notes, though he has left open the possibility of meeting with or getting out of the way of either Harris or Trump if they share an openness about his vision for the country. Polling has shown Kennedy is one of the most disruptive independent candidates in decades in both breadth of appeal and commitment of his supporters.”

Democratic Party Much Different Now

Newsmax wrote on August 15:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he has ‘no plans to endorse’ Vice President Kamala Harris… Kennedy began by attacking the modern Democratic Party as being ‘unrecognizable’ to the one of his father, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and uncle, former President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer, lamented that he could not ‘reconcile’ how far Democrats have drifted from his values. ‘The Democratic Party of RFK and JFK was the party of civil liberties and free speech. VP Harris’ is the party of censorship, lockdowns, and medical coercion,’ Kennedy wrote. ‘Kennedy Democrats were anti-war. Kamala’s is riddled with neocon warmongers. The RFK/JFK Dems were allies of Main Street, cops, firefighters, and working people. VP Harris’ is the Party of Big Tech, Big Pharma and Wall Street.’

“Kennedy has endured a difficult week after his removal from the New York state presidential ballot and a petition being circulated in Pennsylvania to have him removed. Kennedy has accused the Democrats of being the party of ‘lawfare’ and wrote that Harris is ‘scared to debate and can’t survive an unscripted interview.’ ‘I’ve spent years battling government corruption and lies. VP Harris spent years gaslighting Americans about the health of our Commander in Chief. I have no plans to endorse Kamala Harris for President. I do have a plan to defeat her,’ Kennedy wrote.”

The Anti-Democratic Democratic Party

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on August 19:

“The Democrats continue to run to course — manipulating — most recently, Joe Biden out of the presidential race. Their history for the last decade has been one of manipulation and dirty tricks, false promises and anti-democratic actions. They campaign claiming Trump is out to destroy democracy when at the same time can’t seem to find enough anti-democratic ways to behave themselves.

“Dirty tricks have long been a part of politics, but in the last decade the Democrats have turned the machine up to eleven. The year 2015 was a pivotal one in that it presented to the American people a massive plot to undermine a candidate for president based solely on direct lies. Russiagate was comprehensive in scope, touching not only on candidate Trump but also on his advisors and key staff. The plot was so outrageous — Trump was an actual Russian agent, a living Manchurian candidate — that it had to be true…

“Clinton was not necessarily the only loser in 2016. ‘The seeds,’ writes the New York Times, ‘of President Biden’s reaction to the Democratic Party’s 2024 crisis of confidence in him were planted in that manipulation to send her to the head of the ticket. It was in October 2015 when Biden, then vice president, announced in the White House Rose Garden that he would not run against Hillary Clinton… What was left unsaid was the manipulation applied to Biden to not take his case to the people but instead allow President Obama, Clinton and others in the Obama camp to force him to the sidelines. He was manipulated into not running to clear the path for Hillary…

“Trump’s 2016 win was not the end of the Democrats’ manipulation and dirty tricks, simply the beginning of another phase. In addition to the remnants of the whole extended Russiagate plot, Trump faced down the Emoluments Clause, two impeachments, claims Trump gave away intelligence info to Putin in [the] Helsinki hoax, Putin is Trump’s spy handler hoax and Trump has been an agent since the 1980s hoax, and a bizarre celebrity Twitter contest about the best way to decapitate Trump… The intent was to try and drive Trump from office either indirectly by humiliating him or directly, by claiming he was mentally ill and the 25th Amendment needed to be invoked. If he could not be actually removed from office, the manipulations were hoped to neuter the president politically even as he still sat in the Oval Office. That they all failed was not for a lack of trying on the part of the Democrats.

“If the 2024 presidential campaign started the day Trump left office in January 2021, so did the Democratic manipulation campaign against him, this round built on lawfare, the manipulation of actual laws to force Trump into court, convict him as a felon, maybe bankrupt him, certainly embarrass him, all in hopes of driving him from the race or at a minimum weaken his hold on large numbers of voters. Though several cases will likely drag on through the election, the cases concluded accomplished none of their goals. If anything, Trump the martyr is stronger as a candidate than ever before. What matters here is the ongoing pattern of dirty tricks and manipulations, not whether they succeed, or, like the impeachments and the trials, fail in their larger political purposes.

“The 2020 election between Trump and Biden was close, so close that the appearance of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden which showed both Hunter and Joe tangled up in foreign money could have swung the race. Democrats again responded with a manipulation, another full-on falsehood, with 52 Deep State personnel writing an open letter claiming the laptop was likely Russian disinformation designed to discredit Biden and smear the tail end of the campaign… [and with] canceling Twitter accounts which sought to tell the truth…

“The next Manipulation Grande started in the 2020 campaign, hiding a very old and senile Joe Biden from voters so they did not know what kind of man they were actually voting for. In the 2020 campaign the broad excuse was Covid… and no one suspected it was all flim-flam to hide Biden’s growing dementia

“In fighting for his political life, Biden cited the ‘fact’ that he won the primaries for the 2024 election… Biden painted his stand as critical to his larger defense of American democracy. ‘How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party?’ Then he did because he was told to do so by his master’s voice…”

The political manipulations in the USA are just sickening.

Biden and the Democratic Hypocrites

The New York Post wrote on August 20:

The Joe Biden show is officially in reruns. Biden even got bumped out of prime time. His speech started at 11:28 p.m., in the hour when old sitcoms run in syndication. That wasn’t an accident. The first night of the Democratic convention was losers night, featuring Biden and Hillary Clinton…

“Democrats lined up an endless list of speakers ahead of Biden to push his speech back as far as they could, so as few people as possible would hear it. The speech itself was written as a celebration of Biden’s accomplishments — some real, many imagined — as president. The actual nominee was an afterthought. Biden spoke of Kamala Harris only as someone who helped him — not for anything she ever did on her own. If the Harris campaign had any hopes that Joe would let them get distance from his record, they were dashed….

“Amid the usual rants about January 6, there were the usual bald-faced lies, such as the claim that the Biden-Harris administration ‘helped schools get back open’ after COVID, when in fact they ignored the recommendations of scientists to side with the teachers unions in protracting school closures. They expect us to nod along, knowing it’s not true…

“Of course, the pretense of one big happy family had to be maintained. Biden denied that he was angry at the Democrats who forced him off the ticket. Nancy Pelosi stood in the front row holding a ‘We Love Joe’ sign, just weeks after wielding the knife. She came to bury Joe, not to praise him.

“Biden stayed mostly on script, leaning on the prepared text to keep him from wandering off. But he was shouty and glowering as a result. By the end, nobody would wonder why Democrats decided they needed to dump [him]. The amazing thing is that they made it as far as July pretending he was up to the job.”

Fox News added on August 20:

“Along the way, Biden was subjected to such over-the-top tributes and ‘tears of joy’…  from many of the same people who not long ago were colluding  behind closed doors to kick him to the curb

“Weeks after orchestrating the plot that led to Biden’s exit, Pelosi suggested his likeness belonged on Mt. Rushmore. The two have reportedly not spoken since the incident, and the president remains ‘unhappy’ about events, according to reporting from the New York Times… With friends like these, it’s no wonder the Bidens are jetting off to California rather than sticking around Chicago

“For all the talk about Harris’ ‘joy’ and the Democrats’ momentum, remember this: Joe Biden beat a talented field of candidates in 2020, including the person vying to replace him. The last Harris presidential run was so lackluster she dropped out in December 2019 – more than a month before the first voters were cast..”

Biden Engaged in Impeachable Conduct

Newsmax wrote on August 19:

“The House’s three-committee impeachment inquiry released a report Monday morning finding President Joe Biden has ‘engaged in impeachable conduct,’ including an ‘abuse of power’ when he was vice president and ‘obstruction of justice’ as president to cover his family’s ‘global influence peddling racket’ to defraud the United States. ‘The totality of the corrupt conduct uncovered by the committees is egregious,’ says the executive summary of the 292 page impeachment report released by the House Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees. ‘President Joe Biden conspired to commit influence peddling and grift. In doing so, he abused his office and, by repeatedly lying about his abuse of office, has defrauded the United States to enrich his family.’…

“Monday’s report does not conclude the Biden impeachment inquiry, but provides an official summary of the ‘evidence gathered to date’ to give to the House and Senate a roadmap in the event Congress moves forward with an impeachment of the president. Just days after the July 13 assassination attempt on Republican nominee Donald Trump, Biden quit the race and handed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, potentially rendering a Biden impeachment moot in these final months of his term…”

The New York Post added on August 19:

“The report… is… also a reminder of how hard Democrats and the media propped up Joe despite all the evidence of unethical behavior. Keep that in mind as they prop up Kamala.”

Planned Parenthood Helps With Abortions

NBC Chicago wrote on August 20:

“A Planned Parenthood mobile clinic located near the Democratic Convention in Chicago advertised free medication abortions, vasectomies and emergency contraception during the first two days of the DNC… The mobile clinic was located in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, near the site of the United Center and the DNC, from noon to 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Days 1 and 2 of the convention.

“As of Monday morning, Planned Parenthood wrote in a press release that ‘all appointments have been booked’ and encouraged patients to make an appointment at a Planned Parenthood of Illinois health center in Chicago by visiting [their website]. ‘As people from across the country travel to Illinois this week, we are proud to demonstrate what is possible when policies truly support accessible reproductive health care,’ said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, in a statement.”

npr wrote on August 20:

“Planned Parenthood… offered prescriptions for abortion pills – which she says patients could take on site or take home, under Illinois law. Illinois, where Democrats control state government, has become a major access point for patients seeking abortions.

“Planned Parenthood purchased the RV in response to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which allowed most of Illinois’ neighboring states to heavily restrict abortion.

Still, in the current political reality, abortion is a key issue that galvanizes each party’s base.

“In a statement, National Right to Life President Carol Tobias called the Planned Parenthood clinic ‘disgusting,’ and said it was ‘not surprising,’ given the Democratic Party’s support for abortion rights. Meanwhile, at the convention, Democrats are showcasing the stories of women who’ve been affected by abortion bans – including a rape victim and patients facing medical complications. The mobile Planned Parenthood clinic continues for a second day, providing medication abortion through late Tuesday night.”

D. Vance Complains About German Immigrants

t-online wrote on August 19:

“In a recently surfaced video clip from 2021, J.D. Vance blames immigrants from Germany, Italy and Ireland for high crime rates. In the 19th century, these formed ‘ethnic enclaves’ in the USA and fought each other. At a press conference over the weekend, Vance explained his remarks – citing Martin Scorsese’s film ‘Gangs of New York’ as a source: ‘That’s what I’m talking about, these ethnic enclaves in the middle of our country!’

“Especially in the 19th century, many people from Italy, Ireland and Germany fled to the USA. There had already been a wave of anti-Catholic and racist violence, especially in New York. Vance himself has Irish ancestors, Donald Trump has German ancestors.”

The World Against Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 14:

Germany joined a chorus of international disapproval for the actions of Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after he led hundreds of religious ultra-nationalists to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The complex is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest in Judaism, because two Jewish temples once stood there. Ben-Gvir… has previously criticized the agreement with the Muslim authorities that administer it as ‘racist’ and anti-Jewish. Usually, Jews and other non-Muslims are only allowed to visit at specific times and without displaying religious symbols or praying at the site

“During his Tuesday visit to the site, which Jews refer to as Temple Mount, Ben-Gvir had called for Jewish prayers to be permitted there. Joined by hundreds of mostly religious and ultra-nationalist Jews, Ben-Gvir also spoke out again against negotiations with Hamas about a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the Israeli hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory… [His] visit… drew sharp condemnation not only from Muslim-majority countries but also the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

“Germany said Ben-Gvir’s actions represented a provocation in the already tense situation. ‘We expect the Israeli government to stop such deliberate provocations. Particularly in the current situation, such playing with fire is extremely dangerous and further endangers security in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel,’ a spokeswoman for Germany’s Foreign Office told a press briefing on Wednesday. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted on X that the bloc ‘strongly condemns the provocations.’ Meanwhile, France’s foreign ministry issued a statement: ‘This new provocation is unacceptable.’

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ben Gvir showed ‘blatant disregard’ for the status quo at the compound… ‘The storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by hundreds of radical Israelis, including ministers, under police protection is a provocation that violates the historical status of Jerusalem and will further escalate the tension in our region,’ the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

“Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN opposed ‘any efforts to change the status quo within the holy sites… This sort of behaviour is unhelpful and it is unduly provocative,’ he added.”

All used the term “provocation,” as if they had agreed on using this term. Turkey’s comments border on the ludicrous. And why should the Temple Mount, on which the two temples stood, be prohibited for Jews? Note the next article.

No Status Quo on the Temple Mount

Israel Today wrote on August 18:

“Nearly three thousand Jews visited the Temple Mount last week on Tuesday, Tisha B’av, which commemorates the destruction of the two ancient Jewish Temples. But it was the visits to the Temple Mount by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister for the Negev and the Galilee Yitzhak Wasserlauf that set off another firestorm of controversy. Ben-Gvir said during the visit that the status quo had changed and that Jews could now pray at the site. Critics condemned the visit and remarks as provocative, warning they could derail the currently ongoing hostage talks in Doha, Qatar, or even ignite the Muslim world. They claimed Ben-Gvir violated the status quo on the Temple Mount.

“But according to Yehuda Glick, a former Knesset member and currently chairman of the Shalom Jerusalem Foundation, in reality there is no status quo. ‘Jews have been praying publicly and regularly on the Temple Mount for the last decade,’ he said. The only difference, he told JNS, was that until now no one acknowledged it or said anything about it. What made Ben-Gvir’s visit different was his official announcement that prayer on the Temple Mount is permitted, he added…

“While officially Israel denies any changes have been made to the status quo, it no longer exists as formulated by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan in 1967. According to Glick, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is paying lip service to it, ‘but is totally supportive of the changes that are happening.’… Ben-Gvir’s office [stated] that as national security minister he could set policy on the Temple Mount and had determined that Jews could pray there… Ben-Gvir, his followers and many other Israeli Jews believe the time has come to stand up to foreign abuse and to assert full sovereignty over the Temple Mount…

“The idea that freedom of worship applies everywhere except for Jews on the Temple Mount is viewed by many as preposterous and hypocritical—perhaps even anti-Semitic…”

Ultimately, the Jews WILL occupy the Temple Mount and build the third temple there.

The Shroud of Turin—Genuine?

The Sun wrote on August 20:

The famed Shroud of Turin- a piece of linen imprinted with the image of a bearded man – has been a mystery for centuries. Believers claim Jesus was wrapped in the shroud before he was buried and that the image is him, while others have disagreed and branded it a hoax. But new evidence suggests the cloth was made around 2,000 years ago – the same period when he was said to have lived and died… Italian researchers used specialist x-ray technology to examine the linen sheet and determine its age. The Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council studied eight small samples of fabric to uncover tiny details of the linen’s structure and cellulose patterns. They used specific ageing metrics like temperature and humidity to determine the results.

“Researchers in 1988 claimed to have debunked the relic and proved it was from the Middle Ages – hundreds of years after Jesus. But Dr Liberato De Caro, lead author of the latest study, said the old research – which used carbon dating to estimate the shroud was made between the years 1260 and 1390 – was unreliable. He explained: ‘Fabric samples are usually subject to all kinds of contamination, which cannot be completely removed from the dated specimen.’…

“The image on the shroud appears to show a man with sunken eyes who is between 5ft 7in to 6ft tall. Some claim markings on the body resemble horror crucifixion wounds. Signs of wounds from a thorny crown on the head, injuries to the arms and shoulders and lacerations to the back have all been reported by researchers… The Turin Shroud was first displayed publicly in 1350 and since 1578 has been preserved in the royal chapel of the cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy – hence its name.”

Apart from the age determination using the [sometimes indeed unreliable] radio carbon method, there are other reasons why the Shroud of Turin – even if it were “genuine” – could NOT depict Jesus Christ. Please read our Q&A, https://www.eternalgod.org/is-the-shroud-of-turin-authentic

Huge Earthquakes Strike in Russia and Japan

The Sun wrote on August 17:

“A HUGE earthquake has hit off the eastern coast of Russia with a tsunami warning issued. The 7.2 magnitude quake struck around 27 miles deep in Kamchatka… It struck around 8.10pm UK time…  Many major quakes have occurred in the Kamchatka region over the years. Two in 1923 and 1952 both sparked large tsunamis…

“Just days ago a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Japan… on the southwestern island of Kyushu. Japan’s Meteorological Agency said: ‘Tsunamis will strike repeatedly… Please do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the warning is lifted.’” 

Christ said that in these end times, we will hear more and more about powerful earthquakes all over the world. 

Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Russia

CNN wrote on August 18:

“A volcano has erupted following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s east coast, spurting a column of ash miles into the air… The Shiveluch volcano is around 280 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city with a population of about 180,000 that lies in Russia’s eastern region of Kamchatka. ‘According to visual evaluations, the ash column is rising as high as 8 kilometers (5 miles) above the sea level,’ TASS reported Sunday morning local time, adding the volcano had released a gush of lava.”

USA Today wrote on August 18:

“A volcano erupted in Russia hours before a magnitude 7 earthquake shook the ground near the country’s east coast, according to the United States Geological Survey.”

Allegedly, these events are unrelated. That is extremely difficult to believe. 

Asteroid Bombshell

The Sun wrote on August 216:

“SPACE scientists have traced back the origins of the cataclysmic asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The ruinous rock – thought to be at least six miles wide – likely cannoned into earth from the outer solar system, it’s been discovered… It’s then thought to have been nudged out of orbitpossibly due to a crash with another rock, sending it on an apocalyptic collision course with earth.

“The impact crater formed after the rock slammed into earth… is buried… in Mexico.  A layer across earth was caused by the blow…  It’s also been proposed that a comet wiped out the dinosaurs, but Fischer-Godde says his team’s findings rule out that hypothesis.

“Impact from the asteroid 66 million years ago made the Chicxulub crater nearly 150 miles in diameter, leading to devastating consequences for life on earth at the time. The blow threw huge amounts of debris in the air and caused massive tidal waves that would storm over the American continents… ‘A huge blast wave and heatwave went out and it threw vast amounts of material up into the atmosphere.’ It’s thought sunlight would’ve been restricted for at least a decade…

“Fischer-Godde pointed out that although his findings offer rare insight into the planet’s past, it also comes as an alert for earth’s future. He said: ‘If there’s ever going to be a C-type asteroid on an Earth-crossing orbit, we have to be very careful. Because it might be the last one we witness.’”

The article’s suggestion that more than just one huge asteroid was involved, is quite interesting. So is the warning at the end of the article. The Bible speaks of terrible end-time catastrophes, with stars falling down from heaven.  

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

Germans Duped

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 9: 

“German media have reported on the shift in the political mood in the US over the past two weeks… The new candidate, Kamala Harris, is seen to be scoring points against the Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump.

“[According to a new survey,] a whopping 77% [of Germans] said they believe Vice President Kamala Harris is more suitable for the presidency, while only 10% favor Donald Trump.”

This ignorance is astounding. But as in the past, Germans have been the victims of propaganda in so many respects. This explains why Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are still very popular there, as their failures have simply been unreported. Of course, the same kind of ignorance prevails in the USA.

The Stupid Propaganda of the Bild Newspaper

Bild Online published on August 7 the following “commentary” from Josef Wagner in his daily column, “Post von Wagner”:

“Dear Tim Walz, you are my dream American. Am I mistaken if I believe that the election campaign is starting all over again with you? You are the candidate for vice-presidency. I like your American life. You joined the National Guard at 17, then taught high school for 20 years. You taught social studies and physical education. Your team won the Minnesota state championship. I like how you train with a Cappy on the school’s asphalt courts. Your wife Gwen teaches at the same school.

“I like how you talk about the dark hours of your marriage. ‘We went through the hell of infertility’. Your daughter was born using artificial insemination. You called her Hope. Tim Walz is an American who mows lawns and has a dog and a cat. He likes to laugh. He used to go hunting. He has been fighting the gun lobby ever since children were shot in schools. He’s a normal American. Finally one.

“Yours sincerely, F. J. Wagner.”

Of course nothing is said about his many wrong extreme ideas and actions and his political shortcomings. As we have reported, Walz is not a “normal” American. If he is one, then “Good night.” But that’s how the Germans are supposed to be taken for stupid!

Germany’s Major Parties Contentless

Die Welt wrote on August 9:

“Wages are too low, many jobs in industry are at risk: the economic problems in the East are great. Only the established parties say very little about this before the three state elections. Instead, contentless posters dominate the election campaign. This is likely to take its toll… The fact that the [right-wing] AfD is ahead in the election polls… only makes things even more worrying.

“… a study… shows how striking the differences between East and West still are almost 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall… In addition to migration policy, [economic issues] are election-decisive topics… Going into the election campaign with these contents actually makes sense. After all, what is ‘closer to the people’ than their own work and pay? Instead, the campaigns of most parties are characterized by a lack of content

“Only the posters of the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance [which emerged from the left] and those of the AfD address social and economic issues such as pensions, daycare costs, which directly affect many… The scenario according to which the extreme fringes getting most votes in all three state elections is becoming more and more realistic…”

A change in Germany’s political landscape is overdue. Note the next articles.

In the East, Höcke With the AfD in the Lead

Bild Online wrote on August 9th:

“Shock for the CDU. The Christian Democrats do not only want to provide the prime minister in all three eastern elections in September (Saxony, Thuringia, Brandenburg), but they also want to be ahead everywhere as a party. But according to a current survey, it doesn’t look like this in Thuringia. According to the ‘ZDF Politbarometer’, right-winger Björn Höcke (52) and the AfD are nine percentage points ahead of the CDU! 30 percent would vote for the AfD, only 21 percent for the Union…

“The traffic light parties [of the government] are far behind. The political barometer sees the SPD at seven percent, the Greens would miss out on entering the state parliament with three percent. The FDP is not even listed separately…”

Björn Höcke the next Prime Minister in Thuringia? That would be an interesting development, but it is far from certain.

German Court Sides with “Compact” and Rules Against Nancy Faeser

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 15:

“German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned the Compact magazine in mid-July, describing the publication as a ‘central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene.’… In response, Compact filed a lawsuit and an urgent motion against the immediate enforcement of the ban… In the court ruling, the judges raised doubts about the proportionality of the ban and allowed Compact to resume publishing… The lifting of the ban is provisional pending a final verdict…

“Compact-publisher Jürgen Elässer celebrated the provisional verdict as a victory. In a statement on X, he promised…  to restart publishing as soon as possible. In the meantime, Nancy Faeser faced widespread criticism, including from press associations.

“The German Journalism Association (DJV) and Reporters Without Borders both described the provisional ruling as a positive signal for the freedom of the press… A final ruling in the Compact lawsuit is not expected for another two or three years.”

This is a huge defeat for highly unpopular Nancy Faeser who should resign immediately. Of course, she will not do so. In this context, you might want to view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Germany Crushes Freedom of Speech and of the Press.”

“If You Want Peace, Prepare For War”

With the above headline, Bild Online published the following comment on August 10:

“It is absurd: the state election campaign in the east is currently becoming a peace election campaign. Although… there will definitely be no decision made about an end to the Ukraine war, AfD, Wagenknecht and Co. are outdoing each other with new demands to accommodate Putin. Even top CDU candidates want less help for Ukraine.

“Rather, Germany should ensure that the warmonger Putin is really stopped. In order to be able to credibly counter Russian threats, we must be prepared for an emergency. Unfortunately, the opposite is the case, and not just in the Bundeswehr: … there is a shortage of nurses, carers and doctors. Who should take care of our patients and nursing cases if thousands of wounded people from partner countries have to be cared for every day? Our infrastructure (rails, highways, bridges) is already crumbling in peacetime. How is it supposed to handle supplies for the front or transporting the wounded during fights in Eastern Europe?

“The ancient Romans already heeded the wisdom: If you want peace, prepare for war. Responsible politics should now do exactly that and finally begin to upgrade civil defense.”

Unfortunately, the wisdom of the Romans only led to more and more wars. Nothing has changed to this day.

Scholz Pleads for Cease-Fire

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 11:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday expressed concern about the danger of a regional war in the Middle East during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… The chancellor stressed the need to break ‘the destructive spiral of retaliatory violence, reduce tensions and work constructively for de-escalation.’ He called on the parties in the conflict to reach an agreement on a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas in the enclave.

“Scholz said ‘an end to the war in Gaza would be a decisive step toward a regional de-escalation.’ He said ‘many military goals’ in Israel’s offensive against Hamas have been achieved. Israel has said that it intends to destroy Hamas’ military and administrative capabilities in Gaza. Scholz stressed that human suffering in the Gaza Strip continued to be ‘enormous.’”

That left-wing Olaf Scholz would plead for a cease-fire is no surprise.

“Scholz Sees Paris as Inspiration”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 9:

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that the Olympic Games in Paris have been an ‘inspiration’ for a future German Olympic bid… Scholz extended ‘massive congratulations to our French friends’ for a Games which he said embodied the ‘spirit of Olympic excellence, fairness and cooperation.’

“Describing those values as ‘extremely important in the world in which we live,’ Scholz said he hoped the experience of Paris 2024 could be ‘contagious’ back in Germany…”

No surprise that left-wing Chancellor Olaf Scholz would make such ridiculous comments about a scandal-ridden UNFAIR “sporting” event where biological males posing as women (two male boxers in the women’s competition received the gold medal!!!) and the promotion of the transgender and other weird sexual preferences—called “abominations” in the Bible—were endorsed and applauded. But it shows the state of affairs Germany is in with such appalling and unbiblical leadership.

The Wacky Pagan Olympics Closing Ceremony

The Daily Mail wrote on August 12:

“Hollywood legend Tom Cruise jumped from the roof of the Stade de France tonight in a death-defying stunt during an extravagant handover ceremony in Paris. [Cruise was handed the Olympic flag on Sunday and rode off with it on a motorcycle as it made its way across the globe to Los Angeles. In a cinematically filmed video, Cruise rode through the streets of Paris onto a jet, which he parachuted out of into the City of Angels.] The switch across the Atlantic kicked off with live performances from Californian natives… on Venice Beach [offering a taste of what is to come at the 2028 Los Angeles Games].

“It came after a wacky show of artist performances, including a composer playing on a piano suspended in the air, a ‘golden voyager’ accompanied by dozens of dancers and many acclaimed French musicians. The show stopping ceremony earlier saw a ‘golden bee-man’ descend into the stadium, as well as a floating pianist and ‘toilet roll mummies’ dancing around, as the closing ceremony shaped up to be as strange as the start of the games.

“After the golden voyager was lowered to the stage from the roof, a cloaked individual presented them with a Greek flag, to represent the Games ancient origin. The voyager was later joined on stage by some acrobats who were dressed as alien-like creatures who helped him discover the Olympic rings which were hoisted from the stadium floor. French pianist and opera singer Benjamin Bernheim then delivered a rendition of Hymn To Apollo

“The [golden voyager] performed acrobatic twists as a goddess figure rose out of one of the so-called nation states…”

Tom Cruise’s performance was certainly a, if not the, highlight in an otherwise wacky closing ceremony, as Celine Dion was a, if not the, highlight at the end of the wacky opening ceremony. If the Olympics are to be a pagan celebration of strange-looking weird aliens for pagan gods, then forget about it. (Apollo is known as the Roman god Sol—the sun god). When Christ rules the earth, something like this will certainly not be allowed.

Changing the German Constitution?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 10:

“The German government wants to incorporate the protection of sexual identity into the constitution, but conservative lawmakers are against the idea. Amending the constitution is only possible with a two-thirds majority.. The abbreviation LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, and queer people, but also includes those with other identities, such as people who are intersex, asexual, bisexual or transgender… Currently, article 3 of the German constitution states: ‘No person shall be favored or disfavored because of gender, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith or religious or political opinions.’ Sexual identity is, therefore, not explicitly mentioned.

“… the three governing parties (ISPD, Green, FDP) do not hold two-thirds of the seats in parliament, meaning they need the support of the largest opposition parties… these parties (CDU and CSU) don’t think much of the idea… [Of course, neither does the AfD, the largest opposition party in some states in Germany. But as usual, the mainstream media such as Deutsche Welle conveniently ignores even mentioning the AfD. This will backfire one of these days.]

“In Europe, for example, 22 countries recognize same-sex marriage, compared to 16 outside of Europe. Same-sex marriages became possible in Germany on October 1, 2017, after years of heated debate… 20 countries worldwide have gender self-determination laws in place…”

This absolute abominable nonsense continues to grow in the Western World.

Seine Unsafe

The Associated Press wrote on August 11:

Three German swimmers became ill after competing in the open water races at the Paris Olympics, though it was not immediately clear if the long-polluted Seine River was responsible for their sickness…

“Concerns about the long-polluted Seine, where swimming had been banned for more than a century because of bacteria-laden waters, came to the forefront after Paris organizers announced plans to hold open water and the swimming portions of triathlon in the iconic river that runs through the heart of the French capital. Despite a massive, expensive cleanup project, some readings showed unacceptable levels of sickness-causing bacteria, leading to changes in the triathlon schedule and cancellation of one of two open water practice sessions scheduled ahead of the men’s and women’s 10-kilometer races.”

God will destroy those who destroy and pollute the earth.

War Between Germany and Russia Coming?

Express wrote on August 12:

“One of Vladimir Putin’s top allies has issued a chilling warning as he threatened to bring Russian tanks to a European capital. Former Russian President Dmitriy  Medvedev threatened to have Russian soldiers march over Berlin in response to what he branded a ‘revanchist’ article published on the German tabloid Bild… ‘where it proudly announces German tanks’ come back to the Russian land. Nazi German tanks entered the Soviet Union in June 1941… as the largest land offensive of World War 2  and in history.

“Writing on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Medvedev said: ‘In response, we’re going to do everything to bring the newest Russian tanks to Platz d. Republik.’ Platz der Republik, one of Berlin’s most prominent public squares, is home to the Reichstag, the main building hosting the German Bundestag (Parliament).”

Sadly, this is what WILL happen… but not right now.

Russia Prepared to Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons Against Europe

The Sun wrote on August 13:

“RUSSIA’S nuclear hit list includes a ship yard in Cumbria, a factory in Hull and unknown site near Edinburgh, leaked papers have revealed. Some 32 Nato targets were revealed in a Russian Navy briefing seen by the Financial Times. The secret nuclear dossier states Russia could unleash massive preemptive attacks ‘from various directions’ in the event of a conflict with Nato. It shows Russian warships are primed to use tactical nuclear weapons in the early stages of a major conflict. Tactical nuclear weapons have a smaller destructive payload than a strategic nuclear weapons – but would still be devastating. The paper’s authors stressed the advantage of going nuclear early…

“The Kremlin’s Baltic Fleet based at Kaliningrad would target France and Germany, the leaked papers revealed… The maps also showed targets in Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran and China, North and South Korea and Japan.

“Experts said the maps showed only a tiny fraction of the ‘hundreds of not thousands of targets mapped across Europe.’”

Nuclear Fire Fear

The Sun wrote on August 12:

“TERRIFYING footage has captured thick black smoke billowing from Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant – reigniting fears of another Chernobyl-style disaster in Ukraine. Smoke could be seen pouring out of one of the Ukrainian plant’s cooling towers – with both Kyiv and Moscow blaming the other as the plant remains occupied by the Russians. President Zelensky said Russia was using the plant to blackmail Europe. It has been previously warned the facility – stuck in the middle of the warzone – could trigger a nuclear disaster equal to ‘six Chernobyls’…  

“For now the plant is under control and the fire has been extinguished, but it remains one of the most dangerous flashpoints of war in Ukraine… (The) Nuclear Power Plant was seized by Russia in a firefight in March 2022 after sending in tanks. The world’s eyes have since been on the facility – with international nuke experts regularly warning about the danger posed by the plant…

“Ukraine accused the plant’s Russian occupiers of setting fire to car tyres near the cooling tower, located about a kilometre from the power units. Writing on X, former minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko said while the Kremlin invaders blamed it on a Ukrainian drone, Kyiv-based national nuclear energy company Energoatom claimed it was caused by arson or negligence. The blaze has now been stopped and radiation levels are back within normal limits, meaning Europe can breathe a sigh of relief…

“The Chernobyl meltdown in 1986 – in which one of the Russian plant’s reactors exploded – left nearly 100,000 miles of land uninhabitable, displacing 200,000 people. Those exposed to radiation suffered health problems – including cancer, tumours and depression – for years after…”

Ukraine’s Incursion Into Russia

The Daily Mail wrote on August 13:

“On Tuesday, August 6, around 1,000 brave Ukrainian soldiers supported by a few tanks launched what seemed like a reckless at best – and catastrophic at worst – incursion into Russia’s Kursk region… Now, one week later…, the initial invasion force has been reinforced by thousands more troops backed by Western armour… Volodymyr Zelensky told the world that ‘war was coming home’ to Russia and vowed to ‘kill the Russian terrorists where they are and where they launch their strikes from’…

“More than 120,000 Russian citizens have been forced to flee their homes amid widespread regional evacuations since last Tuesday…  Russia has seen previous small-scale incursions into its territory since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but the foray into the Kursk region marked the largest attack on Russian soil since World War II… there could be as many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops now in Russia.

“… Most experts agree that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia is a two-pronged tactic designed primarily to signal to its Western partners that its military is still a capable fighting force, while also seeking to put Kyiv in a more favourable bargaining position in the event of ceasefire talks ahead of the US presidential election in November…

“As of this morning, however, Moscow’s forces appear to have begun mounting a more robust defence of their territory. Army units, fresh reserves, army aircraft, drone teams and artillery forces have now been funnelled into the conflict to stop Ukrainian armoured mobile groups from moving deeper into Russia.

“… analysts are split on whether the offensive will endure, with many warning the Ukrainians would be sorely outmatched once Russia’s disorganised military command is able to mobilise the requisite resources… but [they] stressed [the Russians] would likely need to withdraw troops from frontline positions in Ukraine to do so.”

Immigration Has Destroyed the British Fabric

The Telegraph wrote on August 10:

“Award-winning historian Dr David Starkey has bemoaned the current state of play in Britain, claiming it has been ‘destroyed’ by Tony Blair and New Labour… Starkey feels many elements of Blair’s 10-year tenure are still evident today. Particularly migration, which surged in the Blair years after he took office in 1997.

“Starkey said the policy model of immigration has destroyed the UK’s fabric… ‘The Britain I grew up in was the most peaceful, the most gentle, homogenous society that has ever existed’, he said. ‘We did not need identity cards. We had extraordinarily low levels of crime. We had such high levels of public trust. That has been destroyed. It has been deliberately destroyed by Tony Blair and New Labour with this absurd notion they were going to force us to become multi-ethnic for good…’

“Starkey is concerned that Britain, now being led by a Labour Government for the first time since the Blair years, may undergo another transition… ‘Keir Starmer was a human rights lawyer… Human rights are really nice, aren’t they? But what we’ve got to remember is that the sort of human rights that Starmer represents are the rights of only minorities This is the terrifying thing. Democracy has been stood on its head. Democracy means the rule of the majority.’

“Starmer has been under pressure to shed light on how Labour intends on going about stopping perilous trips across the Channel made by illegal migrants…”

It is indeed true that today, the rights of minorities are being emphasized far too often, while the rights of the majority are forgotten.

Coming in the US—Mass Deportation?

The Associated Press wrote on August 9:

“‘Mass Deportation Now!’ declared the signs at the Republican National Convention, giving a full embrace to Donald Trump’s pledge to expel millions of migrants in the largest deportation program in American history. Some Republicans aren’t quite ready for that…

“Trump… is pushing the Republican Party towards a bellicose strategy that hearkens back to the 1950s when former President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched a deportation policy known by a racial slur — ‘Operation Wetback.’ Trump…  suggested he would use the National Guard, and possibly even the military, to target between 15 million and 20 million people — though the government estimated in 2022 there were 11 million migrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal permission…

“Trump has worked closely with Stephen Miller, a former top aide who is expected to take a senior role in the White House if Trump wins. Miller describes a Trump administration that will work with ‘utter determination’ to accomplish two goals: ‘Seal the border. Deport all the illegals.’ To accomplish that, Trump would revive travel bans from countries deemed undesirable, such as majority-Muslim countries. He would launch a sweeping operation by deputizing the National Guard to round up immigrants, hold them in massive camps and put them on deportation flights before they could make legal appeals.

“Beyond that, Trump has also pledged to end birthright citizenship — a 125-year-old right in the U.S… The Trump administration, under those plans, could also grind to a halt temporary programs for over 1 million migrants, including recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Ukrainians and Afghans who fled recent conflicts as well as others who receive temporary protection due to unrest in their home country.”

“The policies would have far-reaching disruptions in major industries like housing and agriculture, including in key battleground states. ‘If the 75,000-plus immigrants who perform the hardest of work in Wisconsin’s dairy and agriculture were gone tomorrow, the state economy would tank,’ said Jorge Franco, the CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin.”

It goes without saying that Trump’s plans, if they are correctly described above, would border on the insane, and they would continue to destroy the American economy… The alarming truth is that Stephen Miller, one of the most radical and scrupulous proponents in Trump’s prior government, would probably push for those and other ridiculous concepts.

California’s Huge Homeless Problem

The Associated Press wrote on August 9:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday had a message for local governments: clean up homeless encampments now or lose out on state funding next year… Thursday’s announcement was part of Newsom’s escalating campaign to push local governments into doing more homeless encampment sweeps. Newsom last month ordered state agencies to start clearing encampments on state land. He also pressured local government to do the same, though he cannot legally force them to act…

“California is home to roughly one-third of the nation’s population of homeless people, a problem that has dogged Newsom since he took office. There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways, and fill parking lots and public parks. The state has spent roughly $24 billion under Newsom’s leadership to clean up streets and house people. That includes at least $3.2 billion in grants given to local government to build shelters, clear encampments and connect homeless people to services as they see fit, Newsom said.

“Those have been unprecedented investments from the state, he added, but his administration will start redirecting that money in January… It’s not the first time Newsom has vowed to cut funding over what he sees as the lackluster efforts from local governments to address homelessness. In 2022, he threatened to withhold $1 billion in homelessness spending from cities and counties over the lack of progress. Last month, his office clawed back a $10-million grant sent to San Diego to build tiny homes because the county didn’t act fast enough.”

USA Today added on August 10:

“Homeless advocates across California say they’re terrified people living without housing are running out of places where they can legally sleep outside. The web of sleeping bans unhoused Californians face is growing more complex, as cities respond differently to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order… While the legality of sleeping bans was tied up in federal courts for years, unhoused residents in the Golden State could not be arrested for sleeping outside if there was nowhere else for them to go. Police no longer have to offer assistance or help them get indoors, and police departments in San Francisco and San Marcos have updated their policy to match what’s allowed under the Supreme Court…

“The San Francisco Police Department told USA TODAY it is enforcing new guidelines released in late July that correspond with the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision, and that officers may enforce sleeping bans ‘without first assuring that the City has made offers of available shelter.’ Homeless people living in tents along highways and under overpasses are particularly vulnerable to police sweeps, because Newsom’s order has more power over state-owned land controlled by state agencies like the California Department of Transportation, also known as Caltrans. ‘All this order does is cut off those areas and force people into the municipalities and jurisdictions where they are subject to yet another patchwork of enforcement strategies,’ said Shayla Myers, a lawyer who works on homeless issues with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. ‘It is becoming harder and harder for people to figure out where they can go without breaking the law.’…”

A truly terrible situation with no real solutions in sight. It would take a completely different way of thinking to avoid homelessness in the first place. But with greed, exploitation, promotion of war and its evil consequences and other ungodly activities, this is not on the horizon until Christ returns.

Biden and Harris Responsible for Housing Crisis

Breitbart wrote on August 10:

“Democrats own the housing crisis, as they have infused ‘millions’ into U.S. society via illegal immigration, Dr. Ben Carson, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Donald Trump, suggested during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily… ‘So, if their prices increase massively, everybody else’s prices are going to increase massively, also,’ he said, pointing to the domino effect, which caused this ‘huge housing issue’ under Democrat leadership.

“Carson also recognized that most homeless individuals either have mental problems or drug addictions…His remarks coincide with those of Arizona U.S. Senate hopeful Kari Lake, who told Breitbart News at the Republican National Convention in July that illegal immigrants are taking a massive toll on the American people — particularly the younger generations. ‘And, even more than that, we have 12 million people who poured in. They have to live somewhere, and the government’s putting them up — sometimes hotels, sometimes they’re giving them subsidies for apartments…  And when you have only so much supply and you have so much demand, prices go up. That’s exactly why housing is unaffordable for young people,’ she added.”

It is truly a vicious cycle. Man may mean well, but the problems faced are insurmountable in today’s society, and man’s “solutions” make matters even worse.

A Harris Presidency Would Be Bad News for Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 8:

“Harris’s willingness to entertain an arms embargo… is not an isolated incident. Over the years, her actions and statements have consistently raised alarms about her commitment to Israel. In February 2019, when Rep. Ilhan Omar used antisemitic tropes by suggesting that American support for Israel was… accusing American Jews of having ‘allegiance to a foreign country,’ Harris’s response was disturbingly tepid. Instead of unequivocally condemning Omar’s statements, Harris expressed concern that the criticism might endanger Omar, thus failing to denounce the antisemitic rhetoric within her party firmly…

“Harris’s support for the Iran nuclear deal  (JCPOA) is another contentious point. In 2015, she supported the agreement, which many critics argue empowers Iran, a significant threat to Israel. Rejoining the JCPOA aligns Harris with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which has increasingly taken a hostile stance toward Israel. This alignment is deeply troubling for those who believe that the deal does not sufficiently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“Harris’s approach to diplomacy has often been inconsistent and counterproductive. During a visit to George Mason University in 2021, a student accused Israel of conducting an ‘ethnic genocide in Palestine’. Instead of refuting these baseless claims, Harris emphasized hearing the student’s perspective. At the Munich Security Conference in February 2023, Harris advocated for the establishment of a Palestinian state without adequately addressing the ongoing threat of terrorism from groups like Hamas. Harris’s public comments have sometimes appeared to undermine Israel’s negotiating position. In March 2024, she called for ‘an immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza, which would have effectively provided a lifeline to Hamas…

“Harris’s candidacy reflects a broader and concerning shift within the Democratic Party. The party’s progressive wing, including figures like Bernie Sanders and members of ‘the Squad,’ has increasingly embraced anti-Israel rhetoric. Sanders has compared Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Hamas leaders, calling Netanyahu a ‘war criminal’ and questioning US support for Israel. This shift is not just rhetorical but also policy-driven. Progressive leaders have called for an end to US military aid to Israel and have pushed for policies that are hostile to Israeli interests. Harris’s alignment with these figures raises severe concerns about the direction of US foreign policy under her leadership.

“Unlike President Joe Biden, who has been seen as a moderate within the Democratic Party and has a long history of solid support for Israel, Harris is more aligned with the progressive wing… This alignment is deeply troubling for those who believe that unwavering support for Israel is crucial to US foreign policy… Harris’s record indicates she will probably not provide the steadfast backing that Israel needs

“Let’s add to the fact that earlier this week, Harris’s selection of Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro as her running mate sparked significant controversy and added to the concerns about her stance on Israel and antisemitism. According to JTA, critics have suggested that Harris’s decision to bypass Shapiro was influenced by progressive elements within the Democratic Party who opposed his strong pro-Israel stance…

“American Jews need to understand definitively that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, and the allies they thought they had within the Democratic Party aren’t as supportive as they once believed…

“In stark contrast, while Donald Trump is unpredictable and controversialhis track record regarding Israel was consistently strong: he facilitated the Abraham Accords, acknowledged the Golan Heights as part of Israel, and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. His actions have strengthened Israel’s position and security in the region. Harris, by contrast, could be a disaster for Israel and the Jewish people…”

America’s Military Is Straining

The National News wrote on August 8:

“On Monday, the US confirmed it will start decommissioning USS Nimitz, its oldest nuclear-powered carrier launched in 1975 and one of 10 vessels in its class. The USS John F Kennedy, one of 10 planned Ford class carriers, is now running three years behind schedule and will not be in service until mid-2025. Other carriers in the class, including the USS Enterprise, are also running behind schedule for delivery. The US has about 11 carriers, but only three or four are operational at a given time. This has caused concerns of global gaps in carrier coverage, because of the immense challenge of keeping the huge nuclear-powered ships at sea and their high burden of maintenance… Keeping America’s 11 carrier groups operational at sea can cost more than $20 billion per year.

“In the air defence realm too, the US is seen as lagging… Central to that effort is the Patriot system, optimised to shoot down ballistic missiles that plunge from high altitude at several times the speed of sound… In this context, the US said in June that deliveries of the Patriot system to some countries would be delayed to prioritise Ukraine’s air defences, and has been in talks to transfer some of Israel’s Patriots to Ukraine – in part due to Israel’s robust local air defence production. In August, however, priorities shifted again, with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin saying additional air defences had been sent to the Middle East ahead of an expected massive Iranian strike on Israel… the bigger issue is the fact that we’re using these interceptors that cost millions of dollars to shoot down Houthi drones that cost a fraction of that, in the thousands, so that’s just not a sustainable model…

“The US and allies are currently in the early stages of fielding laser energy weapons that can shoot down drones and potentially even cruise missiles for dollars per shot. There are also drones that hunt drones in the works – but much of the technology is still being tested…”

When nuclear World War III breaks out, the USA will not (be in a position to) fight against its enemies.

EU’s Attempts to Censor Elon Musk

Breitbart wrote on August 12:

“Stepping directly into American domestic politics, the European Union demanded Monday that X owner Elon Musk abide by Brussels’ speech restrictions during his planned uncensored interview with Donald Trump… Thierry Breton, the European Commission’s chief censorship czar, threatened to deploy all powers available to him under the Digital Services Act (DSA) against X if the U.S. presidential candidate breaches EU restrictions on speech… Breton said that because the Trump interview will be broadcast live throughout the EU on X, Brussels will ‘monitor’ the ‘dissemination of content that may incite violence, hate and racism in conjunction with major political – or societal – events around the world, including debates and interviews in the context of elections.’ The EU censorship chief demanded, therefore, that X implement ‘mitigation measures’…

“The top Eurocrat said that his office will be ‘extremely vigilant’ in looking for any breaches of the DSA speech codes and vowed to ‘make full use of our toolbox, including by adopting interim measures, should it be warranted to protect EU citizens from serious harm.’ According to the EU, ‘interim measures’ can include ‘orders to terminate or remedy alleged infringements,’ meaning that the bloc may demand that Musk remove or censor his interview with the former American president.

“Large platforms found to be in violation of the DSA face fines of up to six per cent of the firm’s ‘total worldwide annual turnover in the preceding financial year’ and even face a potential suspension from operating within the European Union. Musk’s X is already under investigation for supposed breaches of the bloc’s ‘disinformation’ policies. Responding to the Frenchman’s letter on Monday, Mr Musk replied ‘Bonjour!’ and added in a separate post, ‘Thierry always reminds me of the French taunter from Monty Python.’”

EU’s conduct would be laughable if it wasn’t frighteningly serious. The march of the EU into dictatorship should be obvious to everybody.

Trump Critical of the EU

Focus wrote on August 12:

“In a conversation with Elon Musk, Donald Trump also expressed his view of the EU: ‘The EU exploits us, while we defend it.’ He also indicated that under him as president, the European states must contribute more financially to NATO. This was one of his favorite topics during his presidency from 2016 to 2020. ‘I said clearly back then: Pay up, or we won’t protect you anymore,’ said Trump in an interview on X.

“Musk also addressed EU Commissioner Thierry Breton’s previous warning not to spread hate content in connection with the Trump interview. Musk called this an ‘attempt at censorship.’”

Some “Bizarre” Claims of Donald Trump?

The Washington Post wrote on August 12:

“Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that a large gathering of plainly evident people who greeted Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in a Detroit airport hangar ‘DIDN’T EXIST.’ ‘Nobody was there,’ the former president claimed on Truth Social, accusing the Harris campaign of using artificial intelligence to superimpose the crowd both on the tarmac and at other rallies. The rally was attended by reporters from The Washington Post and other outlets who observed the large crowd, which was estimated at around 15,000 people

“[Trump also claimed on Truth Social that] Biden will try to reclaim the Democratic nomination. ‘What are the chances that Crooked Joe Biden … CRASHES the Democrat National Convention and tries to take back the Nomination, beginning with challenging me to another DEBATE. He feels that he made a historically tragic mistake by handing over the U.S. Presidency, a COUP, to the people in the World he most hates, and he wants it back, NOW!!!’ ‘ I hear he’s going to make a comeback at the Democrat convention. He’s going to walk into the room, and he’s going to say, “I want my presidency back. I want another chance to debate Trump. I want another chance,”’ [Trump said in Montana.]”

“Buy a Bible, Become a Terror Suspect”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on August 13:

“… the Biden administration secretly created a new tripwire: Anything you purchase can be used against you… Federal agencies have long kept an eye on suspicious purchases by Americans considered potential troublemakers… Nowadays, the feds are flagging people who purchase Bibles and ‘other media containing extremist views,’ according to a report by the House Judiciary Committee.

“Technology is propelling new threats to freedom. A March 2024 report by the House Judiciary Committee noted that ‘the decline of cash and the rise of digital payments and e-commerce platforms… As a result, these financial institutions often act as arms of federal law enforcement as they work in coordination with federal law enforcement to identify what transactions and other information is “suspicious” enough to be reported.’

“After the January 6 Capitol clash in 2021, the Biden administration targeted average Americans as if they were would-be terrorists. The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) bloated its definitions of ‘suspicious behavior,’ warning banks to track  ‘extremism’ indicators that include ‘transportation charges, such as bus tickets, rental cars, or plane tickets, for travel to areas with no apparent purpose,’ or ‘the purchase of books (including religious texts),’ the House Judiciary Committee announced in a January report…

“If you bought a gun or ammo since 2021, Team Biden bureaucrats may have automatically classified you as a ‘potential active shooter.’…

“Much of the absurdity begins with entitling bureaucrats to arbitrarily define ‘extremism.’ In Washington, anyone who doesn’t worship government is considered an extremist. Why else would the official list of potential alarm signals include people who shopped at Cabela’s or Dick’s Sporting Goods? The Treasury Department formally admitted in February that FinCEN ‘began shortly after January 6’ to track suspicious activity that ‘included terms such as “antifa,” “MAGA,” “Trump,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Schumer,” and “Pelosi.”’

“… FBI officials ‘made contact with and provided Bank of America with specific search query terms, indicating that it was ‘interested in all financial relationships’ of BoA customers transacting in Washington D.C. and customers who had made ‘ANY historical purchase’ of a firearm, or who had purchased a hotel, Airbnb, or airline travel within a given date range.’…

“As a March 2024 follow-up report from the House Judiciary Committee noted, FinCEN carried out similar meetings with Barclays, Charles Schwab, HSBC, Paypal, Western Union, Wells Fargo, Citibank, JPMorgan, and Chase ‘geared toward discussing options for financial institutions to share customer information voluntarily with federal law enforcement outside of normal legal processes.’

“The FBI shared one report with financial institutions that asserted that Americans ‘who expressed opposition to firearm regulations, open borders, COVID-19 lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and the “deep state” may be potential domestic terrorists.’ Federal agencies used that report ‘to commandeer financial institutions’ databases and ask the financial institutions to conduct sweeping searches of individuals not suspected of committing any crimes…  American Bankers Association president Frank Keating complained: ‘The government is compelling banks to deny service to unpopular but perfectly legal industries by threatening penalties.’…

Canada exemplifies how quickly a democracy can exploit financial tools to become authoritarian. The Canadian government used emergency decrees to freeze the bank accounts of anyone suspected of being tied to COVID ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests in 2022… A Canadian court later ruled that the Trudeau regime had illegally abused emergency powers, but that did not repair the damage the decrees inflicted.”

Yes, the USA can quickly become authoritarian. In many respects, it already is.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

Germany’s Deal With the Devil

AFP wrote on August 2:

“Germany’s release of a convicted murderer in order to facilitate the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War has garnered praise from Washington but stirred controversy at home. Those freed in the deal include US journalist Evan Gershkovich, several high-profile Russian opposition figures and five German nationals who were being held in Russia and Belarus. But of the countries who released Russian prisoners in return, Germany has had to pay a particularly high price, setting free a man [Krasikov] who committed murder in broad daylight in the center of Berlin…

“German TV channel NTV reported that there had been rows between Scholz’s office and the justice ministry over Krasikov’s case. According to other reports in the German press, the justice ministry eventually ordered prosecutors to suspend Krasikov’s sentence to enable his deportation. Some in judicial circles reportedly felt this was a case of inappropriate political meddling in the legal process.

“The German section of human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the ‘bitter taste’ of the deal and the fact that it had created an equivalence between ‘a murderer… convicted in a fair trial’ and ‘people who have just exercised their right to free speech’…  An opinion piece in Germany’s Bild tabloid said that while the release of rights activists and German citizens in Russia was to be welcomed, ‘the perverse message given to the Russian people is that Putin is a hero [for] saving murderers.’… Michael Roth, the head of the German’s parliament’s foreign affairs committee and member of Scholz’s Social Democrats, summed up Berlin’s decision on X: ‘Sometimes for reasons of humanity you have to do a deal with the devil.’…

“The Spiegel weekly reported that Thursday’s swap came after ‘several months’ of negotiations between the CIA, Germany’s BND intelligence agency and the Kremlin. The swap was originally envisioned to include Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died [was murdered by Putin] in an Arctic prison in February…”

An old German proverb says; If you want to eat with the devil, you must have a long spoon (“Wer mit dem Teufel essen will, muss einen langen Löffel haben.”)

More Fraud, Disgrace and Abomination at the Olympics

Breitbart wrote on August 2:

“Another controversial [biologically male] boxer who had been disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) defeated a female opponent at the Paris Olympics on Friday… Lin Yu-Ting is the second of two boxers that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed to fight as females despite their failures in the IBA’s gender test, which caused the world boxing organization to disqualify them for sanctioned bouts last year… Imane Khelif, the first competitor who had failed the IBA’s chromosome test, had so overmatched Italian boxer Angela Carini that the latter forfeited the match on Thursday after only 46 seconds in the ring.

“In 2023, the International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev explained his organization’s decision to disqualify Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting and Algeria’s Imane Khelif from competing in the IBA’s 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships… ‘Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes…’”

This is so sick, abominable and patently unfair. But in France, everything seems to go. Note the next two articles.  

The Dangerous Nonsense of Men “Competing” in Women’s Sports

The New York Post wrote on August 2:

“In the past Khelif has been deemed to be ‘biologically male’…  But that doesn’t seem to have been a problem for the IOC. Which perhaps isn’t surprising at an Olympics which started with an opening ceremony focused on a bizarre veneration of bearded ladies and balls-out drag-queens. For years campaigners and female athletes have warned about the presence of biological men in women’s sports. In recent years this has covered almost every known field

“…it is striking how little sympathy these actual women have got. And how often they have been made into the controversial ones. Instead of people standing up for their rights and for the right to say things that absolutely everybody said until about five years ago. Young women who have worked all hours to get to their peak performance capability have kept having their dreams dashed. Time and again they took the silver or bronze medal or missed the podium altogether… Unsurprisingly it was the more violent sports that first alerted some people to the fact that there was a real problem here….

“With every day even Google, Wikipedia and other online sources try to rewrite the past, erasing the real names of people who have ‘transitioned’ and pretending that they were always a woman. Or that at the most the person had been ‘assigned male at birth.’ As though this was the act of a bigoted and ignorant doctor who just wanted to screw with the certification procedure.

“Well, in Paris yesterday, we saw the illogical and evil endpoint of all this. Angela Carini, who has trained hard for years, managed just 46 seconds in the ring opposite Imane Khelif. The ‘fight’ consisted of Khelif punching Carini hard in the face — twice. It was unclear at first if the Italian’s nose had been broken. Clearly in agony Carini shouted ‘This is unjust.’ As the ref tried to make her shake hands with the ‘victorious’ Khelif, Carini rightly refused.”

Sadly, obviously being under pressure from superiors, Carini subsequently stated that she “wants to apologize” to her opponent for how she handled the moments after the fight, continuing, “”I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”

It’s a totally wrong decision by a woke IOC, and sorrow for Khelif is thoroughly misplaced. Khelif had no business competing in this women’s sport.

Macron Proud of Olympic Opening Ceremony

Reuters wrote on August 2:

“French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday offered his support to the artists behind the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony… and praised their ‘audacity’, adding that the show had made France proud. French authorities have opened an investigation into death threats targeting the artistic director of the ceremony Thomas Jolly, after he was harassed online over a tableau that appeared to parody Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece ‘The Last Supper’…

“Macron said: ‘His audacity did a lot of good to a lot of people… the ceremony showed that France respected artistic freedom.’”

God is most certainly not proud of what is happening in France during the Olympics. And THAT is what counts, not the unqualified opinion of a losing left-wing French President.

Vatican Finally Speaks Out

The New York Post wrote on August 4:

“The Vatican broke its silence Saturday on the controversial drag performance that mocked Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic ‘Last Supper’ painting during the 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony last week… ‘The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and cannot but join the voices raised in recent days to deplore the offense done to many Christians and believers of other religions,’ it said in an… evening press release…

“Olympics officials initially denied that the performance was based on Da Vinci’s painting — but a spokesperson later confirmed the painting was artistic director Thomas Jolly’s inspiration… At the center was an ornately dressed woman with a large silver headdress that resembled a halo as depicted in paintings of Jesus…”

The belated Vatican’s press release was rather tame and sounded almost apologetic.

Harris “Steals Nomination”, “Destroys Democracy”

Breitbart wrote on August 2:

“The Democratic National Committee (DNC) officially nominated Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential candidate on Friday, alienating 14 million Democrats who voted for President Joe Biden during the Democrat primary. The DNC began its virtual roll call on Thursday to nominate Harris, preempting its convention later in August. The process was scheduled to take up until Monday, the Associated Press reported, but it finished days early…

“Harris was the only candidate eligible to receive votes after the party closed the qualifying process Tuesday. The expeditious coronation underscored the speed at which Democrats moved to coronate Harris, who received exactly zero presidential primary votes in her political career. Harris dropped out of the 2020 presidential race before the Iowa caucuses and did not enter the race in 2024 until Biden endorsed her.

“Speculation suggests Biden endorsed Harris to enact revenge on party bosses for threatening to oust him from the race with the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. Biden ‘privately’ and ‘repeatedly’ questioned the authenticity of Harris during the 2020 campaign.”

We are told that Harris and Trump are in a virtual tie. Some claim that Harris’ “success” is only temporary and will diminish once the honeymoon period is over. We will see.

Flip-Flopping Harris’ Word Salads…

Breitbart wrote on August 2: 

“Vice President Kamala Harris delivered one of her infamous word salads when speaking unscripted about Thursday’s prisoner swap with Russia… ‘This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy,’ Harris rambled with a serious face while waving her hands: It was the second awkward statement in 24 hours. Harris accidentally called herself ‘president’ on Thursday

“Perhaps the gaffes are why Harris appears to be avoiding questions from the media… Another reason Harris could be avoiding the media is out of fear of answering questions about her radical-left policies. The vice president already appears to be back-peddling on many policies, though the flip-flops were given by anonymous aides. Harris no longer supports ‘a federal job guarantee,’ an anonymous Harris campaign spokesperson told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday. The New York Times reported Monday, citing anonymous campaign officials, that she also now (1) supports fracking, (2) wants to increase funding for the border, (3) does not want to require people to sell their assault weapons back to the government, and (4) no longer supports ‘a single-payer health insurance program.’”

Is Harris trying to copy Biden with her gaffes? Her back-peddling is noticeable because, as we reported before, all the radical left-wing policies listed above were CLEARLY supported by Harris in the past… at least so she said. So is she now trying to deceive the voters?

Nancy Pelosi’s Abominable Hypocrisy

On August 5, the New York Post published the following commentary by Piers Morgan:

“It’s an open secret in Washington that Pelosi just did to Joe Biden what Marcus Brutus did to Julius Caesar. Of course, she didn’t actually kill him. But she did kill his political career. She appointed herself chief assassin, albeit one who continued to support him publicly while knifing him in the back behind the scenes…

“Yet on Sunday, there was his assassin, Nancy Pelosi, popping up on ‘CBS News Sunday Morning’ to call for him to be added to Mount Rushmore, the great American stone shrine to democracy that features 60-foot faces of four truly great American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln…

“What Biden really knows is that one of his closest friends in politics, someone he’s known and worked with for 40 years, and who, like him, is a devout Roman Catholic who carries rosary beads in her pocket, pounced on him at his most vulnerable moment and devoured him like a ravenous jackal feasting on the still-twitching carcass of an elderly bison. And in that moment, Nancy Pelosi revealed who she really is — a ruthless, conniving, mercilessly disloyal female version of Marcus Brutus…

“There is no record, yet, of what Biden said as he realized his own game was up. But it wouldn’t surprise me, given their shared knowledge of Latin phraseology from their faith, if it was three simple words: ‘Et tu, Nancy?’”

Harris as President—Proof of the Perversity of Our Age?

The New York Post wrote on August 6:

“Harris has no personal following. Why should she? She wasn’t going anywhere. She has no entourage of trusted experts to enlighten her on the issues… Her personality, in public, is comical, and in private it hasn’t exactly been a magnet to party activists or intellectuals. By all accounts, her staff hate her and go running for the doors at the first opportunity. Her name isn’t closely identified with a particular cause or issue…

‘She’s a pretty terrible politician. She underperformed as a vote-getter in deep blue California. She self-detonated before the first primary when, in 2020, she sought the presidential candidacy on her own merits… she’s a wretched debater…

“Harris is like that feather in the wind at the end of ‘Forrest Gump.’ She’s a historical accident. That, in less than four months, she could be the most powerful human on Earth, decider between war and peace, her manicured fingers flitting casually over the nuclear button, fills me with awe and astonishment over the inscrutable perversity of our age.”

Kamala Harris’ Running Mate Tim Walz—a Radical Left-Wing Extremist?

The New York Post wrote on August 7:

“Tim Walz actually is a radical progressive — and he’s got the record to prove it…  His aggressive lockdowns of Minnesota during COVID included a hotline for Minnesotans to snitch on their neighbors… After Georg Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis cop, Walz sat by and watched his state’s largest city burn [by BLM]… A 2022 Walz bill to give ‘hero pay’ to frontline pandemic workers ended up paying thousands of dead people; an audit found that only 60% of recipients definitely qualified for the money… Walz himself had text messages mysteriously vanish in violation of public records laws

“All of this has been amply reported in the Minnesota media. The national press doesn’t even need to investigate Walz. It just needs to read the coverage by its own local print and TV affiliates. After his party gained a one-seat majority in the state senate in 2022, Walz embraced nearly every insane idea it rammed through the legislature… Walz signed a law mandating ‘antiracist’ education in ‘ethnic studies’ in elementary, middle and high schools and compelling critical race theory training for teachers while forcing schools to record the race of every student who is given recess detentions to prevent ‘institutional racism.’ Meanwhile, nearly half of the state’s public school students can’t read at grade level.

“Walz made Minnesota a ‘refuge’ for … transgender surgeries on minors…  The state went so pro-abortion — enshrining a ‘fundamental right’ to abortion until the moment of birth — that it repealed laws requiring informed consent for abortions and even repealed the law making it illegal to coerce women into abortions…

“Minneapolis still struggles to hire cops, and has lost 40% of its police force since 2020. Walz raised gas, sales, payroll, car license, and online delivery taxes and fees to pay for it all… Given how the national press coverage of Harris has brushed aside her left-wing record and let her get away without answering questions or doing interviews, she must be hoping that Walz and his record will get the same treatment.”

Trump said that the Harris-Walz ticket will take the United States straight into communism if they win the 2024 election (The New York Post, dated August 7).

Why Walz Is “Weird”

The New York Post wrote on August 8:

“Let’s see how weird the Democrats’ new leadership is: 

“… It’s weird that Walz dawdled for three days while Minneapolis burned before calling in the National Guard during the 2020’s BLM-antifa riots…  It’s weird that Harris and Walz base their campaign on “freedom” yet he was the most authoritarian governor in the country during the pandemic, ruling by decree for 15 months, enforcing draconian shutdown orders, mask mandates and curfews. 

“It’s weird that Walz tells Republicans to ‘mind your own damn business’ when he created a COVID telephone ‘snitch line’ so that people could inform on their neighbors who breached his draconian COVID restrictions. It’s weird that Walz defended censorship of COVID dissenters by telling MSNBC: ‘There’s no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech especially around our democracy.’ It’s weird that Walz signed laws allowing teenagers to be sterilized and genitally mutilated without parental consent and called it ‘gender-affirming care.’ It’s weird that Walz signed into law a new definition of ‘sexual orientation’ that deleted an exemption against pedophilia. 

“It’s weird that Walz has turned Minnesota into a ‘trans refuge’ with a law that removes children from parents who don’t agree to their kids’ sex-change surgery and hormone treatment… It’s weird that Walz has turned Minnesota into an ‘abortion mecca’ with no time limit up to the moment of birth and sometimes beyond, and no requirement that minors inform their parents…”

Venezuela’s Debacle Caused by Biden Administration

Newsmax wrote on August 2:

“John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told Newsmax on Friday that the disputed presidential election in Venezuela was ‘largely’ caused by President Joe Biden’s administration. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this week claimed victory in what the United States has called a ‘deeply flawed’ presidential election, the official results of which have been disputed by the country’s opposition party and independent observers.

“Bolton… said, ‘… What we’re seeing now is deja vu all over again. This is just like what happened in the 2018 election that Maduro stole back then. And now, six years later … he’s stealing it again.’ Bolton said the Trump administration ‘tried in 2018 and 2019 to support the opposition, Juan Guaido, we recognized as the president … as picked by the National Assembly pursuant to Venezuela’s constitution, but it was not enough’…

“Bolton said the Biden administration ‘made a huge mistake some months back’ by removing ‘the economic sanctions that were still in place under the guise of Maduro having a free and fair election.’ Bolton said, ‘It was never going to happen. So now we see the inevitable outcome.’…”

Can anyone believe the incompetence of the Biden Administration, including of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? Trump suggested, with apparently good reason, that Harris is even more incompetent than Biden, if that was even possible.

Shutting Down Google?

Newsmax wrote on August 2:

“Former President Donald Trump suggested Congress could shut down Google for alleged bias and censorship. The Big Tech giant has been criticized for how its search engine performed with inquiries related to the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump. Google’s search bar and artificial intelligence tool would not produce results connected to the shooting.

“‘Google has been very bad. They’ve been very irresponsible. And I have a feeling that Google is going to be close to shut down because I don’t think Congress is going to take it. I really don’t think so,’ Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo in an interview broadcast Friday. ‘Google has to be careful.’”

Terror Threats in Austria

Deutsche Welle reported on August 7:

”Taylor Swift’s promoter, Barracuda Music,  called off shows by the US performer in Vienna later this week after law enforcement in Austria announced the arrests of two people suspected of planning to attack the concert venue... Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer called the cancellation of the concerts a ‘bitter disappointment’ for Swift’s fans, albeit adding ‘the situation surrounding the apparent planned terror attack in Vienna was very serious.’… law enforcement had arrested two people, the primary suspect a 19-year-old male, on suspicion of planning ‘a terrorist attack against events in Vienna’… Taylor Swift concerts in Austria’s largest football stadium were among the main suspect’s potential targets…

“Police seized chemical substances from the main suspect’s apartment and had pre-emptively cleared houses and part of a nursing home nearby, fearing the potential for explosives to be present, the Interior Ministry said… both the suspects had become radicalized online and taken concrete steps looking to prepare attacks. The young man, he said, had pledged allegiance to the self-styled ‘Islamic State’ terror group…”

Israel to Be Attacked on Tisha B’Av?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 3:

“Iran reportedly plans to attack Israel on the day of Tisha B’Av, when Jews mourn the loss of the first and second Temples. Western intelligence sources told Sky News Arabia that they had evidence Iran plans to attack Israel on Tisha B’Av in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which begins on August 12 and ends on August 13, the site reported on Friday. Iran’s attack will reportedly be coordinated with Hezbollah…

“On Tisha B’Av, Jews lament the destruction of the first and second Temples. During the annual event, there is fasting, mourning and a practice of self-denial… The report indicates that there is an emotional and psychological impact in targeting Israel on the holy day of mourning. The report claimed that Jewish Israelis may feel particularly vulnerable on this day – adding an additional layer of psychological torment…

“Enemy states and entities have focused their attacks on Jewish holidays in the past, as was the case on October 7, which fell on Simchat Torah [the Last Great Day, following the Feast of Tabernacles] and Shabbat, and the Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement] War in 1973. There is also reportedly a symbolic reason for attacking this date, reviving historical traumas and replaying the images of destruction. Finally, Iran allegedly hopes that attacking on this day would bring an element of surprise. While security may be occupied with their own religious rituals or settling disagreements, they may be unprepared for a military attack.”

Breitbart added on August 3:

“The Jerusalem Post reported speculation that Iran would attack on the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, a day of mourning on which the destruction of the First and Second Temples is commemorated by fasting… The State of Israel itself is sometimes referred to by Jews as the ‘Third Temple,’ an association that Iran is likely exploiting as a form of psychological warfare.”

A Bomb or a Rocket?

Deutsche Welle reported on August 3:

“Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a ‘short-range projectile’ launched from outside of his accommodation in Tehran, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.  ‘This terrorist operation was carried out by firing a short-range projectile with a warhead of about 7 kilograms — causing a strong explosion — from outside the accommodation area,’ the Guards said in a statement.  The Guards again blamed Israel for [the] killing, adding that it was ‘supported by the United States.’…

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the prospect of sending German soldiers to the Middle East to protect Israel was ‘completely inconceivable to me right now.’… The United States on Friday said that additional warships and fighter jets would be sent to the region to protect US forces and defend Israel.”

Earlier, it was reported, especially by the New York Times, that Haniyeh was killed by a remotely detonated bomb which had been smuggled into the compound where Haniyeh was staying. Inasmuch as the explosion became a source of tremendous embarrassment for the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps], a new explanation had to be given—that of a short-range projectile launched from the outside—to make the IRGC less culpable, and to blame Israel and the USA.

According to the Jewish Chronicle, Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel through the use of the bomb which “was placed on the day of the explosion, at 4:23 pm – some nine hours before it was activated when Haniyeh entered his room. The explosion, which was set off remotely by a robot, took place after midnight, at exactly 01:37 am local time.”

Russia Helping Iran With Military Hardware?

Hindustan Times wrote on August 4:

“Russian cargo planes carrying weapons are allegedly flying to Iran amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. Reports on August 4 suggested constant Russia-to-Iran cargo flights with military hardware. However, neither Russian nor U.S. authorities immediately reacted to the reports about the flights.

“Meanwhile, the U.S. is boosting military deployment in the Middle East to defend its ally Israel in case of an Iranian attack.”

Rabbi Arrested in Ireland for Circumcising

JTA wrote on August 2, 2024:

“Ireland’s small Jewish community is in turmoil after a British rabbi who had been hired to circumcise local babies was arrested and charged with practicing medicine without a license. The rabbi, Jonathan Abraham, was arrested on Tuesday and denied bail after a judge said that his 10 children and home base in London made him a flight risk. He faces up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to £130,000 ($166,000). Ireland’s chief rabbi, Yoni Wieder, confirmed to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Abraham remained jailed as Shabbat began in Dublin on Friday.

“Earlier, Wieder issued a statement saying that he was actively working to support Abraham and to make sure that Irish Jews continue to have access to a ritual considered essential in Jewish observance… The arrest comes at a sensitive time for Jews in Ireland, which has been home to intense pro-Palestinian sentiment during the Israel-Hamas war…

“Ireland permits mohels, or ritual circumcisers, to do circumcisions for Jews, but does not allow them to perform the same procedures on non-Jews.”

This world is becoming crazier and crazier. Anti-Semitism in Ireland is clearly on the rise… and not only there, of course.

Turmoil in the UK

Deutsche Welle reported on August 3:

“Riots erupted Friday evening for a third night in the United Kingdom, linked to a mass stabbing earlier in the week that killed three young girls… Some of the crowd shouted insults about Islam, while others chanted in support of Tommy Robinson, a far-right, anti-Islam campaigner and activist, local media reported.

“… far-right social media channels have been awash with false claims that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat. Police have emphasized that the suspect, Axel Rudakubana, was born in Britain… Mosques across the country have also been put on an increased state of alert, the Muslim Council of Britain said.”

Daily Mail wrote on August 3:

“Widespread disruption has torn through the country this week in the wake of the Southport stabbings, where three little girls were tragically killed. The riots in cities including London and Hartlepool are thought to be triggered by misinformation spread online as to the identity of the teenager suspected of killing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. Axel Rudakubana, 17, who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, was eventually named as the suspect in a bid to stop the chaos. Southport locals – including Elsie’s mother – have desperately pleaded for the violence to stop to no avail…

“Sunderland residents woke up to carnage after riots tore through the city, setting a police station on fire and injuring officers in a night of ‘unforgivable thuggery’ which saw a Citizen’s Advice centre go up in flames…”

It was feared that civil unrest would be the outcome of the unfettered mass immigration that the UK has had to put up with in recent years. It’s been a tinderbox waiting to be lit for some time now.   The UK continues to deteriorate. These are sad times but foreseeable by some, but not by many politicians, it would appear. Note the analysis in the next articles.

Southport Riots Did Not Happen in a Vacuum

The Sun wrote on August 3:

THIS week’s riots in Southport and elsewhere were, of course, reprehensible. To attack a mosque where ordinary Muslims go to pray would have been wrong even if it had been in response to an attack by Islamic terrorists. That those lobbing bricks at the police and setting their vehicles alight were acting on disinformation makes them look foolish as well as disgraceful. But if Britain’s liberal elite had been deliberately trying to drive people into the arms of the rabble-rousers they could not have done a better job of it. They have done everything they can to fuel the underlying sense that the white working class is being treated very differently from the rest of the population.

“On Thursday, the Prime Minister held a press conference in which he lost no time in asserting that the Southport riots were ‘clearly driven by far-right hatred’. He refused to acknowledge that any of those who took to the streets might have been motivated by reasonable concerns about the safety of children. No, each and every one of them were just ‘far-right’ thugs trying to spread hate. Nor, by the way, did Keir Starmer mention in his press conference other recent cases of public disorder which had nothing to do with the far right, such as the machete fight in Southend on Tuesday night, the attack on police at Manchester Airport last week nor the riots in the Harehills area of Leeds. Those equally concerning events don’t seem to feature even nearly as prominently on the radar of the liberal left because they don’t feed its preferred narrative that Britain is a happy, diverse community spoiled only by hate mongering on the part of the far right…

“The same seems to have happened on multiple occasions when working-class communities have protested, whether it be against low-traffic neighbourhoods, London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone or Covid lockdowns.

“All have been dismissed as being incited by ‘far-right’ conspiracy theorists…

“I haven’t heard anyone in power admit it, but there is an unfortunate backstory which may explain why people reacted to the killing of three girls (not to mention the injuries and mental trauma inflicted on many others) by seeking out a mosque. For years, police, social services and other agencies failed properly to investigate gangs of men of Pakistani heritage who had been raping and sexually exploiting girls in Rotherham, Rochdale and elsewhere. Again, it cannot be emphasised strongly enough that it is very wrong to project the crimes of the rapists on to Britain’s Pakistani population as a whole — that is the point at which legitimate demand for justice spills over into racism. But when these gangs were eventually brought to justice, it became clear from their trials that police and social services had been doing the opposite — they had been influenced by what the then Home Secretary Theresa May called ‘institutional political correctness’ in failing to take the victims’ allegations seriously enough. As the former Labour minister Denis MacShane put it ‘there was a culture of not wanting to rock the multicultural community boat’

If people feel they cannot trust what the police and other authorities do and say they will end up gravitating towards other voices who do appear to be representing their interests. Racists are to be condemned…

“But the Government needs to recognise that the Southport riots did not happen in a vacuum…”

Very well put. And this approach to blindness in the left eye can be seen all over the Western world, including in the USA.

Starmer Under Serious Attacks

Breitbart wrote on August 4:

“British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer has vowed that police have his full support in taking on ‘extremists’ as anti-mass migration protests and riots have broken out across the United Kingdom following the mass stabbing at a children’s dance party in Southport earlier this week. Facing a full-blown crisis less than one month into office, recently elected leftist Prime Minister Starmer gathered top cabinet ministers on Saturday as unrest erupted in dozens of towns and cities throughout the UK, in many cases in typical Labour Party strongholds in the north of England, in response to the slaying of three young girls and the stabbing of eight others, including children, allegedly by a 17-year-old Rwandan-heritage second-generation immigrant on Monday…

“The hardline rhetoric from the left-wing PM, who has characterised the protests and riots as ‘far-right,’  on the outpouring of rage and violence has been contrasted to his response during the deadly and deeply destructive Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, when he infamously took the knee in solidarity with the Marxist movement and described those involved as ‘people rightly demanding justice’. The government has also faced criticism for refusing to discuss footage posted on social media appearing to show violent responses from large groups of Muslim or leftist counter protesters.

“The prime minister’s response to his first crisis of his expected five-year term has been heavily criticised by the Reform UK party of Nigel Farage, who accused Starmer of failing to address the root cause of the anger, which is mass migration. On Friday, Farage’s deputy, Boston and Skegness MP Richard Tice, said, ‘Many millions of concerned British citizens are furious at lawless Britain. Children being slaughtered. Machete mobs abound. Soldiers being stabbed. Police violently attacked in airports. Instead of empathy, Keir Starmer labelled folk as “far-right”. Out of touch, clueless.’

“However, others have demanded that the government go farther, including Tory leadership candidate and former Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has called on Starmer to recall Parliament to hold an emergency session on the unrest. One of the more extreme takes on the crisis came from former Labour MP and current government advisor on political violence, Baron Walney, John Woodcock, who argued that the government should consider a coronavirus-style lockdown to stamp out the uprising if it continues to persist…”

Incredible. Some left-wing politicians stop at nothing when it involves suppression of freedom and liberty of their citizens.

The Public Wants Answers!

Express wrote on August 4:

“Prime Minister Starmer has been urged by the Tory chairwoman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to acknowledge the widespread discontent which she says is fuelling protests across the UK this week.

“In remarks initially shared on her organisation’s website, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said it was time for an honest discussion about the underlying factors. Her statement, which appeared to have been deleted from the site, was today shared by the Conservative Post website and triggered criticism from Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester Danny Chambers and Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal.

“She said: ‘The government must acknowledge what is causing this civil unrest in order to prevent it. Arresting people, or creating violent disorder units, is treating the symptom and not the cause.’

“The questions these people want answering; what is the government’s solution to mass uncontrolled immigration? How are the new Labour government going to uphold and build on British values? This is the biggest challenge facing Sir Kier Starmer’s government, and its bitten quickly.’

A challenge Britain’s left-wing government is most certainly not willing to address.

UK on the Way to Censorship and Dictatorship?

Daily Mail wrote on August 7:

“Social media chiefs are also under fire for allowing disinformation to flourish after the Southport attack, including false claims about the identity of the suspect. Amid the worst rioting in the UK for more than a decade, the PM has warned that anyone stoking violence on the internet can be prosecuted and face prison. Sir Keir has also engaged in a war of words with Elon Musk… over the riots. But one of his most senior ministers, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, has admitted the world’s richest man is ‘accountable to no one’

“Mr Musk used his X social media site to reply to a post that blamed ‘mass migration and open borders’ for unrest in the UK. Mr Musk… claimed ‘civil war is inevitable’ following the violence in the UK.  He also branded the PM as ‘Two Tier Keir’… [as it is claimed that] UK police treat some groups more harshly than others…

“Sir Thomas Winsor, who previously served as Her Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary, rejected Mr Musk’s suggestion of ‘two-tier policing’ in the UK… He also demanded that major tech firms should have to be licensed before they can operate in the UK. This would allow a regulator to put firms ‘out of business’ if they breach the terms of their licence, he said. Sir Thomas called for ‘criminal liability’ for top bosses at social media companies who tolerate ‘harmful material’ and an incitement of crimes on their sites…”

Sounds like communist China or Russia.

Breitbart added on August 7:

“Musk has effectively embodied the role of chief troll of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, branding the leftist leader as ‘Two Tier Keir,’ over allegations that the British government has been policing violence and riots from mostly working class white British men differently than the Muslim community in the country, which has also taken to the streets en masse over the past week in large and sometimes violent gangs. Responding to Starmer’s vow that his government will ‘not tolerate attacks on mosques or on Muslim communities,’ Musk replied on his social media platform: ‘Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on all communities?’

“Musk has also highlighted the history of British authorities overlooking criminality among Muslim populations, including the Rotherham grooming gang scandal, in which at least 1,400 young girls were systemically sexually abused and trafficked by members of the city’s Pakistani community for years. The local authorities knew about the issue, but ignored them over fears of ‘racial tensions’ that could stem from arresting minority-community paedophiles. Musk questioned whether such crimes were still being committed and overlooked in Britain

“… the Tesla chief suggested that civil war in England was ‘inevitable’ given the cross-party multi-decade agenda of allowing ‘incompatible cultures’ to be ‘brought together without assimilation’ through the importation of millions of foreigners into the country…

“The fervour of the new Labour government to clamp down on social media may foreshadow a legal battle with Elon Musk’s X and other firms. Last year, the Conservative-in-name-only government of Rishi Sunak passed the Online Safety Act, vastly expanding the state’s ability to police the internet. While the law has yet to come into effect, it will empower British broadcasting regulator Ofcom to impose fines of up to £18 million ($22 million) or 10 per cent of global annual turnover, depending on which is higher, against social media companies that fail to censor to the standards of the British government. The impending restrictions could see free speech vastly curtailed in the UK and potentially even see companies like X choose to withdraw entirely from the country.”

Lessons for Germany?

Nius wrote on August 5:

“If in Great Britain, where people are generally very friendly and open-minded towards strangers, anger over immigration policy erupts as it currently does in cities from London and Liverpool to Manchester to Leeds and Bristol, all alarm bells should ring in Germany too. What is currently driving people onto the streets is not just the triple murder in Southport…

“Migrants from the Islamic world and Africa in particular stand out due to their low educational qualifications, high crime rates and lack of willingness to integrate. A phenomenon that is known in other European countries such as Sweden, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Austria, where the problems are the same and where politics, as in Great Britain, did a lot to downplay the fatal consequences of unchecked migration. Parallel societies, gang wars, the growing influence of Islam and increasing anti-Semitism are just some of the obvious problems…

“There are around four million Muslims living in Great Britain, and in Germany there are probably at least six million. To a large extent, they put a strain on the social systems here and there, and the lower classes in particular bear the direct consequences of mass immigration: the newcomers settle in their neighborhoods, which is reflected in the situation at schools and in the eroding security in public spaces. Ordinary people compete with migrants for living space and jobs, and the more immigrants come, especially from Islamic cultural areas, the more the feeling of being at home in their place of residence disappears. A forced cultural and social change that is bound to cause bad blood sooner or later…

 “In Hamburg, for example, houses were built according to the latest standards just for ‘refugees’, while people who have ‘lived here for a long time’… and who are paying for the astronomically high costs of migration with their tax money are desperately looking for apartments. At the same time, they notice how Muslims reject our society, demonstrating in tens of thousands on our streets and squares for the terrorist Hamas or calling for the caliphate. This can’t go well in the medium term…”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

Israel Attacks School in Gaza

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 27:

“An Israeli attack on a school in Gaza has left at least 30 killed and over 100 injured, authorities in the Hamas-run enclave said on Saturday. They said the school was serving as provisional shelter and housing displaced Palestinians. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it attacked the area of the school as it was targeting a ‘camouflaged Hamas command and control compound.’… The IDF said the attack killed ‘Hamas terrorists who were hiding and operating from the compound. It added that the targeted location was used for weapons storage…

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris referred to Israel’s latest school strike as ‘a further demonstration of brutal, unconscionable violence… Targeting an area populated with displaced families is inhumane and despicable,’ he said…

Meanwhile in southern Gaza, the IDF asked Palestinian civilians to evacuate parts of the Khan Younis area including the humanitarian zone there, as it prepares to ‘forcefully operate’ in the region. The IDF said staying in the area has become dangerous, citing ‘significant terrorist activity and rocket fire toward the State of Israel from the southern area of Khan Younis.’ It accused Hamas of embedding ‘terrorist infrastructure’ in the humanitarian zone there.

The Israeli military said it has made an early warning to civilians ‘to mitigate harm to the civilian population.’ It called on the civilians to ‘temporarily evacuate’ to the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, saying it has reached out using flyers, media broadcasts, phone calls and text and voice messages.”

Of course, one cannot believe a word the murderous lying terrorist organization Hamas and its agencies are saying. But war breeds more war. Note the next articles.

Hezbollah’s Attack on Israel—Harris and Biden At Fault?

The New York Post wrote on July 27:

“Former President Donald Trump blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the Hezbollah rocket strike on a soccer field in northern Israel that killed 12 children and teens as he campaigned in Minnesota Saturday night […the rocket was an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket. If not fired by Hezbollah, then it could have been fired by Iranian Revolutionary Islamic Corps (IRGC) forces in Lebanon.]  ‘Today’s attack on Israel cannot be forgotten and will go down as another moment in history created by a weak and ineffective United States President and Vice President,’ Trump said…

“Israel has promised to respond to the deadliest attack on the country since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre sparking the ongoing war in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [said:] ‘Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for this that it has not paid so far…’  Israeli authorities said at least 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel Saturday… The victims, all between the ages of 10 and 20, were Druze — an ethnoreligious Arab minority that maintains Arabic as their primary language and represents just 1.6% of Israel’s population [Many Druze are Israeli citizens and proudly serve in the IDF]…”

 The New York Post wrote on July 27:

“Foreign Minister Israel Katz discussed the deadly attack with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and declared that ‘Hezbollah crossed all red lines’ and the Jewish state was now ‘facing an all-out war’ with the Lebanese terrorists…. the attack… unfolded hours after an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kfarkela in southern Lebanon… killed four members of the terrorist sect.”

 In a related article, the New York Post wrote on July 27:

“The Mideast is on the cusp of what might become its bloodiest war since Israel’s founding in 1948… Harshly criticizing Israel as [Kamala Harris] did in front of Bibi at the White House might bag November votes – but they are also leading to body bags in Gaza and North Israel. Now, Israeli civilians are paying a heavy price for her words.

“Harris told Netanyahu she would not be silent. Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran heard her loud and clear and just told her they will not be silent either. In telling Israel she has serious concerns, Harris unwittingly, yet predictably, sent a greenlight to all three Axis of Evil partners that it is open hunting season again on Israel and its civilians throughout the country. Harris naively might have thought her ploy for votes in Michigan would lead to a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. But that ceasefire is not going to happen now and Harris, despite her team’s denials to the contrary, shoulders much of the burden of blame…”

Hezbollah Attack Enabled by Biden and Harris

Newsmax wrote on July 29:

“Hezbollah’s attack on a soccer field in the Golan Heights Saturday was another Iranian-backed mission enabled by the Biden-Harris administration, former Sen. Rick Santorum said… Sunday.  ‘The Biden-Harris administration has funded Iran, lifted sanctions, given them money, tried to become their friend so they could reestablish another nuclear accord with them,’ [he said]. As a result, U.S. policy has empowered Iran with resources to support terrorist organizations in their attacks on Israel, said Santorum. 

“‘As the Iranians always say, there’s two objectives,’ he said. ‘Number one, the great Satan, which is the United States, and the little Satan, which is Israel. Now they’re attacking the little Satan, but their goal is the great Satan’… ‘This is part of a coordinated effort by Iran… These are Iranian rockets. This is Iran funding terrorist organizations in the north, which is Hezbollah, and in the South, which is Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen.’ And the Hezbollah attack Saturday… was conducted by an Iranian satellite organization, he added. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has more sophisticated weapons than Hamas, and is much better trained, said Santorum. ‘They control Lebanon…’”

America’s politics towards Iran, especially under Obama and Biden, have been incompetent and dangerously irresponsible.

Israel Responds

Aljazeera wrote on July 28:

“The Israeli military said on Sunday its jets bombed weapons depots and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, in Shabriha and Burj al-Shemali near the southern city of Tyre, and the villages of Kfar Kila, Rab el-Thalathine, Khiam and Tayr Harfa.”

Reportedly, Israel’s drones have now also hit, in a deadly attack, areas in southern Lebanon.

Iran Threatens Direct Attack on Israel

ABC wrote on July 31:

“Israel… just announced they had killed a senior Hezbollah leader in Beirut, their targeted response to the Golan Heights rocket attack…”

The New York Post wrote on August 1:

“Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated Wednesday by a bomb that was smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying two months before his arrival… The bomb was hidden inside the guesthouse approximately two months before Haniyeh’s visit… the bomb detonated remotely once it was confirmed Haniyeh was inside the room at around 2 a.m. local time…

“With the revelation that Haniyeh was killed by a remotely detonated bomb, not by an airstrike or drone strike as previously speculated, Iranian officials slammed the assassination as a major security failure…  Iranian officials said the explosion is now a source of tremendous embarrassment for the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps]… While Tehran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, the Jewish state has remained silent.”

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Iran’s so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ has called for a direct attack on Israel…. Many countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon, and some U.S. carriers have canceled flights to Israel, in anticipation of a possible war between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s terrorist proxy in Lebanon…”

Erdogan Threatens With Invasion

The Times of Israel wrote on July 28:

“Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatens to invade Israel in support of the Palestinians. ‘We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to Palestine,’ says Erdogan, one of the most bitter critics of Israel on the international stage, referring to the war against Hamas in Gaza.

“‘Just as we entered [Nagorno-]Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we can’t do. We must only be strong.’’

Just idle talk? We know from the Bible that Turkey will act violently towards Israel.

Erdogan’s History of War

Breitbart wrote on July 29:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an avowed Islamist and one of the loudest world leaders supporting the Hamas jihadist terror organization, threatened to invade Israel on Sunday… Under Erdogan, Turkey has engaged in foreign interventionism for nearly a decade, sending troops into Syria in 2016 to allegedly ‘end the rule of the tyrant [Bashar] Assad,’ but in reality, attacking U.S.-allied Kurdish groups. Turkey has also been active militarily in neighboring Iraq, similarly targeting Kurdish groups at the time fighting the jihadist Islamic State ‘caliphate.’ In Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Turkey, supplied its popular, relatively affordable Bayraktar drones to its Azeri allies, marking a decisive turn in the conflict that resulted in the completion of the genocide of Armenian Christians in the area.

Erdogan also announced an invasion of Libya in 2020 to defend the internationally recognized ‘Government of National Accord’ (GNA) from an ongoing siege by Russia-backed warlord Khalifa Haftar. Turkish involvement in the conflict helped the GNA keep control of Tripoli through several attempts at conquest by Haftar, though Libya currently remains fractured and unstable, as neither political force has completely subdued the other.

“Reports on the Turkish president’s comments on Sunday did not clarify if intervention in Israel would be a direct Turkish military action or Erdogan would consider selling Bayraktar drones or other equipment to Hamas, which Ankara enthusiastically supports…

“The Turkish Foreign Ministry supported Erdogan’s remarks with a statement later that day comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler… Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz replied to Erdogan in a statement comparing him to another genocidal leader, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. ‘Erdogan is following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein by threatening to attack Israel. He should remember what happened there and how it ended’…

“Turkey is widely credited with committing the first genocide in modern history of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and other Christians and non-Turkish people within the territory that ultimately became the Republic of Turkey. Led by the ‘Young Turks,’ the killers exterminated 1.5 million Armenians out of an estimated global population of 2 million. The Turkish government, and Erdogan personally, continue to deny the 1915 genocide to this day… It is illegal to refer to the Armenian genocide as a ‘genocide’ in Turkey…”

“Erdogan… organized a massive rally in October to support the [Hamas] terrorist group’s massacre in Israel that month…”

Erdogan—“Totally Nuts”

JTA wrote on July 29:

“In May, Turkey abruptly canceled all trade with Israel, a potentially costly move that has interrupted a range of markets… Turkey is a member of NATO, the alliance formed after World War II that includes a commitment to the security of the other members. No NATO country is permitted to attack any other, and all are obligated to provide defensive aid in the case of attack by other states.

“Erdogan’s comments represent a stark departure from the expectations of NATO countries, but so far criticism has been muted… The only NATO member so far to condemn Erdogan’s comments was the Netherlands, where the right-wing prime minister Geert Wilders… tweeted that Turkey should be ejected from the alliance, something that has never happened before. ‘Islamofascist Erdogan threatens to invade Israel,’ Wilders said. ‘This guy is totally nuts. Turkey should be kicked out of NATO.’”

Erdogan is a “totally nuts” warmonger and a cruel and ruthless mass murderer. But NATO is too timid to do anything about him. Turkey has the NATO alliance’s second largest military.

Erdogan Is Germany’s “Valuable Friend”!

Bild Online wrote on July 30:

“The Turkish despot Recep Tayyip Erdogan (70) is once again causing outrage with invasion fantasies and hatred against Israel. For [German] Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (68) this is no reason to NOT refer to him as a ‘valuable friend’ (“werter Freund”) anymore…

“BILD asked… Steinmeier whether he intended to change his relationship with Erdogan: After all, in April he called Erdogan a ‘valuable friend’ – and was already receiving criticism back then, as just days before the Hamas boss had visited Erdogan to shake hands with him… In response to BILD’s query, the Federal President’s Office explains that there are ‘fundamental differences’ between the presidents in the Middle East conflict, ‘particularly with regard to Israel’s right to self-defense and the terrorist organization Hamas’. But: Steinmeier is not moving away from the term ‘valuable friend’.”

The Bible prophesies that Turkey will support Europe, under Germany’s leadership, in a military attack on Israel.

Knesset Erupts in Uproar

 i24News wrote on July 24:

“National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir shocked lawmakers during a ‘Return of Israel to the Temple Mount’ conference held Wednesday in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), declaring that he had prayed at the Temple Mount and that Jewish prayer was allowed on there… The statements upturn the status quo between Israel and its neighbors, Jews and Muslims, and even within the Jewish community. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Ben Gvir is a ‘pyromaniac who is trying to ignite the Middle East.’…

“United Torah Judaism’s Moshe Gafni also condemned Ben Gvir’s statements, stressing that ‘ascending to the Temple Mount is entangled with a serious prohibition of karet punishment,’ referring to a religious punishment [This is a reference to the unbiblical Jewish thinking that the place was polluted and needs to be cleaned through the sacrifice of a red heifer]…

“Yesh Atid’s Mickey Levy, former Israel Police Jerusalem District commander, warned the Knesset plenary: ‘A group of lunatics and messianics will entangle Israel in another war… You are abnormal,’ he added, warning that ‘a third world war will break out. This is a real danger to the people and the State of Israel.’”

The Times of Israel added on July 25:

“Netanyahu’s office quickly countered Ben Gvir’s assertion, releasing a statement declaring that Israel’s policy ‘to maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change’… The vague status quo  governing the compound allows Muslims to pray and enter with few restrictions, while non-Muslims, including Jews, can visit only during limited time slots via a single gate, with visibly religious Jews only allowed to walk on a predetermined route, closely accompanied by police. While Jews are not officially allowed to pray, police have increasingly tolerated limited, quiet prayer….”

For now, Israel’s political establishment gives lip services in rejecting Ben Gvir’s statements and actions. This will change.

USA Not Prepared For Major War

Breitbart wrote on July 29:

“A report has found that the United States military is ‘not prepared’ to fight in a major war, as ‘major powers’ — such as Russia and China — have become ‘top threats’ to the U.S., with China ‘outpacing’ the U.S. The report, which the Commission on the National Defense Strategy released in July, reveals that while the U.S. is currently facing some of ‘the most serious and most challenging’ threats since 1945, several problems are preventing the U.S. military from being able to address threats from China or Russia.

“Among the problems preventing the U.S. military from addressing threats… is reportedly the Department of Defense’s (DOD) ‘business practices, byzantine research,’ and its ‘reliance on decades-old military hardware,’ which reflects ‘an era of uncontested military dominance.’ The report adds that ‘such methods’ are ‘not suited to today’s strategic environment.’ The report also notes that the U.S. military has faced ‘recent recruitment shortfalls’ that have led to a decrease in ‘the size of the Army, Air Force, and Navy.’…  ‘The United States last fought a global conflict during World War II, which ended nearly 80 years ago. The nation was last prepared for such a fight during the Cold War, which ended 35 years ago. It is not prepared today.’

“The report notes that ‘the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) is unable to meet the equipment, technology, and munitions needs of the United States and its allies and partners’…”

According to Bible prophecy, America’s real danger does not come, prior to Christ’s return, from China or Russia, but from an awakening Europe. And it is also prophesied that when Europe is about to attack the USA, Americans will not be willing or able to fight.

Sacrificing the Supreme Court Not For Democracy, But For the Far Left”

On July 29, the New York Post published the following analysis by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“In a failed attempt to save his nomination, Biden offered to ‘reform’ the [Supreme] Court by imposing an 18-year term limit that would jettison the three most senior conservative justices. With only six months left in his presidency, Biden’s efforts are likely to fail, but, unfortunately, could set the stage for activists under a Harris Administration in seeking to change the Court forever… It is no accident that the first three justices who would term limited off the Court are conservatives: Clarence Thomas (after 33 years on the Court), Chief Justice John Roberts (after 19 years), and Justice Samuel Alito (after 18 years)… Moreover, the Framers clearly wanted these positions as lifetime appointments as an added protection against political pressure or influence…

“For more than two centuries, presidents have struggled with the Supreme Court, but none (until now) have attempted to end life tenure on the Court… Now President Biden is leading the mob for changing this institution for the first time since its founding… After sending Thomas, Roberts, and Alito packing, many want to go further and pack the Court itself.

“Democratic leaders such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have called for outright court packing — a proposal that Vice President Kamala Harris has suggested that she might support The pledge will be dead on arrival with Congress. What is left is a King Lear-like tragedy of a presidency, betrayed by those closest to him, and wandering the land for continued relevance History will show a pitiful figure who offered up the Court as the cost of staying in power, only to lose his candidacy and his legacy.”

A pitiful figure indeed.

Newsom Is Destroying California Industry

California Globe reported on July 29:

“A new survey reports 74% of California fast-food restaurant owners said ‘there is an increase in the likelihood of shutting their restaurants down – an increasingly real concept as restaurants continue to shutter,’ the Daily Mail reports. ‘Recent reporting from Business Insider showed how this is already happening, with customer foot traffic around California’s fast food restaurants considerably down.’ This is devastating to the middle class. Owning franchise fast-food restaurants is one way to build wealth…

Never once has Gov. Gavin Newsom accepted responsibility for killing off California’s businesses with his 3-years of Covid lockdowns, nor with his radical progressive policies behind California’s ridiculously high cost of living – policies he not only supports but signs into law every year. Nor does Newsom acknowledge that in California – once known as the land of opportunity – his $20 per hour fast food minimum wage only serves to create a permanent poverty class

“Instead of acknowledging that ‘the ones who remain employed will receive higher wage rates, but fewer will be employed,’ Newsom will cause owners of fast food businesses more hardship. And he already has…the governor sent his office minions to harass media outlets including the Globe, who accurately reported on the fast food job losses and business closures. The harassment and demands for retractions and ‘corrections’ continues on social media and in emails. We received an email from Brandon Richards… Deputy Director of Communications in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, asking for a retraction or correction and claiming the state has gained jobs since the $20 per hour fast food minimum wage…

“Now we have another recent survey of 200 fast-food companies which found that 89 percent of those eateries polled have already been forced to reduce scheduled hours for their employees, less than a year since it was passed, the Daily Mail reported. This survey comports with college students home for the summer – kids who were gainfully employed throughout high school (except during Newsom’s Covid lockdowns) – who report they can’t find summer jobs, and especially in fast food. ‘California fast-food restaurants have been forced to cut back on employee hours, shut down, or consider moving out of state completely because of Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s new $20-an-hour minimum wage law, a new study has shown,’ the Daily Mail said. Some fast-food restaurants have had to lay off staff completely…  

Rubio’s Coastal Grill, a Carlsbad-based Mexican food restaurant chain with over 200 stores nationwide, announced that 48 stores in California would close over the weekend because of a large number of rising costs, including employee wages… ‘The rising cost of doing business and the current business climate in California are key factors in the closures,’ Rubio’s said in a statement…

“As if that isn’t damaging enough, Forbes reports, ‘California officials are reportedly considering a further increase to the recently implemented $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers… “

Terrible! Once a prosperous state, California is bankrupt. It has become a “progressive” Woke-infested nightmare, due to the incompetence and ignorance of its leaders.

Facebook, Meta and Google Under Fire for Censorship

The New York Post wrote on July 29:

“Facebook acknowledged that it mistakenly censored the iconic image of former President Donald Trump with his fist raised in the immediate aftermath of the July 13 assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. A post on Mark Zuckerberg’s social media site by a user with the handle End Wokeness that showed the Republican presidential candidate defiantly pumping his fist in the air while blood streams down his face had initially been flagged as misinformation. The user was threatened with being deplatformed.

“However, on Monday, Dani Lever, a spokesperson for the social network’s parent companyMeta, admitted the tech giant made a ‘mistake.’ ‘Yes, this was an error,’ Lever wrote on X in response to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who had called out Facebook for not allowing users to share the photo. ‘This fact check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the secret service agents smiling, and in some cases our systems incorrectly applied that fact check to the real photo.’ Lever added that ‘this has been fixed and we apologize for the mistake.’

“The Meta spokesperson’s clarification did not sit well with X users, including one who remarked: ‘Funny that the ‘errors’ only ever go in one direction. Just coincidence, I guess.’ Another X user wrote: ‘No one believes you.’ ‘Nope, not buying it anymore,’ remarked another X user. Meta has come under fire from Trump supporters after its AI chatbot, Meta AI, referred to the attempted assassination as ‘fictional’ when prompted to provide details about the tragic event…

“Google has also come under fire after users noted that its ‘Autocomplete’ function on its search engine failed to generate results for the Trump attempted assassination when prompted to do so. GOP lawmakers have vowed to investigate Google, which is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Donald Trump Jr. blasted Google, accusing it of putting its thumb on the scale to favor his father’s opponent, Harris. Trump Jr. said it was ‘intentional election interference.’…

“A Google spokesperson told The Post that there was no ‘manual action taken on these predictions,’ and that its systems include ‘protections’ against Autocomplete predictions ‘associated with political violence’…”

Unfortunately, Facebook and Google have become known for inappropriately censoring or manipulating “undesired” content. The present “explanations” ring more than shallow.

Russia Threatens Germany… and Vice Versa

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 28:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Moscow would implement ‘mirror measures’ if the United States goes ahead with its stated plan to deploy advanced missiles within Germany. Washington said earlier this month that it would start stationing longer-range and hypersonic missiles in Germany by 2026 as part of its commitment to NATO… ‘If the US implements such plans, we will consider ourselves free from the previously imposed unilateral moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range strike weapons, including increasing the capability of the coastal forces of our navy,’ Putin said at a naval parade in St Petersburg.

“The Russian leader said that preparation for such a move was ‘in its final stage,’ adding that once ready, state, military and industrial targets could be hit within 10 minutes… The US already maintains several military bases in Germany which date back to the Cold War. US missiles are already deployed across Europe, albeit with shorter ranges… Germany’s armed forces defended the plan, saying that Russia had already deployed Iskander missiles — which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads — in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. Such intermediate-range missiles would, Germany argued, be able to hit German cities. Last week, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would not rule out deploying nuclear missiles in response to the US move.”

Ultimately, Germany will lead an attack against Russia, but Russia will retaliate in a terrible fashion.

Prisoner Swap with Russia

Newsmax wrote on August 1:

“Jailed U.S. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were among 26 prisoners from the United States, Russia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Belarus being freed in a major east-west exchange on Thursday, Turkey’s presidency said.”

The Sun added:

“Today’s exchange is one of the largest and most complicated swaps between the West and Russia in history… The German government said it was not an easy decision to release [Russian assassin Vadim] Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of a Chechen rebel leader in Berlin.”

 ntv wrote on August 1:

“Murderers against political prisoners. This is how the exchange between Russia and the West can be roughly summarized. Mainly in order to free contract killer Vadim Krasikov, Moscow is also releasing several Germans who were probably often convicted on trumped-up charges… Russia agrees on a large-scale prisoner exchange with several Western countries, including Germany and the USA. The German Rico Krieger, imprisoned in Russia, is released, but Moscow gets the Tiergarten murderer.”

Die Welt wrote on August:

“It is likely to be the ‘largest prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War’…”

The released Americans include three journalists, including the innocent Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was recently sentenced to 16 years in prison for alleged espionage… a farce that was probably in preparation for the prisoner exchange.

Bild Online wrote:

“We are once again deep in the dark ages of the Cold War. Prisoners must be exchanged with Moscow again. We are releasing a convicted murderer… The Kremlin criminals dictate the terms of the prison deals. In December 2022, the arms dealer Wiktor But was released against the US basketball player Brittney Griner – a hardened criminal against a naive athlete with some hash in her luggage…

“Now this; [Putin] brings his contract killer Wadim Krasikov home to the Russian Empire – the man who murdered on his behalf in Berlin’s Kleiner Tiergarten, sentenced under the rule of law to life imprisonment in Germany. The perverse message sent to the Russian people: Putin is the hero who can do this. That’s how Russia works. That’s where Putin’s interests lie: he saves murderers…

“From now on we are worried about every Western journalist and every German who makes one wrong step in Putin’s empire… Vladimir Putin keeps collecting innocent victims until he can exert enough pressure against the West to get his Shadow Warriors back. Those he sent into his no longer just Cold War against us, against the free world.”

Europe’s Undemocratic Dictatorship

Hungary Today wrote on July 25:

“This week the European Parliament has opted for its to-date most blatant revolt against the will of some 20 million European voters by excluding the third largest bloc, Patriots for Europe, from all leadership post and working groups. Zero post for the third largest political alliance thanks to European People Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber’s anti-democratic deal with Europe’s far-left and progressive forces.

“This is a clear violation of the so called d’Hondt method used in proportional representation systems, proudly published on the EP’s own website…. Needless to say, the Parliament had just sold its own rules down the river without even trying to explain why they put a political ‘cordon sanitaire’ around Europe’s conservatives and sovereigntists.”

Europe’s move towards a dictatorship is obvious.

Turmoil in Venezuela

Thomson/Reuters reported on July 30:

“Protests spread around Venezuela and police fired tear gas in the capital Caracas as the opposition said it had voting-tally proof it won a weekend election awarded to long-ruling socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Demonstrations began after the election board, which critics say is in the pocket of a dictatorial government, declared Monday that Maduro had won a third term with 51% of the vote, extending his ‘Chavista’ movement’s quarter-century rule. But the opposition said the 73% of vote tallies to which it has access showed its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had won by a landslide, with more than twice as many votes as Maduro…

“In Coro, the capital of Falcon state, protesters cheered and danced when they tore down a statue depicting late president Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s mentor who ruled from 1999-2013… Maduro, a 61-year-old former union leader and foreign minister, won election after Chavez’s death in 2013 and was re-elected in 2018. The opposition said both votes were rigged. He has presided over an economic collapse, mass migration, and deteriorating relations with the West including U.S. and EU sanctions that have crippled an already struggling oil industry.

“His Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino warned against allowing a repeat of the ‘terrible situations of 2014, 2017 and 2019’ when waves of anti-government protests led to hundreds of deaths and failed to dislodge Maduro. Independent pollsters called the declaration of Maduro’s victory implausible, and governments in Washington and elsewhere questioned the results and urged a full tabulation of votes. ‘Not even (Maduro) believes the electoral scam he is celebrating,’ said Argentina’s President Javier MileiPeru ordered Venezuelan diplomats to leave within 72 hours, citing ‘serious and arbitrary decisions made today by the Venezuelan regime.’ But political allies, including Russia and Cuba, backed Maduro…”

Scandalous and Disastrous 2024 Paris Opening Ceremony

Infowars wrote on July 26:

“The 2024 Paris Olympic games kicked off Friday with a bizarre opening ceremony that featured drag queens and strange biblical references many online suggested were intended to insult members of the Christian faith. Things went awry when a group of transvestites and a fat woman posed in the fashion of the Last Supper, the Leonardo da Vinci painting immortalizing Jesus Christ’s last meal with his disciples before his crucifixion…

“The criticism over the skit reached such fever pitch, French European parliament member Marion Maréchal was forced to disavow the performance. ‘To all the Christians of the world who are watching the Paris 2024 ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France that is speaking but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation,’ Maréchal wrote Friday on X.”

Breitbart wrote on July 26:

“Further making the Olympics opening ceremonies the ‘gayest ever,’ Parisian Olympics officials also featured an LGBTQ parody of the ‘Last Supper’ along with a woke fashion show featuring gender-bending fashions and transgender models….”

Daily Mail wrote on July 27:

“With critics branding the four-hour show as the ‘worst ever’, viewers reported poor audio caused by the near-torrential rain…  Performances from Lady Gaga and approximately 3,000 dancers, acrobats and actors were hard to hear over the sound of rain…  Gaffes with country names, the mounting of the Olympic flag and bizarre scenes which saw as headless Marie Antoinette singing peppered the display last night…

“But among the various artistic tableaus, named after French values such as freedom, fraternity and equality, it was the last supper-style performance in ‘festivité’ – or party – scene which caused the most controversy. Complete with models, dancers, fashion icons and drag queens from the host nation, the performance took place on a bridge over the capital’s river… At the centre was a woman in front of DJ equipment with a golden halo-style crown, surrounded by several drag queens and dozens of dancers and performers… Among those present was Drag Race icon Nicky Doll…

“Later in the show, the most bizarre moment of the night saw a giant platter bedecked in fake fruits and other foods – with a ‘smurf’ resting among them. The man, dressed in a skintight blue bodysuit that left very little to the imagination, was dressed as the Greek God of wine, festivity and theatre, Dionysus

“As the South Korean delegation sailed down the Seine River in the French capital, they were introduced with the official name for North Korea…  North Korea was correctly introduced with the country’s official name…

“Another embarrassing gaffe saw the Olympic flag raised upside down…   The only saving grace came at the end of the ceremony with a stunning performance by Canadian Celine Dion. It was her first live public performance since revealing she is living with stiff person syndrome (SPS)…”

All of this is so disgusting. Our societies are SICK. Note the next two articles.

Mission Accomplished?

Fox News wrote on July 28:

“Paris organizers defended the Olympics opening ceremony..  Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps spoke about it on Sunday. ‘Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. (The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate community tolerance,’ Descamps told reporters…  ‘We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.’

 “Another French LGBT leader suggested the ceremony didn’t go far enough. ‘We know in the LGBTQ community in France we are far from what the ceremony showed,’… Inter-LGBT president James Leperlier said. ‘If you saw the opening ceremony last night you’d think it was like that normally, but it’s not. France tried to show what it should be and not what it is.’”

Jill Biden Defends the Ceremony!

Fox News wrote on July 28:

“First lady Jill Biden had high praise for the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics this weekend…  Biden led the U.S. delegation to the Olympics and called the opening ceremony ‘spectacular’… Biden remarked that the U.S. would have to work hard to top Paris’ opening ceremony when the games are held in Los Angeles in 2028… ‘The rain did not dampen our spirits…. Every step of the way, I was thinking to myself, oh my g…, oh my g…. How are we going to top this?’…

Several U.S. and world lawmakers denounced the Paris ceremony after drag queens and artists made a spectacle of the Leonardo DaVinci painting, the Last Supper, which depicts the last meal Jesus had with his apostles… ‘Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games,’ House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a post on X. ‘The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail.’

“He then referred to the Bible verse [John 1:5], which reads, ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’”

Jill Biden’s blasphemy in the context of praising the Paris ceremony is quite telling as well. Trump rightly condemned the spectacle.

Gay Artist Director: A Great Pagan Festival

Breitbart wrote on July 29:

“Thomas Jolly, the [openly gay] artistic director of the Olympic Opening Ceremony, denied on Sunday that he was not ‘inspired’ by the Last Supper, despite the striking similarities between the Leonardo da Vinci depiction of the Jesus Christ’s Last Supper with his 12 Apostles and the drag queen tableau shown at the opening of the Paris games… ‘I wanted to do a ceremony that repairs, that reconciles, that reaffirms the values of our Republic,’ Jolly said in comments reported by Le Figaro… ‘I think it was quite clear, there is Dionysus who arrives on this table. He is there, why? Because he is the god of the festival… of wine, and father of Sequana, the goddess connected to the river… The idea was rather to make a great pagan festival linked to the gods of Olympus,’ he said.

“Jolly also claimed that he did not intend to celebrate political violence by showing a decapitated Marie-Antoinette…

“The apparent mockery of the Christian religion drew fierce backlash throughout the world, with Catholic Bishop Robert Barron describing the drag queen scene as ‘gross, flippant mockery’ of a ‘very central moment in Christianity.’ The Bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester added: ‘Would they ever dared mock Islam in a similar way? Would they have ever dreamed of mocking, in this gross, public way, a scene from the Qur’an? We all know the answer.’

“Backlash was also swift in France, with former Culture Secretary Philippe de Villiers declaring: ‘We are committing the suicide of our country in front of the whole world.’”

If THAT was to portray France’s values, then we can only say: Poor France!

JD Vance the Wrong Choice for Trump?

Bild Online wrote on July 28th:

“J.D. Vance (39) is supposed to supply Donald Trump’s (78) campaign with fresh conservative blood. But two weeks after his nomination, the Republican vice-candidate’s past caught up with him and became a problem for his boss – who is reportedly already regretting his choice.

“Reason: Around 90 emails that Vance wrote to a former classmate, a transsexual, and which have now been published by the New York Times. Even though it is known that Vance has changed politically, the emails could become a scandal in the election campaign. In it, Vance wrote, among other things: ‘I hate the police.’ And about Trump he said: ‘A demagogue.’

“The emails date from between 2014 and 2017. At that time, Vance was studying law at the prestigious Yale University. They show: Vance not only radically changed his opinion about Trump, but also once had a transsexual as a close friend. A fact that could cause uncertainty in parts of the Republican Party – after all, Vance is considered a tough conservative there.

 “At the center of the email affair: Sofia Nelson – a transsexual who now works as a lawyer in Detroit. Nelson had a falling out with Vance for political reasons in 2021 and leaked his correspondence to the New York Times.

“Excerpts:

“‘I hate the police,’ Vance wrote in 2014 after an officer shot and killed 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown in Ferguson. And further: ‘When I see how many negative experiences I have had with the police, I can imagine how black boys feel.’

“When Donald Trump announced his candidacy in 2015 and, among other things, attacked Muslim immigrants, Vance wrote to his friend: ‘I am appalled by Trump’s rhetoric. I’ve always believed that people believe in crazy sh…. And there have always been demagogues willing to take advantage of people who believe crazy sh….’

Two months before Trump’s victory in November 2016, Vance wrote, ‘The more white people want to vote for Trump, the more black people will suffer.’

“A little later he confessed to the transgender that he wanted to help Democrat Hillary Clinton (76) in the election campaign and wrote about Trump: ‘He is simply a bad man. A morally reprehensible person.’

“The emails come at a sensitive election campaign phase: Trump’s lead is melting away…

“Trump already regrets his decision for Vance, said Republican analyst Ben Shapiro (40) on TV. And Kamala Harris’ campaign exults: ‘Vance is already a disaster.’ From Vance’s camp, the message so far is: ‘It’s a shame that someone is publicly sharing a decade-old private conversation.’

“Meanwhile, Americans are asking themselves: Is Trump now angry with his eldest son Donald Jr.? He had recommended Vance to him because he had spoken out against aid to Ukraine.”

The real question is, Can someone change THAT MUCH?

The Guardian wrote on July 27:

“Now – days after receiving a rapturous response at the Republican national convention in Milwaukee – JD Vance is being lamented within party circles as a potentially fatal liability in Trump’s quest to recapture the White House… Vance’s poll ratings have been dragged to record lows by a combination of his own past statements resurfacing on social media and embarrassingly awkward performances on the campaign trail. The danger that Vance’s baggage will drag Trump down with him may already be giving the former president buyer’s remorse, commentators believe…

“Vance… was selected because he faithfully reflected the ideological gut instincts of Trump, despite having previously called him ‘America’s Hitler’ and ‘cultural opioid.’… Vance, with his hardline anti-abortion stance and sneering contempt for childless women, may be entirely the wrong partner to help Trump… [In] a 2021 interview with then Fox News host Tucker Carlson, [Vance] derided women without children as ‘childless cat ladies who are miserable in their own lives’…”

Vance confirmed last Friday in an interview that his position in regard to women without children has been substantially correct.

“In Four Years, You Don’t Have to Vote Anymore”

npr wrote on July 27:

“[In his address to Christians at Turning Point Action’s ‘Believers Summit’ in West Palm Beach, Fla.,] Trump… urged Christians to turn out for him ahead of Election Day, calling it the ‘most important election ever.’ He added that if elected, Christian-related concerns will be ‘fixed’ so much so that they would no longer need to be politically engaged. ‘You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians,’ he said.”

Commentators offered numerous ways of interpreting this statement. According to the Atlantic, “First, Trump could be implying that there won’t be any future elections if he comes to power [declaring] himself ‘president for life”’…  A second and slightly more charitable interpretation of his remarks is that Trump believes his presidency will entrench so many pro-Christian policies into the United States government that no future election could realistically undo his transformation of the country.’ Breitbart added on July 28: “There is, in fact, a third possibility… telling [Christian voters] that if he wins the election he will make voting so secure that their votes will no longer be needed in future to overcome the possibility of cheating by Democrats.”

Of course, there is still another possibility that Trump was “guided” to say these words, perhaps being oblivious himself to the true meaning, that there will be no more elections in four years as the USA might not exist anymore as a nation by that time?

Trump Repeats Controversial Claim

The Guardian wrote on July 30:

“Donald Trump on Monday repeated his weekend remarks to Christian summit attendees that they would never need to vote again if he returns to the presidency in November. But, after being asked repeatedly on Fox News to clarify what he meant, the Republican former president denied threatening to permanently stay in office beyond his second – and constitutionally mandated final – four-year term

“‘That statement is very simple, I said, “Vote for me, you’re not gonna have to do it ever again,’” Trump told Ingraham. ‘… Christians are not known as a big voting group, they don’t vote. And I’m explaining that to them. You never vote. This time, vote. I’ll straighten out the country, you won’t have to vote any more, I won’t need your vote any more, you can go back to not voting… Christians do not vote well. They vote in very small percentages. Why? I don’t know. Maybe they’re disappointed in things that are happening…’

“Ingraham pressed the former president, asking him, ‘But you will leave office after four years?’ Trump responded, ‘Of course.’”

While Trump tried to explain what he did not mean with his claim, he never really explained what he DID mean.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race, Endorses Kamala Harris

Newsmax wrote on July 21:

“President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday… The decision comes after escalating pressure from Biden’s Democratic allies to step aside… Biden’s decision came as he has been isolating at his Delaware beach house after being diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, huddling with a shrinking circle of close confidants and family members about his political future… 

“A party’s presumptive presidential nominee has never stepped out of the race so close to the election… Now, Democrats have to urgently try to bring coherence to the nominating process in a matter of weeks and persuade voters in a stunningly short amount of time that their nominee can handle the job and beat Trump…

“The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, but the party had announced that it would hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate [Biden’s successor] before in-person proceedings begin.”

Breitbart wrote on July 21:

“Obama and Pelosi stand out among Democrat leaders for not specifically endorsing Harris. [The New York Post commented: “Obama said Democrats would pick an unnamed ‘outstanding nominee’. Obama, America’s first black president, remains one of the most respected leaders among Democrats and his lack of an endorsement of Harris could damage her candidacy and implicitly encourage new candidates to emerge.”]. It will be interesting to see whether current elected Democrat politicians (who still must face public opinion) call for the party to get behind Harris or call for an open and competitive process that, at least in theory, will look less rigged. [The New York Post: “Some Democrats fear that Harris, the 59-year-old vice president, could further diminish the party’s chances against former President Donald Trump.”]

“In Obama’s statement praising Biden and not endorsing Harris, he writes: ‘I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges’… Harris was one of the first candidates to drop out of the 2020 Democratic primary campaign… 

“Politico reports that Biden’s White House and campaign aides learned the news that Biden is dropping the same way the rest of the world did — by Biden’s statement on X… Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issues a statement thanking Biden for his service but not offering any endorsement of Harris. Last week, Pelosi told colleagues that she supports an ‘open’ and ‘competitive’ nomination process if Biden drops out…

“The DNC Chair Jaime Harrison issued a statement that seems to acknowledge that the Democratic Party does not yet have a plan in place for deciding who the nominee will be… Both Bill and Hillary Clinton issued a statement endorsing Harris…

“Republican Nominee former President Donald Trump predicted last December that neither Biden nor Harris would be the Democratic nominee

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is also calling on Biden to step down from his presidency. In a statement on X, Johnson writes: ‘If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.’ Even before today’s announcement by Biden, some were calling for him to step down from the presidency if he stepped aside from the nomination. Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance posted on X this morning before Biden’s announcement, ‘If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?’…”

More Reactions

The Sun added on July 21:

“Florida Governor Ron DeSantis… slammed VP Harris for standing by Joe before his announcement. ‘Kamala Harris was complicit in a massive coverup to hide and deny the fact that Joe Biden was not capable of discharging the duties of the office… She also was the border czar during the worst border crisis in American history. Democrats are just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.’…

“The world has begun to react to Biden removing himself from the race with English journalist Piers Morgan [posting] a picture of Biden asking, ‘If Biden’s unfit to stay in the presidential race, then surely he’s unfit to remain President too?’ In another tweet, he commented on the stunning series of developments that the United States has seen in just a month. ‘The debate.. the shooting… now the dropout … what an incredible 24 days in American political history…’

“Morgan… wrote, ‘You [Nancy Pelosi] literally just led the plot to end his career’…  Biden reportedly considered Pelosi the main instigator behind the push to drop out, sources close to the president have said… He also reportedly said former president Barack Obama was the puppet master behind the operation…” 

Biden’s Farewell

The Daily Mail wrote on July 25:

“President Joe Biden mumbled his way through an 11-minute farewell address to the nation and claimed he could have served another four years if he wanted to. Biden, 81, spoke quietly, at times haltingly, and his voice was scratchy as he explained his stunning decision not to seek reelection… The President said he had chosen to ‘pass the torch’ to Vice President Kamala Harris because it was time for ‘younger voices’ and he believed that would ‘unite’ the country and ‘save’ democracy…”

The New York Post wrote on July 24:

“Joe Biden said his farewell to the nation Wednesday night, and it was the same old malarkey… There wasn’t a word about his age, his recent public stumbles [his health and mental acuity] or the pressure from his party. There was no apology and no self-reflection… Instead, Biden sermonized on the importance of character and telling the truth, as if he and his White House hadn’t spent years misleading the public about the president’s capacity to do the job…

“Biden talked about what he still wants to do, but not how this old man, slurring his cliches for 13 minutes off a TelePrompter, is supposed to do it… If you watched looking for a warm endorsement of Kamala Harris, you didn’t get much. Biden gave her a generic shout-out that said nothing about what she actually contributed to his administration. But then, what is there to say?…

“Biden rehashed the supposed highlights of his presidency, and insulted the intelligence of his listeners with claims to have defeated crime and secured the border.”

White House Cover-Up Continues

In a related article, the New York Post wrote on July 24:

“White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Biden remains sharp as a tack and ‘absolutely’ could serve another four-year term — stunning journalists at her first briefing since Biden  dropped his re-election campaign over concerns about his mental acuity. ‘Look, he didn’t step down from campaigning or from running because he didn’t believe he can serve in a second term. That is not why,’ Jean-Pierre claimed, to the incredulity of the press corps.

“The press secretary said the 81-year-old president’s decision to drop out Sunday and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, was in the ‘best interest’ of the country and the Democratic Party and that viewers should ‘stay tuned’ for a fuller explanation from Biden in an 8 p.m. Oval Office address on Wednesday. ‘It has nothing to do with his health,’ Jean-Pierre claimed…Asked about allegations that Biden’s inner circle had covered up his cognitive condition, she asserted, ‘it is not a cover-up’…”

Except, Biden did give NO further “explanation” in his speech as to why he resigned.

Kamala Harris a Poor Choice

The Daily Mail wrote on July 21:

Earlier on Sunday a slew of Biden’s allies went on the airwaves to insist the President was not stepping down and would continue his reelection efforts [So who or what convinced him to change his mind so abruptly? This is very strange indeed, as is his tweet half an hour after his initial announcement that he would drop out, to endorse Kamala Harris—even though his wife Jill had allegedly insisted earlier that she would be fully opposed to endorsing Kamala. Some felt First Lady Jill Biden was the only one pushing for her 81-year-old husband to remain on the ballot. If so, who and what changed HER mind?]

“Critics… have attacked [Harris] for poor public speaking skills…  And some polls have shown her less popular even than ailing, ageing, [P]resident Biden, in the vital swing states likely to settle the election. Her opponents argue letting her run would amount to admitting defeat. As a result… challengers to a Harris nomination are bound to come forward… just because Biden backed his No. 2 to take his spot doesn’t mean she automatically will receive the nomination.”

To recall, the New York Post wrote on July 19 about the mounting pressure on Biden to stand down:

“President Biden is digging in his heels and vowing to get ‘back on the campaign trail next week’ despite mounting calls from Democrats to stand down — even reportedly lashing out at his party’s leaders and accusing them of helping Donald Trump get elected in 2016 when they cast him aside to boost Hillary Clinton. Former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer are just three of the powerful Dems who have apparently counseled Biden, 81, to throw in the towel. ‘Can we all just remember for a minute that these same people who are trying to push Joe Biden out are the same people who literally gave us all Donald Trump?’ a source close to Biden scoffed to NBC News.  ‘In 2015, Obama, Pelosi, Schumer pushed Biden aside in favor of Hillary; they were wrong then, and they are wrong now,’ they added…

“The Biden camp clapback comes on the heels of mounting speculation that the president’s own party might be turning on him due to concerns about his mental and physical fitness. Even the president’s family has reportedly discussed what an exit from the campaign trail might look like… Speculation about private family talks, however, was shut down by White House spokesman Andrew Bates

“Biden stepped back from campaigning this week when he tested positive for COVID-19…”

So, something is clearly rotten in the… USA.

Democrats’ Crocodile Tears

The New York Post wrote on July 22:

“After Democratic bigs knifed Joe Biden in the back, wresting the candidacy from his stubborn, locked grip, they rushed to valorize him with effusive praise and glowing political obituaries. They’ve called him a ‘patriot’ and a ‘hero’... the trinity of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer…. especially with the backing of the big-money donor class and Hollywood hotshots… in a calculated campaign to remove the presidentthreatened him with the 25th Amendment in a ‘palace coup’… Behind closed doors, they were likely calling him four-letter words not suitable for a family newspaper…

“The only person who gave it to us straight was the Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania, John Fetterman. ‘Spare me the soaring accolades from people with their fingerprints on the blades in our president’s back,’ [he said]…

“Biden was clearly bullied into submission by party leaders… And our 46th president is no hero…”

Republicans are now demanding that Biden resigns as President, as they demanded before that he discontinues his run for the race. But if he resigns as President, Kamala Harris would take his place. How does this make any sense?

Harris Secures Enough Delegates to Become Democrat Nominee

Breitbart wrote on July 22:

“By Monday night, Harris had the support of at least 2,471 delegates, according to the AP tally of delegates, more than the 1,976 delegates she’ll need to win on a first ballot. No other candidate was named by a delegate contacted by the AP…

“Chairman Rusty Hicks said 75 to 80 percent of the state’s delegation was on a call Monday and expressed unanimous support for Harris. ‘I’ve not heard anyone mentioning or calling for any other candidate,’ Hicks said…  The AP stopped short of calling Harris the presumptive nominee due to the fact that ‘the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats go through with a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago.’

“… the Harris campaign raised ‘$81 million in donations within 24 hours, setting a fundraising record’… more than 888,000 ‘grassroots donors’ had contributed, according to Axios. Out of this number, 60 percent were reported to have been first-time donors during the 2024 presidential election. Another 43,000 people had vowed to make recurring donations to Harris’s campaign.”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 24 that it took Harris only two days to complete her “takeover” of the Democratic Party. 

Kamala Harris… a Far-Left Authoritarian Demagogue?

The New York Post wrote on July 22:

“… at her core, Kamala Harris is a far-left, authoritarian demagogue… Harris’ agenda better resembles Bernie Sanders’, not [Biden’s]…

“In the Senate, Harris championed the farcical $10 trillion Green New Deal… Then, on the campaign trail, she boasted ‘there’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking’… In 2019, she… went so far as to say that she would abolish private health insurance entirely… Harris doesn’t even balk at tax rates of up to 80%, even calling the idea ‘fantastic’… She hopped on to the destructive ‘Defund the police’ bandwagon and applauded Los Angeles for cutting its police department’s budget by $150 million… she promised to wield the Department of Justice against pro-lifers… she urged her followers to donate to bail funds for the sick rioters who unleashed hell on America’s cities during the summer of 2020… During her previous campaign, Harris promised, with a wave of her make-believe scepter, to implement a sweeping amnesty program for illegal immigrants…”

Obama Does Not Believe Kamala Harris Can Win

The New York Post wrote on July 24:

“Following President Biden’s shocking exit from the race on Sunday, and his immediate endorsement of the vice president, most of the Democratic elite have been quick to rally behind Harris — but Obama is a notable exception. ‘Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win,’ the Biden family source told The Post. ‘Obama knows she’s just incompetent — the border czar who never visited the border, saying that all migrants should have health insurance. She cannot navigate the landmines that are ahead of her… She can’t debate. She’s going to put her foot in her mouth about Israel, Palestine, Ukraine. She’s going to say something really stupid,’ the source said.

“‘Obama knew this was going to happen, Joe knew this was going to happen. Now she is going to have to answer real questions.’ The White House did not respond to The Post’s request for comment on this story.

“According to the source, Obama’s hope was to get Biden out of the way, and an op-ed written by Geroge Clooney in the New York Times asking him to step aside was a part of that plan. However, the higher-ups in the Democratic Party didn’t count on Biden endorsing Harris right away and ‘Obama was shocked’ when the president endorsed her, according to the insider. Obama is ‘furious’ that things haven’t gone his way, ‘which is why he is not joining in the Democratic Party’s support of Harris,’ the Biden source added.”

However, unconfirmed reports suggest that Obama will endorse Harris shortly, as wavering Pelosi, Schumer and Jeffries have already done in the meantime. 

California—a Train Wreck

Forbes wrote on July 23:

“Another regulatory train wreck is coming in California, which calls itself the Golden State. But California’s governance is pure lead. Never has an area with so much going for it—weather and natural beauty—been so mismanaged by its politicians. The tax and regulatory wounds they inflict are nonstop, which is why businesses and people are fleeing the state. For the first time since it achieved statehood in 1850, California has been losing population.

“Even so, the regulatory wreckers in Sacramento are still going at it. They are scheming to ban diesel-powered locomotives. Older engines would be prohibited by 2029, and longer-distance freight trains would have to be at zero emissions of carbon dioxide by 2035. The battery technology for these train engines doesn’t yet exist. But the once-Golden State’s modern socialists never let reality get in the way of their fantasies.

“Railroads will have to deposit billions of dollars into a special fund, so they’ll someday be able to buy zero-emission locomotives. In other words, money that could be productively employed now will instead sit around unused to buy what may never exist. After all, zero-emission train engines would require batteries up to ten times the size of today’s. Go for smaller such engines? Putting aside their inefficiency, smaller battery locomotives are vulnerable to fires and explosions. 

“Given California’s economic size, these regs would end up banning some two-thirds of the nation’s locomotives from entering the state. California’s socialists know this would be a neat way to coerce the rest of the country to follow what California is doing… This whole exercise is dangerous. It makes trains and trucks more prone to accidents. It’s a massive waste of money that the private sector could otherwise use to enhance our standard of living.

“When it comes to transportation, California has demonstrated a unique ineptitude with its project to build a 463-mile high-speed rail system between San Francisco and Los Angeles… It’s a decade behind schedule, and the estimated cost has vaulted from $35 billion to $135 billion and climbing. Only one-fourth of the system’s length is under construction, with the route having been repeatedly altered for political reasons…”

Secret Service Director Cheatle Resigns

Fox News reported on July 23:

“U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday in the wake of mounting pressure following the assassination attempt on former President Trump… Cheatle wrote in a letter to the agency, ‘On July 13th, we fell short on that mission [to protect ‘our nation’s leaders’]… As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse,’ she wrote…

“House Republicans [and Democrats]… had been calling on Cheatle to resign, calling her and the agency under her watch ‘the face of incompetence’…  But Cheatle had defied those calls for days, maintaining she would not tender her resignation…”

Not unlike Biden.

NBC added:

“The Secret Service did not extend its security perimeter for the rally to include the complex that included that building, instead leaving it up to local law-enforcement officials to secure that area. Secret Service agents also allowed Trump to take the stage and begin speaking after receiving a report from local police that a suspicious person had been seen at the event. That person ended up being Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service sniper after he filed multiple rounds at Trump…

“This past weekend, the Secret Service admitted that on the heels of the shooting it had incorrectly stated that the agency had not rejected requests from Trump’s campaign for enhanced security for him. The shooting, the most serious assassination attempt against a U.S. president in more than 40 years, came after the Secret Service was informed of intelligence that Trump was the target of an Iranian assassination plot

“The Secret Service in recent years has been the target of criticism for a series of scandals and missteps.”

Some commentators have been asking: Was this only mere incompetency, negligence or oversight by the Secret Service, or was there more involved? Another question which is being raised is: Did the 20-year-old Crooks really work alone?

Spahn Criticizes Scholz For His Behavior Towards Trump

t-online wrote on July 19 (before Biden announced that he would stand down):

“On the occasion of the Republican Party Congress in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, CDU parliamentary group vice-president Jens Spahn accused the traffic light coalition of not adequately preparing for a possible new term in office for Donald Trump… He particularly criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who continues to show his open support for the current American President Joe Biden, despite his declining re-election chances.

“Spahn emphasized the need for the federal government to maintain discussions with both political parties in the USA. He particularly criticized the Chancellor’s strong focus on Biden as a risky strategy. ‘That’s irresponsible,’ said Spahn…

“After the assassination attempt on Trump, several heads of government, including from Canada and Great Britain [as well as from China], contacted him. According to Spahn, it was unclear whether Scholz was one of these. However, he emphasized the importance of personal relationships and statements favorable to Trump, and that he would be aware of who would come forward after such an incident and who would not.

Spahn: Trump Wasn’t That Bad

Bild Online wrote on July 18:

“Spahn makes it clear that he is not a Trump supporter. But he refuses to demonize the Republican. His surprising confession: ‘Trump’s Iran policy was right, ours was wrong,’ says Spahn. Because: Germany stuck to the nuclear agreement for a long time, which was intended to prevent an Iranian atomic bomb, but at the same time poured billions into the mullahs’ war chest – and allowed them to finance terrorist groups throughout the Middle East. Trump was different: He torpedoed the agreement and then had Iran’s most important terrorist general, Qasem Soleimani, eliminated.

“Instead, Spahn praises the Trump administration that focused on peace agreements between Arab states and Israel and made the historic Abraham Accords possible. Germany, which had long spoken of peace in the Middle East, was not even involved. Spahn’s conclusion: ‘It wasn’t that bad compared to what the President (Barack Obama) did before..”

All of these European leaders who kept defending Biden’s health in spite of the evidence to the contrary, might have to make a quick U-turn. But will they?

There Was No “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated”

Apollo News wrote on July 23rd:

“As leaked documents from the RKI [Robert Koch Institute] reveal, the authority knew as early as the beginning of November 2021 that the ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ did not correspond to the technical facts. However, for political reasons, they persisted in spreading this lie.

“The journalist Aya Velazquez managed to publish the unredacted and uncensored minutes of the RKI crisis team. The documents were leaked to her by an informant who worked or is working for the RKI… The authority, which is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Health, had previously prevented the unredacted release of the protocols.

“As these documents now show, among other things, a ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ never took place. The minutes from November 5, 2021 say: ‘The media is talking about a pandemic among the unvaccinated. From a technical point of view, this is not correct’… On that day at the RKI, people also asked themselves: ‘Should this be taken up in communication?’

“But the answer to this is clear. You don’t want to reveal the truth. After all, the thesis of the ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ is an ‘appeal to everyone who has not been vaccinated to get vaccinated.’ Furthermore, the document goes on to say, the ‘minister speaks at every press conference, presumably consciously’ about the ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’. Therefore, this position ‘cannot be corrected’. By the way, the Federal Minister of Health at that time was not Karl Lauterbach, but Jens Spahn.

“… In the second half of 2021, the debate about and measures against unvaccinated people radicalized dramatically. The alleged ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ was repeatedly cited as the reason for this. Stricter 3G rules came into force on August 23. [vaccinated, recovered and tested; in German: geimpft, genesen and getested] At least the costs for the tests were still borne by the state. From October 11, this changed. According to a new regulation from the Federal Ministry of Health, tests now mostly had to be paid for out of your own pocket. The test results were valid for 24 hours and the prices at the test stations were around 20 euros. But the measures against unvaccinated people were further tightened at a breathtaking pace.

“On November 17, the federal and state governments agreed that a nationwide 2G rule [vaccinated and recovered; in German: geimpft and genesen] should be introduced… The humiliating debate about unvaccinated people reached its climax in November and December 2021. World Medical President Frank-Ulrich spoke of the ‘tyranny of the unvaccinated’ on November 7, 2021… On December 3, 2021, Sarah Bosetti compared the unvaccinated people to an ‘appendix’ that is not ‘essential for the survival of the entire complex’. The reason for this agitation and the coercive measures was the talk of the ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ which—as the RKI already knew on November 5, 2021 – never existed.” 

Germany’s Mask Scandal

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 24:

“Germany’s government has received some bad news at a time of tricky budget negotiations.

“The Higher Regional Court in Cologne has ruled in favor of a supplier of protective face masks, which the Federal Health Ministry [under Jens Spahn] ordered in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but later refused to accept or pay for. The judges ruled that the ministry should pay €85 million ($92 million), plus €33 million in default interest

“The ruling may well have a knock-on effect, as another 100 similar lawsuits are pending in court. If the Health Ministry is defeated in these cases, it could face a record loss of €2.3 billion in total. The mask purchases are already considered one of the biggest tax wastage scandals in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany….

“The Health Ministry’s calculation was that with 5 million health care workers needing two masks a day, more than 3 billion masks would be needed each year. However, in the end, only 1.7 billion of the ordered masks were distributed. As early as 2023, 1.2 billion protective masks were destroyed because their expiry date had passed.”

German Confrontation with Trump in Clear Sight

Mish Talk wrote on July 18:

“Two-and-a-half years after Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to overhaul Germany’s military, his government’s proposed budget for 2025 calls for only a modest increase in defense spending… Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense minister, had asked for an increase of 6.7 billion, or $7.3 billion, over the 52 billion euros, or nearly $57 billion, in this year’s budget. He was given only 1.2 billion. The shortfall deepened concerns that Mr. Scholz’s unpopular government lacks the will or political backing to push Germans to overcome their historical reluctance to take the lead militarily since the calamity of World War II. The budget, which has to pass Parliament before being adopted, also proposes that Germany cut its military aid to Ukraine by half in 2025.

“Mr. Trump has repeatedly complained about the European allies not paying their fair share in the NATO alliance… Senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s Vice President running mate, is an open critic of aid to Ukraine. Trump won’t care much about the cut to Ukraine other than to welcome it. But expect an immediate confrontation over Germany’s military spending and contribution to NATO… Germany can afford to spend more and pledged to do more, yet refuses to do so… Expect fireworks because they are coming. And those defense spending fireworks will be on top of tariff fireworks.”

Worldwide Internet Chaos…

The Sun wrote on July 19:

“SUMMER holidays have been ruined with thousands of flights cancelled as Microsoft’s meltdown sparked chaos world wide. In what has been branded the ‘largest IT outage in history’, major airport, airline, railway and supermarket services across the globe have been crippled by the CrowdStrike issue.

“More than 100 planes had to be grounded in the UK because of the Microsoft outage, while over 3,300 were cancelled globally. Television channels, banks, GPs and supermarkets around the world have been rocked by the chaos. Shops in Australia either had to shut down or go cash only after digital checkouts stopped working. In the US, emergency services lines went down in Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Ohio.

“Experts have warned that yesterday’s disaster highlights how reliant modern society is on technology and how vulnerable it is to glitches. The ‘blue screen of death’ on many Microsoft Windows computers was caused by a software update from a US cyber security firm called CrowdStrike…  CrowdStrike, valued at over $80 billion before yesterday’s crisis, counts 29,000 companies as customers including schools, hospitals, supermarkets, airlines and banks…

“It comes as Sky News was also this morning knocked off the air completely…

“Stephanie Thomson, heading home to Dallas, Texas, from the [Edinburgh] airport told the PA news agency: ‘It was supposed to leave at 9.25am and change in Heathrow at 11am and we were supposed to get into Dallas later today. ‘We couldn’t get an answer from anybody. British Airways kept hanging up saying we have too many calls right now. ‘I was on hold with American (Airlines) for about an hour and 10 minutes before I finally hung up. ‘We just paid $6,800 for a one-way trip home, hopefully leaving tonight. I didn’t know what else to do. I just wanted something to get us home.’

“Customers trying to access their banks this morning have also found they are locked out due to the IT problem… Meanwhile, airborne flights are set to remain circling in airspace above until the issue has been resolved…

“In worrying reports, emergency service lines in the United States are understood to be affected. There have been claims that 911 emergency lines are down in several states including Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio and Alaska…”

It Will Happen Again!

The New York Post wrote on July 19:

“When CrowdStrike CEO (soon to be ex-CEO) George Kurtz said Friday morning that ‘this is not a security incident or cyber attack,’ you should not have been reassured. This was hours after an update to their antivirus software had caused well over a billion Windows computers to cease to function completely, taking out crucial services at hospitals, airports, city services, and everything from jails to subways. As these systems visibly collapsed on Friday into Windows ‘blue screens of death,’ they did so not from malicious actors, but from small, ordinary human error. And the failure is massive: over a billion computers now need individual attention, since there’s no longer a way to communicate with any of these computers remotely. ‘A fix has been deployed,’ Kurtz said, neglecting to mention that the broken computers are not able to receive that fix. The damage will likely be far greater than it seems right now.

“Even now, many hours after the initial failures, there is no clear agreement on how it happened or where oversight had been or should have been — nor even how best to fix it. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of widescale internet outages, whether from Amazon’s cloud platform collapsing, misconfigurations in fundamental network infrastructure, or actual hardware.

“The CrowdStrike outage was worse than any of these because it didn’t just hit the backbone of the internet, but individual endpoint computers, knocking out crucial services not just from a central failure, but by taking down everything it touches.

“It is also not an anomaly. Lawmakers and tech mavens will make much of the oversights that caused this disaster, but there will be less talk of the more difficult problem: its inevitability. No matter what steps are taken, at the end of the day this sort of mistake only has to happen a single time to cause a catastrophe. Yet in a hyper-networked world like ours, the number of possible catastrophes are so great that we cannot hope to anticipate and protect against them all

“Twenty years ago, the internet was a mishmash of competing and barely compatible standards and providers. As giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft dominate and standardize the practices, they only bind these systems more tightly together. Friday’s outage ‘only’ affected Windows computers, but that is cold comfort when they make up a majority of desktops and servers in the world today… While individual actors and negligent companies may be punished or fined, no one will walk away from this feeling safe that it won’t happen again — because it will… The next CrowdStrike is coming…”

Trump and Zelensky Speak About Peace Plan

Breitbart wrote on July 20:

Former President Donald Trump said Friday he had spoken by telephone with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and vowed to end the war with Russia... Mr Trump said that he had a ‘very good phone call’ with President Zelensky, in which the Ukrainian leader congratulated the former president for once again becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States and condemned the ‘heinous assassination attempt’ on his life last Saturday. ‘I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families,’ Mr Trump wrote. ‘Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.’

“The Ukrainian president confirmed the phone call with the frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race… ‘We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting,’ Zelensky said in a post on X… ‘Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day…’

“Prior to the phone call, Zelensky said this week that he would ‘work’ together with Trump if he wins the White House in November…

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán released a letter detailing his assessment of the current state of play and his recommendations for the European Union going forward. The Hungarian PM warned that there is a growing feeling that the ‘intensity of the military conflict will radically escalate in the near future… I personally witnessed that the warring parties are determined to involve themselves deeper into the conflict, and neither of them would like to make initiatives for a ceasefire or peace negotiations. Therefore we can assume that tensions will not decrease and the parties will not start searching for a way out of the conflict without significant external involvement.’

“Orbán said that President Trump, whom he said will likely win the election in November, will ‘be ready to act as a peace broker immediately’ after his victory and will not wait until his inauguration, adding: ‘He has detailed and well-founded plans for this.’ Therefore, he argued that the EU should begin to shift its strategy from copying the ‘pro-war policy’ of the Biden administration to making an ‘effort to decrease tensions and/or create the conditions for a temporary ceasefire and/or start peace negotiations.’”

Von Der Leyen Attacks the Right

The European Conservative wrote on July 18:

“In her final pitch before the vote on Thursday in front of the European Parliament’s plenary, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made it clear once again where her priorities lie by attacking right-wing sovereigntist and Eurosceptic forces that she claims threaten the ‘European way of life,’ whatever that often-repeated but intentionally vague term might entail… Implying that the sovereigntist parties in the Patriots group are ‘anti-democratic’ is ironic, given that they are the third-largest bloc in the European Parliament with a stronger democratic mandate than the Liberals and the Greens, two of von der Leyen’s leftist coalition partners. 

“Instead, what’s truly undemocratic is to deny such a force its fair representation among the Parliament’s top positions as the EU’s internal rules would have it, but it seems von der Leyen is even proud of this cordon sanitaire that takes away the voice of sixty million Europeans.

“The Commission president also took a cynical jab at Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, who recently went on a tour to meet relevant leaders on both sides of the Ukrainian conflict… ‘This so-called ‘peace mission’ was nothing but an appeasement mission,’ von der Leyen declared, promising to keep supporting Ukraine as long as it takes, without considering any compromise. Never mind that Europeans in most member states are way more likely to agree with Orban and expect the EU to press for a ceasefire as well, nor that Kyiv itself is also becoming increasingly open to dialogue with Moscow.

“Otherwise, von der Leyen’s program for the next five years is just as one would expect from a center-left grand coalition. She recommitted to the Green Deal and all its ambitious climate policies and decarbonization goals which brought half of Europe’s farmers onto the streets these past months… as well as focusing on renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, without even mentioning nuclear.

“Von der Leyen also pledged to recommit to her other flagship policy package, the Migration Pact, praising it as the product of a brilliant pan-European compromise, when in reality, the opposite is true. ‘Many pessimists thought that migration was too divisive to agree on. But we proved them wrong. Together we made it,’ she said, forgetting that only 20 out of the 27 member states endorsed the final package in the end, and those opposing it were stripped of their veto to stop it.”

Von der Leyen was of course reelected.

EU Parliament Refuses to DEBATE, Let Alone Condemn Assassination Attempt on Trump!!!

Politico wrote on July 17:

“The European Parliament rejected a far-right proposal to discuss the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and rising political violence. The Patriots for Europe group requested a debate on the Trump shooting and called for a resolution condemning the violence. The proposal was rejected with 337 votes against, 119 in favor and 15 abstentions. Another far-right group, Europe of Sovereign Nations, voted in favor, as did the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists group, which contains the members of European Parliament belonging to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, the Brothers of Italy.

“‘Today in the European Parliament the Patriots for Europe proposed to have a debate on the assassination attempt against former US President Donald Trump and the rise of political violence in Europe, but the traditional groups rejected this,’ the Patriots group wrote in a post on social media. Patriots for Europe was formed last month and is the European Parliament’s third-largest group. It is home to MEPs belonging to the parties of Viktor Orbán and Marine Le Pen [as well as Austria’s FPO].

The center-right European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists and Democrats, liberal Renew Europe, the Greens, and The Left all voted against debating the attempted assassination. It is normal for these groups to reject debate proposals from far-right forces, as part of the so-called cordon sanitaire that keeps them out of the policymaking loop. ‘We will not give a platform to enemies of democracy, we believe a cordon sanitaire is necessary for all far-right groups in Parliament to prevent them from making anti-democratic positions mainstream,’ The Left’s group co-chair Martin Schirdewan told POLITICO. ‘We had an agreement among political groups not to add any debate to this plenary beyond support to Ukraine,’ an EPP spokesperson told POLITICO.

“‘The left-liberal majority of the European Parliament … does not want to condemn the assassination attempt against Donald Trump,’ the group’s first Vice President Kinga Gál, an MEP for Orbán’s Fidesz party, wrote on social media after the vote. ‘They refuse to speak out about the violence committed against patriotic politicians.’ Belgian far-right MEP and Patriots member Tom Vandendriessche also voiced outrage over the rejected proposal, calling it ‘hypocrisy.’ ‘The outrage over attacks on democracy seems to be quite selective in the European Parliament,’ he said.”

It surely is. This hypocrisy of the EU Parliament is hard to swallow.  The Left had just before asked for a debate regarding the deaths in the Gaza strip [which the EU likewise rejected.] Trump will most certainly not forget this anti-Democratic behavior of the EU, and its hostile stance towards him personally. 

Trump Supporters, Military and Religious People Are Terrorist Threats?

Life Site News wrote on July 19:

“A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advisory board characterized supporters of former President Donald Trump, as well as those who are in the military and religious people, as posing potential domestic terrorism risks, according to internal documents obtained by America First Legal (AFL). The board, called the ‘Homeland Intelligence Experts Group,’ was created in September 2023 to provide DHS with ‘expert’ analysis on subjects such as terrorism and fentanyl trafficking. The panel included former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan and former CIA Operations Officer Paul Kolbe… all of them ‘signed an October 2020 letter casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Hunter Biden laptop and suggesting its release was a Russian disinformation ploy.’

“Internal documents obtained by AFL show the board characterizing ‘supporters of the former president’ as constituting ‘most of the Domestic Terrorism threat’ in the United States. The documents also classified traits such as having served ‘in the military’ and being ‘religious’ as ‘indicators of extremists and terrorism’…”

Russian Persecution of Journalists Continues

CNN wrote on July 19:

“Evan Gershkovich, [a Wall Street Journal reporter and] the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War, has been found guilty of spying and sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court, in a case that the US government, his newspaper and supporters have denounced as a sham… The speed of the trial has raised questions over whether the Kremlin is intending to use him as part of a prisoner swap deal with the United States, suggestions which spokesman Dmitry Peskov left without comment when asked about them on a Friday conference call ahead of the verdict announcement.

“Gershkovich was arrested while reporting for the WSJ, during a trip to Yekaterinburg in March 2023, and later accused of spying for the CIA. Russian authorities have never offered any public evidence to support their claims.

Within two weeks of his arrest in March 2023, the US State Department designated him as wrongfully detained and called for his immediate release.

“In a statement following Friday’s sentencing, Gershkovich’s employer said: ‘This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist…’

“Journalist advocacy group, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), joined the chorus of criticism, pointing out Russia’s current record as the world’s fourth-worst jailer of journalists, with at least 22 currently behind bars…”

JTA added on July 19:

“Gershkovich, 32, is the American-born son of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union. His case has drawn support from the Jewish community and supporters of democracy and the free press who are pushing for his release. The Jewish Federations of North America called the verdict a ‘sham.’… [This makes him] at least the fifth prominent Jewish writer targeted by Russia for dissenting comments since the outbreak of the current Russia-Ukraine war… “

“Moderate” New President of Iran Sponsors Terrorism

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on July 19:

“Iran’s new president, widely touted in Western media outlets as a ‘moderate’ and ‘reformist,’ has spent the weeks following his election pledging to arm regional terror groups and assembling an international ‘Axis of Resistance’ to threaten America.

“In the two weeks since he rose to the presidency, Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged to continue supporting Hamasprovided Hezbollah assistance to destroy the ‘illegitimate Zionist regime,’ and lobbied for rosier relations with Russia and China as part of the trio’s Axis of Resistance against America… ‘The Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported the resistance of the people in the region against the illegitimate Zionist regime,’ he wrote to Hezbollah’s secretary general on July 8. ‘Supporting the resistance is rooted in the fundamental policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the ideals of the late Imam Khomeini, and the guidance of the Supreme Leader, and will continue with strength.’

“Pezeshkian’s quick embrace of the hardline regime’s policies stands in stark contrast to his portrayal across Western media, particularly in America, where publications including the New York Times, CNN, the Washington PostUSA Today, and the Financial Times touted his victory as a sea change for Tehran

“Pezeshkian’s message to Israel… was clear: The Jewish state ‘remains an apartheid regime to this day, now adding ‘genocide’ to a record already marred by occupation, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, settlement-building, nuclear weapons possession, illegal annexation, and aggression against its neighbors.’…

 “Earlier this week, Pezeshkian held talks with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, signaling that support for Hamas remains at the top of his presidential agenda…”

Houthis Attack Tel Aviv

Firstpost wrote on July 19:

“The Houthis of Yemen have claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Israel’s Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday in which at least one person has died and 10 others have been injured. The Israeli army has said that a falling ‘aerial target’ caused a massive blast. In a statement, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said their ‘UAV force’ attacked ‘one of the important targets in the occupied Jaffa region, what is now called Israeli Tel Aviv.’

“…Houthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles toward Israel throughout the nine-month-long Israel war, in sympathy with Hamas. The rebels have also carried out dozens of attacks against Red Sea shipping in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.”

JTA added on July 19:

“It was the deepest strike into Israeli territory claimed by the Houthis… Israeli authorities said human error prevented civilians from being alerted to the drone.

“The drone exploded in the air, according to police at the scene, and shrapnel from the bomb killed one man and injured several others… Friday’s attack demonstrated that the regional conflicts sparked by the war, involving the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in addition to the Houthis and others, also have the potential of reaching Israel’s population centers.” 

Israel Strikes Back

Breitbart wrote on July 20:

“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday that it had struck the ‘Houthi terrorist regime’ in Yemen for the first time, launching a long-distance airstrike on the Al Hudaydah Port, targeting the origin of a drone that hit Israel Friday…

“Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who monitored the attack together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Israeli Air Force (IAF) headquarters, said… that the ‘fires that are burning now in Hudaydah’ are being seen in ‘the entire Middle East,’ a warning to enemies of Israel. Iran is roughly the same distance away from Israel as Yemen.

According to a press briefing by IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Saturday evening, the attack was carried out by fighter jets, not remotely, with pilots flying 1,700 kilometers and returning home safely. Hagari said that Israel did not want a war with Yemen as a whole: ‘Yemen is a big country. Only a part of it is run by the Houthis.’ He emphasized that the target was the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist regime, not the people of Yemen… The attack was carried out solely by Israeli forces, Hagari said, though the U.S. and other allies were reportedly informed afterwards.

“Israel’s Army Radio said that Israel had destroyed both military targets and utilities that are used by the Houthis, such as fuel and electricity installations. The Times of Israel added that one of the goals of the attack was to disable the port through which Iran brings in weapons. Israel’s security cabinet held an unusual emergency meeting on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, during the attack.

“The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked Israel, without provocation, since the Hamas terror attacks of October 7… There were over 200 Houthi attacks on Israel before Friday, and Israel did not respond to any of them, under pressure from the U.S…”

ICJ Rules Against Israel

The Associated Press wrote on July 19:

“The top U.N. court ruled Friday that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian occupied territories is ‘unlawful’ and called on it to end, pointing to the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and east Jerusalem, its annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands and discriminatory policies against Palestinians.

“The International Court of Justice was issuing a non-binding opinion on the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, and the ruling is likely to have more effect on international opinion than it will on Israeli policies. The court’s panel of 15 judges from around the world said Israel has abused its status as the occupying power in the West Bank and east Jerusalem by carrying out policies of annexing territory, imposing permanent control and building settlements. It said Israel must end settlement construction immediately….”

The Times of Israel added on July 19:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, numerous cabinet ministers as well as settler leaders roundly denounced the ruling, with some calling for the immediate formal annexation of the West Bank in response… ‘The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land — not in our eternal capital Jerusalem, not in the land of our ancestors in Judea and Samaria,’ Netanyahu said, using the biblical names for the West Bank. ‘No false decision in The Hague will distort this historical truth, just as the legality of Israeli settlement in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested.’”

Several countries do not recognize the legitimacy of the International Court of Justice, including China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the USA. The ICJ is different from the International Criminal Court [ICC] which is rejected by over 60 countries, including Israel and the USA.

Netanyahu Meets With Evangelicals

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met… with evangelical Christian leaders on Tuesday evening as part of his visit to the U.S. In a statement, the Israeli Government Press Office said:

“‘The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation to the community leaders for their strong and constant support of Israel but especially in these complicated times. Prime Minister Netanyahu heard from them about their prayers for the return of the hostages, the wellbeing of the soldiers and the security of the State of Israel. The Prime Minister also thanked the evangelicals for their vigorous activity among the community’s young people to encourage continued support for Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu added that he is well aware of their deep commitment to Israel and how strong their support is for the truth and our common values.

Netanyahu is set to address Congress on Wednesday afternoon, before meetings with President Joe Biden and (separately, and privately) Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. On Friday, he will travel to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president.”

Biblical prophecy reveals that a third temple will be built in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return. It has been suggested by some that evangelical Christians will participate in some way in the building of the Temple.

Netanyahu Speaks to US Congress

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful speech to a special joint session of Congress on Wednesday… He recalled the many attacks by Iran and its proxies against Americans, and noted Iran’s intent to target America after controlling the Middle East. In defending itself, he said, Israel was defending the United States as well… He rebuked anti-Israel protesters, alluding to the thousands who had gathered outside the Capitol, noting that they stood with Hamas and with ‘evil,’ and noting that they often attacked the U.S. and American symbols…

“Netanyahu thanked Biden… for building… an alliance in the Red Sea in his efforts to thwart the Houthis… The prime minister then offered effusive praise for former President Donald Trump and his support for Israel, including moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and forging the Abraham Accords. Netanyahu’s praise for Trump was notably much longer than his praise for President Biden…

“The speech, described by pundits afterwards as ‘masterful,’ was extremely well-received, with many standing ovations — including from supporters of Israel like Elon Musk, who joined spectators in the gallery…”

Netanyahu also said he had a message for the protesters: “You have officially become Iran’s useful idiots.”

NBC News added on July 24:

“[Kamala] Harris, who as president of the Senate would normally preside over such an address, did not attend the speech. Neither did several other prominent Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, of Illinois, the No. 2 leader. Retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., an Orthodox Jew and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, presided over the address instead… Johnson said Tuesday that it was ‘inexcusable’ that Harris was skipping Netanyahu’s speech and that she should be ‘held accountable’ for it.”

In fact, about half of House and Senate Democrats boycotted and skipped the speech.

Nancy Pelosi sharply criticized the speech, saying it “was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

This Week in the News

Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump

Daily Mail wrote on July 14:

“A 20-year-old gunman opened fire at ex-President Donald Trump on Saturday in what is being dubbed the most serious attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate since 1981. Thomas Matthew Crooks, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was identified as the shooter by the FBI following the shocking incident that took place during a rally in Butler. It has since emerged through federal campaign finance records that the gunman was a registered Republican  who had previously made a $15 donation to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on January 20, 2021 –  Biden’s Inauguration Day… Crooks had no criminal history…  Crooks appeared to have graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, and received a $500 ‘star award’ that year from the National Math and Science Initiative…

“On Saturday, Crooks opened fire from the rooftop 150 yards from where Trump was on stage addressing thousands of fans in Butler at 6:15pm. Footage of the moment shows Trump suddenly grabbing his ear as blood poured down his face after at least eight shots were fired in his direction… But in a show of strength, Trump emerged from the cover of the suited agents and raised a fist, shouting ‘Fight, fight, fight,’ before he was ushered away from the chaotic scenes and sent to a hospital.

“Crooks had killed a member of the crowd and critically injured two others before he was gunned down by the Secret Service… Images show at least four members of law enforcement surrounding the bloody gunman and the AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle he used on the roof, while they point their guns towards his body…

“Current President Joe Biden also took to X following the attack to condemn the assassination attempt, and it has since been confirmed that he has spoken with Trump following the shooting… Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: ‘It is a miracle that Donald Trump escaped an attempted assassination’…

“Speaking out for the first time following the assassination attempt, Trump thanked law enforcement officers and the Secret Service for their ‘rapid response’. He added: ‘Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country.’”

Grave Security Lapse?

The Sun wrote on July 14 in several articles:

“Due to the assassination attempt, President Biden’s campaign team announced they will be pulling the president’s election campaign ads. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also shared his prayers for his competition. ‘Now is the time for every American who loves our country to step back from the division, renounce all violence, and unite in prayer for President Trump and his family,’ Kennedy wrote.

“Speaking to the BBC, eyewitness Greg said he saw a man crawling onto a nearby roof with a rifle as Trump spoke to supporters onstage at the Pennsylvania rally. He said minutes later the man remained in prime position and fired a shocking five times before Secret Service agents ‘blew his head off.’ His first-hand account raises serious doubts about security measures at the rally, as Trump came incredibly close to taking a bullet to the head

“Greg told the BBC… he and a group of friends pointed at the man and told police what they saw. Only minutes later, the man fired around five bullets at Trump. Greg said: ‘We’re pointing at him, the police are down there running around on the ground – we’re like ‘hey man there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle’ and the police did not know what was going on.’”

NBC News reported on July 14: 

“The assassination attempt… appeared to be the result of a grave lapse, perhaps the biggest since President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded outside a Washington hotel in 1981.”

 Breitbart wrote on July 14:

“Political commentator and former New York Police Department officer John Cardillo posted on X, ‘This looks really bad. This looks like the counter sniper team had eyes on the shooter, let him fire first, then returned fire.’ Even the FBI is questioning how the Secret Service allowed the shooter to fire off several rounds…”

The New York Post wrote on July 14:

“Former FBI Director Chris Swecker… said, “If there had been a second shooter, there would have been plenty of opportunity to take him out again, so this breaks every rule of the Secret Service protocol… The security at the rally was a ‘breakdown from start to finish,’ Swecker said… ‘I don’t want to issue harsh judgments, but it was definitely a security breakdown,’ he said.”

WPXI wrote on July 15:

“Channel 11 News uncovered dramatic new details Monday in the moments leading up to the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. According to multiple law enforcement sources, Thomas Crooks was spotted by law enforcement on a roof nearly 30 minutes before shots were fired that injured Trump, killed a former fire chief and injured two others in the crowd.”

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

“A retired sniper from a team that once held the world record for longest confirmed kill said he has ‘no doubts’ that Trump rally gunman… had help from ‘an agency, an organization, or the government’ during Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.”

Local Officer Retreats Just Before Assassin Shoots

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials… The officials also told AP that bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks’ vehicle, and bomb-making materials were found at his home.”

The New York Post added on July 15:

“The Secret Service blamed local police for failing to secure the rooftop from which gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate… Trump insisting it was outside the perimeter the federal agency was tasked with protecting.”

A weak “defense.”

Jesse Waters and Dr. Ron Paul: Be Skeptical of What You Hear!

Fox News published on July 14 Jesse Water’s monologue on “Jesse Waters Primetime”:

We don’t know if the alleged assassin acted alone or if he was a part of a conspiracy. The FBI is telling us he was a lone actor, but we don’t trust the FBI. We don’t trust the media. All Americans should be skeptical about what they hear. Reagan’s wannabe assassin was a lone wolf. JFK’s assassin wasn’t. He had help, and there was a cover-up. So our job is to be curious. This is the most serious assassination attempt in 40 years. How can a man climb a ladder onto a roof, mount a rifle, and unload eight rounds at a former president from 130 yards?…

“Why didn’t the Secret Service, when they surveyed the site of the rally, account for this building? Why weren’t there counter-snipers on that roof? The Associated Press says a local police officer saw Crooks climb the roof but when he confronted him, Crooks pointed his rifle at him and the officer retreated. And then Crooks opened fire on 45. The FBI is denying that report, which is weird because the FBI never comments on active investigations. Many other people noticed the shooter on the roof. 

“Why did it take eight rounds to ring out before somebody returned fire? Sources tell ‘Primetime’ that the counter-sniper team that neutralized Crooks were Secret Service sharpshooters, but the Washington Post reports that the counter-snipers were local cops. Now, if that’s true, why is the Secret Service relying so heavily on locals?  And why did the counter-snipers who had their rifles trained on this assassin not shoot first?”

Another question would be: Why weren’t drones used to survey the area?

Dr. Ron Paul wrote on July 15 in his weekly column:

“…But what if there was a genuine investigation that actually revealed the truth about what happened at the Trump rally over the weekend? Could we rely on the mainstream media to even report it?… This is the same mainstream media that… now pretends to be shocked that their vile rhetoric ended up in violence. There is a good reason why the mainstream media is regarded by the American public with record levels of contempt

“We shouldn’t count on hearing the truth about the attempted assassination from the mainstream media. No wonder the elites remain determined to censor social media sites like Twitter/X and TikTok. We live in an empire of lies, propped up by the mainstream media. And seeking the truth in this empire of lies is the greatest challenge for us in the moral bankruptcy in which we live.”

How Piers Morgan Sees It

The Sun published on July 14 the following article by Piers Morgan:

“I’d feared this moment for years. There are few more divisive or polarising public figures in the world than Donald Trump, and a lot of people hate him with a dangerous, visceral passion. There is also considerable precedent. Four American presidents have been assassinated, the most recent being John F. Kennedy in 1963. Two more survived assassination attempts, including Ronald Reagan outside a Washington hotel in 1981. 

“So, the threat of a sniper’s bullet is never far away for any occupant of the White House in a country awash with gun violence and increasingly toxic political tensions. Tragically, as many predicted, it was only a matter of time before some deranged lunatic tried to kill Donald Trump…

“Incredibly, Trump cheated death by what must have been an inch at best as the would-be assassin’s bullets whistled past his head. Instead, he suffered just a graze to his ear, and lives, as he shouted, to fight another day.  And thank God for that, as the consequences of him being killed in such an attack don’t bear thinking about.

“I genuinely think America might have tipped into some kind of civil war given how popular Trump is with his many millions of supporters and how convinced they already were, with good reason, that there has been a deliberate attempt by Democrats to weaponise the justice system against him to stop him being re-elected president…

“It was complete madness for President Biden to allow a Democrat attorney-general in New York to bring criminal charges against his predecessor for paying off a porn star, Stormy Daniels, over an alleged one-night stand 18 years ago and then trying to hide it from scrutiny before the 2016 election.  When presidents try to put their political opponents in prison, the country they run becomes a banana republic no better than Russia, North Korea, or corrupt nations in South America.

“And although I don’t want to blame Biden or Democrats for the actions of a mentally disturbed shooter, there is no doubt that the constant ludicrously exaggerated liberal depiction of Trump as ‘the new Hitler’ and their undisguised glee at the prospect of putting him in a jail cell, has played a part in whipping up partisan political rivalry to incredibly dangerous levels

“The Secret Service massively dropped the ball, and senior heads will doubtless roll as a result. But the inevitable impact of this dreadful attack on American democracy is that it will now almost certainly propel Donald Trump back to the White House… Now, he’s literally taken a bullet for his country, and the images of his extraordinary and heroic defiance in the seconds after the shooting will surely compel many more Americans to vote for him in November. The shooter wanted Donald Trump dead, but ironically, has instead cemented his political resurrection.”

Shameful Biden

In a follow-up article, Piers Morgan wrote on July 16 in The New York Post:

“President Biden, during his last rambling incoherent, bad-tempered and often excruciatingly awkward TV interview, was very clear about one thing regarding Donald Trump’s shooting: Don’t blame me, pal! In fact, he looked indignant that the interviewer, NBC’s Lester Holt, would even suggest such a terrible thing.

“It was extraordinarily insightful to watch Biden working so hard to deflect any attention to his own culpability in raising the political temperature to such scarily dangerous levels that someone would try to assassinate his rival four months before the election.

“When asked for his first reaction to the shooting, Biden instantly went on his favorite Trump-bashing greatest-hits rant about January 6, Charlottesville, Nazis, both sides, etc…. Here is the president of the United States declining to even pretend to care that his immediate predecessor, and current rival for the forthcoming election, just came within an inch of being killed…

“To his credit, Holt was having none of it, and pointed out that just days before the shooting, Biden declared Trump an ‘existential threat’ to America and told donors: ‘It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye.’ But even when confronted with his use of such obviously violent language, Biden scurried to avoid any responsibility for his shameful rhetoric. ‘I didn’t say crosshairs!’ he exclaimed, as if that made any tangible difference. They mean the same thing when used about human beings: Making someone a target…”

JD Vance Named Republican Vice Presidential Candidate

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 15:

“Ohio Senator JD Vance has been named as the Republican vice presidential candidate for the November election. In recent days, Vance attracted controversy for his comments on the assassination attempt against Trump.

“‘The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,’ Vance wrote on social media. ‘That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.’”

Within Inches

The New York Post wrote in several related articles on July 13:

“Former President Donald Trump says he ‘felt the bullet ripping through [his] skin’… ‘I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear… I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening’…

“President Biden called the attack ‘sick’ in remarks Saturday night… after the White House took heat for merely calling the shooting an ‘incident’ in initial press statements… ‘However, five days earlier, Biden was heard in a campaign meeting saying, “it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye” with regards to the campaign…

“‘[Trump] came within inches of having his face shot open,’ a senior law enforcement source told The Post.”

The New York Post wrote on July 14:

“Donald Trump slightly turned his head to look at a jumbotron at the same time shots rang out at his Pennsylvania rally Saturday evening – and the split-second move saved his life, an expert says… The small adjustment came right at the moment Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, aimed and shot at the former president’s head, causing the bullet to skim the Republican frontrunner’s ear as opposed to penetrating his skull…

“‘Snipers are typically trained to shoot into the cerebral cortex of the cerebellum at the top of the brain stem,’ Cohen explained to host Trace Gallagher. ‘It incapacitates you, it keeps your hands from moving. …  It’s about the distance of the shot. One hundred thirty yards. That’s a putt. Anyone can put a two, two, three, optic on a target from that distance and hit it. It’s not a difficult shot to make,’ he said. If Trump’s head had been straight when Crooks fired, ‘it would have been lights out,’ Cohen said. ‘The fact that he just happened to be turned this way with that shot coming in is what saved his life,’ the special ops expert said…

“Former FBI Director Chris Swecker agreed with Gilliam’s take and said the attempt on Trump’s life was ‘almost a kill shot.’”

“Pure Luck”?

Bild Online wrote on July 14:

“‘He hit Trump with the first shot. The fact that the ex-president was only hit in the ear was ultimately pure luck,’ says German weapons expert Lars Winkelsdorf (47) after analyzing the video of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump (78) in Butler (Pennsylvania)… ‘Four centimeters further to the right of the shooter’s view, then the bullet would have hit Trump’s skull and the ex-president would probably be dead… You can initially hear three shots. These were very targeted shots, with the first one scoring.

“‘When the shooter notices that the Secret Service men are protecting Trump with a human wall, he switches to rapid wildfire. That then explains the other injured people and the fatality… Trump realized very quickly that he had been shot at – and reacted accordingly, ducking away.

“This suggests that the Secret Service plays out such extreme situations very regularly with the people entrusted to it.”

Pure luck or God’s intervention? Note the next article.

Trump: God Alone Saved Me

Newsmax wrote on July 14:

“Former President Donald Trump on Sunday morning said ‘God alone’ saved him from a would-be assassin’s bullet and said it is ‘more important than ever’ that Americans stand united.”

But will America be united? The next article suggests the opposite.

US in Free Fall?

Vox wrote on July 13:

“America is not ready for what comes next… The United States is an extraordinary country: the wealthiest and most powerful ever to exist in human history. But it is riven by what might be its greatest internal divisions since the Civil War.

“The gravity of that particular comparison should underscore both the dangers here and the uncertainty. A gunman’s bullet has just sent the country hurtling into an abyss. The only question now is how far we fall.”

Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents Case Against Trump Dismissed!

NBC News reported on July 15:

“The Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents trial dismissed the case against the former President Monday on the grounds that the appointment of and funding for special counsel Jack Smith was illegal.

“U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, said in her 93-page decision that Smith’s appointment was ‘unlawful’ and unconditional. ‘The clerk is directed to close this case,’ the judge wrote… Trump praised the ruling… and said other criminal cases against him should be tossed as well…

“Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as special counsel in November 2022… Trump’s lawyers argued in court papers filed in February that the appointments clause of the Constitution ‘does not permit the Attorney General to appoint, without Senate confirmation, a private citizen and like-minded political ally to wield the prosecutorial power of the United States. As such, Jack Smith lacks the authority to prosecute this action’

“Smith will be able to appeal this dismissal to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. That court will certainly hear the case and likely hold oral arguments. However, even if it were to be heard on an expedited basis, and even if the appeals court were to overturn Cannon’s ruling, Monday’s ruling all but guarantees the classified documents case could not go to trial before the election.”

Deutsche Welle wrote: “A major legal victory for Trump.”

Orban Visits Trump

Breitbart wrote on July 12:

“Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban flew direct from the NATO summit in Washington, DC, late Thursday night to meet with former President Donald Trump at his Florida compound Mar-a-Lago. The pair convened at Trump’s beachside facility and shared a photo of the moment on social media. The caption said: ‘We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it!’ On his own Truth Social media site, Trump posted: ‘Thank you Viktor. There must be PEACE, and quickly.’

“The Hungarian leader… expressed hopes the Republican will be able to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine through diplomacy as opposed to further bloodshed. The European Union’s longest-serving leader has long held close ties to Trump and other conservative Republicans, and expressed his belief a new Trump presidency remains the ‘only serious chance’ for an end to the war in Ukraine…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 11:

“Orban, who is widely considered to have the warmest relations with the Kremlin among all EU leaders, made an unannounced visit to Kyiv last week, where he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting a truce. Some observers interpreted the visit as a sign that Hungary… might be taking steps toward the pro-Ukraine stance of the EU mainstream. But instead, days later, Orban made an unannounced trip to Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The trip drew condemnation from Kyiv and other European capitals.

“Orban then flew to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jimping. He described China as a stabilizing force amid global turmoil and praised its ‘constructive and important’ peace initiatives. At a NATO summit this week in Washington, leaders condemned China’s role in ‘enabling’ Russia to maintain its war against Ukraine… Less than two weeks into the six-month term in the rotating EU presidency, Orban has already caused damage, the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday.”

To visit Zelenskyy is fine, but to visit Putin and Xi and Trump is not? What European hypocrisy! Note the next article.

Hungary Stands Alone

ntv wrote on July 12:

“At the conclusion of the alliance summit in Washington, the Hungarian government accused the NATO partners of double standards and failure in dealing with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. ‘We will continue to advocate for dialogue and diplomatic channels, as the current strategy of the last two and a half years has been a total failure,’ Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a spokesman. Szijjártó represented Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who left the summit early to meet former US President Donald Trump in Florida.

“Specifically, Szijjártó criticized the fact that it was inconsistent that NATO rejected dialogue with Russia while Israel was pressured to negotiate with Hamas. ‘They want Israel to negotiate with a terrorist organization to resolve a security crisis while diplomatic channels are closed to the Ukraine war,’ he said.

“Szijjártó also criticized the fact that pressure is being put on EU countries such as Hungary to end nuclear cooperation with Russia, while trade between the USA and Russia, especially in the field of uranium, is increasing. He also asked whether there might be secret negotiations. Regarding Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, Szijjártó said that the country’s membership could weaken the alliance from a Hungarian perspective. It is therefore important to check membership carefully.

“After the summit, meeting participants said that Hungary was isolated during the discussion. ‘Several allies have also made it clear that they do not agree with the Hungarian Foreign Minister’s statements.’”

But these statements were very noteworthy and to the point.

Renegotiating the Brexit Deal?

Daily Mail wrote on July 11:

“Joe Biden urges Keir Starmer to get ‘closer with Europe’ as they hold first talks in White House amid Brexit renegotiation push… The US president described the UK as the ‘transatlantic knot’ binding the two continents…

“Sir Keir has vowed to renegotiate the  Brexit deal, with concerns that he could make concessions such as paying into Brussels budgets – although he has insisted Britain will not rejoin the customs union or single market. At the start of the meeting, the President said: ‘I kind of see you guys as the knot tying the transatlantic alliance together, the closer you are with Europe…’”

The UK wants a close and friendly relationship with Europe and especially Germany, but it will not happen.

Biden Under Attack

The Huffington Post wrote on July 11:

“Barely two hours after mixing up Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in public remarks, President Joe Biden mixed up his own vice president, Kamala Harris, with his coup-attempting predecessor, Donald Trump,  at a high-stakes news conference Thursday evening ― a gaffe likely to exacerbate concerns about his ability to beat Trump in November…

“Biden went on to suffer several smaller verbal stumbles. He told reporters gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center that he follows the ‘advice of his commander in chief’ before correcting himself to say ‘chief of staff.’ Referring to the June jobs report… he said he just created ‘2,000’ jobs when he meant 200,000… Biden and Democrats have until mid-August to decide whether they will stick with him or choose a different nominee at their party’s convention in Chicago.”

Biden’s gaffes are really embarrassing and intolerable, but are they enough to get him out of the race?

European Leaders Defend Biden While European Media Dismisses Him

Reuters wrote on July 12:

“European leaders defended U.S. President Joe Biden after a number of gaffes during a NATO summit while the continent’s media took them as further evidence he was not fit to defeat Donald Trump in November’s presidential election… Britain’s Daily Telegraph… concluded that ‘Biden looks finished.’ ‘Slips of tongue happen, and if you always monitor everyone, you will find enough of them,’ German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said when asked by reporters about Biden confusing Zelenskiy with Putin. The sentiment was echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

“Newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking before Biden’s gaffes, said he and the president were able to address a number of issues ‘at pace’ during their first meeting. ‘He was actually on really good form, and mentally agile – absolutely across all the detail,’ Starmer told the BBC. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Biden looked ‘well’ and that he attended all summit sessions, unlike other leaders. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was less effusive but praised Biden’s organisation of ‘a very good summit’…

“Other European politicians were less forgiving. Geert Wilders, whose far-right party won the Netherlands’ last election, made fun of Biden, posting a photo of Zelenskiy and Harris on X under the title: ‘President Putin meets Vice President Trump’…

“A post-summit press conference failed to convince European media that Biden can rebuild confidence in his mental acuity. ‘This was Joe Biden’s chance to win over doubters. He blew it,’ said a Times of London headline, while Italy’s Il Giornale concluded it was the ‘end of the road for Biden’. Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung described Biden’s closing press conference as a ‘humiliation … To put it harshly: The dignity of the office holder has been irreversibly tarnished.’

“Britain’s Guardian newspaper agreed, describing the press conference as ‘painful to watch’ and ‘politics as bloodsport.’ Switzerland’s Neue Zuercher Zeitung daily concluded that the only chance the Democrats had of defeating the Republican Trump in November was for Biden to withdraw from the race. ‘An old man flexing his political muscles and raising his brittle voice does not come across as powerful…This president is not fit for a second term,’ the Zurich newspaper wrote.”

European politicians defend Biden because they are afraid of Trump. Trump won’t forget that.

“As Soon as the Teleprompter Was Turned Off”

The Independent wrote on July 12:

“The trouble began as soon as the teleprompter was turned off. Just two weeks after a disastrous debate plunged his campaign into chaos, and with heavy hitters in his own party refusing to publicly support him, Joe Biden’s performance needed to be flawless. But in his first answer, to the first question, at his first open press conference in eight months, he confused his running-mate, Kamala Harris, with his mortal enemy, Donald Trump. ‘I wouldn’t have picked vice president Trump to be vice president if I didn’t think she was qualified to be president,’ he said, without correcting himself.

“That might not have drawn so much attention if he hadn’t confused president Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine with his mortal enemy,  Russian president Vladimir Putin, just hours earlier. On the scale of presidential gaffes, they landed somewhere between George H. W. Bush vomiting in the Japanese prime minister’s lap at a banquet and a break-in at the Watergate Hotel.

“… His answers to simple questions were often rambling and trailed off. He would catch himself sometimes, ending a sentence abruptly with the word ‘anyway…’ Even on the occasions when he offered substantive answers, they seemed to last so long that the question was a distant memory…

“Biden has spent much of his presidency hiding from the full glare of the media. He has held fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents at the same point in their terms. His last solo press conference, at which he took five questions from reporters, was eight months ago…”

The mass media has protected him. Now they turn against him. Note the next articles about the media’s hypocrisy.

How America Has Been Lied To

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 10:

 “The Editor at Large for the Wall Street Journal, Gerry Baker, says, ‘We’ve been “gaslit’ and deceived” – for years – ‘all in the name of ‘democracy’. That deceit ‘collapsed’ with the Presidential debate, Thursday’. Until the world saw the truth … [against] the ‘misinformation’ … the fiction of Mr. Biden’s competence … suggests they [the Democrats] evidently thought they could get away with promoting it. [Yet] by perpetuating that fiction they were also revealing their contempt for the voters and for democracy itself.’

“Baker continues: ‘[Now] it is going horribly wrong. Much of his party has no use for him anymore … in a remarkably cynical act of bait-and-switch, [they are trying to] swap him out for someone more useful to their cause…’

“Emmanuel Todd, the French anthropological historian, [stated:] ‘So when a senior WSJ editor tells us that the “deception and gaslighting” collapsed with the CNN Biden-Trump debate, we should surely pay attention; He is saying the scales finally fell from peoples’ eyes… Of course, Biden’s condition has been long known. So who then has been running affairs; making critical daily decisions about war, peace, the composition of the judiciary and the boundaries of state authority? The WSJ piece gives one answer: ‘Unelected advisers, party hacks, scheming family members and random hangers-on make the critical daily decisions’ on these issues.’

“Seymour Hersh, the well-known investigative journalist reports: ‘Biden’s drift into blankness has been ongoing for months, as he and his foreign policy aides have been urging a ceasefire that will not happen in Gaza whilst continuing to supply the weapons that make a ceasefire less likely. There’s a similar paradox in Ukraine, where Biden has been financing a war that cannot be won – yet refusing to participate in negotiations that could end the slaughter.’

“The reality behind all of this… is that Biden is simply ‘no longer there’ – in terms of understanding the contradictions of the policies he and his foreign policy advisers have been carrying out… In Todd’s words then, decisions are made by a small ‘Washington village’.

“Of course, Jake Sullivan and Blinken sit at the centre of what is called the ‘inter-agency’ view. This is where policy mostly is discussed. It is not coherent…’”

Worse Than Watergate and the Threat to Democracy

Newsmax wrote on July 13:

“Democrat operatives attempting to keep Donald Trump from the White House are the same ones covering for President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, a political scandal of Bidengate that puts ‘Watergate in the shade,’ according to British journalist Andrew Neil… the famed former BBC broadcaster wrote in his Daily Mail column Friday:

“‘It was exposed as such in that fateful TV debate with Trump at the end of last month when Biden suffered a slow-motion car crash from which he has not recovered. Even then the White House lies did not stop. We were told it was just a bad night, that he had a cold, that he was suffering from jet lag. The excuses tumbled out from Team Biden, each one less credible than the last. But something significant had changed: even Jet-Lag Joe’s media cheerleaders no longer believed what they were being told.’

“The 1970s Watergate scandal put forth by former CIA operatives working for The Washington Post infamously led to the resignation of former President Richard Nixon, a Republican. Now, Democrats are working to force Biden out of office…’

“Now that the psyops has been exposed, lying media and spin-doctoring Biden administration officials and Democrats are jumping like rats off a sinking ship – turning the once-adoring media on the president, according to Neil. ‘Asked to choose between White House spin and what they’d seen with their own eyes, even partisan journalists chose their eyes,’ Neil wrote. ‘So did the American people. A huge majority now believes Biden is unfit to run again. A clear majority of registered Democrats agrees…

“‘The Democratic Party strategy to reelect Joe Biden as U.S. President was simple and stark: Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, so it is the constitutional duty of all patriotic Americans to stop him ever returning to the White House… We now know that those closest to President Biden in the White House and at the top of the Democratic National Committee (which is controlled by the White House) have been lying to the American people for months, nay years, about Biden’s fitness to run for a second term…

“‘When those at the heart of government and in control of the governing party are prepared to lie, dissemble and obfuscate to hide the truth from the people — and the plain, unexpurgated truth is that Biden is clearly in no condition to run for, never mind serve, a second term — I think it’s fair to conclude that those doing the lying are at least as big a threat to democracy as Trump.’ American voters now know which side was lying and suggesting Trump is the threat to democracy just no longer can land, according to Neil…”

But again and again, Biden postulates that he will not quit. The next article may give us a clue as to why.

The Catfight Between Kamala and Jill

The Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“When Kamala Harris took to the stage during a Democratic primary debate before the 2020 election and implied that Joe Biden was racist, his wife, Jill’s, response was crystal clear. ‘Go f…yourself,’ the then-future first lady vented, as she allegedly admitted during a conference call with supporters. And the relationship between the two women – that began badly enough during that contentious battle for the presidential nomination – has only gone downhill from there. Now, political insiders have told DailyMail.com that Democratic advisors are struggling to push past the powerful role that Jill Biden’s loathing of Harris, 59, is playing in Joe’s resistance to pass the mantle to his VP…

“According to one former Democrat operative in Jill’s circle, the women’s long-seated animosity is ‘one hundred per cent’ part of Jill’s resistance to having her 81-year-old husband step aside. Because the truth, according to a source who knows the First Couple well, is that Jill’s is now the only voice to which the 46th president listens.  And as far as Jill, 73, is concerned, the only thing worse than her husband stepping down would be Kamala stepping up to replace him.  The bad blood between the First Lady and the Vice President, a feeling so strong that one source described it as, ‘hatred,’ dates to June 2019, when Kamala was running against Biden and condemned him during a televised debate  for opposing aspects of mandatory busing for school desegregation.

“’Jill holds grudges,’ one Democrat insider revealed. ‘She doesn’t let things go and she has never forgiven Kamala for comments that some took to be allegations of racism.’ According to one insider, that was the reason she never wanted Kamala to be her husband’s number two in the first place.

“They said, ‘Jill was trying to stop Kamala joining the Biden ticket in 2020. She has hated her ever since the school bus thing. But she bit her tongue because Biden boxed himself into a corner by saying he would pick a black woman for his running mate.’

“… according to one well-placed source while the light of public scrutiny is trained on Biden’s mental acuity, the real power behind the throne is Jill… The source told DailyMail.com, ‘Jill has become consumed by the power and prestige of the presidency and what that means to her.’… Jill is ‘absolutely unwavering about Joe staying [in the race] but if he is forced out or opts out, she would be fully opposed to Kamala replacing him.’

“One insider revealed, ‘Kamala never runs competent organizations. Every office, every campaign, devolves into toxicity. And Jill is keenly protective of Joe’s legacy.’”

When some women run a country…

“US President As If Replaced After Mistake: Who Are These Biden?”

Bild Online wrote on July 13:

“The two faces of US President Joe Biden (81)! After the huge blunders with Putin’s breakdown and VP mix-up, US President Joe Biden is undeterred in his election campaign against challenger Donald Trump (78). Despite dwindling support from within his own ranks.

“On Friday, just 24 hours after his misfires at the NATO conference, Biden traveled to the US state of Michigan… At smaller engagements… Biden’s decline was clearly visible. He swallowed words, spoke in a hoarse voice. Biden repeatedly broke off his sentences when it came to details and facts… Even at the official event, Biden had to clear his throat several times and spoke in an unclear voice.

“At the next appointment on the same day, Biden made an appearance at a high school near Detroit… Biden suddenly seemed like a different person! In front of several hundred cheering Democrats, Biden shouted into the crowd: ‘I’m running!’… Biden condemned his opponent Trump as a ‘convicted criminal’. And he warned that Trump wanted to turn the USA into a dictatorship. The room was beside itself! ‘We are behind you!’ shouted the Democrats. His campaign speech – this time with a teleprompter – was SIGNIFICANTLY more aggressive than any previous speech. Biden clenched his fist and reared up at the lectern. The whole nation was watching him: The American press is currently broadcasting almost every appearance live…

“The Democrats are still threatened with a revolt within the party. 19 members of Congress have so far called on the 2024 candidate to withdraw. ‘It’s time for President Biden to pass the torch,’ urged Congressman Mike Levin (45).”

The comments about the “two Biden” and his apparent switched personality, as well as the ecstatic reaction of the crowd at a high school near Detroit, are very interesting.

Biden—A Different Person

 Newsmax wrote on July 17:

“Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told Newsmax on Wednesday that he didn’t know which version of Joe Biden he would get when he met with the president after Republicans gained the majority of the House in 2023. ‘Every time I met with him, it was a different Joe Biden,’ McCarthy [said]… ‘Each meeting was different. I’d have a number of meetings, thinking, … he’s out of it. Then he’d come back and there’d be a meeting he was totally with it. I thought it’d be like a different person.”

Erdogan vs. Israel

ntv wrote on July 12:

“With the start of the Gaza war, relations between Turkey and Israel are deteriorating. Now Ankara is stepping up. Until there is no ‘comprehensive and sustainable peace’, the country also wants to oppose Israel in NATO

“Erdogan described the Islamist Hamas as a ‘liberation organization’ and compared Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.”

The relationship between Turkey and Israel will continue to deteriorate… and especially, when Europe turns against Israel as well.

Biden Criticizes Israel

JTA wrote on July 11:

“President Joe Biden said Israel had been ‘less than cooperative’ with the United States in its efforts to deliver assistance to Palestinian civilians… ‘I met with most of the Arab leaders to try and get a consensus going as to what had to be done to get more aid and food and medicine into the Gaza Strip,’ Biden said at a press conference on Thursday following a NATO summit…

“Notably on Thursday, the G7 issued a joint release condemning Israel’s latest settlement expansion, naming its far right finance minister, Betzalel Smotrich, who greenlighted the expansion.

“The talks, which in addition to Hamas include Qatar and Egypt, appear to be stuck in part on Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel reserve the right to restart the war in order to achieve its goal of  dismantling Hamas’ military and governing capabilities…

“Biden appeared to argue that much of the obstruction the United States has encountered stems from Israel’s government… ‘This war cabinet is one of the most conservative war cabinets in the history of Israel, and there’s no ultimate answer other than the two-state solution here,’ said Biden… Netanyahu adamantly rejects a two-state outcome as a long-term goal in the talks.

“Biden also rejected the Israeli far right’s ambitions to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, and of maintaining an Israeli military presence there. ‘The day after in Gaza has to be the end,’ he said, ‘has to be no occupation by Israel in the Gaza Strip, as well as the ability for us to access, get in and out as rapidly as you can for all that’s needed there.’”

The proposed “deal” is described as a “framework”—meaning, it is without consequence and meaningless.

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 16:

“Israel continued to bomb the Gaza Strip on Tuesday shortly after the US renewed its criticism over the high civilian death toll in the war on Hamas… On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ‘increase pressure’ on Hamas and said Israel was remaining ‘firm’ in its demands…

“The Israeli military said it had killed ‘40 terror targets’ in Gaza. It said troops were continuing targeted raids in the southwestern city of Rafah and in central Gaza… the Israeli military said it had eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas’ military wing since the start of the war, claiming about 14,000 fighters killed or captured since the offensive began.”

Republican Party’s Plans to Launch Mass Deportations Alarming

JTA wrote on July 12:

“Three Jewish organizations dealing with immigration and community relations said they were alarmed by the Republican Party’s plans to launch mass deportations, saying they are steeped in a racist conspiracy theory that at times has veered into antisemitism. The Republican platform… pledges to ‘carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.’ ‘President Trump and Republicans will reverse the Democrats’ destructive Open Borders Policies that have allowed criminal gangs and Illegal Aliens from around the World to roam the United States without consequences,’ the platform says… Analysts have said that such a deportation order could affect as many as 11 million people

“Mark Hetfield, the president of HIAS, the Jewish immigration advocacy group, said that such a plan would trigger legal challenges, and that HIAS would join them…  Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a national community relations body, also predicted the community would challenge any plans for mass deportation… Jamie Beran, the CEO of Bend the Arc, a Jewish social justice activist network, singled out how deportation figures into the platform’s mention… antisemitism

“Other Jewish groups that have in the past advocated for immigrants were silent: the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee declined comment, and the Jewish Federations of North America did not return a request for comment. Centrist Jewish groups generally avoid weighing in on hot button issues in an election year…

“Spitalnick and Hetfeld both expressed alarm at how the language of the platform appears to be steeped in ‘replacement theory,’  a baseless conspiracy alleging a liberal plot to replace whites with people of color. Versions of the theory have antisemitic overtones alleging that the plot is led by Jews.

“Hetfield singled out a passage targeting family reunion policies, which conservatives call ‘chain migration.’ ‘Republicans will prioritize Merit-based immigration, ensuring those admitted to our Country contribute positively to our Society and Economy, and never become a drain on Public Resources,’ the platform says. ‘We will end Chain Migration, and put American Workers first!’ The platform also declares, ‘We must not allow Biden’s Migrant Invasion to alter our Country.’”

Trump famously used Hitler’s language of poisoning the blood of the nation. The Republican’s plan of mass deportation, as described above, and the end of chain migration and maybe even DACA, should alarm all Americans.

Ursula von der Leyen Re-Elected

 Breitbart wrote on July 18:

“Arch-globalist Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as the President of the European Commission for a second five-year term by a comfortable margin in the European Parliament on Thursday. German politician Ursula von der Leyen will continue on as the top woman in Brussels…  Prior to the vote, the top globalist said that if given a second term she would double down on key issues, notably the European Green New Deal and the plans to see Ukraine join the European Union. She also appears set to continue her longtime battle with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom she personally signalled out in her speech Thursday over his recent trip to Moscow to advocate for a peace settlement. Von der Leyen branded the trip as an ‘appeasement mission’ and vowed that Brussels will continue to ‘give Ukraine everything it needs to resist and prevail’.

“Responding to the vote, Spanish populist VOX MEP Jorge Buxadé said that it was a ‘sad day’ for Europe, particularly for farmers suffering under the green new deal agenda of Von der Leyen… French National Rally MEP and leader of the Patriots of Europe group the parliament, Jordan Bardella criticised centrists and conservatives for backing von der Leyen, saying that his faction in Brussels ‘will be the only patriotic group resolutely opposed to the Green Deal, the migration pact and the dissolution of our nations.’

“After it was revealed last month that Von der Leyen had the backing for a second term from the unelected European Council, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said: ‘Instead of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division. EU top officials should represent every member state, not just leftists and liberals!’

“Von der Leyen has long been a controversial figure, stemming back to her unimpressive stint as German defence secretary, however, she has become the darling on the globalist circuit…

 “Her first term as Commission president has also left much to be desired, having presided over draconian lockdown measures during the Chinese coronavirus, spearheading the push for  health passports and mass censorship of ‘disinformation’, for example. This was followed up by Europe being plunged into an energy crisis after being caught off guard by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ill-equipped to deal with cuts in Russian gas supplies after embarking on the green agenda favoured by Von der Leyen and her allies. Her term has also been marked by increased attempts by Brussels to police — through monetary pressure — the domestic policies of member states,  imposing financial penalties on conservative governments in Hungary and Poland for enacting conservative policies on migration and gender.”

Criticism of Olaf Scholz

Die Welt wrote on July 12:

“Scholz rejected… Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s demand for a lifting of all conditions for the use of Western weapons against Russian territory…

“‘If they attacked us and killed our children, it is crazy to ask why we are not allowed to attack this military base,’ Zelensky said. ‘If we want to win, if we want to be victorious, if we want to save and defend our country, we must lift all restrictions,’ he added…

US President Joe Biden, like Scholz, rejects the extensive use of weapons using the escalation argument… At the same time, Scholz praises the American transfer of long-range weapons to Germany from 2026. Together with France and Great Britain, Germany will develop cruise missiles itself. Deterrence is necessary because of Russia’s rearmament…

“However, Scholz received prominent opposition to his stance from the head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen. He criticized not only him, but also most of the federal government for their communication about the war in Ukraine. ‘In Germany [the] defense minister [Pistorius] talks about the fact that we have to become ready for war,’ he said… But his cabinet colleagues still underestimated the seriousness of the situation. To this day I have the feeling that most responsible politicians believe that they cannot give the population pure wine and say: “We are dealing with aggression like in the Cold War”… Heusgen said that Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin has aimed at restoring the old Soviet Union. ‘We still downplay everything a bit,’ he complained…

“Putin has proven how aggressive he is. ‘And it is only right that we now draw conclusions for our part,’ he said, referring to the planned stationing of US cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers in Germany from 2026. The USA wants to do so for the first time since the Cold War Station weapon systems in Germany that reach as far as Russia. Heusgen emphasized: ‘You can only negotiate with someone like Vladimir Putin from a position of strength.’”

Scholz’s duplicity will soon be obvious to everyone.

Europe’s Capitals Targeted by Russia

Bild Online wrote on July 13:

“Russia has responded with threats to the planned stationing of US long-range weapons in Germany.

“On Saturday, the Kremlin said Europe’s capitals could be targeted by Russian missile attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (56) said: ‘Europe is a target for our missiles, our country is a target for US missiles in Europe.’ The confidant of ruler Putin (71) added: ‘We have the capacity, to keep these missiles at bay, but the potential victims are the capitals of these European countries.’ Russia had already reacted angrily to the West’s missile plans on Thursday. Peskov told a state television station two days ago: ‘We are steadily taking steps towards the Cold War.’

“The reason for the excitement in Moscow: As part of alliance defense, the USA will be moving from 2026 a battery of the brand new ‘Typhon MRC’ missile system to German NATO territory. The mobile system, which can fire both Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 2,500 kilometers and SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles with a range of 250 kilometers, will initially be temporarily and later permanently stationed in Germany.”

US Missiles in Germany

Nius wrote on July 12:

“The news of the stationing of US missiles on German soil shook the German media landscape like an earthquake… ‘We have a new threat situation. Vladimir Putin has shown what he is willing and capable of,’ said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the NATO summit in Washington… One cannot speak of a new arms race – ‘Russia has had these weapon systems for a long time which were, as we suspect, stationed in Kaliningrad, which means within absolute reach of Germany and other European nations,’ said the minister…

“Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) are clearly in favor of deployment. ‘We know that there has been an incredible build-up in Russia, with weapons that threaten European territory,’ said Scholz at the NATO summit. ‘Russia is not a peace partner at the moment, said Habeck…

“As a young social democrat on the left wing of the SPD, Scholz himself once protested against, among other things, the stationing of US Pershing II medium-range missiles [in Germany]… “

New Investigations Against Höcke

Bild Online wrote on July 10:

“AfD right winger Björn Höcke has new trouble with the judiciary. The Gera public prosecutor’s office wants to investigate the politician on suspicion of denigrating the state and its symbols. ‘We have requested that his immunity be lifted,’ a spokesman for the authority confirms. ‘Today my immunity was lifted for the 9th time,’ said Höcke himself on X (formerly Twitter)…

“According to a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office, the subject of the investigation is a speech given by Höcke on October 3, 2022 in Gera at the so-called ‘German Freedom Day’…. In his speech, Höcke denounces Western democracies as a ‘rainbow empire’ that – led by the USA – is aiming ‘at the destruction of the nation through mass immigration’ and has declared war on women and men. Given the choice, he would choose the traditional East (meaning Putin’s Russia).

“Höcke himself writes… about an ‘alleged opinion crime’ [and] repeatedly asks the question: ‘Yes, how political is the judiciary in Germany?’ He also threatens again with committees of inquiry…

“If there is an indictment in the current investigation, it would be the fourth case against the AfD politician, who wants to become Prime Minister in Thuringia after the state elections on September 1st…

If all of this is true, Germany is becoming an absolute dictatorship that criminalizes any criticism of its policies, similar to the former GDR. Also note the next article.

Attack on Freedom of the Press and of Expression in Germany!

Report 24 wrote on July 16:

“The Compact magazine was banned in the media today – by an interior minister who wrote for an Antifa magazine. The police, press and a photographer close to Antifa surprised editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer in a bathrobe, while system media celebrated the step as a success for democracy. The reasoning behind the ban raises considerable questions: it is not clearly identifiable criminal statements or calls for violence that are being denounced, but criticism of the government. It is sometimes drastic, but anyone who remembers the cover of Stern, for example, which showed Donald Trump giving the Hitler salute with the title ‘Sein Kampf’, can be amazed at what is allowed and what is forbidden in… Germany

“If you consider that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser herself wrote for an Antifa magazine and is now supposed to determine what is right-wing extremist and what, in her opinion, should be banned, it becomes clear how shaky the German constitutional state is now… If the state of law and order becomes a left-wing state, then this is not only a danger for freedom of the press, but freedom of expression is also under attack. Not only media producers are affected, but also every citizen who expresses unpleasant opinions too publicly. That’s why the ban of ‘Compact’ is by no means just explosive for the publishers and editors of the magazine as well as its readers…

“What does the content in question look like? The ‘Welt’ magazine classified it as follows: It presents readers with ‘doomsday scenarios and racism, conspiracy stories and agitation against politicians from the hated “old parties” – and as a way out of all the disaster: the AfD’. When media outlets that otherwise readily spread apocalyptic climate warnings write about doomsday scenarios, it seems unintentionally strange. Terms like ‘racism’, ‘conspiracy narratives’ and ‘incitement’ have long been commonplace in the best of Germany, worthless phrases that are spat out when political opponents are to be defamed. Strangely enough, people still refuse to call the defamation and discrimination against unvaccinated people hate speech. It’s only ‘incitement’ when the government line is under fire. After all, they make no secret of the fact that support for the only opposition party in Germany (the AfD) is undesirable.

“[Die Welt continues that] people are particularly outraged by the constant criticism of Angela Merkel… Donald Trump – just like AfD politicians – is now often equated with Hitler by the German mainstream, but that is of course okay…

“After Merkel, the Greens then became the ‘main ideological opponents’, it goes on to say… It is then also stated that, in addition to Annalena Baerbock [and] Ursula von der Leyen… even Interior Minister Nancy Faeser was criticized by ‘ Compact’ and was seen on a cover with the words ‘Asylum Bomb’, which casts the ban of the magazine in a particularly worrying light: by now, at the latest, the reader could come to the conclusion that everything that is against Nancy Faeser and the politics of the traffic light [coalition] could be banned. Because these discussions make criticism of the government sufficient reason for repression and a classification as ‘right-wing extremist.’ This is a hard blow to freedom of the press and freedom of expression

“The fact that the Tagesschau [Germany’s main broadcasting company] also points out Compact’s criticism of Corona measures and the pressure to vaccinate in its report on the ban tops it all off. Here you can read: “The decisive factor for the ban is that, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Compact violates the free-democratic basic order and human dignity and in doing so acts in an ‘aggressive and combative manner.’

In fact, you don’t have to look far for evidence of this: Compact spoke of itself as a ‘resistance’, and since the pandemic the political system has been defamed as a corona or vaccination ‘dictatorship’. In a recent broadcast about bird flu it was said that a “new vaccination terror” was on the rise and that people were ‘forcibly vaccinated” during the corona pandemic.’”

“What do you call it when you are forced to accept a vaccine that you actually don’t want by the threat of loss of your job and livelihood and massive social exclusion? “Voluntary vaccination”? Is criticism of the undermining of fundamental rights a commitment against or for democracy and the rule of law? Whose human dignity was violated here – and by whom? Where is the evidence of a threat to democracy?

“Strangely enough, there is no evidence of the ‘anti-Semitic, racist, anti-minority, historical revisionist and conspiracy theory’ content that the magazine is said to have and which should justify its classification as ‘certain right-wing extremist’ at the end of 2021. Faeser implies that she has essentially shaken right-wing extremism to its foundations by banning the magazine, but a lot of people have never read Compact. [The government] should be able to understandably explain and prove to what extent there was a danger to German democracy… Instead, they indulge in indignation when the government is criticized. Would that hold up in court?

“Editor-in-chief Elsässer is now also said to have expressed ‘subversive fantasies’ with the goal of ‘overthrowing the regime’… The context remains unclear. However, if that is all that can be said against ‘Compact’, it must come as a surprise, given the constant demands for subversion from the left and climate radicals

“All in all, today’s actions and media reporting leave critical observers perplexed. Compact can sue against the ban – the outcome is of course uncertain… If criticism of uncontrolled mass migration, green politics and Corona measures violating fundamental rights can justify the ban of a magazine, then not only German alternative media are living dangerously, but also the mainstream press itself which still occasionally shoots harshly against those in political responsibility – especially against the Greens. Do we want to eradicate this remaining balance in the German press landscape? With what aim? To prevent any genuine democratic opinion-forming by completely bringing the press into line with the government?”

FDP politician Wolfgang Kubicki considers the ban possibly illegal. If the ban is lifted, Faeser’s resignation would be “inevitable,” said the lawyer.

 Former constitutional judge Christoph Degenhart said: “This is a dubious interference with the freedom of the press.”

Elon Musk said it succinctly on X:  “Crushing freedom of speech under a jackboot is what that government is doing.“

These are alarming and extremely dangerous developments! It is of course prophesied in the Bible that Germany will become a totalitarian dictatorship.

New Findings About the Neanderthal Man

phys.org wrote on July 11:

Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were discovered in 1856, people have wondered about these ancient hominins. How are they different from us? How much are they like us? Did our ancestors get along with them? Fight them? Love them? The recent discovery of a group called Denisovans, a Neanderthal-like group who populated Asia and South Asia, added its own set of questions.

“Now, an international team of geneticists and AI experts are adding whole new chapters to our shared hominin history. Under the leadership of Joshua Akey, a professor in Princeton’s Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, the researchers have found a history of genetic intermingling and exchange that suggests a much more intimate connection between these early human groups than previously believed…

“Neanderthals, once stereotyped as slow-moving and dim-witted, are now seen as skilled hunters and tool makers who treated each other’s injuries with sophisticated techniques and were well adapted to thrive in the cold European weather. All of these hominin groups are humans…”

The researchers came to these correct conclusions, among other things, by comparing DNA between “modern humans” and the Neanderthal Man. Of course, they are completely off when speaking of the time when the Neanderthals lived. For more information on the Neanderthal Man, please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults,” and “Heavens and Earth—Before and After the First Man!”

Archeology Proves the Bible

Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“Archaeologists have uncovered secrets of a Biblical city that sat within the ‘Promised Land’ where the Israelites settled after Moses led them out of Egypt. The Israeli Antiquities Authority recently shared their findings from Zanoah, which is mentioned in the Old Testament, revealing stone walls, pottery and other artifacts that date back more than 3,200 years…

“It begins with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, before the Pharaoh – coerced by 10 terrible plagues – agrees to release them and Moses leads them across the miraculously-parted Red Sea. Once they reached the Sinai Peninsula, scripture says they traveled to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the 10 commandments. The group then headed to the southern border of Canaan, but being too scared to enter, were condemned to spending decades in the wilderness by God. After passing the years at the oasis of Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites then traveled to the eastern border of Canaan, where Moses died and was buried on Mount Nebo.

“In the subsequent Book of Joshua, Joshua takes over the leadership of the Israelites, leading them into the Promised Land across the River Jordan and conquering Jericho – and Zanoah is mentioned in the Book of Joshua. Joshua 15:34,56 outlines the boundaries and cities within the tribal allotment of Judah once they entered the Promised Land, which includes Zanoah

“The team uncovered walls fashioned with rows of large, white rocks, which they believed were retaining walls for farming terraces used to create level areas for planting and to protect steeper soil from erosion. Preserved pottery was also pulled from the ground, with one featuring a stamp on the handle that read ‘of the King,’ which was to honor King Hezekiah’s reign in Judah in 701 BC.

“The life of Hezekiah is described in the Bible book of 2 Kings, chapters 18-20. In 2 Chronicles, the king is said to have reopened the Temple of Solomon,  known as ‘the First Temple’… Hezekiah also smashed the bronze snake statue God commanded Moses to make, which is mentioned in Numbers 21:8-9: ‘Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake image and mount it on a pole.’

“Pottery fragments littered the landscape, with about 20 percent dating to the time the Israelites were said to have arrived after the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness- the rest were fashioned over the next 900 years…”

Our free booklet, “The Authority of the Bible” proves the accuracy of the Holy Scriptures.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

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