Trump Indicted in Georgia by “Hypocritical Democrats”

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Monday that District Attorney Fani Willis had indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 others for a ‘conspiracy’ that was exactly what Democrats did in challenging the 2000 election. ‘The tactics of the Trump team, including claims of fraud, were neither more nor less than what Democrats had done in claiming that the election had been stolen from then-Vice President Al Gore by Republicans pushing for then-Governor George W. Bush… ‘You cannot start making crimes out of things that the Democrats did…’

“Dershowitz added that the indictments against Trump, both federal and state, were the ‘weakest’ he had ever seen against any candidate… The indictment against Trump and others claims that acts as mundane as tweeting to turn on the TV, reserving a meeting room, and asking for a phone number were part of the overall criminal conspiracy.”

Such incompetent and concocted charges are truly mind boggling.

Breitbart added on August 15:

“… more than 150 examples show Democrats denying election results, including President Joe Biden; two-time failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); Reps. Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters… and  failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. 

“In fact, every single Democrat president since 1977 has questioned the legitimacy of U.S. elections…”

What hypocrisy! But this is not about justice, it is about the political motive by Democrats to interfere in the upcoming election. In trying to silence the leading candidate, they use methods of a dictatorship, reminiscent of a Banana Republic. With the approval and collaboration of the Presidency, the Biden Administration and numerous governmental agencies, the USA has ceased to be a Democracy.

Indictment Excessive and Dangerous

Fox News wrote on August 15:

“[Law Professor] Jonathan Turley argued the indictment is ‘excessive’ and ‘dangerous’… ‘It essentially criminalizes challenges to elections… They are charging things like the president saying publicly, we need to have a recount. Democrats and Republicans challenge these elections routinely… What’s concerning, particularly about this is that [Fani] Willis didn’t really show any semblance of restraint. She indicted everyone for everything she could think of…

“‘But having said that, I think that the Trump team has to realize that this is a serious threat, not because of the merits, but because, as a racketeering case, it’s very hard to take these cases up on appeal before trial… Also, this is not a case that can be dismissed with a federal pardon, whether by Trump himself or by an elected Republican.”

The claimed reason being, this is a state, not a federal case. Fox News explained that “The power to pardon in Georgia does not fall to the governor, but rather a five-member board… Felons who are seeking pardon by the board must serve their sentence for five years before doing so.”

This view is not uncontested. Famous attorney and litigator Mark Levin “argued that Trump can pardon himself from state charges if he wins the presidency, under existing Department of Justice policy and the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause” (Breitbart, dated August 16).  

Of course, Trump could and probably will try to remove the case to federal court because it involves presidential powers. Trump attorney Alina Habba stated that “as a deliberate ploy, the state of Georgia is bringing charges against former President Donald Trump that should be in federal court… ‘Anything having to do with … election issues at this level with a president should 100% be in federal court,’ Abba said, adding that this was all done ‘by design’” (Newsmax, dated August 15).

Of course it was. That should be obvious to any objective observer.

Trump: The Whole World Is Laughing At the USA

Fox News wrote on August 15:

“‘Nineteen people were indicted, and the whole world is laughing at the United States as they see how corrupt and horrible a place it has turned out to be under the leadership of Crooked Joe Biden,’ Trump told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview late Monday night. Trump and more than a dozen others were charged, including his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, John Eastman, among others.

“‘The racist and corrupt district attorney of Fulton County, which has turned out to be a murder capital of the world with among the highest violent crime levels anywhere in our country, just opened a fundraising site in order to benefit [she launched her reelection fundraising site days before the grand jury indicted Trump] off the things she most campaigned on, “I will get Donald Trump,”’ he said… [He] blasted Willis, saying that it is ‘not even conceivable that a person with such a record of failure could be allowed to interrupt perhaps the most important election in the history of our country… Trump said that Willis ‘should focus on the people that rigged the 2020 presidential election, not those who demand an answer as to what happened.’”

This Is Not Justice

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“… conservative talker Mark Levin criticized the Fulton County, GA indictment against former President Donald Trump… ‘Well, Stalin would be proud. I’m sure Putin is proud. I’m sure enemies are celebrating, and our allies are appalled at what’s going on here… We’re going through the motions of justice here, like autocratic regimes… the Democrat Party has become so radicalized and such a tool of its radical base, they are tonight, most of them, celebrating. They don’t come out and say a… thing about Hunter Biden… they don’t even have a curiosity about anything related to Joe Biden despite the fact there are predicates all over the place for a special counsel and they are excited…

“‘Ladies and gentlemen, the people of America, you know what’s going on here… this is not justice. Just because you have a judge, just because you have grand juries, just because you have a fake media, that doesn’t mean things are going right… People vote for tyranny, and then it’s too late.

“‘You got people who are self-righteously saying how wonderful the system is, nobody’s above the law. Are you kidding me?… This is a grave time in American history…’”

According to Deutsche Welle, dated August 15, “former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, told broadcaster MSNBC the indictment showed that justice in the US was working.”

Clinton is one to talk! IF justice in the USA was working, she would be in jail for illegally destroying over 30,000 emails, including sensitive and classified documents.

District Attorney Fani Willis a Disgrace for the Legal Profession

Newsmax wrote on August 15:

“Former federal prosecutor Joe diGenova told Newsmax on Tuesday that Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has brought disgrace to the legal profession…

“Willis, 52, was raised by her single father, John Clifford Floyd III, a onetime Black Panther with a criminal record who became a defense lawyer in Washington, D.C… ‘Apparently that pedigree has worn well,’ diGenova said. ‘She has conducted herself unprofessionally. She has become basically a terrorist in a prosecutor’s uniform…’

“‘The truth is, Fani Willis, Bragg in New York, Jack Smith; there’s the cult because what they’ve decided to do is gather together like a bunch of witches and to bring their brew together to take down one man,’ diGenova said… ‘This is 250 years of jurisprudence being destroyed by a cult called the Democratic Party. This is disgraceful.’’

It surely is. The case against Trump should be dismissed for the reason alone that the prosecution posted on their website and thereby leaked a draft of the indictment to the press BEFORE the grand jury had even rendered a verdict, thereby violating Trump’s right to a fair trial. The methods which the prosecution in Georgia are using are truly unbelievable.  

Willful Ignorance or Intentional Lies?

Breitbart wrote on August 14:

“White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing Monday that there was ‘zero evidence’ that President Joe Biden had ‘discussed,’ or was ‘involved with,’ his son Hunter’s business dealings… That response is different from Jean-Pierre’s effort in recent weeks to claim that ‘[t]he president was never in business with his son,’ which she denied was a change from Biden’s own earlier response that he had ‘never discussed’ his family’s businesses.

“In claiming that there was ‘zero evidence,’ Jean-Pierre ignored a mounting collection of evidence, including the following:

“Travel logs showing that Hunter Biden traveled to China with his father on Air Force Two before a lucrative business deal; E-mails and messages on Hunter Biden’s laptop showing that Joe Biden had met with his son’s business associates; Evidence from Hunter Biden’s laptop showing that he and his father had intermingled their family’s finances and bills; Businessman Tony Bobulinski’s claim that he met with Joe Biden to discuss ‘family business plans with the Chinese’; A voicemail from Joe Biden to his son regarding New York Times coverage of Hunter Biden’s business interests; Bank records showing wire transfers from abroad to Hunter Biden via shell companies for distribution to family members; Testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business partner, Devon Archer, stating that Joe Biden had spoken by speakerphone at least 20 times with Hunter Biden’s business associates, and had attended a dinner meeting with many of them in 2014; Joe Biden’s infamous boast about using the threat of withdrawing $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor, whom Devon Archer confirmed Hunter had been hired by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma to counteract.”

In light of these FACTS, events which took place the next day in Georgia are truly remarkable.

Articles of Impeachment Filed on Joe Biden

Newsmax wrote on August 13:

“Rep. Greg Steube has filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden, accusing him of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ and commenting that ‘it’s long past time’ to impeach him. ‘He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the presidency, betrayed his trust as president, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of America’s citizens,’ the Florida Republican said…”

Fox News wrote on August 12:

“While several congressional committees are building a multipronged case to remove Biden from office, Steube… filed [four] articles of impeachment against Biden charging that the president had been complicit in his son Hunter’s alleged crimes and had worked to shield him from justice…

“The first accuses the president of abusing the power of his office by allegedly accepting bribes, committing Hobbs Act extortion and honest services fraud related to use of his official position. These charges arise from Biden’s alleged involvement with his family’s business dealings, including Hunter and James Biden’s (the president’s brother) alleged effort to sell access to then-Vice President Biden between 2009 and 2017 in exchange for ‘payments and business opportunities from foreign and domestic business partners.’ House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, on Wednesday released a memo purporting to show that foreign payments to the Biden family totaled more than $20 million…

“The second article charges that President Biden obstructed justice, citing IRS whistleblower testimony that ‘members of the Biden campaign improperly colluded with Justice Department (DOJ) officials to improperly interfere with investigations into tax crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden.’…

“The third and fourth articles accuse Biden of ‘fraud’ and paying for Hunter Biden’s illegal drugs and trysts with prostitutes, respectively…

“On the same day, Steube introduced legislation to require the Secret Service chief to write a report on the illicit use of controlled substances in the White House. The move comes after the Secret Service closed its investigation into cocaine found at the White House last month without identifying a person of interest…”

Even though filing articles of impeachment on Joe Biden may have been long overdue, there is little chance that Biden will be removed from office, as Senate Democrats, for example, would not in any way support such a move. And even if Joe Biden would vacate the office, Kamala Harris would take his place, which would constitute the absolute nightmare in the eyes of many observers.

Appointment of “Special Counsel” in Hunter Biden Case Another Cover-Up?

Breitbart reported on August 11:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed U.S. prosecutor David Weiss as a special counsel in the ongoing investigation of Hunter Biden… ‘David Weiss can’t be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption,’ Russell Dye, a spokesperson for House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), told Breitbart News in a statement. ‘Weiss has already signed off on a sweetheart plea deal that was so awful and unfair that a federal judge rejected it,’ he added…

“House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) also was skeptical of the appointment of a special counsel. ‘This move by AG Garland is part of the Justice Department’s efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup in light of GOPoversight‘s mounting evidence of President Biden’s role in his family’s schemes selling “the brand” for millions of dollars to foreign nationals,’ he said in a statement.

“The appointment of a special counsel comes on the same day that news broke that Weiss’ prosecutors acknowledged that the gun and tax charges against Hunter will likely have to be resolved at a trial in California or Washington, DC…  The DOJ’s probe into Hunter Biden could implicate Joe Biden. A witness who testified before the jury was reportedly asked to identify the ‘big guy.’…

“George Washington law professor Jonathan Turley said Friday… that Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden criminal case would make it harder for Congress to ask questions in their probe of Hunter Biden… ‘This new status can slow that process down. Weiss was at the top of the list of Congress to be brought in to explain why did you allow statute of limitations to run? Why were Biden people tipped off about raids? Why was there interference with investigators trying to interview Hunter Biden?

“‘All of those questions are now likely to be delayed before they are answered… The initial concern is whether Weiss is damaged goods. You usually appoint special counsel who will satisfy all sides, that is someone who doesn’t bring baggage to the question and can resolve issues. These whistleblowers were critical of Weiss. Weiss suggested that he always had this authority. The whistleblowers said he said the opposite to staff, suggested he allowed statute of limitations to run…’”

Garland’s appointment of Weiss might indeed have been a “dirty trick” in his attempts to continue the cover-up and protection of Joe Biden, as the next article suggests.

Garland’s Last Dirty Trick

The New York Post wrote on August 11:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland may have just played his last trick card to save Joe Biden: appointing a special counsel to delay prosecution of his son Hunter. With any luck, the official Justice Department final report on Biden family shenanigans will be released in December 2024, one month after the presidential election… Federal agencies and the Justice Department dragged out for five years the investigation of Hunter’s gun, tax and foreign influence peddling. The statute of limitations already expired on several of his crimes, but that was OK because of the spelling of his last name.

“Despite a string of crimes that would have sent average Americans up the river for a decade, Biden’s Justice Department cut a deal in June that permitted Hunter to plead guilty to misdemeanors, not serve a day in jail and dodge any other federal charges. That deal collapsed when federal Judge Maryellen Noreika asked a few questions after she was blindsided by a last-minute sweeping exoneration paragraph added to the plea deal…

“For Joe Biden, Weiss is absolutely trustworthy: He’s the same lawyer who dragged out prosecuting Hunter for years. Former White House correspondent Emerald Robinson quipped, ‘Appointing David Weiss is like appointing a crack pipe to ‘investigate’ Hunter Biden.’

“According to The Federalist’s Sean Davis, “Weiss demonstrated his loyalty to the Biden family by shutting down investigations, tipping off suspects before searches . . . refusing to interview Hunter, hiding FBI documents, firing IRS investigators . . .’ Is there any reason to expect Weiss to be more honest in the future?…

“Coverups have been a key to Biden’s political power for more than three years… Team Biden is teaching Americans that ‘Justice Department’ is often an oxymoron…”

Even CNN is questioning the appointment of David Weiss as a special counsel. Note the next article:

Jake Tapper: Some Concerns Have Merit

Fox News wrote on August 11:

“Many Republicans are wary of U.S. attorney David Weiss overseeing the Hunter Biden probe, and CNN anchor Jake Tapper agreed Friday that some of their concerns ‘have merit.’… ‘I think there are some legitimate questions about this whole situation,’ Tapper said on ‘CNN News Central.’ ‘First of all, I do think it’s fair to question why would U.S. Attorney Weiss be appointed to special counsel. Usually, a special counsel is an outside attorney. Now, it has happened before. Durham came from inside, and the attorney general has the right to do that, but it is odd.’

“Tapper went on to ask why they would stick with the person who was responsible for the ‘colossal failure’ of the Hunter plea deal…

“He also spoke about the mixed messages regarding Weiss’ jurisdiction and whether he already had the necessary power to charge outside of Delaware before he was made a special counsel, recalling that the U.S. attorney had made different claims about his power in private versus in public, according to whistleblowers.

“‘The Justice Department and Weiss denied what the whistleblowers were saying, but this move makes it seem as though, well, maybe the whistleblowers were right. Maybe what they were alleging is true, and he didn’t have the ability to charge whatever he wanted to charge, and now he does. So I do have a lot of questions about that, and I do think some of the political questions being raised by Republicans have merit,’ Tapper said…”

When left-wing CNN begins to ask questions regarding the affairs of Joe and Hunter Biden, as well as the conduct of the Justice Department and the FBI in those matters, then that should tell us something.

 USA Like Nazi Germany?

The Daily Mail wrote on August 11:

“A majority of Republican voters in Iowa believe the pursuit of former President Donald Trump by the FBI and the Department of Justice smacks of Nazi rule in 1930s Germany, according to a new poll  for DailyMail.com. Some 57 percent of respondents said they agreed with the statement: ‘The lawlessness of the persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.’ [73 % of Trump supporters agreed with the statement.]  It comes after months of attacks on the FBI and the Department of Justice by Trump and his allies, who say he is the victim of an attempt to end his presidential campaign…

“Republicans in Iowa… will have a crucial say in selecting the party’s 2024 nomination. It is the first state to pick its preferred candidate next year, and the currents of public opinion will be watched closely until then… The DailyMail.com poll shows Trump retains a tight grip on the race. He is in clear first place with 43 percent support in the state…  Ron DeSantis has lost nine points, putting him on 17 percent… Meanwhile Sen. Tim Scott has surged to 11 percent.”

When the majority of Republican voters feel that the Justice Department and the FBI act like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, then any confidence by a vast portion of America’s population in those institutions is gone. And we do not even know how many Independents (and Democrats) have similar opinions. What will the consequence be? 

Many propose that the DOJ, the FBI and many other federal agencies must be freed from their internal corruption by reforming them and by getting rid of the bad guys, starting with the very top. Others feel, such as businessman and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, that these agencies are beyond repair and must be totally shut down.

Really Dangerous US-Iran Deal

Newsmax and The Associated Press wrote on August 13:

“Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the Biden administration for apparently buying the release of jailed Americans in Iran. Pompeo… was asked about the U.S. working to bring home the jailed Americans via a deal that involves billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets being transferred from banks in South Korea to Qatar. ‘It’s really dangerous… for the Gulf nations, it’s dangerous for … Israel.’

“Pompeo said paying for the Americans’ release ‘will build their [Iran’s] economy’ and encourage more hostage-taking. ‘You now have a situation where we have told the Iranians, For every American you take, the Biden administration will provide you with $1 billion,’ Pompeo [said]…

“The U.S.-Iran deal… was announced on Thursday, when Iran moved four of the five Americans from prison to house arrest. The fifth American had already been under house arrest. U.S. and Iranian officials say they believe the agreement could be finalized by mid- to late-September.

“The cash involved represents money South Korea owed Iran for oil purchased before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.

“The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.

“Some people in Iran have disputed the U.S. claim, saying Tehran will have total control over the funds. Qatar has not commented publicly on how it will monitor the disbursement of the money.”

This deal is clearly an incentive for Iran to continue kidnapping and arresting American citizens.

 US Army in Trouble

The Hill wrote on August 11:

“… the military, and especially the Army, is now shrinking… A variety of factors have led to the recruiting crisis…  Disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have dented confidence in military leadership…

“President Joe Biden’s recent executive order authorizing the mobilization of up to 3,000 reserve soldiers to augment U.S. forces deployed to Europe highlighted the unending demands of maintaining an expansive U.S. global military presence… Without significant changes to its force structure or missions, the U.S. Army may be stretched to the breaking point, even though America is not at war.

“The active-duty force will soon be at its smallest duty size since the attack on Pearl Harbor. But unlike the pre-World War II force, today’s Army carries out a host of concurrent missions in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia…

“Shrinkage in the force without commensurate cuts in overseas deployments have led to an exceedingly high peacetime operational tempo, with negative effects on the Army’s readiness for war…

“When Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana in 2006, thousands of the state’s Guardsmen were deployed in Iraq — active-duty Marines had to be hastily dispatched to New Orleans to assist with relief efforts and maintain order. In 2020, Oregon could not use six of its Guard helicopters to fight raging wildfires because they were in Afghanistan…

“America’s Army needs either more soldiers or fewer missions. Given the demographic and societal headwinds hitting military recruiting, a larger force is going to be difficult to recruit for the foreseeable future. The alternative is making difficult, overdue decisions about which deployments are truly necessary for American national security. The Pentagon and its political overseers are resistant to such retrenchment… But perpetuating the status quo threatens a descent into a hollow force…”

The Bible shows that America’s Army will not help the country when it is going to be attacked in the near future.

Germany’s Approach Towards Ukraine

Express wrote on August 14:

“Kyiv’s relentless push to secure the Taurus cruise missile, a high-stakes weapon boasting an impressive range of over 500 kilometres (300 miles), has triggered alarm bells in Berlin. These missiles, packed with firepower and launched from formidable fighter jets like the Tornado, F-15, and F-18, have ignited geopolitical tensions that can no longer be ignored.

“In a rare twist, Germany’s reluctance to heed Kyiv’s call stands in stark contrast to the UK and France, who’ve already dispatched Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles… Across the Atlantic, even the United States has chosen to sit this one out, withholding its own Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from Ukraine’s eager grasp…

“According to Der Spiegel, the German Defence Ministry is asking Taurus’ manufacturer to integrate programming safeguards to dictate potential targets for these long-range cruise missiles.

“Scholz, the mastermind behind the manoeuvre, said he envisions a future where Ukrainian offensives on Russian soil are nothing more than a fleeting mirage, as the publication revealed.”

Die Welt Online wondered on August 14 what Germany’s strategy and goal towards Ukraine are; and if there is even a strategy.

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Unsuccessful

Business Insider wrote on August 11:

“The Ukrainian summer counteroffensive began in June and, despite Western allies supplying advanced tanks and weaponry, the country’s recent moves against Russian combatants have resulted in only modest gains — and heavy casualties.

“The New York Times reported morgues in the country are seeing vastly increased fatalities due to the heightened fighting… The total dead in the local morgues is ‘more or less double since the counteroffensive’ started, added. Though Ukraine doesn’t publicly share the total number of casualties it has sustained, Insider reported General Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimated in February that Ukraine had lost more than 100,000 soldiers since the war began last year… Ukrainian troops are taking heavy damage from old-fashioned wartime tactics, including mines and booby traps, high-tech drone attacks, and advanced weapons systems.

“While the US and other allies have provided formidable battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and massive amounts of ammunition… the modest gains won so far in the summer counteroffensive have prompted Ukrainian troops to abandon Western tactics and strategies in favor of wearing the enemy down with barrages of missiles…”

Ukraine in Trouble

ZeroHedge wrote on August 11:

“It’s long been clear that Ukraine’s armed forces have undergone some significant recruitment problems amid generally low morale as throughout the summer the counteroffensive has stalled and appears failing. There’s also a grim emerging consensus that Ukraine is suffering staggering losses… This week, even one of Kiev’s most ardent supporters and NATO backers – Poland, has said the counteroffensive is likely to fail. Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a fresh Washington Post interview, ‘Does Ukraine have enough weapons to change the balance of the war and get the upper hand?’ And he answered his rhetorical with – ‘Probably, no’…

“A new announcement by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday has further confirmed this pessimistic view of Kiev’s prospects, as the government has fired all heads of military recruitment on concerns of rampant corruption…  Recruiters have apparently been paid handsomely by those of means to look the other way as they avoid conscription…

“Aside from desperately needing more manpower, also at a time the phenomenon of Western mercenaries flocking to Ukraine is a thing of the past, Kiev is also likely concerned with the prior optics of the brutal mobilization by Ukrainian military recruitment officers. As the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet recently reported, ‘Many conscripted men are taken straight off the street by uniformed men.’ The paper gave the following example of such: ‘Most recently in Subcarpathia, a surveillance camera recorded the overreach of the authorities as a man trying to go to a store was kidnapped from his bicycle in broad daylight.’”

The victory of Ukraine over Russia, as had been so dogmatically proclaimed in much of the Western press, is more than doubtful.

“Overwhelming Consensus” on Climate Change “Manufactured”

The New York Post wrote on August 9:

“We are told climate change is a crisis, and that there is an ‘overwhelming scientific consensus.’ ‘It’s a manufactured consensus,’ climate scientist Judith Curry tells me. She says scientists have an incentive to exaggerate risk to pursue ‘fame and fortune.’

“She knows about that because she once spread alarm about climate change. The media loved her when she published a study that seemed to show a dramatic increase in hurricane intensity. ‘We found that the percent of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes had doubled,’ says Curry. ‘This was picked up by the media’…  ‘I was adopted by the environmental advocacy groups and the alarmists and I was treated like a rock star,’ Curry recounts. ‘Flown all over the place to meet with politicians.’

“But then some researchers pointed out gaps in her research — years with low levels of hurricanes. ‘Like a good scientist, I investigated,’ says Curry. She realized that the critics were right. ‘Part of it was bad data. Part of it is natural climate variability.’

“Curry was the unusual researcher who looked at criticism of her work and actually concluded: ‘They had a point.’ Then the Climategate scandal taught her that other climate researchers weren’t so open-minded. Alarmist scientists’ aggressive attempts to hide data suggesting climate change is not a crisis were revealed in leaked emails… It made Curry realize that there is a ‘climate-change industry’ set up to reward alarmism. ‘The origins go back to the . . . UN environmental program,’ says Curry.

“Some United Nations officials were motivated by ‘anti-capitalism. They hated the oil companies and seized on the climate change issue to move their policies along.’… The researchers quickly figured out that the way to get funded was to make alarmist claims about ‘man-made climate change.’ This is how ‘manufactured consensus’ happens.”

It has been observed for a long time that scientists manufacture and manipulate statistics to prove their case for man-made global warming.

US Money Down the Drain?

Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute on August 14:

“I am not a big fan of Federal Government disaster relief. Too much of the time the money never gets to those who need it most, and too often Washington’s armies of disaster ‘experts’ are more interested in pushing people around than helping them.

“Nevertheless, it’s hard to look at recent footage of the devastation in Maui and then hear President Biden tell Congress that he needs another $24 billion for Ukraine. How can this Administration continue to justify tens of billions of dollars for this losing war that is not in our interest while the rest of the United States disintegrates?

“Biden’s new $24 billion request comes on top of well over $120 billion already spent to fight the US proxy war on Russia in Ukraine. Heritage Foundation budget expert Richard Stern has done the math and determined that Biden’s spending on the Ukraine war thus far will cost each and every American household $900. How many Americans would rather have those $900 dollars back in their pocket rather than in the pockets of Lockheed-Martin, Raytheon, and Ukraine’s oligarchs?

“Recent surveys have shown that a majority of Americans could not afford to cover a sudden $1,000 emergency. Will Americans connect the dots and realize that the reason they can’t find that $1,000 for an emergency is because the neocons have already sent it to Ukraine?

“Ukraine has long been known as among the most corrupt countries on earth and not long ago investigative journalist Seymore Hersh wrote that Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky has embezzled at least $400 million in aid from the American people. Corruption scandals continue to break in Ukraine. Just last week Zelensky fired the heads of all local draft boards for corruption. Some press reports suggest that sales of luxury cars in Ukraine have broken all previous records. I wonder why.

“No wonder the tide of US public opinion is turning against further involvement in the war. Recently CNN found that among all Americans, more than 55 percent are opposed to continued aid to Ukraine. Among Republicans the number opposing more aid to Ukraine rises to three-out-of-four…

“Yet the Biden Administration persists in backing Ukraine even as the US mainstream media is increasingly pointing out the obvious: Ukraine is not winning and cannot win, and continuing to pour money into a losing cause will just result in bankruptcy at home and more dead Ukrainians overseas.

“Last week Newsweek published an article asking, ‘Does Ukraine Have Kompromat on Joe Biden?’ In the article, Northeastern University Professor Max Abrahms wonders out loud whether Biden’s continued support for Ukraine might be related to compromising information held in Kiev about the many Biden family shady business ventures in Ukraine and the region. It is certainly worth considering.

“Meanwhile, the residents of Maui that survived the recent horrific fire will take little comfort knowing that the Biden Administration is more interested in sending their money to Ukraine than in helping them recover.”

Donald Trump stated in a recent interview that Biden is a compromised President.

Maui Wildfires Deadliest in More Than 100 Years

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 13:

“The newly released [death] figure has exceeded that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California…  The new death toll Saturday came as search teams with cadaver dogs sifted through the ruins of Lahaina, four days after a fast-moving blaze leveled the historic resort town.

“It is projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992…

“The cause of the fire is still unknown, but residents are puzzled and angered over the lack of warnings. Sirens stationed around the island — intended to warn of impending natural disasters — never sounded. Alerts were sent via cell phones, TV and radio stations, but the reach was limited due to power and cellular outages…

“Experts say many factors must have contributed to the rapid spread of the inferno, such as a dry summer, unchecked growth of flammable non-native plants, the volcanic topography that creates drying down-slope winds, an unusually parched winter, and a hurricane to the southwest.”

There have been numerous incidents in the past where Hawaii’s warning system had failed miserably. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will not visit Maui because they “don’t want to distract” from the relief efforts, Harris said. Finally, Biden spoke out on the disaster in Maui, but apparently forgot the name of the island.

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.

Biased Judge in Trump 2020 Election Case Must Recuse Herself

Breitbart wrote on August 4:

“Appointed to the bench by the Obama administration in 2014, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan will oversee the 2020 election case against Trump. Chutkan previously worked in litigation and white-collar criminal defense at Boies, Schiller, & Flexner, where Hunter Biden and Chutkan were colleagues for five years. During her tenure as a judge, she also oversaw an important case regarding the Russia Hoax.

“‘I don’t believe for one second it’s a coincidence that in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump drew the most partisan, bias judge who is incapable of being fair and neutral,’ said Patel, who is a former House Intelligence Committee aide and principal deputy at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

“Patel argues Chutkan is a partisan judge and has no credibility to oversee Trump’s case after she recused herself from overseeing an ongoing case concerning Trump and the Russia hoax in November 2017. ‘If you’re a judge, and you represented one of the parties or your firm represented one of the parties before you, it’s an automatic recusal, full stop,’ he said…

“‘The [Russia hoax] court case was assigned to Judge Chutkan,’ Patel said. ‘And we litigated the case for approximately one month… after about a month of all that heavy litigation, she just shuts down on her own, recuses herself,’ Patel said. ‘She didn’t file an order justifying it. She just does it…  Why would she recuse from Russiagate? Well, it’s because Boies, Schiller, under her tenureship, represented Fusion GPS, the very firm that was suing us before her [court]… She knew that when we filed the lawsuit because it was Fusion who brought the lawsuit, and she allowed it to be litigated in front of her already, violating the canons of ethics and the rule of law about maintaining neutrality…

“‘She cannot be fair, based on her prior employment at a law firm that has literally been one of the most corrupt, legal con artists for the Democrat National Party [and] in the Hillary Clinton Campaign,’ Patel said, ‘All of which was to get Trump during Russiagate and the Steele Dossier, all of it ran through her.’”

Professor Dershowitz said that she must recuse herself, as she is obviously biased. That should be obvious, but we will see what she will do. Trump is also asking for a change of venue as he could not possibly receive a fair trial in Washington DC. That should be obvious too.

2020 Election on Trial?

Newsmax wrote on August 4:

“Former President Donald Trump and his legal advisers see his latest indictment as another opportunity to argue that the 2020 election was stolen from him in favor of President Joe Biden… Trump’s defense team is signaling that it will rebut allegations in the indictment that Trump knew his claims of fraud in the election were false, but that he allegedly took steps to flip the results.

“According to sources close to Trump, he wants to subpoena people about the election while arguing that he won… Some Republican strategists see this plan as problematic, as they say there are more issues to focus on in the 2024 race…

“Meanwhile, Trump attorney Alina Habba said Thursday that Trump’s defense team will show that he believed there were issues with the 2020 election’s results… ‘When somebody wants to say that the 2020 election was perfect and that President Trump has no right to object to it, we’ve got to go show him all the facts, and there’s a lot of facts to show.”

Habba was also quoted as saying this on National Report:

“Trump has every right to question the integrity of the election… He had every right to do so at the time, I think millions and millions of Americans still to this day also share that sentiment that there may have been issues in the 2020 election…

“We’ve seen a lot of facts that result in this continual belief that things were not done exactly appropriately, and the president did what he wanted to do and what he needed to do in the way that he was advised by some … But imagine any politician who feels that that somebody has lied or that there’s been a fraud, not being able to challenge that fraud and what that means for our country. That’s their job, and he was the sole person in the executive branch who had the power to do so…”

As we pointed out last time, special counsel Jack Smith might have opened a Pandora’s Box.

Did House Select Committee Destroy January 6 Documents?

Newsmax wrote on August 9:

“Former President Donald Trump accused the Democrat-led Jan. 6 House Select Committee of ‘illegally’ destroying records and documents… ‘So now that I have full Subpoena Power… it has just been reported that the Unselect January 6th Committee of Political Hacks and Thugs has illegally destroyed their Records and Documents,’ Trump wrote. ‘This is unthinkable… The system is Rigged & Corrupt, very much like the Presidential Election of 2020. We are a Nation in Decline!’

“Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight for the Committee on House Administration, told Fox News that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s partisan Jan. panel, which was comprised of Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans in the previous Congress, failed to adequately preserve documents, data, and video depositions.

“Loudermilk said that he was contacted by a defense attorney, who needed access to key information in one of the video depositions. The committee then realized it did not have the videos he was seeking.”

Nancy Pelosi’s conduct in the matter of the 2020 election deserves some investigation and scrutiny.

How All Criminal Charges Against Trump Could Be Wiped Out

Breitbart wrote on August 3:

“Harvard Law professor emeritus Laurence Tribe told CNN on Thursday that former President Donald Trump could ‘wipe out’ all criminal charges against him, including both state and federal cases if he gets elected to the White House in 2024… Tribe said a Republican president could ‘simply erase’ the charges against Trump if Trump does not win the presidency… ‘Simply appoint an attorney general who dismisses it all.’…

“The fact that Tribe recognized a Trump presidency would ‘wipe out’ all of Trump’s criminal cases is notable because House Democrats consulted with Tribe as they prepared their first articles of impeachment against Trump…”

That Attorney General Merrick Garland [and his special counsel Jack Smith] would be fired under Trump is a foregone conclusion. Tribe also said that Jack Smith’s indictment was brilliant. The truth is, this was a horrible piece of draftsmanship, and there was nothing brilliant about it. A first semester law student could rip (at least some of) it apart. It is an attack on constitutionally protected political free speech. If Trump is convicted (which is the likely outcome in a trial in antagonistic and hostile Washington DC) and the case should not be thrown out by a Court of Appeals and should ever reach the US Supreme Court, it surely would have to be overturned by them.

AG Garland May Face Charges of Obstruction of Justice

Fox News wrote on August 4:

“Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich… believes Attorney General Merrick Garland is in danger of facing charges of his own for ‘directing’ special counsel Jack Smith’s ‘disgustingly political’ assault on former President Donald Trump.

“[Gingrich said:] ‘Look, we have never seen a major political figure as routinely and methodically assaulted as Donald Trump. It’s a sign of how desperate the establishment is. They are terrified that if he’s still standing and in October of 2024, he is going to become the president. And, of course, if he does become the president, all of these people are in jeopardy. Remember, Watergate led to 46 people being convicted. The only Cabinet officer ever to go to jail was Attorney General John Mitchell for obstruction of justice.

‘‘And I am absolutely certain that the current attorney general, Merrick Garland, is in grave danger of being charged with obstruction of justice and with having destroyed the system. And I think the Congress, frankly, should be right now subpoenaing all the documents between Smith and Garland, because I think Garland’s been directing this. I think the timing is weird. As you know, the other night, ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ put up a chart that showed something happens to Hunter, the next two or three days, something happens to Trump… I mean, this is so blatantly, disgustingly political. And it has no business being in the Department of Justice.’”

Please view our new lengthy and detailed StandingWatch program in this context, titled, “IS America Doomed? The Biden and Trump Scandals.”

Federal Judge Comes Out Swinging Against Jack Smith in Document Case

Fox News wrote on August 7:

“The federal judge overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump delivered multiple blows to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s efforts in a brief Monday. Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida – who is presiding over the case stemming from a Miami grand jury’s June indictment of Trump – denied the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request for sealed filings, striking two from the record. Cannon also requested additional information from prosecutors regarding the continued use of an out-of-state grand jury to investigate the case.

“‘The Special Counsel states in conclusory terms that the supplement should be sealed from public view “to comport with grand jury secrecy,” but the motion for leave and the supplement plainly fail to satisfy the burden of establishing a sufficient legal or factual basis to warrant sealing the motion and supplement,’ Cannon wrote in the brief, denying the DOJ’s request. ‘Among other topics as raised in the Motion, the response shall address the legal propriety of using an out-of-district grand jury proceeding to continue to investigate and/or to seek post-indictment hearings on matters pertinent to the instant indicted matter in this district,’ she continued in the brief…”

Trump Not Guiltless

Breitbart wrote on August 7:

“During an interview with NBC News on Monday, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that the 2020 election was poorly run, but we had mass mail-in balloting because ‘Trump turned the government over to Fauci, they embraced lockdowns, they did the CARES Act, which funded mail-in ballots across the country. Donald Trump signed that bill that funded the mail ballots that all the Republicans have been so concerned about.’ And that the censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story ‘was Donald Trump’s FBI that was working with that’…

“‘…when they changed the rules for COVID, I think that was wrong. I think some of those changes were unconstitutional. When they do mass mail ballots, I think that’s wrong. I think ballot harvesting is wrong… I think the fact that the FBI was working with Facebook and these other tech companies to censor the Hunter Biden story was wrong. And so, I don’t think it was the perfect election. I remember after, a lot of the media was saying, this was the most secure election in history. How could it be the most secure with those millions of mail ballots going out?…’ [Trump] didn’t have control over his own government. … And so, I think all of those issues were very problematic, but, at the end of the day, Donald Trump helped facilitate that whole set of circumstances.’”

Even though clearly prompted by political motives, DeSantis has a point. Especially Trump’s failure to deal with Fauci and his crazy ideas caused great harm to the country.

Four Pinocchios for Lying Joe Biden

Breitbart wrote on August 3:

“The Washington Post‘s fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, gave President Joe Biden four Pinocchios for lying about his son Hunter Biden not making money in China.

“Kessler documented two instances where Biden denied his son had made money in China.

“In an October 22, 2020 presidential debate, Biden told moderator Kristen Welker: ‘My son has not made money in terms of this thing about, what are you talking about, China. I have not had … the only guy who made money from China is this guy [Donald Trump]. He’s the only one. Nobody else has made money from China.’

“In a September 29, 2020, debate, Trump told Biden, ‘Once you became vice president [Hunter Biden] made a fortune in Ukraine, in China, in Moscow and various other places,’ to which Biden responded, ‘That’s not true.’

“Kessler wrote: ‘But now, nearly three years later, Biden’s assertions have been directly rebutted by Hunter himself. In court testimony last week, the younger Biden acknowledged that he in fact had been paid substantial sums in China — the first official confirmation that this was the case…”

The Ron Paul Institute republished on August 1 the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“President Joe Biden has been a regular recipient of ‘Pinocchios’ by the Washington Post for his false statements… Biden is undeterred and regularly repeats false stories from his life… Now, the President has a fresh set of ‘Four Pinocchios’…

“The Post is admitting that Biden has been lying about how his son Hunter never made money from China. It is the latest indication that the protective media wall surrounding Biden is beginning to crumble under the weight of new evidence in the corruption scandal…

“What is curious is that Kessler and the Post waited for Hunter to effectively confess rather than take notice of money transfers and records released by House committees investigating the corruption scandal. The Post and most of the media have taken little observable journalistic interest in independently confirming such payments or benefits. Instead, the media has adopted a largely passive stance and waited for confessions rather than find confirmation…

“Of course, the Post has not been known to be particularly active in independently trying to confirm such benefits [which Joe Biden allegedly received from Hunter’s business deals with foreign associates] absent another Biden admission or confession. As with the clearly false claims that he had no knowledge or involvement in these dealings, the question is now not whether Joe Biden has been lying but why he has been lying.” 

Joe Biden’s blatant denial of Hunter’s receipt of money from China does in fact raise serious questions regarding Joe Biden himself. His continuous lies do not help either.

Kennedy and Trump

American Thinker wrote on August 4:

“Trump’s Achilles heel was allowing himself to be bamboozled into supporting the COVID narrative of the pharmaceutical-medical-globalist complex. Because of his congenital reluctance to issue a mea culpa and admit that he was conned, Kennedy could potentially appeal to this large segment of the electorate… For solid realpolitik reasons Trump avoids attacking Kennedy and is modestly complimentary…

“There will be many disaffected Democrats regardless which candidate secures the nomination. Media and Democratic attacks on Kennedy only help him, similar to Trump… Capturing the Democratic nomination requires that Kennedy overcome the media and the Clinton/Obama machine…

“Kennedy… is a skilled debater, commanding facts, with his finger on the pulse of current existential concerns. No one in his imploding party comes close. No one owns the COVID vaccine debate as he does… Trump currently needs Kennedy more than Kennedy needs Trump…”

An interesting proposal to contemplate.

No Religious Exemption in Connecticut

The Associated Press wrote on August 4:

“A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a 2021 Connecticut law that eliminated the state’s longstanding religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges and day care facilities. The decision comes about a year and a half after a lower court judge dismissed the lawsuit challenging the contentious law…

“‘This decision is a full and resounding affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of Connecticut’s vaccine requirements. Vaccines save lives — this is a fact beyond dispute,’ Democratic Attorney General William Tong said in a statement. ‘The legislature acted responsibly and well within its authority to protect the health of Connecticut families and stop the spread of preventable disease.’

“The plaintiffs, We the Patriots USA Inc. and others, had argued that Connecticut violated religious freedom protections by removing the exemption. The 2021 law, they said, demonstrates a hostility to religious believers and jeopardizes their rights to medical freedom and child rearing. ‘We fully intend to seek review of this decision in the United States Supreme Court, to obtain equal justice for all children — not only in Connecticut, but in every state in the nation,’ Brian Festa, co-founder and vice president of We the Patriots USA Inc., said in a statement.

“He said his group, which focuses on religious and medical freedom, parental rights and other matters, disagrees with the court’s conclusion that removing the exemption does not violate religious freedom under the First Amendment or the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law…

“Connecticut law currently requires students to receive certain immunizations before enrolling in school, yet allows some medical exemptions. Students could seek religious exemptions as well prior to 2021, but lawmakers decided to end that after being concerned by an uptick in exemption requests coupled with a decline in vaccination rates in some schools. The Connecticut General Assembly ultimately passed legislation that eliminated the exemption but grandfathered students in K-12 that had already received one…”

There is nothing reasonable about this terrible decision which, sadly, reflects the policy of so many states in a country which claims religious freedom but is becoming more and more an autocratic dictatorship.

Poland’s Diminishing Support for Ukraine

The Conversation reported on August 4:

“There has been a fundamental shift when it comes to the stance that young Poles think their government should adopt in the war in Ukraine. In 2022, an overwhelming majority of 83 percent argued that the government should support Ukraine — but this number has changed drastically.

“Now, 65 percent of respondents back continuous support for Ukraine, whereas the remaining 34 percent wish for Poland to stay neutral. Clearly, more than one and a half years into the current phase of the conflict and amid fears of other countries being pulled into the war, young people have become more cautious…

“Asked about the type of support that people consider appropriate for Ukraine, our most recent (2023) data shows that only 2 percent of young Poles want the national army to be involved in the Ukraine war. And while 60 percent support offering humanitarian aid, only 28 percent want Poland to offer weapons.”

That even Poland—Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe—has begun to have second thoughts is rather telling.

Germans Unhappy With Political System

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 4:

“If federal elections were held this week, the populist party [AfD] would win 21% of the vote, putting it firmly in second place [after the CDU]. [In a new poll,] Germany’s center-left government [SPD, FDP and the Green] again failed to win a majority… Only one in five respondents said they were satisfied with the work of the federal government…Chancellor Scholz is also becoming increasingly unpopular: Only three out of 10 eligible voters (31%) say they are satisfied with his work, the lowest approval rating since he took office in December 2021…

“Voters are not only dissatisfied with the chancellor and his government, but also with the overall situation in the country. Some 58% say that burdens are not shared fairly in Germany. That feeling has to do with the distribution of wealth, but also with the fact that certain groups in the population feel that their views and interests are not being taken into account enough by the political mainstream… As many as 62% of respondents said politicians focus too much on the interests of those who are wealthy, while 48% think that politicians focus too much on the needs of refugees.

“Despite the fact that the opposition conservative parties are leading in the polls, only 19% said they believe that they would do a better job at solving the country’s problems — in fact, 21% said they would do an even worse job, and 53% said they’d expect a conservative-led government’s overall performance to be similar… The low expectations for a CDU-led federal government correspond to the poor rating of CDU leader Friedrich Merz. Only three out of 10 respondents said they think he is a good party leader, and only 16% said they thought he would make a good chancellor. Perhaps even worse for Merz, only one in three CDU supporters want him to become the next head of government after the general election in 2025…

“The CDU/CSU has been thrown into turmoil by the question of whether the decision to disassociate itself from the far-right AfD should apply at all political levels. This comes after Merz suggested in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF in July that cooperation with AfD representatives on a local level was sensible common practice. He walked his comments back the following day in response to an immediate backlash, including from figures within his own party.

“Overall, 64% of those surveyed for the Deutschlandtrend poll said they think it is right for the CDU to rule out cooperation with the AfD in principle, while 29% are open to considering it. However, there are considerable differences when the western and eastern German states are considered separately.

“While two-thirds of eligible voters in western Germany welcome the CDU’s official stance of rejecting cooperation with the AfD, in eastern Germany, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), only half of the eligible voters agree. There, the AfD is the strongest party, polling at over 30%.

“Some 70% of all respondents called for more pragmatism: They say that support of individual AfD motions in the parliaments of cities, municipalities and districts should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

“In eastern Germany, as many as 81% of respondents said they were in favor of more pragmatism, compared with 67% in western Germany. Nationwide, it is only Green supporters (51%) where a majority say that all AfD motions should be rejected on principle.”

Germany is in chaos, due to a lack of true leadership. All seem to act as proverbial politicians… without any strong convictions and without any backbone. But this will end soon when the “right man” shows up.

Germany in Deep Financial Trouble

Express wrote on August 8:

“Germany, once regarded as the powerhouse of the European economy, is grappling with severe economic challenges that are leaving a profound impact on its social fabric. The nation’s economic struggles have manifested in a distressing rise in poverty rates, increased reliance on food banks, and a worrying decline in industrial output, particularly within the renowned car manufacturing sector.

“Recent data reveals that more than two million Germans are now dependent on foodbanks for their daily sustenance… Furthermore, approximately 14 million Germans, equivalent to one in six of the population of 88 million, are classified as living in poverty... Amid these challenges, official economic forecasts point toward a recession in Germany this year.”

All the while, enormous amounts of money are being spent on ridiculous “Green” projects and on assisting Ukraine militarily.

Fear of War in Germany

Bild Online wrote on August 4:

“Since Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the number of conscientious objectors in the Bundeswehr has increased fivefold! Background: In the case of a partial or general mobilization in the event of tension or defense, ALL men between the ages of 18 and 59 could be drafted. THAT apparently scares even soldiers.

“In the German Basic Law, Article 4, Paragraph 3, it says: ‘No one may be forced into military service against his conscience.’ A response from the Federal Government to a small question from the Left Group now shows: More and more are invoking this law – there is a trend towards objection…

“But when do German soldiers actually have to fear being mobilized for a defensive mission? The Bundestag must decide with a two-thirds majority that there is a ‘stress situation’ (“Spannungsfall”). Meaning: increased military alert and general compulsory military service for men up to the age of 60. This is a preliminary stage of the ‘defense case’ (“Verteidigungsfall”).

“The defense case can also occur if the Federal Republic is attacked with armed force [by the enemy; or when such an armed attack is “imminent”]. Then the authority to command the armed forces [of Germany] is transferred to the Federal Chancellor. So far this has remained a theoretical scenario: the stress situation or the defense case have never been announced.”

Sadly, this scenario will become all-too-real pretty soon.

Germany Hesitates to Supply Arms to Ukraine

Focus wrote on August 5:

“In May, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Berlin after a long time—a symbolic visit to show that Ukraine and Germany are now putting their tensions over arms shipments behind them. But little has happened since then. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) promised a comprehensive weapons package worth 2.4 billion euros at his meeting with Selenskyj in May of this year. But until today, this promise has hardly been fulfilled…

“The list of delivered weapons… shows sobering numbers. So far, only a few of the promised weapons have arrived in Ukraine. Only ten of 110 Leopard 1 tanks, twelve of 18 Cheetahs, an air surveillance radar and 850 rounds of artillery ammunition were delivered. Non-lethal weapons such as reconnaissance drones, air surveillance radars and tankers have also not received so far…

“It is also particularly annoying for Kiev that commitments for weapons have apparently been withdrawn…

“Germany also remains hesitant with regard to new types of weapon systems… Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and his party colleague Ralf Stegner continue to reject a delivery [of German Taurus missiles] in order to avoid an escalation of the conflict with Russia. Taurus missiles have an enormous range and could theoretically hit targets on Russian territory. Ukraine had repeatedly pledged to only use the weapons to defend Ukrainian territories.”

Germany is repeating an all-too-familiar pattern of unreliability.

EU a Failed Project?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 6:

“Germany’s far-right AfD on Sunday derided the EU as a ‘failed project’ during a party conference in the eastern German city of Magdeburg.

“A text adopted by hundreds of party delegates at the event said the bloc ‘completely failed’ on issues such as climate and immigration. The party also said it does not support the Euro as a currency.  

“However, the text did not urge Germany to leave the EU. The AfD also did not call for the bloc to be dissolved entirely, as suggested by an earlier party draft in June.

“The AfD rather wishes to establish ‘a federation of European nations, a new European economic and interest community that preserves the sovereignty of member states.’

“The party conference this weekend was tasked with preparing a program for next year’s European Parliament elections. Last month, the AfD selected EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah as its top EU election candidate. Krah, an incumbent lawmaker in the European Parliament, has called the AfD ‘the most exciting right-wing party’ in Europe.

“The AfD’s deliberations on its EU strategy come as the anti-immigration party rises in support among the German population. The party has capitalized on rising inflation in Germany as well as higher energy costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

The AfD’s switch in policy towards the EU is interesting. Even though the call for an abandonment of the euro will not come to fruition, the call for greater independence of EU member states might be answered, at least to an extent and for a while, until power and authority is being transferred to “the beast.” Daniel 2:42-43 reads: “… the kingdom [of Europe] shall be partly strong and partly fragile… they [ten core nations of Europe] will not adhere to one another…”

American Anger at Europe

Die Welt wrote on August 9:

“If US citizens want to travel to Europe in the future, they have to register online beforehand – and pay eight dollars for it. Many Americans are angry, others are in a real Oktoberfest panic. The USA has had comparable – and more expensive – rules for travelers from the EU for 15 years…

“They are venting their anger on social networks. Some speak of a ‘deterrent‘ by the EU, while others speak of ‘expensive insolence’.

“The excitement seems so great that ETIAS has already arrived in the US election campaign. Ex-President Donald Trump has already announced that if he is re-elected, he will not allow his compatriots to pay to enter the EU… ‘We give them everything, including military support and trade, and now we are supposed to pay to go there.’ Europeans have no respect for the United States, Trump continues…

“To register, travelers have to pay a fee of seven euros (equivalent to around eight dollars) and provide some personal information. In the US, in addition to the costs, there are also concerns about the latter…

“Nile Gardiner, a former adviser to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, even described the new EU program as ‘Orwellian’ – in reference to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 about a totalitarian surveillance state…

“This week showed again that the United States is not squeamish when it comes to entry from EU countries. The US authorities have severely restricted the visa exemption for Hungary. Last week, the ESTA validity period for Hungarian passport holders was reduced from two years to one year, and an ESTA permit is only valid for single entry…

“Some Americans have already drawn their own conclusions from the new EU rules. They no longer want to travel to Europe as a protest, as Jeffery Lawnicki writes on Instagram: ‘Who wants to visit a garbage dump like Europe?‘”

The deterioration of the EU-USA relationship will continue drastically.

Right To Cash

The Associated Press wrote on August 4:

“Austria’s… Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a statement on Friday that ‘more and more people are concerned that cash could be restricted as a means of payment in Austria.’…  ‘People in Austria have a right to cash,’ Nehammer said.

“While payments by card and electronic methods have become increasingly common in many European countries, Austria and neighboring Germany remain relatively attached to cash. The government says 47 billion euros ($51 billion) per year are withdrawn from ATMs in Austria, a country of about 9.1 million people.

“Protecting cash against supposed threats has been a demand of the far-right opposition Freedom Party, which has led polls in Austria in recent months. The country’s next election is due in 2024…

“The chancellor’s proposal, according to his office, involves a ‘constitutional protection of cash as a means of payment,’ ensuring that people can still pay with cash, and securing a ‘basic supply’ of cash in cooperation with Austria’s central bank. Austria is one of 20 countries that are part of the euro area. Nehammer said he has instructed Finance Minister Magnus Brunner to work on the proposal and plans to hold a round table with the ministries concerned, finance industry representatives and the central bank in September.”

The very thought that people might be prevented from paying in cash is abhorrent and disgusting—and worthy of a manipulating, controlling and suppressing dictatorship.

The Problems With Electric Cars

1945 wrote on August 4:

“In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom dictated that by 2035, all new cars and trucks sold in the state must be fossil-fuel-free. Electric vehicles, or EVs, are to be the new king of the road…

“Almost every EV battery requires cobalt—a rare and expensive mineral found mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The African country is by far the world’s largest producer… The DRC is also rich in other natural resources such as copper, zinc, coltan, cassiterite, gold, bauxite, diamond, oil, and gas. Yet it is also one of the poorest countries in the world, with a gross national income of approximately $550 per person as measured in U.S. dollars.

“The Congolese people have seen little benefit from these immense natural resources, which have been exploited for many decades, particularly by… China, as well as its own government. Not only are miners, including children, essentially working as slaves, risking their lives. Mining for these natural resources is an extremely dangerous endeavor, one that kills up to 2,000 illegal miners a year… Yet, no one, particularly Governor Gavin Newsom, wants to talk about this. 

“Although far behind the Congo, Russia and China are also in the top ten list of producers, raising geopolitical concerns around this valuable mineral. While China is at the bottom of the list, producing only 2,200 MT, the country leads the world in refined cobalt production at 70 percent of the total global supply with most of the raw material coming from the Congo…

“China is also the top consumer of cobalt with most of it used to supply the rechargeable battery industry. The push for EVs drives the U.S. increasingly into the arms of the CCP. While some companies have created batteries without cobalt, these have not proven to provide the necessary energy to power a car for any significant distance…

“Currently, the Lucid Air is the car that can go the farthest on a single charge – 516 miles or approximately the distance from San Diego to San Francisco. The car costs $139,650. The Tesla S Model will take you 405 miles on a single charge, or about the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco and the vehicle sells to the tune of almost $90,000. 

“The most reasonably priced EVs… like the Chevy Bolt (which is set to be discontinued to make room for other electric vehicle models from Chevy) or the Nissan Leaf, which run between $26,000 and $30,000 – have a maximum range closer to 230 miles which, if driving at 65mph is approximately 3.5 hours. Who drives at 65mph on an open freeway?… This is before, like any battery, the cells lose their maximum charging capacity, which will decrease maximum driving distances…

“Lithium-ion batteries are toxic and can cause destructive fires that spread quickly, particularly when they are stored together. Then there’s the issue of charging stations and availability… It typically takes anywhere between 6 to 12 hours to charge an EV using a Level 2 charger…”

The push for electric cars by the green Woke culture seems to be a rather ineffective, costly and perhaps even dangerous idea.

Biden Administration Concedes No Evidence Behind Recommendation for 6 COVID Booster Shots a Year

Southern Maryland Online wrote on August 8:

“President Joe Biden’s administration concedes that there is no scientific evidence to support an apparent recommendation to receive as many as six COVID-19 booster shots in a year. After Health Secretary Xavier Becerra [an attorney with no medical degrees], a Biden appointee, wrote in a social media post on Nov. 29, 2022, that people should get vaccinated ‘if it’s been over 2 months since your last dose,’ the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents supporting the statements.

“The watchdog organization then sued after the administration didn’t comply with timelines laid out in the law. FGI asked for, among other documents: ‘Any scientific support relied on by Secretary Becerra when approving or issuing the tweet recommending that all Americans receive a booster shot every two months’ and ‘any study, synopsis, or similar statement or document of scientific, academic, or government research on whether a bi-monthly booster shot will effectively prevent the transmission or susceptibility to COVID-19 and known active variants as of November 2022.’

“It also asked for internal communications regarding Mr. Becerra’s statements. In a new response, the government said it had no evidence to support Mr. Becerra’s recommendation. ‘The department reviewed 1,263 pages of potentially responsive records captured in the agency’s search for this FOIA request. After a careful review of these records, I determined the 1,263 pages were not relevant to your request,’ Alesia Williams, an official in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told FGI.

“‘The lack of a single record supporting Secretary Becerra’s bold public health recommendation for six COVID boosters a year is a startling development,’ Pete McGinnis, a spokesman for FGI, said in a statement. ‘It is tremendously irresponsible for the government’s chief health official to fire off tweets recommending frequent injections of a new vaccine booster apparently based on no academic or scientific support,’ Mr. McGinnis added. ‘How can the public be assured that the agency is ‘following the science’ on other important public health matters when it demonstrates such clear disregard for basic scientific integrity standards on an issue as important as COVID vaccine shots?’”

This ongoing propaganda by the Biden Administration is truly alarming.

A World Deceived?

The Dossier wrote on August 1:

“Anthony Fauci is a worldwide celebrity and has taken up a prestigious series of appointments at Georgetown University and elsewhere. Bill Gates and the gang are jet setting around the world preaching the gospel of the Climate Hoax Church… Most of the appointees to the Trump and Biden coronavirus task forces have long since cashed out and laundered their credentials through the revolving door and into the BioTech/Big Pharma space…

“So it shouldn’t come as much as a surprise that they’re trying to restart the party to attempt another series of grand slams. The Pharma-sponsored corporate media is once more spreading the fear hype. ‘Time to bring [masks] out again especially as the school season starts,’ read the MSNBC headline Tuesday morning. An entire segment on Tuesday from ABC’s Good Morning America was dedicated to tracking supposed increasing hospitalizations from coronavirus infections, warning that the numbers are ‘on the rise.’

“… the bad guys of the Covid hysteria era never faced any consequences for the human rights atrocities they committed since 2019. And in all likelihood, they probably never will…

“Coronavirus hysteria ended because enough human beings became educated to the reality that the ‘response’ to the ‘pandemic’ was wildly overblown… It’s the same reason why Pfizer and Moderna stock is crashing…

“The problem occurred because it took too many people way too long to realize that humanity had been bamboozled by power hungry tyrants… When the next big power grab arrives, we should hope for much more courage and bravery than last time around.”

Note the next article as well.

Climate Lockdowns?

Report 24 wrote on July 31:

“Klaus Schwab’s daughter Nicole Schwab obviously follows the example of her father. At an event, she indicated that the Covid crisis had shown that radical change is possible if there is enough panic. The best conditions for a Great Reset: Will climate lockdowns follow soon after the Covid lockdowns? The desire to establish a globalist dictatorship including the dystopian ‘Great Reset’ is obviously in the blood.

“The WEF [World Economic Forum] makes no secret that Covid-19 has been used as a test run for a potential climate dictatorship… Nicole Schwab [a ‘WEF Executive Committee member’] takes a similar stance… she sees Covid as a ‘tremendous opportunity’ that has shown that radical change is achievable when people are scared. This could be used to launch the WEF’s ‘Great Reset’ agenda…

“If you take the political measures of the Corona period as a model, the fear arises that globalists are actually flirting with dictatorial ‘climate lockdowns’. That would mean severe restrictions being imposed on individuals and businesses to reduce carbon emissions. These measures could include travel restrictions, strict regulations on energy use and consumption in general, and even temporary closures of industries considered to be harmful to the environment. Globalist advocates argue that strict action is needed to prevent catastrophic consequences of supposedly man-made climate change…”

Too far-fetched to be true? Perhaps not!

“Preparing” For the Next Pandemic

Life Stite News reported on August 7:

“U.K. scientists at a high-security government laboratory have begun developing vaccines for a potential future pandemic. 

“Two-hundred scientists are currently working on vaccines against an unknown ‘Disease X’ at the Porton Down laboratory in Wiltshire, England… Bird flu is considered the most likely candidate to cause the ‘next pandemic’ by the scientists working at the lab. They are furthermore developing vaccines against a potential outbreak of monkeypox and hantavirus, a disease that primarily occurs in rodents. 

“The laboratory reportedly successfully developed ‘the world’s first vaccine against Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a disease that’s spread by ticks and has a fatality rate of 30%.’ The tropical disease is viewed as a potential global pandemic threat as it is allegedly becoming more common in Europe…

“Since the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 and the subsequent draconian lockdown policies, leading globalists like Bill Gates have been continuously warning about the ‘next pandemic.’

“During a 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) panel discussion fittingly titled ‘100 Days to Outrace the Next Pandemic,’ former British prime minister Tony Blair predicted that vaccines for future pandemics will require ‘multiple shots.’ Blair called for digital infrastructure ‘to know who has been vaccinated and who hasn’t been.’ A few months later, the European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a partnership to create a ‘global system’ of vaccine passports built on the EU’s ‘system of digital COVID-19 certification.’ 

“Moreover, the head of a ‘nudge unit’ employed by the U.K. government during the COVID crisis said in a recent interview that lockdowns would be accepted by the population in future pandemics because people already ‘know what the drill is.’ 

“Professor David Halpern from the Behavioural Insights Team (the ‘nudge unit’) admitted that his agency used psychological manipulation to prime the population and defended the use of fear-based messaging ‘in extreme circumstances.’ He said that visual prompts and catchy slogans can be used to prime people if they ‘are wrongly calibrated.’”

Satan is the ruler of this world, which is also shown in the next article.

Persecution and Prosecution of Christians in the West

The Christian Post wrote on August 6:

“Don’t be surprised if one day you are on trial for quoting the Bible on social media. If that seems unthinkable, you should know it’s already happening to some Christians in other parts of the world… Christians have become accustomed to getting banned (or shadowbanned) on social media for our beliefs, but it seems strange to think that one day we could be arrested for quoting the Bible. 

“But that’s what happened to Päivi Räsänen, a member of parliament in Finland. She has been an elected official since 1995. She was the chair of the Christian Democratic Party from 2004 to 2015, she was minister of the interior from 2011 to 2015, and she is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland with her husband, who serves as a pastor. 

“In June 2019, Päivi tweeted a picture of Bible verses and questioned her denomination’s partnership with an LGBT Pride event. The prosecutor general in Finland opened an investigation against her. In April 2021, the prosecutor announced three charges of hate speech against Päivi — one charge for the tweet, a second charge for a 2004 pamphlet on sexuality for her church, and a third charge for a 2019 radio debate on sexuality.

“Alliance Defending Freedom International supported her defense at a district court, and in a unanimous ruling in March 2022, the court dismissed all charges against her. However, the prosecutor appealed the ruling. So on August 22nd, Päivi will stand trial again.

“It is tempting to think this could never happen in America. Freedom of speech is protected by law in this country. But Päivi can say the same about her country. The constitution in Finland protects freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

“Therefore it is Päivi today, but it could be your pastor tomorrow. If a politician can be charged with hate speech for quoting the Bible, pastors can receive the same charge. If politicians can be charged for that, less powerful people like you can also be charged for quoting the Bible on social media.

“Last week, police officers in Wisconsin arrested several young Christians for preaching the gospel at a public drag queen event that targeted children. In June, the House of Representatives in Michigan passed House Bill 4474, a bill that would make speech that ‘causes the victims to feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened’ a hate crime. Speech against a person’s ‘sexual orientation’ or ‘gender identity or expression’ are listed as hate crimes.

“Western nations like America and Finland founded their legal system on Christian ethics, but now they are radically committed to LGBT ideology and opposed to their founding values. Just as Christian theology shaped the West’s legal system, LGBT ideology is reshaping it. LGBT ideology cannot co-exist with Christian theology… Therefore, it suppresses Christianity through persecution. It arrests Christians for preaching the Gospel. It criminalizes speech against homosexuality and transgenderism.”

The LGBT ideology is condemned in the Bible.

Building the Third Temple

Israel 365 News wrote on August 4:

“Channel 12, a Hebrew-language news site, published an article on Sunday accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of allocating resources to a project aimed at building a third temple on the Temple Mount. The article blames Christians for bringing red heifers to Israel.

“The Channel 12 article cites a project by Boneh Israel, an organization that brings together Jews and Christians. In cooperation with the Temple Institute, Boneh Israel successfully imported five red calves in September to Israel from Texas for the purpose of raising them for the Biblical commandment.  

“The red heifer was the main component in the Biblically mandated process of ritual purification for impurity that results from proximity or contact with a dead body. Because the elements needed for this ceremony have been lacking since the destruction of the Second Temple, all Jews today are considered ritually impure, thereby preventing the return of the Temple service… [Not all religious authorities in Israel agree with this conclusion, but many do. And even though a red heifer is not required in the Bible for the building of the third temple, many rabbis think that it is.]

“The article claimed that the Netanyahu government is complicit. ‘A few years ago, the Jerusalem Ministry submitted a design proposal for the construction of the Mount of Olives Promenade, and officials who were involved in the planning claim that its route is intended to serve, among other things, the future ceremony of burning the cow,’ the article wrote, also blaming the Ministry of Agriculture for complicity by issuing permits for importing the red calves…

“The article also noted that the Minister for Jerusalem and Heritage, Nathaniel Isaac attended the ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport when the calves arrived, citing this as proof that Netanyahu’s government is paving the way for the Third Temple.

“The article quoted Dr. Tomer Persico, a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, who claimed that Christians are involved in the project in order to help bring about the ‘Temple of the Antichrist’. ‘The Antichrist, the “Satan” one might say, needs to come here and defile the Temple,’ notes Persico…

“The Ministry of Heritage responded to Channel 12 by stating that the project did not receive funding from the government… ‘The Director General of the Ministry participated in the ceremony of their arrival privately and during the tenure of the previous government. The plan for the promenade on the Mount of Olives was intended for tourism purposes and not for the benefit of the Red Cow fire.’

“The Ministry of Agriculture stated in response:  “An import license for the source is granted as long as the country is approved for the type of import requested. The US has been approved for this for about a year. The calves mentioned in the article were imported for breeding purposes, and met all the import conditions required by the ministry.’

“The article raised an uproar among the Arab media. Al Jazeera cited Dr. Saleh Lutfi, ‘a researcher in Jewish, Zionist, and political affairs,’ as saying that in light of the current Palestinian and regional circumstances, the Netanyahu government [thinks] the time is ripe to ‘realize the myth of building the alleged “Third Temple”… All parties in the government coalition… agree among themselves on the need to continue preparations… for the construction of the Temple, the preparation of priests’ clothing, the raising of the red cow, and the strengthening of the position of the Chief Rabbi,’ Lufti wrote.

“He went on to claim that the idea of rebuilding the Temple ‘has become rooted even among large segments of the Israeli secular and liberal movement, as well as among the circles of the so-called Jewish Zionist left.’

“Despite the preparations and the allocation of budgets, Lufti reasoned that the Netanyahu government is not currently building the Temple in the courtyards of the Temple Mount, pointing out that this would be ‘a suicidal step for the Israeli entity, which would ignite a religious uprising in historic Palestine, taking into account that it will spread to the Arab and Islamic worlds, which will expose the region to a religious war… The temple includes a biblical council (Sanhedrin) as well, deciding and prosecuting according to Jewish religious provisions, and paves the way for the preparation of the king, or the so-called chief rabbi, who does not necessarily rule in a democratic manner.’

“Palestinian Shehab News reported that the deputy director of the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, Najeh Bakirat, ‘confirmed that the occupation government adopted the project to build the Temple in the place of Al-Aqsa, to make Jerusalem a Jewish capital…through several steps and nonstop violations against the mosque.’”

Netanyahu’s position regarding the Third Temple has been quite ambiguous for a long time. We wonder what is really going on behind the scenes. You might want to listen to our StandingWatch program from 2018, titled, ‘Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?”

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.

More Evidence Against President Joe Biden?

The Daily Mail wrote on July 31:

“Hunter Biden’s business partner Devon Archer told Congress in bombshell testimony the ‘Biden brand’ helped Ukrainian firm Burisma from going bankrupt and revealed Joe was on the phone at least 20 times while his son was talking with foreign associates. Republicans claim Archer’s testimony added to mounting evidence that the then-Vice President was involved in Hunter’s overseas deals that raked in millions from nations including China and Romania.  Democrats claimed the phone calls were innocent and did not involve business. 

“Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., confirmed Archer told the House Oversight Committee that Joe had been on speakerphone multiple times while his son was talking with business partners – but insisted they were talking about ‘niceties’ such as the weather…

“Oversight member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told DailyMail.com in an interview Archer testified that ‘the Bidens were in the actual business of influence peddling’… claiming that the 20 phone conversations Archer referred to were directly about business deals…

“But Archer is facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly. He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds…

“Archer, 48, and Hunter both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. Hunter has reportedly described Devon as his ‘best friend in business.’…

“Archer testified that Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi [and] owner Nikola Zlochevsky put ‘constant pressure’ on Hunter in 2015 to get his father to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma… In March 2016, Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine if Shokin was not fired for corruption…”

Shortly thereafter, Shokin was fired. The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

More Criminal Charges Against Trump

Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Fox News correspondent David Spunt reported… that Trump had been indicted on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

“[Professor] Turley [explained] that special counsel Jack Smith might be ‘yielding to his weakness’ with the indictment. ‘[Smith] may be stretching the law a bit… Jack Smith has a reputation for stretching criminal statutes beyond the breaking point. He went after [former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell] and secured a conviction there. He was unanimously overturned because he just stretched the law too far.’…

“Host Jesse Watters… expressed incredulity that it appears to relitigate claims of election fraud in 2020 in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan. Watters quipped that Democrats might not want to go back down the road of defending the ‘integrity’ of the election system in Philadelphia…

“Trump has repeatedly claimed Pence had the authority to send the elector slates back to the state legislatures under the Electoral Count Act of 1887… [Former New York federal prosecutor Andy] McCarthy… suggested that no matter how ‘frivolous,’ such machinations, [they] are likely protected speech… ‘it was something that [Trump] was allowed to rely on’…”

Real Clear Politics wrote on August 1:

“[Professor] Jonathan Turley on Tuesday told FOX News host Sean Hannity that… ‘This is a free speech killing indictment. There’s no way around it. I write a great deal in academia in the free-speech area and I [have] rarely seen a more chilling filing by the Department of Justice…  And I have to tell you, this indictment is really [a] sad moment for me… It basically just says that we think Trump is lying that he actually didn’t believe this. I can’t tell you how faciously ridiculous this claim is…’”

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Turley said Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump ‘basically just accuses him of disinformation. This is a disinformation indictment’ and charges “many” things that are protected by the First Amendment…’”

CNBC wrote on August 1:

“An attorney who is representing former President Donald Trump in his latest federal criminal indictment vowed to use the charges to ‘re-litigate every single issue in the 2020 election in the context of this litigation.’ The case gives Trump ‘an opportunity that he has never had before, which is to have subpoena power since January 6 in a way that can be exercised in federal court,’ attorney John Lauro said in a Fox News interview.”

In the 45-page indictment, it was alleged about 50 times regarding election fraud that Trump made false statements which he knew were false. With these accusations, Jack Smith has opened up a Pandora’s box as Trump will undoubtedly try to litigate or relitigate the question on the merits whether his statements regarding a “rigged election” were false and whether he knew that they were false. The underlying question is also whether a person can even be criminally prosecuted for conduct while in the office of the Presidency, and whether his statements are constitutionally protected as free speech and therefore immune from criminal prosecution. In addition, note the next article.

npr wrote on August 1:

“… one count of conspiracy against rights refers to Trump and his co-conspirators alleged attempts to ‘oppress, threaten and intimidate’ people in their right to vote in an election. The charge of ‘conspiracy against rights’ goes back to the Civil War era. It was passed after the Civil War as a way to stop members of the Ku Klux Klan and other similar organizations from intimidating, harassing and outright terrorizing Black voters especially in the South. This law was part of the Enforcement Act, passed between 1868 and 1870…”

As can be clearly seen, this law does not remotely apply to Trump’s alleged conduct.

The article continued:

“The case [against Trump] has been assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan [who] stood out for her tough punishment [and “the hardest line against Jan. 6 defendants of any judge serving on Washington’s federal trial court”] for Jan. 6 rioters. In at least seven cases… Chutkan imposed harsher penalties than what federal prosecutors sought for those rioters.”

Chutkan was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama.

Reactions from Republicans

Breitbart wrote on August 1:

“Republican officials blasted the Justice Department’s January 6 probe and the fresh indictment of former President Donald Trump, expressing support for Trump in the face of ‘serial election interference.’… Republican members slammed Smith’s ‘political witch hunt’ targeting ‘every one of his supporters.’

“House Republican Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) released a statement on ‘the disgraceful non-stop witch hunt by Biden’s corrupt DOJ against President Trump,’ calling Tuesday ‘yet another dark day in America’ as Biden continues to ‘weaponize’ his ‘corrupt’ Justice Department against his leading political opponent:  ‘Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter‘s business calls over 20 times. This directly contradicts Biden’s lie that he never discussed business with his son. Today’s sham indictment of Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to distract attention away from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden‘s direct involvement in his family’s illegal influence peddling scheme — one of the greatest political corruption scandals in history.’

“According to Stefanik, Trump ‘had every right under the First Amendment to correctly raise concerns about election integrity in 2020.’…

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) highlighted how people have recently been informed that Hunter Biden ‘received money from China (contradicting President Biden’s claim),’ that Biden ‘spoke with Hunter’s business associates over 20 times (contradicting what Biden previously claimed),’ and that Biden’s DOJ ‘tried to secretly give Hunter broad immunity and admitted the sweetheart deal was unprecedented.’… he charged that ‘Everyone in America could see what was going to come next: DOJ’s attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump.’…

“‘Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Biden’s DOJ is cutting sweetheart deals for Hunter to cover for the Biden Family’s influence peddling schemes while at the same time trying to persecute his leading political opponent,’ wrote House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) as he deemed it ‘an outrageous abuse of power.’…

“‘When you drain The Swamp, The Swamp fights back,’ wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). ‘President Trump did nothing wrong!’…

“‘It’s not shocking that every time the Biden crime family has evidence surface (FD-1023), or a congressional hearing that exposes further corruption and abuses of power, that the weaponized DoJ indicts his top political opponent (Pres. Trump),’ wrote Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL)…

“‘Democrats would rather destroy America than see Donald Trump in the White House again,’ wrote Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN)…”

And many more voiced their disgust with Smith’s indictment. Also, Fox News wrote on August 1:

“Reacting to the charges, a Trump campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital [that] ‘the lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.’”

Where is America heading?

More Charges Against Trump in the Document Case

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“Special Counsel Jack Smith on Thursday (one day after Hinter Biden’s “sweetheart plea deal” fell apart) brought new charges against former President Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago White House documents case. Smith charged Trump with one count of willful retention of national defense documents and two counts of obstruction. Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, who was previously charged in the first indictment, also received two new obstruction-related charges.

“The superseding indictment also charged Carlos De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s head of maintenance, with altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing a document, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice…

“With the additional charges, Trump is now facing 40 counts in the criminal case.

“Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the U.S. Department of Justice for the new charges, calling it a ‘continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him… Deranged Jack Smith knows that they have no case and is casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt and to get someone other than Donald Trump to run against Crooked Joe Biden…’

“Judge Aileen Cannon set a trial in this case for next May, just months before the 2024 presidential election.”

In a related article, Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“‘This is harassment. This is election interference,’ Trump said when asked to respond to the superseding indictment and additional charges. ‘I’m protected by the Presidential Records Act totally. It shouldn’t even be a case. It’s not a criminal case. Where’s Biden with all the documents? He’s got 20 times, 30 times the documents I have, and he has not made it easy for them either. He has been hiding boxes. They’re sending boxes to Chinatown… and yet China is paying them millions of dollars. You explain that one. You don’t even hear about it. All you hear about is Trump. No, this is a two-tier system of injustice. That’s what we have. We have a sick country… We have a failing nation and it’s a very sad thing to watch.’…

“Trump also told Breitbart News that if elected president again—he is currently the leading GOP candidate for the White House—he would fire Smith. Trump also cited failed cases Smith’s office has brought against other politicians from both political parties… ‘He’s destroyed a lot of lives… He went after Christians… What he’s done is just horrible. The abuse of power—it is prosecutorial misconduct.’…

“Trump said he thinks history will remember this all as an ‘embarrassment’ for Democrats and for the nation… Trump said he believes the public sees it his way, which is why he says his poll numbers keep rising—in both the primary and the general…”

Trump denied all charges and said he will continue to run, even if he were convicted and sentenced. Questions were raised in the media whether he could pardon himself once he was elected President—a question not addressed in the Constitution. It was also pointed out that if he were to do so, it would be very difficult to challenge this, because, for one reason, who would even have standing to do so in a Court of Law?

GOP Members Outraged by Biden’s “Justice” Department

The New York Post wrote on July 28:

“The three new charges stacked against Donald Trump have left members of the GOP enraged over the timing a day after Hunter Biden’s probation-only plea deal fell apart. ‘It’s so brazen right now, what they’re doing,’ Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Fox News… ‘It is really a subversion of the rule of law…’

“Hawley said the Department of Justice has begun ‘charging random people’… hinting that the new charges were meant to take attention off the first son. ‘Is it any coincidence that the DOJ rushes to add these new indictments today, after the Hunter debacle…

“The president’s son pleaded not guilty to federal tax and gun charges following the bombshell ruling by the judge, opening the door for the possibility of additional charges in the future — such as for allegedly working as an unregistered foreign agent.

“Hunter Biden admitted during the hearing he had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Chinese Communist Party-backed company— contradicting President Biden’s claims that his family never ‘made money from China.’

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the charges brought forth by the Democrats ‘a disgrace’… ‘I think Merrick Garland should be impeached and removed from office for allowing the Department of Justice to be turned into a partisan hammer to attack the political enemies of the White House,’ Cruz said of the attorney general…

“Fellow Republican lawmakers have also begun ringing the bell that the indictment is being used as a distraction to benefit the Biden family. ‘The American people understand that Joe Biden and his administration are engulfed in one of the biggest political corruption scandals of all time,’ wrote House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in a statement shared on Twitter. ‘It is no coincidence that the day after a federal judge throws out Hunter Biden’s corrupt, sweetheart plea bargain, Biden’s weaponized [Department of Justice] continues its witch hunt against President Trump,’ she added. ‘Our Republic is in peril, our justice system is broken.’…”

The Justice Department’s blatant witch hunt against Donald Trump and the appalling protection of Joe Biden are continuing…

What is particularly shocking about the Hunter Biden sweetheart plea deal is that the prosecution and the defense attorneys reportedly tried to hide the immunity clause in an attachment (dealing with the gun charge), which was allegedly given to the judge on the day of the hearing (not before) with the apparent hope that the judge would not even read it and sign off on the deal.

It will remain to be seen whether the judge who has given the parties leave to amend the documents, will ultimately sign off on them, as some scholars have already suggested that she would.  Some have even expressed their fear that the immunity clause will be removed from the written documentation, but a secret verbal understanding between the prosecution and Hunter Biden’s attorneys will be reached to the effect that no further charges against Hunter will be brought, while claiming that investigations are ongoing so that Congress would have no access to uncovered information pending investigation.

This is almost too bizarre to contemplate, but with the existing corrupt Justice Department, even the unbelievable becomes believable.

Great Britain Takes Note of the Biden Scandal

The Daily Mail wrote on July 28:

“This was the week Joe Biden’s ‘s rotten House Of Cards began teetering on the brink of collapse. While Netflix’s fictional U.S. President Kevin Spacey was found not guilty of sex charges by a jury in London, in another courtroom 3,500 miles away the web of lies and secrecy around alleged corruption in the Biden family was unravelling spectacularly…

“A judge in Delaware threw out a disgraceful sweetheart deal which would have seen Biden’s degenerate son Hunter walking free after pleading guilty to tax evasion, gun and drug charges, which would normally have led to serious jail time. Judge Maryellen Noreika refused to rubber-stamp an incredibly lenient plea bargain agreement stitched up between Hunter’s lawyers and the prosecution. It would have given Hunter not just a virtually free pass on past and present crimes but would have granted him immunity against any future charges he might face. After the judge ripped up the deal, Hunter was forced to enter not guilty pleas on two counts to which he had pleaded guilty to minutes earlier. He now faces further investigation into alleged crimes which may well implicate his father.

“On Monday, Hunter’s former best friend and business partner Devon Archer is due to tell a Congressional committee that both Hunter and Joe Biden accepted bribes of $5 million each from a Ukrainian businessman. He is also expected to testify that despite previous repeated denials, the President was involved in his son’s business dealings. Archer says he was present when Joe Biden took part in not one but 24 separate telephone conference calls with Hunter’s foreign clients.

“That’s if Archer actually turns up and isn’t found floating face down in Washington’s Potomac River. Last night he was reported to have gone into hiding, after friends said he had received unspecified ‘threats’ against both himself and his family.

“For once, America’s mainstream media hasn’t been able to swerve the mounting evidence against the Bidens. On Wednesday all three major national TV networks led their nightly news bulletins with reports on the sensational decision by the judge to throw out Hunter’s sweetheart deal. Until now, Joe Biden has enjoyed fawning coverage from NBC, ABC and CBS, along with backing from 95 per cent of America’s big city newspapers. Negative stories have been studiously ignored…

“Peter Baker, who covers the White House for the Democrat-supporting New York Times, admitted it would be difficult for Joe Biden to continue defending his son on the grounds of Hunter’s well-documented ‘battle’ against drug addiction… And tellingly, Baker added: ‘For President Biden, it’s not just about his wayward son but whether he himself had something to do with his wayward son’s business dealings.’ Joe Biden has always maintained he has never even discussed business with Hunter. That changed subtly this week when the White House said he had never been in business… with him…

“Yet if half of what is being alleged about Joe Biden is true, Clinton’s ‘I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky’ is at worst a little white lie which pales into insignificance alongside allegations of multi-million-dollar influence peddling. The claim that both Bidens received $5 million each in bribes from a Ukrainian businessman is supported by a recently released document detailing sworn evidence from a source described as an FBI ‘trusted confidential informant’…

“[Hunter’s] laptop hard drive contained a mine of explosive and potentially incriminating material [including] an email from Hunter to his sister complaining that he had to give half his income to his father…

“[Press spokeswoman] Karine Jean-Pierre… refused to answer questions from the Washington Press Corps on the preposterous grounds that Hunter is a ‘private person’ who is trying to ‘rebuild his life’ following drug addiction… As for the notion that Hunter is a private person, how come he was driven to court in a six-vehicle secret service motorcade? If he’s a private person, what is he doing at official functions at the White House, where he appears to live half the time? Why is he flying to Camp David on Marine One… or swanning round the world on Air Force One, accompanying his dad on state visits?…

“Biden’s apologists say he is only trying to protect his son. But, as former Republican speaker Newt Gingrich said this week, President Biden is really trying to protect himself… Even the mainstream media, which has protected Biden for years, appear to be withdrawing their love right now…”

Calls for an impeachment inquiry and impeachment have been growing. Bribery is one of the two offenses specifically mentioned by the Constitution as grounds for impeachment, along with treason. But will it reach that point? Note the next articles.

A Doomed President?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Those who are concerned that former President Donald J. Trump’s alleged crimes will dissuade independent voters from supporting Trump in the General Election will now have to contend with the fact that President Biden will be under the same—if not more—legal scrutiny than Trump if Biden remains the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 2024. 

“Already, President Biden is one of the most unpopular men to have ever run for reelection in modern political history. He’s got slightly less unpopularity than what Trump has. But the presence of this corruption scandal hanging over his head, as well as the likelihood that the Republicans impeach the forty-sixth president, means that his chances for reelection have just declined drastically—and Trump’s chances have increased. 

“This is a nightmare scenario for the Democrats, who now find themselves having to support Biden no matter what or replace him with a far less effective candidate, such as Vice-President Kamala Harris.  Or with a more effective candidate, like California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who will have difficulty proving to independent voters that they should vote for the obviously unstable Democratic Party in 2024, should the DNC kick both its presidential and vice-presidential candidates to the curb.”

What are the Republicans waiting for in regard to an impeachment inquiry or impeachment? While the Democrats impeached Trump twice with much less “evidence,” Republicans don’t seem to be willing to impeach Biden, while the evidence of his misconduct is mounting. The next article might explain as to why the reluctance.

Impeaching Biden?

1945 wrote on July 28:

“Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has a warning for Republicans on a Joe Biden Impeachment: You will get President Kamala Harris if you impeach Joe Biden and remove him from office… ‘The only short-term consequence of a successful impeachment is Kamala Harris , and Kamala would be such a total disaster for the country that Biden’s corruption is probably preferable to her incompetence,’ Gingrich said…

“The chances of removing Biden in the event he is impeached is slim and none because it takes 67 senators to remove a president from office. Donald Trump’s second impeachment marked the first time a majority of senators voted to remove the then former president. Fifty-seven senators voted to remove and disqualify Trump, falling 10 votes short…

“The precedent set during the Trump impeachments has transformed impeachment into something akin to a vote of no confidence, as exists in parliamentary democracies. Impeaching Biden would expose politically damaging information during the 2024 political campaign and could take the political sting off of the Trump prosecutions. It would then be up to the voters to decide which candidate is the lesser of two evils.”

From that last standpoint, impeachment procedures against Biden would make a lot of sense.

Doomed Either Way–Neither Trump Nor Biden?

The Washington Examiner wrote on July 29:

“A new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports confirmed what many voters say to each other: we’re doomed. The interesting twist on this survey is that the answer is more indicative of the country’s political tribalism than any particular candidate’s character or platform.

“82% of the country thinks we are doomed if President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump is reelected president in 2024. This breaks down to 40% of ‘likely U.S. voters’ agreeing that the country is doomed unless Biden is elected. Conversely, 42% of voters felt that Trump must win in 2024 or ‘the United States is doomed.’…

“69% of liberals agreed in some form with the ‘Biden-or-doom’ attitude regarding the 2024 presidential election. Comparatively, 63% of conservative voters supported the ‘Trump-or-doom scenario.’… only 24% of voters ‘strongly disagree’ with both the Biden-or-doom and Trump-or-doom statements…

“The poll reveals what many people in the country already knew: we are a country divided…”

A division which will NOT be cured.

How Biden “Forced” Censorship of Free Speech

Fox News wrote on July 28:

“The Biden administration is facing intense scrutiny after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, revealed a ‘smoking gun’ Thursday indicating alleged collusion between the White House and Facebook to censor Americans. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey argued the documents obtained by the House Judiciary Committee show the Biden administration pushed Big Tech beyond its own censorship bounds… ‘We knew that Joe Biden had coerced and colluded with Big Tech social media to silence American voices in violation of the First Amendment right to free speech,’ Bailey [said]. ‘And what this shows is that not only did he coerce and collude with Big Tech social media, but he actually pushed them further than their own internal censorship policies…’

“Earlier this month a judge blocked key Biden agencies and departments from communicating with social media companies to avoid potential First Amendment violations in the Missouri v. Biden ruling… ‘We can’t let Joe Biden destroy free speech in America,’ Bailey continued. 

“‘Never-before-released internal documents subpoenaed by the Judiciary Committee PROVE that Facebook and Instagram censored posts and changed their content moderation policies because of unconstitutional pressure from the Biden White House,’ Jordan wrote Thursday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. ‘During the first half of 2021, social media companies like Facebook faced tremendous pressure from the Biden White House—both publicly and privately—to crack down on alleged “misinformation”… In April 2021, a Facebook employee circulated an email for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, writing: “We are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the [Biden] White House’ to remove posts.”

“‘They didn’t actually care whether things was true or false to censor it. They just censored it. So, for instance, if you said that you had a pretty good immunity after COVID recovery, well, you could get censored. If you said that people could get vaccine injured [sic] you were censored,’ Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford Medical said Friday. Last year’s ‘Twitter Files’ revealed that Bhattacharya was allegedly on the platform’s ‘blacklist’ because he ‘argued that COVID lockdowns would harm children,’ according to information revealed by reporter Bari Weiss. ‘You could even get censored for saying true things,’ Bhattacharya continued. ‘For instance, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused by the CDC. When the White House posted that on its Facebook page, it got censored. It got censored by its own censorship regime that it created. It’s ironic and tragic that the White House violated the rights of American people for nothing.’

“But Jordan said Facebook knew what it was doing when it was succumbing to the administration’s demands in order to maintain a ‘cozy’ relationship… ‘One of those Facebook executives said “this is a significant incursion into the boundaries of free expression.” That is a fancy way of saying this violates the First Amendment…’

“Bhattacharya echoed Jordan’s sentiment, arguing the White House infringed on Americans’ free speech rights, but also ‘harmed public health’ in the process…”

So much more has been revealed in the meantime, including Biden’s pressure on Facebook [now called Meta] to delete footage from Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program (see The Wall Street Journal, dated July 28). In light of this evil development of governmental suppression of free speech— including true statements—, the next article is really shocking.

Most Democrats Support Suppression of Free Speech

The Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Turley on July 27:

“[A new] Pew found that ‘Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are much more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to support the US government taking steps to restrict false information online (70% vs. 39%).’

“I was raised in a politically active Democratic family in Chicago. Free speech was viewed as one of the defining values of the party and championed across campuses in the country. That changed dramatically in the course of the last ten years as many liberal politicians and professors called for opposing voices to be banned or canceled. I no longer recognize the party as it pushes for censorship and speech regulation…

“What is particularly chilling is that this poll is occurring after the disclosure of biased censorship efforts by the government and corporations, including the suppression of views that were later found to be legitimate. That includes the banning or cancelling of scientists who raised concerns over Covid-19 that are now considered valid from the lab theory to the efficacy of masks to natural immunities. It also includes the suppression of political stories like the Hunter Biden laptop.

“The growing support for censorship may reflect the echo chambered media environment… President Biden even charged that companies who refused to censor opposing views on social media were ‘killing people’… former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich has declared free speech is ‘tyranny.’  Many journalists have joined politicians and professors in decrying the dangers of free speech…

“The result left free speech values in free fall in our country… The European crackdown on free speech has now reached our shores and there are a growing number of citizens calling on the government to limit their right to free expression. It is a form of constitutional immolation by citizens who have never known true authoritarian government.

“The Pew poll shows how dire this struggle has become… This is a crisis of faith that we cannot ignore. Justice Louis Brandeis once warned that ‘The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.’”

Another proof that America is descending into authoritarian dictatorship, following Canada’s horrific example.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. Vice-President Under Trump?

Newsweek wrote on August 1:

“Steve Bannon has joined a growing number of conservatives who have suggested that a 2024 presidential ticket with Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could find success with voters.

“Bannon, a one-time senior adviser to Trump, discussed the possibility during Sunday’s episode of his War Room podcast. Though he noted the chances of Kennedy, a Democrat, running with the Republican former president would be a ‘long shot,’ Bannon said the pairing could win in a ‘massive landslide.’

“Kennedy… has found favor with many conservatives. Federal Election Commission filings show he has received large contributions for his presidential campaign from donors who typically give to GOP candidates.

“But some prominent right-wing figures would prefer that Kennedy join forces with Trump rather than running his own campaign for the White House. Roger Stone, another former adviser to the ex-president, has suggested Kennedy should receive a top administration role if Trump wins the White House in 2024. Last week, Stone dedicated an episode of his show on the video platform Rumble to the possibility of Kennedy running as Trump’s VP.

“Numerous social media users have also endorsed a Trump/Kennedy ticket in recent days… Trump himself has also spoken well of Kennedy, saying… that he thinks the Democrat is a ‘very smart person.’”

Adverse Effects From Covid Vaccinations Seriously Underreported

Rebel News reported on July 25:

“The senior Health Canada official [Dr. Celia Lourenco] who approved which COVID vaccines Canadians could take is admitting their surveillance of ‘adverse events’ — caused by the jab — fell short…

“Parliament imposed a vaccine mandate on the public service and federally regulated sectors in October 2021 and abandoned it last June.

“Lourenco ascertains that underreporting adverse effects caused by COVID vaccines is a ‘well-known fact’ because healthcare providers and patients may not report or even be aware of the events.

“… litigator Bernard Desgagné… claimed this degree of underreporting could have caused millions of deaths south of the border… A health department spokesperson told the publication that ‘most pre-pandemic studies about this topic estimate adverse drug reactions under-reporting rates of 90% or higher.’…

“As of writing, the federal government has paid nearly $6.7 million in damages to Canadians caused by COVID vaccine injuries… As of November 2022, Canada administered 93 million COVID doses to residents.”

This is SO irresponsible!

Visiting the Temple Mount? Not Allowed!

The Times of Israel wrote on July 27:

“Far-right National Security Itamar Ben Gvir visited the flashpoint Temple Mount site Thursday for Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of national mourning, prompting anger from Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas terror group as well as a rebuke from Washington.

“It was Ben Gvir’s third visit to the site while serving as a cabinet minister. Each visit has prompted a furious reaction from the Arab world.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry warned that alleged unilateral measures by Israel at the site and violations of the status quo ‘threaten to escalate the situation into more rounds of violence.’ ‘We warn against the dangerous consequences of allowing the extremists to reach the mount and allow them to carry out provocations,’ the ministry added.

“In a statement following Ben Gvir’s visit, the US Embassy in Israel said it ‘stands firmly’ for preserving the status quo and the site, adding that ‘any unilateral action or rhetoric that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable.’

“The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry charged Ben Gvir’s visit was part of ‘an official Israeli cover for the ongoing invasions and the plans to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to impose forced changes on the existing historical and legal reality, as an inseparable part of the Judaization of Jerusalem.’

“Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasem called the visit a ‘dangerous escalation’ and a ‘provocation’ to the Palestinian people, vowing that they would not allow Israel to carry out its alleged ‘plans’ at the site. ‘Our people will defend the identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and protect its Islamic and Arab character at all costs, because Al-Aqsa has always been the trigger for revolutions and rebellions,’ the statement read.

“The Saudi Foreign Ministry also condemned Ben Gvir’s visit to the site, calling it a ‘flagrant violation of all international norms and agreements’ as well as a ‘provocation to all Muslims around the world.’…

“Observant Jews fast the entirety of the day in mourning of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE, and then of its replacement in 70 CE. A major reason for the catastrophes cited in tradition is the division and hatred between different groups in Jewish society. The two temples were located at the flashpoint site…

“[Negev and the Galilee Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, a member of Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party] tweeted his hope for the ‘redemption’ of the Jewish people and ‘the building of the [Third] Temple soon in our days, amen.’…

“Last week, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef accused Ben Gvir of ‘sinning and causing others to sin’ by visiting the Temple Mount. Yosef said Ben Gvir has defied multiple rabbinical rulings stating that Jewish Orthodox law forbids Jews to enter the Temple Mount, citing principles detailed in halacha, Jewish Orthodox law, about preserving the purity of the site, considered the holiest in Judaism.

“Ben Gvir defended the visits in response, saying that he was following the advice of his own rabbis, who said it was a ‘mitzvah’ — the Hebrew word for duty or commandment — to visit the site.”

A third temple will be built, but the contentions among Jews regarding this issue are quite telling.

Ukraine Moves Christmas to December 25

Evening Standard wrote on July 29:

“Ukraine has moved its official Christmas Day state holiday from January 7 to December 25 in a snub to Russia. President… Zelensky said the parliamentary bill would help Ukraine ‘abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations’…

“Ukraine’s largest Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has long-standing historic ties to Moscow, has previously celebrated the holidays according to the Julian calendar used by Russia.”

Neither January 7 nor December 25 marks the birthday of Jesus. He was clearly not born at that time. But more importantly, nowhere does the Bible tell us that we ought to celebrate Christ’s birthday.

Russia and Africa

Tag24 News wrote on July 29:

“Russia has signed agreements for military cooperation with over 40 African countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday in St. Petersburg… Putin stated that African states received a wide range of weapons and technology, some for free ‘with the aim of enhancing the security and sovereignty of the countries’…

“Putin reiterated that Russia would continue to be a reliable supplier of grain to the continent’s countries. The pledge came after Russia ended a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea. Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to Africa.

“The chairman of the African Union said in his closing address at the summit that Putin’s proposals to provide grain were insufficient. ‘Yes, this is important, but it may not be quite enough. We need to achieve a ceasefire,’ Azali Assoumani said. ‘President Putin has shown us that he is ready to engage in dialogue and find a solution,’ he added. ‘Now we need to convince the other side.’”

Russia Threatens Ukraine With Nuclear Weapons

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

“The Kremlin today bluntly threatened use of nuclear weapons in the wake of the Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow’s skyscraper zone. Three drones struck an elite office building and residential skyscraper in Moscow early Sunday morning in what Russia’s Defence Ministry has branded an ‘attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime’.

“Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is ‘simply no other way out’ and said that Kyiv should ‘pray to our warriors’ that they do not ‘allow the global nuclear fire to flare up’.

“Moscow said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. (Moscow claimed it injured one person and prompted a temporary airport closure). It also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight.

“Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow’s Ukraine offensive but has come under more intense, increased attacks in recent weeks. Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take Crimea back.”

The US Cannot Establish Air Superiority

On July 29, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by William Schryver;

“I have long asserted, and I continue to be convinced, that the US could NOT establish air superiority against Russia, China, nor even Iran — not in a week; not in a year. Never. It simply could not be done. American air power would prove substantially inferior to the extremely potent and abundantly supplied air defenses arrayed against it in any of those three countries. American suppression of enemy air defenses would prove woefully inadequate to the task… US air power as a theater-wide undertaking could not be sustained in the context of a non-permissive regional and global battlefield.

“In a high-intensity combat scenario in either eastern Europe, the China seas, or the Persian Gulf, the maintenance requirements for US aircraft could not be met… The US would, quite literally after only a few days, see sub-10% mission-capable rates for the F-22 and F-35, and sub-25% rates for almost every other platform in the inventory…  US supply lines would be severely attrited on both a regional and a global scale.

“Russian and Chinese submarines and long-range anti-ship missile systems would wreak havoc on US seaborne logistics… The US could not fight an overseas war in a non-permissive environment against a peer adversary. It doesn’t have the means, let alone the experience and competence, to do so…”

Of course, the real and unappreciated danger is overlooked; and that is the coming prophesied war between Europe and the USA. But, applying the statements about the USA above to a war with Europe, they are frighteningly accurate.

More Women in the Germany Army!

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 30:

“Germany wants you for the armed forces — especially if you’re a woman. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet adopted a series of measures this week to boost equal opportunity in the military… The Bundeswehr needs people to fill its ranks, as part of Germany’s efforts to bolster its military capabilities in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine…

“As the government sees it, putting more women in uniform ‘makes a contribution’ to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development…

“… the improved provisions… follow up efforts elsewhere in the bureaucracy and private sector. Some political parties, for example, require a 50-50 split of candidates running for office. The Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, has strengthened laws to get more women into leadership positions in companies…

“When West Germany’s military was founded in 1955, women were barred from service. That would not change until 1975 — and only then limited to the medical corps. Even after all military roles were open to women, in 2001, the medical corps remained the area with the highest female contingent.

“The story was different in [East Germany]. The country’s socialist character took pride in equal opportunity for men and women. Its armed forces were founded in 1956 and allowed full participation. The big difference: men were drafted, whereas women could volunteer. Those who did mainly fulfilled medical and administrative tasks…

“The Bundeswehr’s push for more women is not only a matter of equal opportunity. It dovetails with new demand for all-around improvements to Germany’s military capabilities.

“The military has the added burden of needing to attract young people [wanting a] high degree of flexible and individual freedom in working life… Those expectations are generally at odds with a military’s rigid hierarchy and command structure. This week’s adoption of stricter equal opportunity standards helps fulfill part of the Bundeswehr’s strategy to expand recruitment.

“Another challenge the military shares with the private sector: workplace safety, especially for women. Sexual harassment lingers in the ranks. The Bundeswehr saw nearly 850 cases between 2018-2020…”

When becoming a part of the military, you are becoming a slave of the military. Paul said we should not voluntarily become slaves of men (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Germany is willing to become the strongest military in Europe—no matter what the challenges and costs. In Revelation 9:8, the coming European army is described as having “hair like women’s hair.”

The Real Dangers With Electric Cars and Bikes

The Sun published the following article by Jeremy Clarkson on July 29:

“For years I’ve told people until I’m blue in the face that electric cars don’t have enough range, that they take far too long to charge up, that they will always be too expensive and that they aren’t even very ­environmental. Happily, people are now starting to listen, so it’s time to move the argument along a bit with this:  Electric cars are also… dangerous.

“As I write, a massive ship is on fire off the Dutch coast and one person has died. No one knows for sure what caused it, but it was carrying 25 electric cars, and experts say it’s likely that one of them had a faulty battery pack.

“Earlier this month, much the same thing happened on an Italian car transporter in the port of Newark, New Jersey.  Two firefighters were killed putting that out.

“And then there was the Felicity Ace, which was carrying cars powered by lithium-ion batteries when it caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean and sank.

“In total, there have been ten major fires on ships carrying electric cars in the past 20 years… in the last five years, the emergency services have been called out to 753 electric vehicle fires in the UK alone.

“Last weekend the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill in Kent had to be abandoned when a faulty battery pack destroyed the pits and burned out two Lancia Delta Evo E racing cars.

“And it’s not just cars. A safety charity announced this week that e-bikes have caused hundreds of catastrophic house fires.

“People have died, and that’s not surprising when you learn that a fully charged e-bike contains the same explosive energy as six hand grenades. And to make matters worse, fires in electric bikes and cars are often very difficult to extinguish.

“The electrical car that Richard Hammond rolled down a hill while filming for the Grand Tour burned for days. And then, after the fire had died down, something in the battery pack called ‘thermal runaway’ caused it to rear back up again. And this went on for weeks.

“The fact is this. It’s only a matter of time before an electric car bursts into flames on a cross-Channel ferry or in the Chunnel. Or in an underground car park…”

Bild Online asked 10 carmakers about the danger of electric cars. Not surprisingly, some responded by denying any danger, limiting their response however strictly to THEIR products, while other companies refused to answer.

Massive “Ocean” Under the Earth’s Crust

On the website of Indy100, we read the following:

“… there’s a massive ocean hidden under the Earth’s crust… there’s a huge supply of water 400 miles underground stored in rock known as ‘ringwoodite’… Scientists made the findings at the time after studying earthquakes and discovering that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the surface of the Earth.

“From that, they were able to establish that the water was being held in the rock known as ringwoodite… If the rock contained just 1 per cent water, it would mean that there is three times more water under the surface of the Earth than there is in the oceans on the surface.”

God tells us that He will water the dry land (Isaiah 35:6-7; 44:3-4)—not necessarily with salt water from the oceans on the surface. We also read that at Noah’s time, “the fountains of the great deep were broken up” (Genesis 7:11), and that at the end of the Flood, “the fountains of the deep… were… stopped” (Genesis 8:2).

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.

Biden Mumbles Indecipherable Comments

The Daily Mail wrote on July 21:

“[Israel’s] President Isaac Herzog had been in Washington D.C. for a meeting on Tuesday… Video footage of their exchange shows Biden mumbling indecipherable comments towards Herzog while avoiding eye contact, and looking down at himself, as if he’s about to nod-off…

“The footage shows Biden with his eyes closed talking to Herzog, saying: ‘We brought Israelis and Palestinians together, at a political level’.”

Biden Struggles to Read From Teleprompter

Rare wrote on or about July 21:

“President Biden held brief remarks today on artificial intelligence from the White House. Biden spoke for just 6 minutes before shuffling out of the door. During his remarks, Biden struggled to read from his teleprompter, repeating himself over and over again. Biden can be quoted as saying, ‘Artificial Intelligence or promises an enormous, enormous promise of both risk to our society and our economy and our national security but also incredible opportunities.’

“As Biden concluded his short 6 minute remarks, reporters shouted questions about a recent Chinese hack of government emails. The hack is purported to have affected high-level Biden officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and others. The reporter shouted, ‘Mr. President, can you tell us about the hacking of cabinet officials by China?’ As she spoke, Biden turned and walked away, beginning to talk to Secret Service in the hallway as reporters awaited a response. Biden said, ‘Ready? How we getting these guys down there?’

“There has never been a less transparent Administration occupying the White House than that of Joe Biden. Why are Biden officials still traveling to China? Why have they not appropriately responded to China’s spy balloon, which flew clear across the contiguous United States with no response from our government officials? This is simply absurd.”

Biden is clearly not up to the task, as the next article points out as well.

Biden’s Declining Health

The Telegraph published on July 21 the following commentary by Nile Gardiner, Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC:

“Biden’s evidently declining health should be an issue of huge concern on both sides of the Atlantic. The US President’s schedule on international trips is increasingly being curtailed by his advisers who fear that he is simply not up to the task… Biden’s own team carefully limit his engagements, appearances and speeches, for fear that he will embarrass himself and the United States on the international stage. Biden’s relatively brief visit to Windsor Castle earlier this month was a case in point, with King Charles III having to closely watch Biden’s movements, clearly irritated by his meandering inspection of the Welsh Guards.

“Biden’s recent speeches at home and abroad have been littered with gaffes and gasp-inducing moments… When Biden speaks to audiences these days it’s impossible to predict what exactly he will end up saying or how it will end. He is increasingly reduced to reading out carefully scripted answers in press conferences…

“Biden’s White House aides also have major concerns over his physical frailty, demonstrated by a series of potentially dangerous stumbles while boarding Air Force One in recent months. As Politico reported this week, the President is now using the ‘short stairs’ to board the presidential plane, with just 14 steps as opposed to the traditional 26…

“President Biden’s rapidly deteriorating condition is clearly good news for America’s adversaries, from Beijing to Moscow, Pyongyang and Tehran, given that Biden’s deputy, Vice President Kamala Harris, is viewed as an even less effective leader than her boss. But the Chinese, Russians, North Koreans and Iranians relish even more the weak-kneed policies the Biden administration advances on the world stage.

“This is a feeble presidency at every level, enveloped in woke left-wing ideology while pursuing short-sighted policies of appeasement towards some of the most wicked regimes on Earth… The Biden presidency represents American retreat, decline and despair, headed by a president regarded by the enemies of the free world as a soft and easy opponent.”

Even worldly commentators confirm, inadvertently, the end-time biblical prophecy about America’s decline.

Hunter Biden’s “Sweetheart Deal” Falls Apart

Fox News reported on July 26:

“Hunter Biden’s plea deal fell apart during his first court appearance Wednesday morning and pleaded ‘not guilty’ as federal prosecutors confirmed the president’s son is still under federal investigation. The president’s son was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax, as part of plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

“But Judge Maryellen Noreika did not accept the plea agreement, questioning the constitutionality–specifically the diversion clause [regarding the gun charge] and the immunity [regarding other future charges] Hunter Biden would receive…

 “The judge pressed federal prosecutors on the investigation and questioned whether there was the possibility for future charges, and asked prosecutors if Hunter Biden was currently under active investigation. Prosecutors said he was, but would not answer specifically what the president’s son is under investigation for. Prosecutors on Wednesday, though, said Hunter Biden pleading guilty to the two misdemeanor tax offenses would not immunize him from future charges.

 “At one point… Noreika asked if the government could potentially bring a charge related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), to which Wise replied: ‘Yes.’

 “At that point, the original plea deal broke down. Defense attorney Chris Clark said he did not agree with that. ‘Then there’s no deal,’ Wise said…

 “The developments in the case Wednesday come after IRS whistleblower testimony revealed allegations of DOJ misconduct throughout the years-long investigation into the president’s son [saying] politics influenced prosecutorial decisions throughout the investigation. 

 “House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith filed an amicus brief to the court, requesting that testimony be considered ahead of accepting the planned plea deal, saying Hunter Biden ‘appears to have benefited from political interference which calls into question the propriety of the investigation of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.’”

Many observers feel that this is currently the worst possible outcome for Hunter Biden and his father, President Joe Biden, as the floodgates of further investigations and possible criminal charges are still wide open. It also appears that the parties tried to pull a fast one. Note the next article.

How the JD Tried to Protect Joe Biden

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on July 27:

 “With the text of Hunter Biden’s plea deal now public, it’s no longer possible to deny that the Justice Department’s been bending over backward to protect the Biden family — including President Joe Biden. ‘The United States agrees not to criminally prosecute [Hunter] Biden . . . for any federal crimes’ related to the case, the deal reads. It left only the possibility of ‘prosecution for any future conduct.’

“No wonder Hunter and his attorneys were convinced he’d be off the hook for other crimes, such as those related to foreign lobbying — and, perhaps, bribe-taking, influence-peddling or other corruption. Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned such a ‘broad,’ ‘nonstandard’ agreement, and wondered why both parties wanted her to ‘rubber stamp it.’

“Her questioning forced Special Assistant US Attorney Leo Wise to shift gears on a deal he was intimately knowledgeable of because he had hammered it out over weeks with Hunter’s lawyers. Stunning Hunter’s lawyer, and the rest of the court, he suddenly claimed the deal allowed only a narrower set of potential Biden crimes to be off limits to prosecutors. 

“The first son then balked, of course, and his lawyer, Chris Clark, declared the deal ‘null and void.’ Yet why would Justice include such blanket immunity in the first place?… It has little to do with protecting Hunter Biden. And everything to do with protecting his dad.

“… The reason the judge called the deal ‘nonstandard’ — and why Wise couldn’t provide any precedent — is that no normal defendant ever gets such a sweetheart deal… But despite enormous evidence— millions of dollars in alleged bribes to Joe and his family, Mafia-like threats and apparent Watergate-level coverups — don’t expect the Biden DOJ to ever launch a serious probe. Not with Joe [Biden] in office, anyway.”

Joe Biden’s Business Deals With Foreign Entities

Professor Jonathan Turley wrote the following on July 19 in the New York Post:

“The peril of the poorly crafted question was on display in Wednesday’s hearing with two whistleblowers on political interference in the Hunter Biden investigation… Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) often goes where wiser members fear to tread. On this occasion, Goldman may have delivered one of the most damaging moments for the Democrats. In the course of just a few minutes, the freshman New York congressman seemed to demolish the defense of President Biden.

“Goldman was trying to get the witnesses to say that there is no evidence that President Biden was personally involved in the alleged felonies of his son. He raised the shocking WhatsApp message that Hunter had allegedly sent to a Chinese official with foreign intelligence contacts. In the message, Hunter wrote: ‘I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.’

“Most Democrats have avoided the message, which is incredibly damaging and seems to contradict the President’s long denial of any knowledge or involvement in his son’s dealings. Goldman pressed veteran IRS investigator Gary Shapley about his suggestion that Joe Biden discussed the foreign dealing with his son. Shapley eagerly said that he would be happy to explain but Goldman cut him off and said that he did not have time for such explanations.

“At this point, most lawyers would have reversed engines out of troubled waters, but Goldman plowed full speed ahead. He said that the references to Joe sitting next to his son does not mean that they actually discussed his business. Goldman then went even further and raised a ‘lunch where Joe Biden came to say hello at the Four Season’s hotel to a lunch that he was having with CEFC executives.’ He then reads from the record in how Biden associate Rob Walker described the origins of the meeting with the Chinese officials to get his dad to stop by: ‘Hunter told his Dad that “I may be trying to start a company or try to do something with these guys.”’

“Goldman then pounced and said slyly ‘Now let me ask you something, that doesn’t sound much like Joe Biden was involved in whatever Hunter was doing with the CEFC if Hunter Biden is telling him that he is trying to do business with them, does it?’ That is when Shapley stated the obvious: ‘No, but it does show that he told his father that he was trying to do business…’

“This is the same Joe Biden who has repeatedly told the American people that he never discussed any of Hunter’s deals and had no knowledge of such deals. He has maintained that denial as evidence has mounted contradicting him. Even when he flew his son to China where Hunter cut lucrative deals, he insists that they never mentioned that deal.

“There are also repeated references to President Biden as the ‘Big Guy’ in emails who was to receive a 10 per cent cut on a deal with the Chinese as well as other benefits. There are other references to Hunter Biden paying portions of his father’s expenses and taxes.

“People apparently were told to avoid directly referring to President Biden…  In one email, Hunter’s business associate Tony Bobulinski was instructed by Biden associate James Gilliar not to speak of the former veep’s connection to any transactions…  There are also the disclosures that Biden met with at least 14 of Hunter’s business associates from the US, Mexico, Ukraine, China and Kazakhstan over the course of his vice presidency.

“Then there is the audiotape message from President Biden for Hunter that specifically discussed coverage of those dealings. Finally, there is another audiotape of his uncle, Jim Biden, telling Hunter that he and his father had discussed his collapsing financial position and could arrange a ‘ safe harbor.’…”

The evidence is mounting that Joe Biden did not only lie repeatedly to the American people, but that he was also involved in business deals with foreign entities which might have jeopardized America’s security. Note the next article:

A Criminal Family Sitting in the White House?

The New York Post wrote on July 23:

“Former House Speaker Newt… Gingrich speculated that the evidence of alleged wrongdoing could soon become overwhelming. ‘What this says to me is that it’s very possible that there was a direct payment to the then-Vice President of the United States,’ Gingrich said… ‘At some point, the dam is going to break and even The New York Times and The Washington Post are going to recognize that we have a huge problem on our hands,’ he added.

“‘We may have a criminal family sitting in the White House that took money from foreigners in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, and China… Now, that’s a pretty sobering comment that has huge national security implications and also just basic honesty implications,’ he continued…

“As vice president, Joe Biden had sought to leverage US support to oust Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin. At the time, his son was on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that Shokin’s was investigating…”

None of that looks good for Joe Biden and his family.

The Media Would Love to Move On, But…

The New York Post published the following article by Professor Turley on July 25:

“The media’s desire to ‘move on’ from the scandal is reaching an almost frantic level… the release of the new evidence of corruption had left no room to maneuver for both Democrat politicians and the media… Any question would now trip a wire on the Bidens, so most avoid the allegations in favor of talking about Trump or other shiny objects… No matter the severity of the revelations, the liberal media calls the investigations a ‘clown show.’ Others have continued to tell the public that there remain no alleged ties from Hunter to President Biden despite emails, pictures and witness testimony. Yet it is becoming harder and harder to avoid these details…

“Members and the media were literally citing a plea bargain [the so-called ridiculous “sweetheart deal” with Hunter] as dispositive, even as two lead investigators were saying it was fixed and politically influenced… Others insisted that the allegations were still ‘unproven’ or ‘unverified’ while showing the same lack of interest in establishing the truth. Notably, these same media outlets did wall-to-wall coverage of the false Russian collusion claims in the Steele dossier. They are now simply shrugging off what could be one of the most serious corruption scandals in modern history despite the testimony of highly credible whistleblowers and thousands of pages of supporting evidence.

“None of this is going to work, of course. The public has long ago lost trust in the media… Polls show that the public is not ‘moving on’ and now view this as a major scandal. A majority believes that Hunter has received special protection in the investigation. While the media can continue to suppress the evidence and allegations within their own echo-chambered platforms, truth like water has a way of finding a way out. The scandal is moving forward with or without the media.”

Let’s hope so!

Why No Special Counsel to Investigate Joe Biden

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“During Sunday’s broadcast of FNC’s ‘Life, Liberty & Levin,’ New York Times best-seller author Peter Schweizer explained why a special counsel had not been appointed to investigate alleged Biden family wrongdoing… ‘The reason that one has not been appointed is if they’re appointed, all hell is going to break loose. Let’s remember what we’re talking about here… Just look at China. Based on the laptop, based on public corporate records, what we know is that Hunter Biden and the Biden family received $31 million from four businessmen in China, and when you look at those four businessmen in China, these are not ordinary businessmen…

“‘These are not even ordinary members of the Chinese Communist Party. Each and every one of them has ties to the highest levels of Chinese intelligence,’ he continued. ‘Xie Feng, who arranged a $20 million deal for Hunter Biden in that private equity deal, his business partner at the same time, he is setting up Hunter Biden was the vice minister for State Security for China, whose job is to recruit foreign nationals to spy for China. Or look at Henry Zhao, who wires $5 million to Hunter Biden. He wires him to $5 million out of an account of a company called Harvest that Henry Zhao co-owns with the family of the former Minister of State Security, who runs the entire spy apparatus in China.

“‘Or you look at Chairman Yi, the CEFC energy company who, sends $6 million to Hunter Biden,’ Schweizer added. ‘His previous job before he gets appointed to this energy position is running an organization that is widely known to be a front for Chinese military intelligence. This was an intelligence operation by the Chinese to extract information, to get their claws into the then Second Family, now First Family of the United States.

“‘Nobody in Washington, DC wants to have that conversation, and Merrick Garland is not going to go there, even though this is the poster child for an independent counsel because of how the investigation is being stifled and who the investigation is actually about.’”

It really sounds as if America’s national security might very well have been compromised.

Breitbart added on July 24:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr…. called for an investigation into the alleged Biden bribery scheme…  the Democrat presidential candidate said allegations surrounding President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden about allegedly accepting $5 million in bribes are worth ‘a real investigation… I mean, these revelations about the, where you had Burisma, which is, you know, a notoriously corrupt company that paid out, apparently, $10 million to Hunter and his dad. If that’s true, then it is really troubling.’”

Rand Paul Demands Prosecution of Dr. Fauci

Outkick wrote on July 19:

“Rand Paul is not letting the pressure up on Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci through his role as head of the NAIAD made any number of unimaginable mistakes. He claimed, inaccurately, that masks work to stop the spread of COVID. He advocated for school closures, afterwards denying he did any such thing.

“His misinformation on the efficacy of COVID vaccines helped usher in the spread of vaccine mandates and passports. Inexcusably, he’s also avoided acknowledging mistakes or admitting that he was wrong about many of these disastrous assertions.

“But one of the most contentious aspects of Fauci’s tenure revolves around the origins of COVID. And as more information emerges, it’s becoming even more clear how hard he worked to protect himself and his colleagues by deflecting from his organization’s role in funding gain-of-function research. The release of new, unredacted, emails shows that he was well aware that gain-of-function experiments were happening in Wuhan. That directly contradicts his previous claims that NIH had nothing to do with funding such experiments.

“And as a result, Senator Rand Paul’s referred him to Attorney General Merrick Garland to prosecute him for potentially lying under oath…

“… But Merrick Garland has proven to be far from an independent, unbiased enforcer of the law. Instead, unsurprisingly, he’s function[ing] primarily as an enforcer of Biden administration priorities. Most notably through his lax prosecution of Hunter Biden and alleged interference in an IRS investigation… The odds that this Department of Justice prosecutes him for potentially lying under oath is infinitesimal, to say the least.

“But Rand Paul’s dogged efforts are necessary and immensely valuable to publicize how Fauci repeatedly mislead the public to protect himself. There may never be true accountability, but every opportunity to remove the veneer of Fauci’s credibility is worth pursuing.”

In this context, the New York Post reported on July 25 about Joe Biden’s latest blunder regarding COVID, as follows:

“In yet another embarrassing slip-up, President Biden Tuesday accidentally provided a lowball estimate of COVID-19’s death toll — saying ‘over 100’ Americans have died from the disease since it emerged over three years ago. Biden, 80, committed the gaffe — which was later corrected to ‘over 1 million’ in an official White House transcript — while announcing a new plan for the expansion of mental health care.

“‘We’re still feeling the profound loss of the pandemic.  As I mentioned, we have over 100 people dead,’ Biden said at the White House. ‘That’s 100 empty chairs around the kitchen table. Every single loss, there are so many people left behind and broken-hearted,’ the commander-in-chief added.”

Incredible!!!

The BRICS Economic Bloc

Modern Diplomacy wrote on July 24:

“Twenty two nations have formally applied to become members of the BRICS economic bloc… An equal number have also informally sought to join the organization that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa… Anil Sooklal, the bloc’s ambassador from South Africa… previously said that countries including Saudi Arabia and Iran have formally asked to become BRICS members, while countries that expressed an interest in joining include the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Bahrain, Indonesia and others…

“The countries agreed to pool $100 billion of foreign currency, which they can lend to each other during emergencies,,, They founded the New Development Bank — a World Bank-inspired institution that has approved more than $30 billion of loans for projects like water and transport infrastructure since it began operations in 2015… They plan to discuss the feasibility of a common BRICS currency this year…

“BRICS is similar to clubs such as the Group of 20 in representing a move toward a more multipolar world and away from one dominated by the US…”

America’s influence in the world is clearly diminishing and failing…

Russia Threatens Poland

Al Jazeera wrote on July 21:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union and said any aggression against its neighbour and ally Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia itself.

“In televised remarks on Friday, Putin warned that Moscow would use any means at its disposal to protect Belarus, which forms a loose Union State with Russia, against possible attacks. Putin said there were reports of plans for a Polish-Lithuanian unit to be used for operations in western Ukraine – parts of which in the past belonged to Poland – and ultimately to occupy territory there…

“Poland, a NATO member and one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies in its fight against Russia’s invasion, denied any territorial ambitions in Ukraine or Belarus…

“In his remarks, Putin argued Poland’s western territories were a ‘present’ from former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. ‘Thanks to the Soviet Union, to Stalin, Poland got significant amounts of lands in the west, lands that used to belong to Germany. It is so. Western territories of Poland are the present given by Stalin to Poles. Our friends in Warsaw had forgotten about it. We will remind them.’

“Putin’s comments are a message that ‘Poland has to be grateful to the Soviet Union, to Russia, and instead they are becoming more of an enemy to Russia,’ said Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at the New School and great-granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. ‘Also this is a message to the Ukrainians: “Please remember that for many years Ukraine and Poland were not great friends, and so now you’re being duped.”’…

“Warsaw’s Security Committee decided on Wednesday to move military units to eastern Poland after Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus…”

Germany Pledges Military Support for Poland

Express wrote on July 21:

“Germany’s Defence Minister [Boris Pistorius] has pledged support for Poland in the event the NATO member’s eastern border comes under attack from Belarus or Russia… Mr Pistorius emphasised that if Poland wants assistance, it will receive it since they are trusted NATO members…

“Poland’s intention to beef up its military along the Belarusian border has alarmed the Kremlin. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov… told reporters: ‘Of course it is a cause for concern. The aggressiveness of Poland is a reality. Such a hostile attitude towards Belarus and the Russian Federation requires heightened attention [from our side].’”

Germany is again at the forefront of potential military activities.

Western Hesitancy Helped Russia

The Washington Examiner wrote on July 21:

“Western hesitance to provide Ukraine with heavy weaponry and training provided Russia with ‘more time than they needed’ to fortify their lines, according to Ukrainian President… Zelensky. ‘We did plan to start it in spring, but we didn’t because, frankly, we had not enough munitions and armaments and not enough properly trained brigades… in these weapons,’ Zelensky said… Friday…

“Much of equipment arrived far later than Ukrainian officials first hoped. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for instance, declined to authorize the transfer of Leopard tanks until Biden promised to pledge U.S.-made Abrams tanks. That protracted conversation drew to a conclusion in January — weeks after France and the United Kingdom unveiled their respective decisions to provide light and heavy NATO-designed tanks and nearly a year after Zelensky began to ‘express a need for tanks’ and other heavy arms in anticipation of this clash.”

Ukraine will not easily forget “Western hesitance”—especially from Germany.

Zelensky Fires His Ambassador to the UK

The Daily Mail wrote on July 21:

“Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom… Vadym Prystaiko had criticised Zelensky’s sarcastic response to suggestions from Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that Ukraine should show more gratitude for arms supplies from its allies…

“The row began when Wallace told journalists at a NATO summit in Vilnius this month that Britain was not an Amazon delivery service for weapons to Ukraine and suggested Kyiv could express more ‘gratitude’… Zelensky responded at a press conference at the summit, saying he did not know how else to make clear Ukraine’s gratitude, adding: ‘We could wake up in the morning and express our words of gratitude to the minister personally.’

“The Ukrainian diplomat agreed with a suggestion from a Sky News interviewer that Zelensky responded with ‘a little bit of sarcasm’ to Wallace. ‘I don’t believe that this sarcasm is healthy. We don’t have to show the Russians that we have something between us, they have to know that we are working together,’ Prystaiko added, stressing the need to smooth over relations with the UK…

“Prystaiko is a career diplomat who has served as ambassador to the United Kingdom since July 2020. He became a prominent figure in London amid the UK’s response to the war, often appearing on TV and radio to outline the latest view in Kyiv while also attending various official events in Downing Street and elsewhere linked to Ukraine’s war effort.

“Only last Thursday, he was in the royal box at the Wimbledon tennis championships. Before taking up the diplomatic role in London, he was Ukraine’s vice-prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and is also a former foreign minister.”

Zelensky’s outbursts and his hasty and unpopular decisions might very well backfire on him.

Trump and His Supporters on the Russia-Ukraine-War

Newsweek wrote on July 23:

“Former President Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast on Sunday morning that Ukraine should receive over $100 billion more in aid from European nations to match what the United States has contributed… In recent months, the former president has repeatedly said that the war would not have happened if he was still president, and that he’d end the conflict in a day if he’s reelected in 2024.Trump’s comments about the war have garnered significant criticism from Democrats and Republicans who strongly support Ukraine…

“… data from the Kiel Institute for World Economy, a German research institute, shows that as of May 31, the U.S. has sent just north of $75 billion of the allocated assistance to Ukraine. Meanwhile…  EU institutions have contributed a little more than $27 billion, while the United Kingdom and Germany have each given more than $10 billion. Several other European nations’ contributions have totaled in the billions of dollars, while a number of others have given hundreds of millions, according to the research institute…

“Although most Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress continue to support U.S. assistance to Ukraine, there is a vocal faction of GOP lawmakers who staunchly oppose any support to Kyiv… 43 percent of Trump voters believe the U.S. has provided too much support to Ukraine, while 20 percent felt it was too little. In addition, 20 percent said it was about right and 17 percent answered ‘don’t know.’

“The survey also found that 41 percent of Trump voters believe the U.S. ‘should reconsider our levels of support as the war continues,’ while 20 percent believed U.S. support should stop now. A further 26 percent said support should continue until Ukraine wins the war and 13 percent didn’t know…

“Meanwhile, Trump previously told Fox News that he’d warn Putin that U.S. aid to Ukraine would increase if he didn’t make a deal to end the war. ‘… We’re going to [give Ukraine] more than they ever got if we have to…’”

This Is Obliteration!

Fox News wrote on July 23:

“Former President Donald Trump said in a new interview clip aired Sunday that President Biden is not up to the task during a precarious time for the U.S. amid growing tensions around the globe. ‘Look, this is the most dangerous time in the history of our country because of weaponry. The nuclear power is so enormous. This isn’t two Army tanks going and shooting each other in World War I, World War II, soldiers standing behind a bunker and shooting people,’ Trump said during a sit-down interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. ‘This is obliteration,’ Trump added…

“‘And we have a man that doesn’t understand what he’s doing. We have a man that … stood up and told the whole world that we have no ammunition,’  Trump said of Biden… ‘You talk about classified documents. That’s worse than any document that you could give,’ Trump continued… ‘So, now these people are sitting back in China and other places that hate us, including North Korea… They’re talking about the United States of America has no ammunition. Think of it. How stupid can somebody be to say that?’” 

The USA will reach a point where it will NOT go out to battle anymore, even if it wanted to.

Germany Critical of Ukraine

The Times wrote on July 25:

“Germany’s armed forces have criticised the tactics adopted by the Ukrainian army in its counteroffensive against Russian positions and said that battle-hardened troops and officers were ignoring methods taught in western training, according to a leaked Bundeswehr paper.

“The Bild newspaper reported that it had obtained a confidential German army assessment of the Ukrainian assault that Kyiv has admitted is making slower progress than hoped.

“The Ukrainian forces were splitting their western-trained brigades into small units of just ten to 30 soldiers in some cases to attack an enemy position, which meant they weren’t putting their western training, superior weapons or large troop numbers to use, the report said.”

Frictions between Germany and Ukraine will continue.

Kennedy: US Pushed Ukraine War

The Daily Beast wrote on July 26:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. debated Fox News host Sean Hannity during a town hall event Tuesday about the United States’ role in the Russia-Ukraine war, with the 2024 presidential candidate claiming that the U.S. had been ‘pushing’ Ukraine into the war…. ‘Do I trust Putin? No,’ Kennedy Jr. said… [He] then accused the U.S. of sabotaging the Minsk agreements in 2014 and 2015, which aimed to end the Donbas war yet largely failed to stop the fighting between Russian separatists and Ukraine’s armed forces…

“Kennedy Jr. claimed that the expansion of NATO after the fall of the Soviet Union was an example of the U.S. deliberately bringing out the conditions that ultimately led to the war. Minutes later, Kennedy Jr…. dismissed the idea that Russia would lose the war it started. ‘It would be like us losing a war to Mexico,’ he said. ‘They are not going to lose the war.’”

Kennedy also repeated his claim that the CIA was involved with the murder of his uncle, John F. Kennedy. According to an article in the New York Post, dated May 9, 2023, it had been reported:

“RFK Jr. claimed to remember that his father’s first call after receiving the news of his brother’s assassination was to CIA officials, asking them if they were responsible. ‘It was my father’s first instinct that the agency had killed his brother,’ said Kennedy.

“The candidate added that his father had also investigated Jack Ruby, who killed accused triggerman Lee Harvey Oswald on live television, and found he had ties to mob bosses and casino owners who were in ‘cahoots’ with the CIA.”

Hungary Opposed to Unconditional Financial Long-Term Support for Ukraine

Ukrainska Pravda wrote on July 20:

“Hungary has opposed the EU’s attempt to create a long-term fund of up to €20 billion to support the Ukrainian army…

“Foreign ministers met in Brussels on Thursday, 20 July, and discussed for the first time a proposal that would allocate at least €5 billion a year over the next four years to cover the costs of EU countries buying and donating arms to Ukraine as well as training Ukrainian troops.

“But during the meeting, Hungary said it would object to the plan until Ukraine removed Hungarian Bank OTP from its list of ‘war sponsors’… The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) has included Hungary’s OTP Bank in the list of international ‘war sponsors.’”

This is idiotic. There are nothing but “international war sponsors” around these days. Many major business corporations or organizations, including in the USA and Europe, are in one way or another involved in promoting and sponsoring war activities.

Hungary and the EU

Hungary Today wrote on July 22:

“Prime Minister Viktor Orbán… claimed that the European Union has rejected its Christian heritage, and it is carrying out a population replacement. Mr Orbán said that people have the feeling that the EU is plagued by anxiety and feels hemmed in. It is a rich and weak Union, which sees around it a world in revolt, millions of people heading for Europe…

“The big European companies do not want to break away and leave Russia, Mr Orbán said. He pointed out that seventy percent of energy companies are still present in Russia, and Western companies have paid $3.5 billion into the Russian budget…

“The EU… is waging an LGBTQ campaign against family-friendly nations. The Prime Minister said that Europe has created its own political class, which is no longer accountable, no longer Christian or democratic in its beliefs…”

Europe will become much more undemocratic and dictatorial, and even though its “Christian heritage” will be revived, it will not be the Christianity taught in the Bible.

Gridlock in Spain

USA Today wrote on July 24:

“Spain was plunged into political uncertainty Monday a day after Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s conservative Popular Party narrowly won the country’s national election but without securing the parliamentary majority needed to topple the five-year-old coalition government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

“The result means Feijóo can’t claim outright victory, though he told his supporters he would try to form a government. That process is likely to take weeks or even months as Sánchez may also be able to secure support from smaller parties to form a governing coalition. A new election could also be called.

“Expectations Santiago Abascal’s far-right Vox party would perform well enough to prop up a Feijóo-led government did not happen…

“Jobs. The economy. The cost of living. These were the issues that appeared to matter most to Spanish voters. However, climate change, nationalism and LGBTQ and gender issues also featured in campaigns.

“Feijóo’s best chances of forming a government had been with a partnership with Vox. That’s unlikely to happen now because of the latter’s poor performance. A route to power for incumbent Sánchez could be if he were able to secure the backing of Junts, a Catalan pro-independent party founded by Carles Puigdemont. Catalonia is a region of Spain with Barcelona as its capital that has long sought to breakaway from Spain’s government.

“‘The results are so close that they leave everything up in the air,’ the Spanish newspaper El Pais wrote Monday. ‘The Spanish political landscape is wide open.’”

The Associated Press added on July 25:

“The divided results have made the hardline Catalan separatist party Junts (Together) emerge as Sánchez’s potential kingmaker. If Junts asks for a referendum on independence for northeast Catalonia, that would likely be far too costly a price for Sánchez to pay. ‘We won’t make Pedro Sánchez PM in exchange for nothing,’ Míriam Nogueras of Junts said…

“Spain’s new Parliament will meet in a month. King Felipe VI then appoints one of the party leaders to submit him or herself to a parliamentary vote to form a new government. Lawmakers have a maximum period of three months to reach an agreement. Otherwise, new elections would be triggered.”

It appears to us that Spain will be one of the prophesied ten nations or groups of nations forming core Europe. The developments in Spain are therefore of great significance.

The EU Is Not UK’s Friend

The Telegraph wrote on July 21:

“During her Tory leadership campaign Liz Truss was asked if President Macron of France was a friend or foe. She indicated it was too early to tell… Today, however, the question is not whether France is our friend or foe but whether the EU as a whole is. 

“For this week, at the end of a meeting with Latin American states collectively known as Celac, the EU issued a communique which called the Falkland Islands the Malvinas. Regarding their sovereignty the EU merely noted the historical position of the Latin American states on the issue and backed a peaceful solution to the dispute. Frantic British objections before the communique were simply brushed aside…

“Clearly all member states had discussed the matter before agreeing to the communique and backing the Hispanics… The EU must have known that the Argentine claim is baseless. There has been a British colony on the Falklands since 1833. There has never been an equivalent Argentine one. We fought a war to retain the islands in 1982, where 255 British servicemen died. In 2013 in a democratic referendum 99.8 per cent of the population voted to remain British. The EU knows all this but chooses to ignore it because, since Brexit, we are now its enemy. It wishes to humiliate us whenever possible. The defence of democracy matters little to it…

“Gibraltar is like the Falklands. The Spanish seized it from the Moors in 1462. The British conquered it in 1704 and acquired it permanently by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. So it was Spanish for 242 years and has been British for 319 years. Moreover a referendum in 2002 showed 98.97 per cent of the population rejected joint sovereignty with Spain. Another in 1967 had shown 99.67 per cent wanted to remain British. Now though, we can expect the new government [of Spain] to blame the situation on Brexit and push again for ‘sovereignty’ talks – with the full support of the EU…

“The EU is not our friend. It is only nice to us when it needs us…

“The EU’s true colours have been shown over Northern Ireland, too. There the Windsor Framework was supposed to solve trade disputes by creating a ‘green lane’ which would allow all goods from the UK headed only for Northern Ireland free and frictionless transit. Yet the EU has imposed such a burden of regulation on the ‘trusted traders’ supposed to benefit from this that many have given up trying to use it. In short the EU is making Northern Ireland a foreign country. And it is doing so deliberately…”

The hostilities between the EU and the United Kingdom will continue.

USA Not a True Friend of Israel

Israel Today wrote on July 20:

“The mantras that ‘the US-Israel relationship is rock solid’ and ‘the US has Israel’s back’—so often proclaimed in the breach by both countries—may be wearing thin in Israel…

“Israel knows the US has never truly had its back. During Israel’s 1947-1948 War of Independence, the US imposed an arms embargo to prevent Israel from defending itself against the heavily armed Arab armies invading it. In the 1956 Suez War, the US forced Israel to withdraw from the Sinai and Gaza after Israel’s victory over Egypt.

“In the 1967 Six-Day War, the US pressured Israel to halt its advance on Damascus. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, US fear of Arab criticism led to delays in resupplying Israel. The 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, which saw the US temporarily suspend arms shipments, showed again that Israel could not depend on a US resupply during wartime.

“The US opposed Israel’s destruction of Iraq’s nuclear reactor in 1981 and Syria’s in 2007. Now the US is facilitating Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons. Over the decades, whenever Israel defended itself against attacks from its neighbors, the US intervened to force Israel to back off. This prevented decisive victories that could have discouraged future wars and led to lasting peace settlements.

“The claim that Israel can always count on American military support is a fiction that both countries want to maintain. The US does it to reassure its domestic Jewish population. Israel does it so its enemies will see Israel as that much stronger…

“American support, which includes some $4 billion a year in military aid, is a mixed blessing, partly because it comes with strings attached. Israel must spend the lion’s share of the money on US arms that don’t always provide value for money. Worse, the subsidies lead many Americans to believe Israel should be accountable to the US, giving Israel’s critics license to interfere in Israeli affairs…

“While many US administrations have been high-handed in their relations with Israel, the Biden administration has been especially discourteous, reflecting increased hostility towards Israel from America’s progressive left. It has referred to the Israeli government as extremist, scolded Israel on all manner of issues and refused to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.”

What an insightful and powerful article, stating FACTS which are easily forgotten or suppressed by America’s mainstream media.

Uproar in Israel

CNN wrote on July 24:

“The Israeli parliament on Monday passed a law stripping the Supreme Court of its power to block government decisions, the first part of a planned judicial overhaul that has sharply divided Israeli society and drawn fierce criticism from the White House.

“The controversial bill passed by a vote of 64-0 in the Knesset. All members of the governing coalition voted in favor the bill, while all opposition lawmakers walked out of the chamber as the vote was taking place.

“Huge crowds of angry protesters gathered outside, attempting to block access to the building… Thousands of military reservists – including more than 1,100 Air Force officers – said even before the bill passed that they would refuse to volunteer for duty if it did.

“The so-called reasonableness law takes away the Supreme Court’s power to block government decisions by declaring them unreasonable. Its passing could trigger a constitutional crisis – if the court declares the law itself is unreasonable.”

Breitbart added on July 24:

“The new law prevents courts from using their own idea of ‘reasonableness’ in blocking government policies. Critics had long argued that the ‘reasonableness’ doctrine allowed the left-leaning judiciary to abuse its power, and that it tended to do so more often against Israel’s conservative governments…

“U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration publicly opposes Israel’s internal reforms, issued a last-minute warning to Netanyahu not to proceed… Many of the reforms closely parallel existing practice in the U.S. and other democratic countries; Israel’s judiciary began amassing extraordinary powers in the 1990s…”

Why does Biden get involved in this? Didn’t he cause enough problems at home?

Justin Trudeau Canada’s Worst Prime Minister

The Telegraph wrote on July 24:

“The votes have been tallied. The results are in.  Justin Trudeau is Canada’s worst Prime Minister… in the past 55 years… Trudeau, a left-leaning Liberal, was once the political darling of the progressive set. That reputation came unglued…

“He’s… spent taxpayer dollars like a drunken sailor on the much-ridiculed federal carbon tax, national dental care, voluntary euthanasia, legalized marijuana, firearms regulation, Covid-19 measures and so on. Private investment and involvement in Canada has dried up like the Sahara Desert. Trudeau embarrassingly took a knee during Black Lives Matter in front of TV cameras. He claimed to admire China’s economy, which was later explained away as a joke…”

If similar honest surveys were to be conducted in other countries, we are sure that Joe Biden would turn out to be the worst President (even though some in the media suggest that Jimmy Carter was the worst President, followed by Joe Biden); Olaf Scholz would be the worst German Chancellor; and Emmanual Macron would be the worst French President. And the list would go on. There are no true leaders around these days…

Pope: God Loves Us As We Are!

ANSA reported on July 25:

“God loves us just as we are, Pope Francis tells a young transgender person in a new podcast produced by Vatican Radio ahead of World Youth Day in Lisbon and released on Tuesday… after hearing the story of Giona, who spoke about the challenges of being a believer, while accepting the reality of having physical challenges and being transgender.”

This is of course NOT what the Bible says.

No More Visa-Free Travel in Europe

Travel Noire wrote on July 21:

“The days of visa-free travel throughout most of Europe are about to change. Starting early next year, the European Union will implement the European Travel Information and Authorization System requiring all visitors from visa-free countries to obtain travel authorization prior to their departure.

“The European Travel Information and Authorization System is not your traditional visa. It’s a straightforward online application process with approval delivered by email. Travelers will need to fill out an online form with basic biographical information, travel plans and travel history, along with security questions. While most applicants will receive approval within an hour, some may experience a wait of up to 96 hours for further checks. The cost of the application is approximately $8, applicable to travelers of all ages. Once approved, the travel authorization will be valid for multiple entries over three years or until the traveler’s passport expires…

“European Travel Information and Authorization System will be required for travel to all member countries including full Schengen members, like Spain, France, and Italy, European Free Trade Association countries, like Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, future Schengen members, like Bulgaria and Cyprus, and European microstates, like Andorra and Monaco…

“As Europe gears up for the rollout, it’s essential to remember that the length of time American tourists can spend in Europe remains unchanged. United States passport holders are still allowed to stay up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa. For stays longer than 90 days, a special visa will be required.”

Support for Germany’s AfD Reaches Unparalleled Levels

Bloomberg wrote on July 22:

“Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany climbed to a record, widening its lead over all three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition. In the latest sign of voter frustration with the government, the AfD — as the party is widely known — increased to 22%, trailing only the conservative Christian Democrat-led bloc [CDU] at 26%, according to a poll conducted for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper by INSA.

“Support for Scholz’s Social Democrats was at 18%. The junior coalition partners, the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats, were at 14% and 7%, respectively. The AfD’s advances in recent months have been fueled by discontent over issues ranging from record immigration, persistently high inflation and costly climate-protection measures.

“Coalition infighting, including a drawn-out feud over measures to shift household heating away from fossil fuels, has further irritated voters. The INSA poll said 70% were dissatisfied with the government and 60% with Scholz’s performance as chancellor…”

As reported by Bild Online, dated July 23, according to some experts and observers, the AfD is already the strongest party in Germany, even leading over the CDU.

Criminalizing Politically Incorrect Speech?

The Washington Examiner wrote on July 18:

“A new poll conducted for Newsweek found that ‘44% of those aged 25-34 think “referring to someone by the wrong gender pronoun (he/him, she/her) should be a criminal offense,’ versus just 31% who disagree. The remainder ‘neither agree nor disagree’ or ‘don’t know.'”

“This is a striking finding…  It is worthwhile to ask a simple question: Why?… Knowledge of history, which could teach us that compelled speech is antithetical to the idea of a free society, has gone by the wayside. Fidelity to tradition, which ensures we do not make revolutionary changes without due thought, is now out of fashion. And a sense of humility, which endows people with the sense that the accumulated wisdom of the past may be greater than an on-the-fly thought in the present, has all but disappeared…

“If we value tolerance more than anything else, then why do so many support draconian punishments — quite intolerant, if you ask me — for those who use incorrect pronouns?… even the most tolerant of societies must be intolerant of something. After all, there is no such thing as a society without any standards…’

This whole woke concept is so nonsensical. And the consequences of this brain-washing mentality are alarming and pose real threats to a democratic society, not to speak of the lack of upholding godly standards. Also note the next article.

Mad LGBT Scientists Playing God

IFN wrote on July 22:

“Scientists from the LGBT community have started a biotech firm with the express purpose of seeking to manufacture human eggs and sperm in a lab so that same-sex couples can produce children containing the DNA of both partners…

“If the experimental technology pans out, the human egg created in a lab with the DNA of a gay man in a same-sex relationship could be fertilized by the sperm of his partner, and then the resulting embryo would be carried by a surrogate through to the birth of a baby that is genetically related to both men. Lesbians could also use the technology to create sperm, allowing them to have babies with genes from both women. Transgender couples could also have biologically related babies.

“So much is wrong about this situation. The creation of lab babies to satisfy the desires of LGBT activists is morally and ethically bankrupt. It not only challenges the natural order created by God, but it raises extremely serious concerns relating to issues such as human cloning, designer babies, eugenics and even cross-species development… These mad scientists are playing God…”

God DESTROYED Sodom and Gomorrah. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His standards do not change. What the article above is describing is sickening and ungodly.

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.

Trump a “Target in the January 6 Investigation”

The New York Post wrote on July 18:

“Former President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday that his attorneys had informed him he is a target of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — and that he is prepared for ‘an Arrest and Indictment’ in the case. Trump… decried what he called a ‘WITCH HUNT’ and ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’ on his Truth Social platform.

“‘WOW! On Sunday night, while I was with my family, having just arrived from the Turning Point event in Florida, where I won the Straw Poll against all other Republican candidates with 85.7%, with all polls showing me leading in the Republican Primary by very substantial numbers, almost everyone predicting that I will be the Republican Nominee for President, and as I am leading Democrat Joe Biden in the polls by a lot, HORRIFYING NEWS for our Country was given to me by my attorneys,’ Trump wrote.

“‘Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.’

“Trump added: ‘So now, Joe Biden’s Attorney General, Merrick Garland, who I turned down for the United States Supreme Court (in retrospect, based on his corrupt and unethical actions, a very wise decision!), together with Joe Biden’s Department of Injustice, have effectively issued a third Indictment and Arrest of Joe Biden’s NUMBER ONE POLITICAL OPPONENT, who is largely dominating him in the race for the Presidency. Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before, or even close.’”

This looks more and more like the methods of a Banana Republic, especially in light of the fact that nothing seems to happen in the Joe Biden/Hunter Biden numerous scandals. View our new program “America, Where ARE You Going?”

Biden’s Involvement in Trump’s Political Prosecution

The New York Post published the following opinion piece by Michael Goodwin on July 19:

“Most Americans are not fooled and see… the dirty hand of partisan politics, and conclude the whole thing is corrupt… There is no way to be more politically obvious than the way [AG Merrick Garland] slow-walked and settled the Hunter Biden case [with a “sweetheart deal”] and the vengeance with which he repeatedly goes after Donald Trump…

“There was never any doubt  [that Trump would become a “target” in the January 6 events]—that was the whole point when Garland took Nancy Pelosi’s tainted House select committee file and made a federal case out of it. Even when Garland, in a phony bid to appear fair, named headhunter Jack Smith as special counsel to go after Trump…, the smell of a fix was unmistakable… all the prosecutors gunning for him are Democrats, but we are told to believe politics has nothing to do with it…

“We’re also supposed to believe that… Biden… is playing zero role in Garland’s decisions to go after Trump. Some extremely naive people might have swallowed that once upon a time… But there is no excuse for cluelessness now that the truth of how the Justice Department behaves under Garland stands so nakedly obvious.

“Indeed, the results unfolding before us were predictable, thanks to a New York Times article back on April 2, 2022. Here’s a key section:

“‘The attorney general’s deliberative approach has come to frustrate Democratic allies of the White House and, at times, President Biden himself. As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments.

“‘And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6.’

“Assuming the article is accurate, it would mean Biden has been telling people he wanted Trump prosecuted since late 2021. And how precious of the Times to say Biden never spoke ‘directly’ with Garland about the matter, as if that makes it all kosher. In reality, anonymous White House sources tell the Times what Biden wants, and the Times delivers the message to Garland and the world with its story. The two men don’t have to speak ‘directly’ when the Gray Lady plays messenger.

“… that the zealousness for prosecuting the former president compared to the soft, favored treatment given the current president and his son smells to high heaven. That, too, [ought to] be a crime.”

The Storm on the Capitol Infiltrated by Federal Agents?

On July 17, Life Site News republished the following article by WND News Center:

“Tucker Carlson has dropped a bombshell during an interview, one of few he’s given since his abrupt departure from the [Fox] cable network. It’s that the Jan. 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol, where a few hundred people rioted and vandalized parts of the building, were ‘filled’ with federal agents.

“How does he know? He got it from then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund… Carlson pointed out Sund would know, as ‘he was in charge of security at the site.’

“Carlson was canceled by the Fox News Channel before that interview could be aired.

“There long has been discussion of the idea that multiple federal agents acted as provocateurs at the events that day, encouraging those who may have been no more than interested participants in the Trump rally earlier in the day to become violent. Their goal would have been to trigger violence, which they then could blame on Trump, as Democrats have done in recent months. In fact, one person who was ranting around that day, telling people to go into the Capitol, and is on video doing so, but never has been charged.

“Carlson indicated he hopes to interview Sund again, this time without the restrictions imposed by Fox on the first interview.

“The PJNewsletter said, ‘We all suspected that the “conservative” network fired Tucker for speaking his mind. Some noted the timing of his cancellation – just days after he aired real footage from J6. And he revealed that Fox dumped him before he could report on this… The timing of this interview and Tucker’s ousting seems highly suspicious to some. Was it possible that Fox News was trying to censor this interview? Do they not want Americans to know that the U.S. Capitol Police chief believed that the crowd of “Trump supporters” had been infiltrated by federal agents?’”

Suspicious timing indeed.

The Cocaine Scandal Cover-Up

On July 16, The New York Post published the following editorial by Miranda Devine:

“Of all the excuses offered by the Secret Service to explain why it shut down the White House cocaine investigation last week after just 11 days, one jumped out as particularly ridiculous. 

“It couldn’t conduct interviews of potential cokeheads known to be in the vicinity of where the bag of drugs was found because it didn’t want to infringe on their civil rights, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told NBC… Tell that to the hundreds of people rounded up by the FBI for just being in the vicinity of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 

“Sorry, nobody believes that the Biden administration cares about safeguarding civil liberties unless it’s part of a cover-up... Shifting stories about where the cocaine was located add to the public skepticism, and then a flat-out lie about when the president and his son left the White House for Camp David that weekend compounded the problem. 

“Despite enlisting the help of the FBI, the Secret Service found no fingerprints or DNA evidence on the bag of cocaine [So the culprit wore gloves?] Even more astonishing is that, in a complex bristling with security cameras, the Secret Service said no surveillance video footage exists because the baggie was located in a ‘blind spot.’…

“Donald Trump, who is more familiar with the White House than most people, told Fox News on Sunday: ‘You know how many cameras they have opposite the front door of the Situation Room? [It’s] where you decide on war, where you decide on nuclear.’…

“Biden has a history of cozy relationships with the agency. Hunter once told a friend, in a message left on his laptop, how his father leveraged favors through his Secret Service agents: ‘guys that he got their daughter into the naval academy that he had to the VP residence and let them use his apartment to stay and cost the White House, guys he paid their health insurance premiums for anonymously.’’ 

Nobody believes that the culprit could not be found if there was a real interest in doing so.

More on Joe and Hunter Biden

 The New York Post wrote on July 20:

“A bombshell FBI informant file describing a $10 million bribery allegation against President Biden and his son Hunter was released Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley, showing that a Ukrainian oligarch claimed that he was ‘coerced’ into making the payoff.

“Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of natural gas company Burisma Holdings, told the FBI informant in 2016 while meeting at a coffee shop in Vienna, Austria, that ‘it cost 5 [million] to pay one Biden, and 5 [million] to another Biden,’ according to the redacted FD-1023 form. ‘Zlochevsky made some comment that although Hunter Biden “was stupid, and his (Zlochevsky’s) dog was smarter,” Zlochevsky needed to keep Hunter Biden (on Burisma’s board) “so everything will be okay,”’ the June 2020 document says. 

“The source asked whether Hunter Biden or Joe Biden told Zlochevsky he should ‘retain’ the younger Biden; Zlochevsky allegedly replied, ‘They both did.’”

The New York Post also reported that Zlochevsky allegedly said: “Don’t worry Hunter will take care of all of those issues through his dad.”

How FBI Director Christopher Wray Lied to the American People

Professor Jonathan Turley wrote the following on July 13 (the article was republished by the Ron Paul Institute):

“Yesterday’s hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray was another maddening experience of faux contrition and the open evasion. Wray apologized for violations that have already been established by courts or Congress (often over the best efforts of the FBI). However, on ample public evidence of new violations, Wray continued to use his favorite testimonial trilogy to block any questions: expressing (1) lack of knowledge, (2) ongoing investigation, and (3) promises of later answers or briefings…

‘Despite the near total lack of substance, Wray did make one surprising denial. He insisted that the FBI does not engage in censorship efforts, focuses only on ‘foreign disinformation,’ and does not pressure companies to censor others. Those denials are not only directly contradicted by the recent opinion of a federal court and the Twitter Files, but a new release from the Twitter Files and journalist Matt Taibbi…

“[Wray’s] statement is obviously false. The FBI maintained a large operation of agents actively seeking the censorship of thousands…  Taibbi, however, has released another example of how aggressive the FBI was with social media companies. In the latest Twitter Files release, there is one email exchange where Twitter ‘immediately’ suspended accounts flagged by the FBI without investigation.

“Taibbi explained: ‘In one shot, you can see the FBI asks to remove three accounts, that gets forwarded to Twitter, Twitter immediately suspends them, the accounts. But more importantly, when there’s a glitch, and the accounts remain up, the FBI immediately writes back and says, what’s the deal? We just wrote to you, why is it still up? So, that shows the nature of the relationship basically that it’s not really a collaboration. It’s much more like somebody reporting to an authority…’

“We also have hundreds of emails that show the FBI and other agencies targeting individuals for a wide array of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation. The latter category is truly Orwellian…

“The latest email does not suggest that the FBI was the passive, helpful agency portrayed by the Director…”

The FBI, as well as many other American governmental agencies, have fallen into utter disgrace—so much so that many are advocating their complete overhaul, from the top down, or their total abolition.

NATO Members Furious With Zelensky

Breitbart wrote on July 14:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s exasperated complaint about the slow pace of an invitation for his country to join NATO, delivered as the annual NATO summit began in Vilnius, Lithuania, may have actually moved the process backward by alienating the United States and allied leaders, the Washington Post claimed…

“Zelensky on Tuesday called it ‘unprecedented and absurd’ for NATO to speak vaguely about inviting Ukraine to join without setting a time frame and to add ‘conditions’ by demanding political reforms not demanded of the two newest alliance members, Finland and Sweden. ‘Ukraine also deserves respect,’ Zelensky fumed, blaming NATO’s hesitancy for giving Russia ‘motivation to continue its terror.’ ‘Uncertainty is weakness,’ he concluded.

“Some NATO leaders were publicly annoyed by Zelensky’s outburst. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace on Wednesday said a ‘slight word of caution’ was in order for the Ukrainian president, and suggested he try showing a little ‘gratitude’ if he expected allied countries to ‘give up their stocks’ of weapons to defend his nation…

“… according to the Washington Post on Thursday, the Biden White House was so miffed by Zelensky’s complaints that it ‘considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join’ NATO. What NATO actually did at the conclusion of the Vilnius summit was declare that ‘Ukraine’s future is in NATO’ and promise that Kyiv will be invited at some undetermined point in the future, which is precisely the approach that made Zelensky angry…

“The Ukrainians believe full membership, with its commitment to collective defense, could have prevented Russia from invading, and full membership now might make the Kremlin back down instead of risking a world war… At one point, Zelensky threatened to boycott the Vilnius summit unless a firm timetable for Ukrainian membership was put forward. The Washington Post’s inside sources said the NATO leaders gathered in Lithuania were ‘stunned’ by Zelensky’s public rebuke, and the United States delegation was downright ‘furious.’…

“Zelensky fired off a string of Twitter posts after departing Vilnius that each contained the words ‘grateful’ or ‘thanks,’ suggesting a desire to put the controversy behind him…”

Still, ultimately, the rift between Europe and Ukraine will widen. Note the next two articles.

Zelensky Blocked From Attending EU Summit

Express wrote on July 15:

“Ukraine’s President Zelensky was left stunned after Latin American countries blocked his attendance at an upcoming EU summit with its leaders… on July 17-18.

“The Spanish Prime Minister extended an invitation to President Zelensky to attend the summit… However, several Latin American leaders objected strongly to Zelensky’s presence at the summit, forcing the Ukrainian president to pull out…

“Many Latin American countries enjoy good political and economic relations with Russia and are keen not to upset the Kremlin. Brazil, in particular, has seen its commercial ties with Moscow grow strongly… Other countries suspected of being within the Russian orbit include Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, as well as Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela.

“Latin American leaders were also reported to have ‘thrown cold water’ on the EU’s efforts to unite the continent in its support of Ukraine… Brussels had intended to issue a summit declaration text, that would have included several paragraphs of support for Ukraine…”

The monetary and economic interests of Europe pertaining to Latin America are perceived to be much more important than the “support” of Ukraine, which is, in any event, judged as being merely of self-serving importance, as the next article suggests.

The NATO 2023 Summit

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 15:

“On the one hand the US and its NATO allies came face to face with the reality that endless promises of ‘unlimited’ military aid to Ukraine to defeat Russia would not achieve that goal. Five weeks of the much-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive have produced zero results. They have only snuffed out another estimated 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers, this time mostly drawn from the shrinking pool of forced – and barely trained – conscripts… when President Biden was asked right after agreeing to send Ukraine a tranche of ghastly cluster bombs why he did so, he replied, ‘we’ve run out of ammunition.’ It was an incredible admission, particularly considering the massive increase in already astronomical US military spending…

“Americans might want to know how their government can spend a trillion dollars per year on ‘defense’ and in addition add another hundred billion or so for Ukraine and end up with…no ammo…

“While many – especially in Kiev – expected some kind of concrete signal from NATO that Ukraine had a clear path to join the club… the path to membership was made more vague than ever. To add insult to injury, Stoltenberg remarked that a perhaps mortally-wounded Ukraine must win the war with Russia before NATO membership could even be considered. Biden himself painfully drove that death sentence for Ukraine home, remarking that, ‘no one can join NATO while a war is going on.’…

“One can certainly feel for Zelensky… NATO… never had any intention to go to war with Russia over Ukraine…

“So at the end of the day, the seemingly unremarkable Vilnius summit was in fact quite illuminating. Regimes fall slowly and then suddenly and we are seeing that process clearly in place with NATO. Ukraine has been hung out to dry, even as the dark lords of war will continue to spend billions shipping weapons to [Kiev]. After all, there is money to be made from this and everyone’s in on it.”

Others feel likewise that NATO has become obsolete. The most prominent proponent of that idea has been Donald Trump. But others agree. According to the New York Post, dated July 15, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “suggested this week that NATO should be disbanded. ‘It is insane to even keep NATO going…’ He was non-committal when asked by The Post whether, as president, he would pull the United States out of the longstanding alliance… ‘I don’t know how to handle it right now. There are many many options,’ he said.”

Russia Seizes Foreign Companies

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 17:

“Russia has unexpectedly seized the local operations of Carlsberg CABGY [a Danish brewing company] and Danone DANOY [a French company–the largest dairy company in Russia], two of the world’s largest consumer-goods companies, in a move that escalates economic hostilities with the West… Russia placed Danone and Carlsberg’s local operations under temporary management, putting them under the control of the federal state property management agency…

“The move is the second time Russia has seized Western assets in the country since the Kremlin unveiled a decree in April that allows the state to take temporary control of assets of companies or individuals from what Moscow calls ‘unfriendly’ states. Russian officials have said that the seizures are in retaliation for similar moves by Western countries. In April, Russia took control of utilities owned by Germany’s Uniper and Finland’s Fortum…

“Among the Western companies to remain are several makers of food, drink and household products… Other major companies looking to exit Russia include brewing giant Heineken, which said in March it was doing everything it could to find a new owner for its business…

“Last year, Germany took control of the German business of Russian oil giant Rosneft and put Gazprom’s German natural-gas business, formerly known as Gazprom Germania, under trusteeship. Russia at the time warned that it could seize more Western assets.”

This development will not end any time soon.

Russia Stops Grain Deal With Ukraine

The Associated Press wrote on July 17:

“Russia halted an unprecedented wartime deal on Monday that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty.

“Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Russia would suspend the Black Sea Grain Initiative until its demands to get its own agricultural shipments to the world are met — even though the country has been shipping record amounts of wheat and its fertilizers also have been flowing…

“It’s the end of a breakthrough accord that the United Nations and Turkey brokered last summer to allow food to leave the Black Sea region… The deal provided assurances that ships won’t be attacked entering and leaving Ukrainian ports… [Ukraine announced they would continue with their shipments. Russia responded that they would consider those ships as hostile and subject to attack.]

“The warring nations are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other affordable food products that developing nations rely on…

“Asked Monday whether an [Ukrainian] attack on a bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russia was a factor behind the decision on the grain deal, the Kremlin spokesman said it was not…”

This is hard to believe, given the fact that Russia called the attack on the bridge a terrorist attack, allegedly killing children.

Kennedy: I Never Suggested That Corona Was Engineered to Target Jews

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

“Democratic presidential challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is defending himself from claims of antisemitism after a New York Post reporter falsely claimed the candidate said COVID-19 was engineered to protect Jews… video of Kennedy’s remarks… show that Kennedy never actually said that coronavirus had been ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews.

“What Kennedy does say is he believes that several governments have developed the ability to target bioweapons at particular ethnicities. As evidence that this might be possible, he cites research that suggested some groups were more susceptible to COVID-19 than others — but he adds that he does not know if that was intentional… He also said he ‘never, ever suggested that the COVID-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews’…

“Rabbi Shmuley Boteach… defended Kennedy Saturday evening… ‘Bobby’s father was murdered by Palestinian terrorist Sirhan Sirhan because of his strong support for Israel and Bobby recently marched with me against the demonization of the Jewish state at the giant ‘Israel Day’ parade in New York City carrying an enormous Israeli flag. He has publicly called upon the Biden Administration not to give Iran billions of dollars in a second Iran deal that would ultimately result in an Iranian nuclear weapon. In our recent interview together Bobby called upon the Democratic Party to return to the strong, unconditional support of Israel that was the hallmark of the party under the leadership of his uncle…’

“Kennedy is experiencing the same treatment doled out to Donald Trump, who — as a candidate and as president — was constantly smeared by the media as an antisemite despite defending Jews and supporting Israel strongly.”

As the Editorial by Brian Gale in this Update admonishes, one must separate fact from fiction or fake news. Note the next two articles.

Kennedy’s Support for Israel

Breitbart wrote on July 16:

“Kennedy explained why he supports the Jewish state… ‘I believe, in my heart, it is core to the values I was raised with,’ noting the pro-Israel views of his father, the late Sen. Robert Kennedy (D-NY), and his uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)…

“Kennedy’s father, notably, was assassinated in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, by a crazed Palestinian, Sirhan Sirhan, who targeted Kennedy on the first anniversary of the Six-Day War over his public support for Israel. Kennedy had been on track to win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination on an anti-war platform.

“Kennedy expressed his concern for growing antisemitism within the Democratic Party and a younger generation of Americans…”

Sadly, antisemitism is rising again throughout the world. In reality, it never was dead.

No Stronger Champion for Israel Than Kennedy

Israel 365 News wrote on July 18:

“The lawyer… has come under fire for recent remarks about COVID-19. Many have said that Kennedy’s comments on a study, which suggested that Ashkenazi Jews were less affected than others by the virus, are antisemitic. Many others, including prominent Jewish leaders, have defended him. ‘It’s clear to me now that I need to be much more careful,’ Kennedy told JNS. ‘I have to learn a lesson from this, and the lesson I learn is that I have to understand that the words that I use have impact, and they can be misused and misinterpreted,’ he said. ‘I regret talking about that study, and I am going to be careful to make sure that I don’t do anything like that in the future.’…

“His father, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy, a former U.S. attorney general and senator, and his uncle, the former president, were strong supporters of Israel. Bobby was in Israel in 1946 and 1947, and both he and his brother supported “the sacred alliance between Israel and the United States,” said the current presidential candidate, who is known as RFK Jr.

“Kennedy added that his uncle, the late Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy, a longtime U.S. senator from Massachusetts, ‘was the architect of the exodus of oppressed Soviet Jewry to safe havens’ in the 1980s and early 1990s. ‘There is nobody in the presidential race who is going to be a stronger champion for Israel than me,’ Kennedy told JNS…

“What was once ‘an oasis for justice and rights in the Middle East’ is instead seen as an ‘imperial nation’ that oppresses the ‘indigenous population of Palestinians,’ Kennedy said. ‘There’s very little understanding of the evolution of the Jewish state, of what was happening in Palestine prior to the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate after the empire. The entire history going back thousands of years.’ 

“Kennedy told JNS that he is aware of no other country that has Israel’s military discipline, or what he calls, its ‘unique moral approach’ to warfare…

“Kennedy, who is Catholic, sees Christianity as an extension of Jewish scripture. ‘Jesus never stopped being a Jew, by the way,’ he said. ‘His disciples basically opened up his ideological and religious philosophy to non-Jews. We were raised with the idea that we were kind of little brothers of the Chosen People.’…

“‘[Israel is] the historical homeland of the Jewish people, from which they were driven and to which they returned as well.’ It is a ‘prevailing yet erroneous’ view that ‘Israel settled in a place where they didn’t belong,’ Kennedy said. ‘The idea that is just a distortion, a perversion of history.’”

In fact, the Promised Land is the historical homeland of the House of Israel and the House of Judah. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever.”

AGAIN! Democrats Try to Censor JFK Jr. At Hearing on Censorship

Fox News wrote on July 20:

“House Democrats on Thursday tried unsuccessfully to remove Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. from a hearing on federal government censorship… That effort and others by Democrats to silence him at the hearing prompted Kennedy to say, ‘This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing.’ Kennedy… was  invited by Republicans to testify at a hearing at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. But after Kennedy’s opening remarks, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., moved to take the hearing into executive session to discuss  Kennedy’s alleged violation of a House rule aimed at banning testimony that defames or degrades others. Wasserman Schultz said the witness made ‘despicable’ antisemitic and anti-Asian comments in the last few days, referring to his comment [about] COVID.

“Kennedy used his opening remarks to lament the Democrats’ efforts to censor his speech, and broader efforts to censor his run for the White House. He said his speech announcing his candidacy was censored five minutes into his speech by YouTube. ‘Censorship… was appalling to my father, to my uncle, to FDR, to Harry Truman, to Thomas Jefferson…’ Kennedy noted recent emails that show the Biden administration tried to censor his comments about vaccines, just three days into the start of that administration. ‘They had to invent a new word called “malinformation” to censor people like me,’ he said. ‘Malinformation is information that is true, but it is inconvenient to the government, that they don’t want people to hear.’”

According to Breitbart, dated July 20, “Democrats notably tried to censor Kennedy after his opening statement during the hearing, in which he defended his record on racism and antisemitism, and disputed claims by 102 Democrats in a letter that he had allegedly ‘spread vile and dangerous antisemitic and anti-Asian conspiracy theories.’”

None of the House Democrats came to Kennedy’s defense, but Kennedy commented that not all of the House Democrats signed the letter. In fact, the majority did not.

War Propaganda: They Are Coming For Your Children!

On July 17, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Ron Paul:

“As a rule, US war reporting since Vietnam has been mostly mainstream media cheerleading the mission rather than digging beyond government war propaganda. After all, it was images of American boys coming home in body bags shown on the six o’clock news across America that finally galvanized mainstream opposition to that war.

“The Pentagon learned its lesson by the first Gulf War, and it severely restricted up-close media coverage. Only ‘trusted’ journalists were able to report from the front lines. Most of the press corps wrote up stories based on US military press releases from luxury hotels in Baghdad.

“By the time of Gulf War II the Pentagon came up with the concept of ‘embedding’ select journalists with the troops. This allowed the story to be framed by the Pentagon with the false impression that actual journalism was taking place. It felt authentic, because the journalist was with the troops and close to the action, but the story presented what the Pentagon wanted to be presented.

“This is perhaps a long way of pointing out that US mainstream media coverage of the war in Ukraine leaves a lot to be desired… Russia is losing, they report. Russia has already lost, as Biden said recently. Most Americans don’t go out of their way to listen to actual experts like Col. Doug Macgregor, who from the beginning has been telling a very different story. Thus Americans continue to be fed propaganda…

“We are on a very slippery slope, with Biden’s neocons continuing to escalate in the face of massive Ukrainian losses and an apparent shortage of US troops. Make no mistake, if the US/NATO proxy war with Russia is not halted the next step will be to look at the US Selective Service. That means they are coming for your kids. How long before America wakes up and says ‘NO’?”

This development will also be repeated in Germany and other European nations. Will the Germans say “NO”? Would the government even care? Note the next articles.

Germany Is Ukraine’s Second Largest Arms Supplier

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 15:

“Germany is actually Ukraine’s second largest arms supplier, after the United States. Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a new arms package worth 700 million euros, including additional tanks, munitions and Patriot air defence systems at the Nato summit in Vilnius, putting Berlin, as he said, at the very forefront of military support for Ukraine…

“The Ukraine crisis has provided the context for accelerating Germany’s militarization… Germany is the Biden Administration’s closest ally in the war against Russia…

“Rheinmetal, the great 135-year old German arms manufacturing company, has disclosed that it is opening an armoured vehicle plant in western Ukraine at an undisclosed location in the next twelve weeks…”

Running Out of Ammunition

CNN wrote on July 18:

“The US and Europe are struggling to provide Ukraine with the large amount of ammunition it will need for a prolonged counteroffensive against Russia, and Western officials are racing to ramp up production to avoid shortages on the battlefield…

“The dwindling support of artillery ammunition has served as a wake-up call to NATO… since the alliance did not adequately prepare for the possibility of a protracted land war in Europe following decades of relative peace… the ammunition will still take ‘years’ to mass produce to acceptable levels, National Security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN Sunday…

“A German government source told CNN that Berlin has taken steps to try to close existing gaps in ammunition stocks and to increase ammunition reserves, noting that the munitions for the Swiss-made Gepard tank, which has been provided to Ukraine, is now being produced in Germany…”

It was clear from the outset that, unless Russia were to win very quickly, the war would rage for a long time.

Army Technology wrote on July 18:

“The German Bundeswehr has just issued a large-volume order for service and practice artillery ammunition worth around 1.3 billion Euros ($1.46bn)… The framework contracts will help to assure a secure supply of ammunition to the armed forces of Germany and other Nato nations…”

Germany to Have the Best Equipped Army Division?

The Economic Times wrote on July 17:

“Germany is confident it will have the best equipped army division amongst European NATO allies in 2025, Army Chief Alfons Mais told Reuters, as countries are scrambling to gear up their troops in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… Berlin… aims to have the first of three divisions operational by 2025, with the second to follow in 2027…

“‘This will be good enough,’ the lieutenant general said. ‘It will be sufficient, in any case, to contribute the best equipped division of all European NATO partners in 2025. At least, this is our joint goal with our Dutch partners.’”

The war machine is in full gear. And it will get worse. Note the next article.

Europe to Become a Nuclear Deterrent?

Express wrote on July 17:

“Alarm bells rang when German general Klaus Naumann, French admiral Jacques Lanxade, former Labour UK Europe minister Denis MacShane and German former senior foreign policy adviser Margarita Mathiopoulos jointly authorized an article for the Atlantic Council calling for a European nuclear deterrent. The article suggested that the UK, France and Germany should get together to provide a Europe-wide nuclear deterrent in the face of threats from Russia…

“There are also worries over reports that President Joe Biden wants European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to be the next NATO General Secretary. Ms von der Leyen is a former German defence minister who has pushed strongly for an EU army.

“The article said: ‘… Europe will need a convincing conventional and nuclear deterrent of its own, and Germany will be key…’ The four said that the war in Ukraine made it clear Germany needs to play a more significant role in NATO which means it needs a nuclear deterrent… ‘This, then, is the moment to start a debate in Berlin, Paris, and London about a trilateral French, British, and German nuclear European Defense Initiative, and the responsibility of those three powers to protect Europe if Article 5 is invoked in a worst-case-scenario.’ [Article 5 says that an attack on one NATO ally is to be considered as an attack against all NATO member states].”

The Bible says that Europe, under German leadership, will become a nuclear power… and that it WILL use nuclear weapons against their enemies!

German Chancellor Wants to Stay in Power

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed optimism Friday that support for a far-right party which has been surging in the polls lately will shrink to previous levels again by the time of the next national election in 2025… Recent polls have shown support for the party, known by its German acronym AfD, at around 20% and ahead of Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats…

“Aside from fears about growing migration, AfD has benefitted from skepticism in parts of the electorate about the government’s plans to tackle climate change and Germany’s military aid to Ukraine. The German domestic intelligence agency recently warned that anti-war views and climate disinformation are partly spread by Russia-backed channels and pro-Moscow influencers [NOTE: These are alarming developments. Suddenly, everyone who is opposed to war—any war—is being treated by Germany’s “domestic intelligence agency” as a “Russian agent”?].

“Scholz insisted that the gradual increase in support Germany is providing Ukraine — which includes 17 billion euros ($19 billion) worth of arms such as high-end Leopard 2 tanks and advanced air-defense systems — enjoys mainstream backing…

“On climate change, he played down the recent dilution of a bill on replacing fossil fuel heating in millions of German homes following strong pushback from the opposition, tabloid media and even members of his own three-party coalition. Scholz admitted he wasn’t happy with months of bickering over the bill between his junior governing partners, the libertarian Free Democratic Party and the environmentalist Greens, but made clear he could live with the compromise, which still needs to be passed by parliament…

“The 65-year-old, who took office in late 2021, also made clear that he expects to hold the reins in Berlin for some time. ‘I’m at the beginning of my work as chancellor,’ he said.”

Scholz appears to be totally oblivious as to what is really going on in Germany. His coalition government is being perceived by most Germans as an utter failure.

A European Move to the Right!

The Daily Mail wrote on July 14:

“Across the continent, millions of citizens are shifting their allegiance towards populist Right-wing parties. The dramatic development will transform the EU if the swelling wave of populist sentiment translates into political power at the bloc’s parliamentary elections next year.

“… the EU’s traditional social democrats, green ideologues and Left-wingers are losing their appeal at the ballot box. The rebellion has been growing — and the dominos continue to fall. Right-wingers have gained power in Sweden, then in Italy, Finland and Greece. The Spanish could be next, with national elections in a week, then Holland and… Germany could soon follow.

“… more than a third of the EU’s 27 member nations are now run, or highly influenced, by populist-style governments or factions. All favour halting uncontrolled migration, tackling crime, promoting traditional families and pausing hated EU laws aimed at forcing people to alter their lifestyles to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“The change in political outlook means the EU, a bloc rooted in technocratic social democracy, may soon become too liberal for the ordinary people living within its borders…

“Vienna University’s Anthony J. Constantini, who specialises in studying populism [says:] Voter anger on migration is a ‘clear driver’ of Right-wing victories… adding that supporters of populism have been ‘lambasted as racist’ and ‘most of the Right-wing victories have been chalked up to disinformation’. He continues: ‘The EU is either ignoring the facts, or wilfully misunderstanding them. There remains a persistent reluctance (within the EU) to understand exactly why populists and the far-Right are succeeding.’

“Eight years ago, when then German Chancellor Angela Merkel unilaterally invited 1.3 million Syrian migrants into Germany, some who arrived were opportunists from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, sub-Saharan Africa and the Balkans… pretending to be escaping war and persecution…. Europeans are telling their politicians to look after their own people first, amid soaring inflation and energy and food price rises.

“Millions of voters also blame high immigration — the EU received almost 900,000 asylum seekers last year alone, nearly double the number in 2021 — for rising crime, a crippling housing shortage, terror attacks, social problems and what they may see as an erosion of European culture.

“Migrant youths stand accused of fuelling a gun-and-gang crime wave in Sweden unseen in that liberal nation until the influx of new arrivals from 2015… on those arrested, prosecuted and sentenced for firearms offences over five years to 2021… 85 per cent were born abroad or had a parent who hailed from overseas… The majority had roots in Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon as well as Balkan countries, Kosovo, Bosnia and Serbia…

“Last September, 12 of Germany’s 16 states blocked further arrivals, insisting they could not ‘absorb’ any more. A national shortage of 700,000 homes is expected by 2025, with surveys showing that half of Germans blame immigration for the crisis. Anger rose further when 110 elderly nursing-home residents in Berlin were evicted earlier this year to give their rooms to migrants.

“Uglier still, according to the Right-wing Alternative for Germany MPs, half of the gang-rape convictions in Germany last year were committed by recently arrived foreigners without citizenship. A record high of 789 gang rapes, exceeding two a week, was logged by the Berlin government. This has fuelled an anti-migrant revolt by German women and families.

“There is also a growing sense of unease across Europe that a new wave of Islamist terrorism will soon break out. According to Dutch intelligence, the terror group Islamic State has started reintroducing active ‘commando units’ through the EU’s borders.

“Thibault de Montbrial, president of France’s Centre for Reflection on Homeland Security, said in a recent interview that the easy infiltration by Islamic State was down to the ‘tragic’ decision by Angela Merkel to open borders to all-comers. In the past eight years alone, hundreds in France have been killed by Islamist terrorist attacks and nearly 1,200 wounded.”

Like Olaf Scholz, many governmental leaders in Europe seem to be unwilling to consider the fact that to a large extent, THEY and their unrealistic policies are to be blamed for the dissatisfaction and “rebellion” of their citizens.

Canada Is Fallen—Trudeau “a Modern-Day Caligula”

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“The son of a Canadian pastor drew raucous applause from the European Parliament earlier this month when he pleaded for international pressure in the case of his father…

“‘I am here today in desperation, a cry for help,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski, 23, told members of the EU Parliament on July 4. ‘I would like to stand here and tell you all the things about freedom and democracy that I like, but I no longer know those things. They have been taken away from us Canadians. Canada has fallen.’… his father, Pastor Artur Pawlowski… [was arrested] five times after he continued to conduct services in defiance of a court order, including once in the middle of a busy highway on his way home from church…

“Pawlowski was found guilty in May of mischief and breaching a release order when he delivered a 19-minute speech to truckers who were protesting federal vaccine mandates by blocking Alberta’s border with Montana in February 2022. In the speech, Pawlowski advised truckers against their plan to go to the provincial capital of Edmonton, urging them instead to remain peaceful but not to ‘break the line’ against the government at the border. He was arrested days later and spent 50 nights in two separate prisons…

“Pawlowski remains under house arrest as he awaits another court date on Aug. 9, and also faces a charge pending a constitutional challenge under the provincial Critical Infrastructure Defense Act for allegedly participating in blocking the border crossing, which could carry a sentence of up to 10 years.

“‘We no longer have freedom of religion, or freedom of speech, or the right to protest or assemble or associate or express ourselves or have free media or disagree with the government,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski told the EU Parliament. ‘Anyone who does so is arrested, charged and jailed as political dissidents.’ His speech was followed by a recorded video in which his father likened his situation in Canada to growing up behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland.

“The pastor’s son has himself has been slapped with charges for a sermon he delivered in April outside a drag queen story hour with children at the Calgary Public Library, during which he allegedly violated a municipal bylaw passed in March that prohibits protests within 100 meters of a recreation facility or library entrance.

“The law was passed after Pastor Derek Reimer was thrown out of a public library in Calgary after interrupting a drag queen story time for children. Reimer was subsequently arrested and jailed for continuing to protest such events. Artur Pawlowski told Fox News Digital at the time that the arrest of Reimer, whom he knows, indicates that the way authorities enforced COVID-19 protocols in Canada is now being used to enforce ideology. ‘I myself have been charged for preaching and reading the Bible publicly because the government claims the Bible isn’t inclusive and is hateful,’ Nathaniel Pawlowski told the parliament…

“Likening Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ‘a modern-day Caligula,’ Pawlowski continued, ‘We cannot allow these mad emperors to run mad. And remember, all of this is being done under the guise of health, safety and protecting us by stripping our rights and ushering in tyranny.’

“Among the European MEPs who invited Pawlowski to address parliament was Christine Anderson, a German who rebuked Trudeau to his face in March 2022, accusing him of trampling ‘fundamental rights by persecuting and criminalizing his own citizens as terrorists just because they dare to stand up to his perverted concept of democracy,’ and calling him a ‘disgrace for any democracy.’..

“Nathaniel Pawlowski told Fox News Digital that when he returned to Canada, customs officials in Montreal, Quebec, told him that there was a warrant out for his arrest…

“Artur Pawlowski told Fox News Digital that he is ‘enraged’ at how he and his family are being treated by Canadian authorities… ‘Now they want to hurt my children, my family, my wife. They are coming after our children, and those are the tactics of every totalitarian regime. The Gestapo did it. The KGB did it. Every totalitarian regime, every dictatorship has this playbook… if I could deliver a message to them, I would simply say that one day they will stand before the Judge of judges who does not take bribes, and they will give an account for every word that they said and everything they have done. One day justice will be served.’”

AMEN to that! As we reported many times before, Canada has become a dangerous totalitarian dictatorship under Justin Trudeau, but very few governmental leaders in the West seem to care.

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.

How the White House Is Twisting the Facts

The New York Post wrote on July 7:

“White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called The Post ‘irresponsible’ Friday for asking point-blank whether cocaine found in the West Wing last weekend belonged to any member of the first family… ‘the Biden family was not here,’ Jean-Pierre added… ‘They were at Camp David. They were not here Friday, they were not here Saturday or Sunday, they were not even here Monday. They came back on Tuesday. So to ask that question is actually incredibly irresponsible, and I’ll just leave it there.’…

“In fact, the first family — including first son Hunter Biden, an admitted past crack cocaine addict — did not leave the White House for Camp David until around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 30, almost exactly 48 hours before the dime-sized bag of illicit white powder was found by a Secret Service agent on a routine patrol…

“Five days after the drugs were discovered in a cubby near the West Wing’s basement entrance and steps from the Situation Room, the White House has yet to flat-out deny that the cocaine belonged to any member of the president’s family or staff…

“Elsewhere in the briefing, national security adviser Jake Sullivan appeared to suggest that outside workers may have been responsible for the cocaine getting inside one of the most secure buildings in the world…”

Also, the location where the substance was found is NOT open to the general public.

Report 24 wrote on July 6:

“Just hours after Hunter Biden visited the White House, the Secret Service found cocaine there. Joe Biden’s son is known for his drug use, thanks in particular to his ‘Laptop from Hell’.

“…While it is likely that there would be fingerprints and DNA evidence on the package, it is highly unlikely that these would be… publicly assigned to Hunter Biden. And this despite the fact that he has a long drug history and was also in the White House at the time. In addition, according to ex-US President Donald Trump, the surveillance recordings should show the culprit.

“Hunter Biden, who has not only admitted a past addiction to crack but has repeatedly recorded himself smoking, snuffing and otherwise ingesting the substance on dozens of occasions, was also on the White House grounds Friday before he went to Camp David with his father for the second weekend in a row.

“And as expected, there will probably be no further investigations. Silence is the motto. Because the Biden administration has absolutely no need for another drug scandal involving Hunter Biden – and that even in the White House.”

Caught in a Lie

Breitbart added on July 7:

“… that claim [that the Biden family was not present when cocaine was deposited and found in the White House] is contradicted by contemporaneous reporting by the White House pool, which said that the Biden family had, in fact, been in the White House, including Hunter, on Friday until leaving for Camp David that evening.

“The pool report supplied by Eugene Daniels of POLITICO on Friday, June 30, stated: ‘Poolers saw Jill Biden, Baby Beau and Hunter Biden climb into presidential SUV. President Biden followed a few minutes later. Motorcade rolling to Fort McNair as of 6:34p.’

“Moreover, there is photographic evidence to back up the pool report. The Associated Press published [a] photo on Friday, June 30, showing both Joe and Hunter Biden leaving Fort McNair for Camp David.”

Fox News added on July 7:

“According to the Friday, June 30 pool report, Biden gave remarks in the Roosevelt Room that afternoon, and didn’t depart the White House for Camp David until 6:34 p.m., along with First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, and Hunter’s son Beau Biden.”

How long can the White House continue their lies to protect Hunter Biden and, more importantly, Joe Biden? On July 13, the Secret Service announced that the investigation had ended and that no culprit had been found!

US Cluster Bombs for Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“Washington will supply Ukraine with cluster munitions as part of a military aid package worth $800 million to help fight off the Russian invasion…

“German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock rejected supplying such weapons to Ukraine on Friday. Speaking in Vienna, Baerbock said the government stood by the Oslo Convention, which is considered a milestone in the fight against the controversial explosives. An international ban on them came into force in 2010. [On the other hand, according to Die Welt, dated July 7, Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for the German government, expressed “understanding” for the American position.]

“To date, 110 countries have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and a further 13 nations have signed but not ratified the Convention — so they are not yet obliged to implement it. Signatories commit to neither produce, stockpile nor use the weapons.

“However, the world’s largest countries ―including Russia, the US, China, India and Pakistan ― and also Ukraine have not signed…

“Despite the Convention’s adoption, the proportion of cluster munitions victims has increased significantly, especially in recent years, due to escalated use of the bombs…

“According to Human Rights Watch, Russian troops have ‘extensively used cluster munitions in Ukraine, killing many civilians and causing other serious civilian harm.’ Ukrainian forces had also used them, causing ‘numerous deaths and serious injuries to civilians,’ the international non-governmental organization said.

“Handing such munitions over to Kyiv would ‘inevitably cause long-term suffering for civilians and undermine the international opprobrium of their use,’ the group continued…

“Cluster munitions are dropped as bombs from airplanes or fired as rockets from howitzers, artillery guns and rocket launchers. They contain hundreds of smaller submunitions, known as ‘bomblets’, that then fall indiscriminately over wide areas that range in size from a few soccer fields to several hectares of land. Cluster bombs not only kill soldiers, but civilians, including many children.

“Such munitions have been in use since World War Two and were deployed extensively in the Vietnam War, for example. During that conflict, the US dropped some 260 million of them on neighboring Laos, making it the country with the world’s highest level of cluster munition contamination.

“According to Humanity & Inclusion, a France-based charity organization also known as Handicap International, only about 40% of the smaller bomblets contained in a cluster bomb detonate upon impact. The undetonated ones can still pose a deadly threat decades after they are deployed: The munitions remain ready to explode and can maim or kill a person at any time. They work in a similarly disastrous way to landmines, sometimes rendering affected areas uninhabitable. Some areas of Laos, for example, remain completely contaminated decades after the end of the war.

“Civilian populations are especially affected by the use of cluster munitions… [According to a report from 2022,] 97% of victims were civilians and 66% of those injured or killed are children…

“Ahead of the announcement on the US aid package, the executive director of the US Arms Control Association spoke out against the transfer of such weapons. Sending them ‘would be escalatory, counterproductive, and only further increase the dangers to civilians caught in combat zones and those who will, someday, return to their cities, towns, and farms,’ Daryl Kimball said.”

This is just such a crazy world of war-hungry irresponsible governmental officials, without any consideration for the life, well-being and welfare of civilians and children.

Biden’s Complicated History on Cluster Bombs

Breitbart wrote on July 7:

“The Washington Post recalled Biden’s ‘complicated history’ — i.e. flip-flopping — on the issue of cluster bombs… The Post noted that Biden offered stern criticism of then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin…

“The Post recalled: ‘Amid reports that Israel had used cluster bombs in its invasion of Lebanon, some Democrats went so far as to push for cutting off aid to Israel. According to a contemporary UPI report, Biden said that if those reports were accurate, then Israel was clearly in violation. He said the United States should respond by “cutting off the ability to get access to that kind of weaponry in the future.”… Democrats also expressed such concerns during what the New York Times labeled “a highly emotional confrontation” on Capitol Hill with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in June 1982…’

“During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when Israel was again accused of using cluster bombs (this time against Hezbollah guerillas), then-Sen. Biden (D-DE) opposed a bill that would ban the use of cluster munitions in populated areas. His position would appear to have changed, but he continued to express skepticism of cluster bombs. In 2022, the Post noted, Biden’s ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered a speech in which she declared that cluster bombs have ‘no place on the battlefield.’ The administration had to walk that back.”

A Difficult Decision

The Huffington Post wrote on July 7:

“[Biden said he] ultimately took the Defense Department’s recommendation to provide the munitions and discussed the matter with allies and with lawmakers on the Hill. He said ‘the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition’ and the cluster bombs will provide a temporary fix to help stop Russian tanks. The move was met with divided reactions from Congress, as some Democrats criticized the plan while some Republicans backed it…

“Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., called the decision ‘unnecessary and a terrible mistake.’…  Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, backed the move, saying Ukraine needs access to weapons Russia already is using…

“Providing the cluster bombs will also ease the pressure on limited U.S. ammunition stockpiles. The U.S. has been taking massive amounts of 155 mm rounds from Pentagon stocks and sending them to Ukraine, creating concerns about eating into American stores…

“The last large-scale American use of cluster bombs was during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to the Pentagon. But U.S. forces considered them a key weapon during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, according to Human Rights Watch. In the first three years of that conflict, it is estimated the U.S.-led coalition dropped more than 1,500 cluster bombs in Afghanistan.”

Democrats Oppose Biden’s Decision

Breitbart wrote on July 7:

“Democrats across the spectrum oppose President Joe Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine cluster bombs…

“Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, ‘Cluster bombs are munitions so horrific for civilians that more than a hundred nations have signed an international treaty banning them. Now the Biden administration is preparing to send them to Ukraine.’

“House Democrats swiftly came out against Biden’s [decision] to provide cluster bombs. Nineteen House progressives said in a joint statement:

“‘… The White House’s announcement runs counter to Congress’s restrictions on the transfer of these weapons and severely undermines our moral leadership. It underscores the work still ahead to press the U.S. to join the international community in banning the use of cluster munitions.’…

“Then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last year that alleged Russian use of cluster bombs would ‘potentially be a war crime.’”

So, would this make Joe Biden a potential war criminal as well?

The New York Post wrote on July 8:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Saturday slammed President Biden for his plan to send indiscriminately lethal cluster bombs to Ukraine— suggesting that the choice ran afoul of Biden’s own ethics… ‘Stop the ceaseless escalation! It is time for peace… What happened to his conscience?’…”

Trump: Don’t Send Cluster Bombs, End the War

Breitbart wrote on July 11:

“‘Joe Biden should not be dragging us further toward World War III,’ former President Donald Trump said in a statement released Tuesday, calling to ‘immediately end the bloodshed in Ukraine’ and for a return ‘to a focus on America’s vital interest.’

“Trump warned: ‘He should be trying to END the war and stop the horrific death and destruction being caused by an incompetent administration. These unexploded cluster munitions will be killing and maiming innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children for decades to come, long after the war—we pray—has ended… If, as Biden inadvertently admitted, the reason for sending cluster bombs now is that the United States is ‘running out of ammunition’ (a great breach of classified information), that only further emphasizes the urgency of immediately deescalating this bloody, dangerous, and out of control conflict. It certainly means we should not be sending Ukraine our last stockpiles at a time when our own arsenals, according… Joe Biden, are so perilously diminished.

“There could be no more vivid proof that Joe Biden’s policy of endless war in Ukraine has tremendously weakened the United States than the humiliating admission that the USA is now out of ammo, something our enemies are undoubtedly salivating over. This ‘admitted’ weakness is an invitation to enemies all over the world. Joe Biden is needlessly and dangerously leading us into World War III, which would be a nightmare beyond imagination—obliteration’…

“These statements come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admits fear of Trump returning to the White House. ‘President Biden is the president during a full-scale war and he has been more helpful to us than President Trump,’ Zelensky stated in part, telling the Wall Street Journal, ‘In a situation like this, when there is support, you are afraid of changes.’”

NATO in Disunity

The Associated Press wrote on July 9:

“As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO’s much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania. The world’s biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations still lags behind longstanding goals. And an inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO’s next leader forced an extension of the current secretary general’s term for an extra year.

“Perhaps most thorny are questions over how Ukraine should be eased into the alliance. Some maintain admitting Ukraine to NATO would be the fulfillment of a promise made years ago and a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others are fearful it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict… the challenges come at a moment when President Joe Biden and his counterparts are heavily invested in demonstrating harmony among members…

“Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni — one of Western Europe’s staunchest backers of Ukraine in the war — reiterated her country’s condemnation of the Russian aggression but called for the ‘universal application of the principles’ of the international convention banning the production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions…

“Also in the spotlight in Vilnius will be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the main obstacle blocking Sweden’s attempts to join NATO alongside its neighbor Finland…

“Turkey and the U.S. are also at an impasse over the sale of F-16 fighter jets. Erdogan wants the upgraded planes, but Biden says that Sweden’s NATO membership has to be dealt with first… Hungarian Prime Minister Vitkor Orban is also delaying his country’s approval of Sweden’s membership. In response, Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is blocking a $735 million U.S. arms sale to Hungary…

“More disagreements loom over NATO’s updated plans for countering any invasion that Russia might launch on allied territory. It’s the biggest revision since the Cold War…”

Regarding NATO’s updated plans, as mentioned above, note the next article.

How NATO Wants to Defend

The New York Times wrote on July 9:

“Supporting Ukraine and clarifying its relationship with the alliance will be a dominant theme at an upcoming summit. But NATO’s efforts to strengthen its own defenses along its eastern flank will also be key… NATO’s main task is to defend its 31 members… NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, insisted that NATO was a purely defensive alliance, but with a sharper sense of the threat it faced…

“At the moment, the total number of troops for the eight battle groups along the eastern flank is only 10,232…  The leaders at Vilnius are expected to approve plans on how to scale up to 4,000 to 5,000 troops — a brigade — in each of those eight countries, with clearly defined tasks and pre-positioned equipment.

“Separately, since the Russian invasion began, around 40,000 troops drawn from member nations were put on standby under NATO command, but officials admit that the forces it can quickly send to battle are currently nowhere near that level. Under its new plans, NATO aims, at least, to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days, though officials call that number ‘aspirational.’

“The main point, Mr. Stoltenberg said, is that the new regional plans detail what each country must do to help defend its assigned territory, and with what equipment. Those troops will exercise regularly with allies on the territory they are assigned to defend…

“NATO is coming to understand the sophistication and the vulnerability of its modern equipment. A modern Leopard 2A6 tank, the best of those provided to Ukraine, has excellent speed and armor and runs on most any fuel. But it needs two hours of complicated maintenance for every hour on the battlefield…

“It will also take convincing the leaders and voters of larger allies farther away from Russia that their own security is at risk, and that they are going to have to pay the considerable price of a more militarized Europe for decades to come. And that means being truly prepared to come to the aid of smaller countries bordering Russia, like Lithuania, while rebuilding their weak militaries and learning to rely less on the United States.

“For Lithuania, a country of 2.7 million people that borders Russia and Belarus, getting Germany to commit to permanently stationing a brigade inside its borders became a domestic political issue… Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, promised to station a brigade of 4,000 troops in the country — once Lithuania constructed the necessary infrastructure, including housing, schools and warehouses for ammunition and vehicles… Mr. Pistorius said, ‘Germany, of course, is willing and will be able to take responsibility now for the new eastern flank.’…

“NATO supports Germany’s decision for a brigade in Lithuania… But… most allies would continue to plan for rapid deployment of more forces in a crisis rather than stationing them permanently at the front, partly because of expense and partly out of caution — a war could start with troops in the wrong place, and massed troops could be exposed to a first attack.

“Despite all of the reassurances, the Balts feel vulnerable, given their size and their neighbor. And they feel that their past warnings about the imperial intentions of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia were played down by larger, more distant allies, like Germany…”

Germany’s dubious role and its declared goals in all of this should not be overlooked.

Erdogan Gives Green Light for Sweden…

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“Sweden’s membership of NATO took a big step forward on Monday after Turkey agreed to remove one of the last major roadblocks in return for help in reviving Turkey’s own chances of joining the European Union… President Recep Tayyip Erdogan committed to put the Nordic country’s accession protocol before Parliament ‘as soon as possible,’ the head of NATO said…

“There was no comment from Erdogan on the move, which many saw as linked in part to Turkey’s demands on other issues, particularly Erdogan’s desire for support for European Union membership from European leaders and for F-16 fighter jets from the United States…

“Biden welcomed the agreement and said he will work with Turkey ‘on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally.’ Biden’s reference to enhancing Turkey’s defense capability was a nod to Biden’s commitment to help Turkey acquire new F-16s…

“The Biden administration has backed Turkey’s desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the U.S…

“In exchange for Turkey’s help with NATO, Sweden has agreed to help unblock Turkey’s progress towards joining the European Union, which has been on hold since 2018… Earlier Monday, Erdogan had warned that he would block Sweden’s attempt to become the 32nd NATO ally unless European members of the military organization ‘pave the way’ for Turkey to join the world’s biggest trading bloc.

“Turkey first applied to join what is now the EU in 1987, but its membership talks have been at a standstill since 2018 due to democratic backsliding during Erdogan’s presidency, concerns about the rule of law and rights abuses, as well as disputes with EU-member Cyprus.

“Of the 31 NATO member countries, 22 are also members of the EU, like Sweden.”

“Erdogan Is Not a Good Person”

Bild Online published on July 11 the following editorial by Franz Josef Wagner:

“The people in his prisons know better. He is a terrible ruler. In Vilnius everyone shook hands with him. They shook hands with a prison guard. Suddenly people are talking benevolently about him… Erdogan is a friend of Putin. Turkey still gets cheap gas from Russia. What kind of two-faced man is Erdogan?…

“Sweden should become a NATO member, Erdogan agreed. He gets his F-16 fighter jets from the USA. The Swedes pass new terror laws. What a great statesman. What a double face. In the Turkish prisons, journalists, lawyers and members of the opposition think every minute about the oppressor Erdogan… Erdogan is not a good person.”

Zelenskiy Failed to Secure NATO Membership

The Guardian wrote on July 11:

“Volodymyr Zelenskiy has failed in a last-ditch effort to secure an invitation for Ukraine to join Nato after leaders of the 31 countries signed off on a declaration that did not give a firm timetable or clear conditions for its eventual membership.

“The frustrated Ukrainian president had accused Joe Biden and other leaders present at a summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, of showing disrespect and complained that there was ‘no readiness’ to invite his country to join. But the dramatic lunchtime intervention on Tuesday had no impact on the final summit communique, issued a few hours later. It said that while ‘Ukraine’s future is in Nato’, the alliance would only ‘extend an invitation to Ukraine’ when Kyiv had completed certain ‘democratic and security sector reforms’.

“Zelenskiy said, in a statement issued after the communique: ‘Today I embarked on a trip here with faith in decisions, with faith in partners, with faith in a strong Nato. In a Nato that does not hesitate, does not waste time and does not look back at any aggressor … And I would like this faith to become confidence.’”

Many of the member states also said that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO until after Ukraine has won the war against Russia.

Disagreements Between USA and United Kingdom

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“US President Joe Biden’s upcoming European trip, where he will be popping in to see UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, will no doubt reinforce the optics of the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries. At the same time, it will also conceal the underlying fact that London needs Washington far more than vice versa.

“Sunak was, of course, polite and diplomatic when signing the ‘Atlantic Declaration’ with Biden in June, a watered-down version of a full-fledged free trade deal with the United States. But the unilateral recalibration of UK-US ties wasn’t hard to miss. 

“Sunak said a free trade agreement was no longer ‘a priority’ for either side, and his officials said the declaration marked a ‘less sentimental and more pragmatic’ approach to the UK-US ‘special relationship.’ 

“For many, it was a watershed moment — the moment when Brexit’s dreams of unfettered UK global trade came crashing down to earth. For others, it was simply a reminder that the UK outside the European Union is weaker and less attractive to the US.  For Brexiteers in the UK, a free trade deal with the US was one of several promises made before and after the 2016 referendum that have failed to come to fruition. A potential deal with Washington was widely seen as partly compensating for the loss of free access to the EU, the UK’s largest trading partner.

“While the UK struggled to get former US President Donald Trump to walk the talk on his promise of a ‘massive’ trade deal during his time in the White House, it hasn’t been any easier with Biden at the helm. Protectionist pro-American trade policies remain the order of the day. Biden’s irritation with London’s inability to solve its ‘Irish question’ after Brexit has also played a role.

“US businesses are losing confidence in the UK as a place to invest in as a result of Brexit, rising corporate taxes and a year of political turmoil in London…”

The Government of The Netherlands Collapses

Euronews reported on July 9:

“Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited the king to turn in the resignation of his four-party coalition. The government collapsed Friday because of irreconcilable differences within the coalition about how to rein in migration, a divisive issue that has split nations across Europe.

“The resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the longest-serving premier of the nation, means the country will face a general election later this year. Rutte and his government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new ruling coalition is chosen… The decision underscored ideological divisions that existed from the day the coalition was sworn in just over 18 months ago between parties that do not support a strict crackdown on migration…

“Just over 21,500 people from outside Europe sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2022… The numbers have put a strain on housing that already was in short supply in the densely populated country.

“Rutte’s government worked for a law that could compel municipalities to provide accommodations for newly arrived asylum-seekers, but the legislation has yet to pass through both houses of parliament.

“The prime minister also promoted the European Union’s efforts to slow migration to the 27-nation bloc…”

Will the events in The Netherlands find a repetition in Germany? Note the next two articles.

Dissatisfaction With German Government

Die Welt wrote on July 9:

“The week-long dispute [within the German government] has caused approval ratings for the coalition’s policy to continue to fall… the Social Democrats [come] to 19 percent, as in the previous week. The Greens lose a point [and reach]13 percent.

“The FDP remains stable at seven percent. This brings the [governmental] traffic light parties together to 39 percent – less than ever before…

“The Union [CDU] can gain a point and is at 27 percent. The AfD remains at 20 percent, the left at 5 percent. The other parties can unite nine percent of the votes. According to the survey, 70 percent of citizens are dissatisfied with the work of the traffic light government – a new negative record…”

Steinmeier Warns Against AfD

Die Welt wrote on July 9:

“Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed concern about the high poll numbers of the AfD and at the same time warned against pure protest elections…

“The AfD is currently around 20 percent in the nationwide polls – and thus ahead of the Chancellor Party SPD. In Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony, where new state parliaments will be elected in just over a year, the AfD is currently the strongest party in the current polls… ‘Yes, the polls are worrying,’ said Steinmeier. ‘But they must not lead us to automatically classify every critical question as populism and right-wing extremism.’

“[He said that] when larger parts of the electorate turn away from the ruling parties and the main opposition party does not win, this raises questions…

“According to Steinmeier, Germany should not block the US-announced delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine. It is true that this type of ammunition is still banned by the federal government and that Germany is against deliveries, he said. However, ‘in the current situation, Germany cannot stab the USA in the back…’

“With regard to the discussions about arms deliveries to Kiev, the Federal President emphasized that if the country [Ukraine] stops defending itself ‘or if we ensure that they are no longer able to defend themselves, it will be the end of Ukraine.’”

“Our Father” Problematic, Archbishop Says

The Guardian wrote on July 7:

“The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be ‘problematic’ because of their patriarchal association. In his opening address to a meeting of the Church of England’s ruling body, the General Synod, Stephen Cottrell dwelt on the words ‘Our Father’, the start of the prayer based on Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4 in the New Testament. ‘I know the word “father” is problematic for those whose experience of earthly fathers has been destructive and abusive, and for all of us who have laboured rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life,’ he said.

“His comment… will divide members of the C of E, a body whose differences on issues of sexuality, identity and equality have been highly visible for years.

“After Cottrell’s speech, Canon Dr Chris Sugden, chair of the conservative Anglican Mainstream group, pointed out that in the Bible Jesus urged people to pray to ‘our father’. He said: ‘Is the archbishop of York saying Jesus was wrong, or that Jesus was not pastorally aware? It seems to be emblematic of the approach of some church leaders to take their cues from culture rather than scripture.’

“Rev Christina Rees, who campaigned for female bishops, said… ‘The big question is, do we really believe that God believes that male human beings bear his image more fully and accurately than women? The answer is absolutely not.’

“In February, the C o E said it would consider whether to stop referring to God as ‘he,’ after priests asked to be allowed to use gender-neutral terms instead…  saying ‘Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship’…

“One of the most divisive issues within the C of E, same-sex marriage, led to a decision earlier this year to allow clergy to offer services of blessings to gay and lesbian couples who have undergone a civil wedding…”

Breitbart added on July 8:

“The woke Church of England’s latest assault on the tenets of the Christian religion is apparently the Lord’s Prayer… The comments from Cottrell, the second-highest ranking bishop in the Church, come amid a broader push to adopt progressive beliefs from the CoE leadership…

“The issue of the gender of God has also become an increasingly contested debate within the Church of England, with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, previously declaring that God is ‘gender neutral.’ Welby has often used his position as the principal leader of the Church to push for left-wing issues, notably surrounding illegal immigration and climate change.

“Earlier this year, it was reported that the CoE was planning on establishing a project ‘on gendered language’ in reference to God later, with some suggesting  that phrases like ‘Our Father’ could be replaced by supposedly neutral terms or feminine alternatives in order to combat alleged sexism within the faith.”

The Bible clearly reveals that the God Family consists of God THE FATHER and Jesus Christ THE SON. If the Church of England wants to believe that the Highest in the Godhead is NOT our Father, would they also be teaching that Jesus was not a Male, when here on earth, or that He changed somehow into a “neuter” when He was resurrected? Please read our free booklet, “God the Father Is the Highest”

New Cardinals in the Catholic Church

Thomson/Reuters wrote on July 9:

“Pope Francis (86) on Sunday announced that he would elevate 21 churchmen to the high rank of cardinal, again putting his mark on the group that will one day choose his successor after his death or resignation. The ceremony to install them… will be held on Sept. 30…

“Eighteen of the churchmen are under 80 and will be able to enter an eventual conclave to choose the next pope. The other three, who are over 80 and too old to vote in a conclave, were named to thank them for their long service to the Church. All cardinals, regardless of their age, are allowed to take part in pre-conclave meetings known as General Congregations, giving them a say in the type of person they think their younger brother cardinals should choose.

“The new cardinals come from countries including the United States, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Portugal. Three of the new cardinals were recently named as heads of major Vatican departments, including Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department.

“Another significant appointment was that of Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan of Hong Kong. Chow is one of the major links to the Catholic Church in communist China, where the Vatican is trying to improve conditions for Catholics.”

It will be extremely interesting to see who the next pope will be.

Jews Condemn Baker For Not Producing LGBTQ Symbols

JTA wrote on July 6:

“The request for rainbow-frosted cupcakes came from a repeat customer — a local [conservative] synagogue that had relied on the West Orange Bake Shop to make kosher desserts for its special events. But this year, bakery co-owner Yitzy Mittel decided to decline the order. He couldn’t bring himself to produce the Pride-themed goods.

“Mittel, an Orthodox Jew, had made a similar cake for an order the year before. But the experience unnerved him, he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, because his understanding of Jewish law holds that LGBTQ symbols are ‘antithetical to what we stand for.’ The symbols are ‘a celebration of something which is against Torah,’ he said. ‘I didn’t want to be making that cake.’…

“In the weeks since that decision, Mittel has gotten validation from the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled last week that a Colorado web designer had the right to refuse to build a wedding site for a same-sex couple. The ruling expands on a 2018 decision, in which the court ruled a Colorado baker had the constructional right, on religious grounds, to refuse to create a wedding cake for a gay couple.

“But the local Jewish community is still reeling. Multiple rabbis have accused the baker of bigotry, and some local Jews are boycotting his shop. The area’s Jewish federation privately said it would stop buying from Mittel before publicly walking back its position. And Eshel, an advocacy group for LGBTQ Orthodox Jews and their families, announced an ‘ally training’ in West Orange this coming Sunday in response to the incident…

“The firestorm comes at a time of widespread advocacy by political conservatives against LGBTQ inclusion and rights. Pride events across the country have faced pushback this year.

“Some of that has taken place in Jewish communities. In another New Jersey town 30 miles away, Orthodox rabbis successfully petitioned their mayor to remove the Pride flags that were flying in front of a synagogue on a central street. The mayor later apologized and put the flags back up.

“But what happened in West Orange offers a particularly potent example of how culture wars can play out in — and divide — Jewish communities, in part because of the symbolism of a kosher bakery citing what it says are Jewish values to justify declining the order of a local synagogue. ‘While I know this has happened in other parts of the country I hadn’t expected it here,’ wrote Dan Cohen, senior rabbi of the Reform Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in nearby South Orange… ‘Then I learned that the bakery in question is a kosher bakery, and as a result, the bias was coming from within our Jewish community.’”

The real scandal is that a Jewish conservative (!) synagogue orders “Pride” cupcakes, and parts of the Jewish community support such a move and condemn the Jewish baker to refuse to produce cupcakes with symbols which were clearly designed to honor the LGBTQ movement (which is condemned by God).

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.

Rioting in France

Express wrote on June 30:

“France has boosted the number of police on its streets to 45,000 this evening as it braced for more rioting…

“French President Emmanuel Macron also urged parents Friday to keep teenagers at home and blamed social media for fuelling unrest which has spread dramatically across the country since the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver [from a French-Algerian family] earlier this week…

“With dramatic footage of widespread disorder circulating on Twitter, right-wing Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek tweeted: ‘It seems like France might have actually entered into the first stages of a civil war as a result of mass migration.”

The U.S. Sun added on June 30:

“Emmanuel Macron was seen boogying at an Elton John gig while Paris descended into chaos amid protests over the ‘execution’ of a teenager. The French leader appeared footloose and fancy-free during Wednesday’s concert while his nation was torched and looted by rioters… as protestors pelted fireworks at police, Macron shamelessly danced to Elton John’s greatest hits at the Accor Arena…

“It is not the first time he has been accused of being tone-deaf to the anger among his people.”

How long will left-wing Macron be able to survive politically?

France to Cut Off Social Media in Times of Trouble?

The Guardian wrote on July 5:

“Emmanuel Macron has said the French government should consider controlling and cutting off social media networks ‘when things get out of hand’ in the country. The president’s comments came as ministers blamed young people using platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok for organising and encouraging rioting and violence after the shooting last week of a teenager during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb…

“Critics said it would put France alongside authoritarian countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea in considering such measures… Macron reportedly also suggested fining the parents of children involved…”

These are some dangerous proposals.

Muslims in France—a Ghettoized Community

Fox News wrote on July 1:

“‘What’s happening there is the consequence of a failure to integrate the country’s Muslim immigrant population,’ Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital. ‘The France of legend is far removed from the daily realities of life in a ghettoized community that does not have the same opportunities to progress and succeed as the native population,’ he said. ‘France’s forgotten communities are showing that they will stay forgotten no longer’…

“Secretary-General of Unite SGP Police FO union Gregory Joron said police ‘haven’t seen such urban violence in 18 years in so many cities around France.’

“Police pulled over the teenager, identified only as Nahel M., in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday morning. Nahel worked as a delivery driver, but he pulled over to speak with two police officers, who approached his vehicle to explain that he had broken traffic rules, a prosecutor said. The exact spark for the incident remains unclear, partially due to the contradiction of police reports and video that circulated on social media. Police said that Nahel drove his car at one of the officers, while the video shows one of the officers pointing a weapon at him and saying, ‘You are going to get a bullet in the head,’ according to France24.

“Nahel drove a yellow Mercedes. [He] had two passengers in the car and no license on him at the time. He reportedly had been placed in detention for refusing to comply with a previous traffic stop and was scheduled to appear in juvenile court in September. The officer then appears to shoot Nahel as the car suddenly pulls away, traveling only a short distance before crashing, with Nahel dying at the scene. Police took the offending officer into custody and opened an investigation into charges of voluntary manslaughter, with charges brought against him on Friday.

“Reuters reported that in an interview with French television the police officer’s lawyer Laurent-Franck Lienard, said his client had aimed at the driver’s leg but was bumped when the car took off, causing him to shoot towards his chest. ‘Obviously (the officer) didn’t want to kill the driver,’ he said according to the report…

“Macron has provided a mixed response to the crisis, initially describing the shooting as ‘inexplicable’ and ‘unforgivable’ but then decrying the protests and blaming everything from social media to video games for the increasing violence. Macron argued that social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and others, helped fuel the riots… Macron also denied there was systemic racism within the country’s law enforcement services.

“Nahel’s mother accused the police of responding violently to ‘an Arab face,’ drawing attention to the underlying tension between what some observers say is a massive and underserved North African, mainly Muslim, immigrant population and the police.

“While he had no criminal record, Nahel had been subject to five police checks since 2021 and had refused to comply with an order to stop. Most of the stops involved either driving without a license or insurance and using false number plates…”

So, there may be more to the unfortunate killing of Nahel than meets the eye. The ensuing protests may have little to do with this occurrence.

Muslim Rage

Israel Today wrote on July 2:

“Let’s see how the French deal with their own nationwide unrest. Foreign media is quick to point out that the ‘riots came after police violence in France.’ So we are supposed to have some kind of understanding for the violence due to an act of police violence? To what end? To excuse this Muslim outburst of violence and pretend like France’s Muslim population is otherwise perfectly peaceful?

“A 17-year-old Muslim was killed by a French police bullet, sparking the current riots. Can France be set on fire because of this? Surely not…

“France is burning. In the numerous videos, the country looks like it is at war. Vehicles and houses burned in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg and other cities. Numerous stores were looted, including Apple. More than 1,300 rioters were arrested and 79 police officers were injured. In addition, 31 police stations were attacked. Thousands of cars have been set on fire and 2,560 fires are believed to have broken out on public roads, the French Interior Ministry said yesterday. Over 45,000 police officers were mobilized nationwide. Due to the ongoing intifada in France, President Emmanuel Macron has canceled his two-day state visit to Germany…

“According to official figures, around five million Muslims live in France today, which makes up 8.2 percent of France’s total population (60.5 million). Unofficially, however, there is talk of more than 10 percent Muslims in France… Today it is even estimated that there are around 50 million Muslims in Europe.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I have many Muslim friends and acquaintances, both in Israel and in Sinai. But what is happening in France now and could break out across Europe at any moment is a real danger for the Christian Occident. I know not all of our readers see Europe as ‘Christian,’ for Europe has broken away from the Christian faith in general. But the point is that for the Muslims who are now plundering and burning France, Europe is a Christian continent. In the Arab press they even still refer to Europeans as ‘Crusaders.’

“Earlier last week, a 37-year-old Iraqi immigrant burned pages from the Koran in Stockholm, Sweden, and announced further actions of this kind. The Islamic world reacted with outrage. Demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Morocco withdrew its ambassador. Erdogan condemned the burning with sharp words. When the Bible is blasphemed, the Christian world does not freak out, nor does the Jewish community worldwide….”

Antisemitism in France

Israel Today wrote on July 2:

“Israel is closely monitoring and deeply concerned about ‘waves of antisemitism sweeping over France,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting. ‘In recent days, we have witnessed criminal assaults against Jewish targets. We strongly condemn these attacks and support the French government in its fight against antisemitism,’ he added…

“Rioters in areas with large Muslim populations have torched cars and looted shops, clashing with police and causing hundreds of injuries… Antisemitic chants have been heard during riots and Jewish businesses were ransacked in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, dubbed ‘little Jerusalem’ due to its large Jewish population… Jews have been targeted repeatedly in France… Outwardly identifiable Jews have routinely been attacked in cities across the country.”

France is a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. France would need a strong leader to avoid these occurrences from happening again and again. But Macron is not such a strong leader…

The Rise of the Right in Europe

BBC News wrote on June 29:

“… the EU’s third largest economy, Italy, is run by Giorgia Meloni, head of a party with neo-fascist roots. In Finland, after 3 months of debate, the far-right nationalists The Finns recently joined the coalition government. In Sweden the firmly anti-immigration, anti-multiculturalism Sweden Democrats are the second largest party in parliament, propping up the right-wing coalition government there.

“In Greece last Sunday three hard-right parties won enough seats to enter parliament, while in Spain, the controversial nationalist Vox Party – the first successful far-right party in Spain since the death of fascist dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 – outperformed all expectations in recent regional elections…

“Then there are the ultra-conservative, authoritarian-leaning governments in Poland and in Hungary... Including even Germany… Polls there now put the far right AfD just ahead of, or neck and neck with, Chancellor Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD)…

“So what’s happening? Are millions upon millions of European voters really swerving far-right? Or is this more of a protest vote?…

“On the one hand, many a mainstream politician has in recent years grabbed slogans or stances from the far-right, hoping to rob them of their supporters. But by doing so they help make the far right seem more mainstream. While at the same time, a number of far-right parties in Europe have intentionally moved more towards the political centre, hoping to entice more centrist voters…

“Polls suggest the EU is more popular amongst Europeans at the moment than it has been for years. And so far right parties now speak about reforming the EU, rather than leaving it. And they’re predicted to perform strongly in next year’s elections for the European parliament…”

Of course, many parties and governments in Europe, being referred to as “mainstream,” are in reality far-left socialists or even Marxists.

More Success For the AfD

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 3:

“German politicians and media are once again fretting about the rise of far-right populism in the country, after two local runoff votes in eastern Germany were won by the… AfD, the country’s most successful far-right party since World War II.

“On Sunday evening, the AfD’s Hannes Loth beat independent candidate Nils Naumann in the small town of Raguhn-Jessnitz, Saxony-Anhalt, to become the AfD’s first ever mayor in Germany. This came a week after the AfD’s Robert Sesselmann won a similar runoff in the district of Sonneberg, Thuringia.

“Though the two districts are relatively small, the results are considered significant because they confirm a trend in national polls: The far-right party can now claim the approval of 20% of German voters, the same as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats…

“Chancellor Scholz insists the AfD’s rise has nothing to do with any troubles in his government, but the party that arguably faces the biggest dilemma is the center-right… CDU, which, despite leading in the polls, is struggling to profit from the wrangling of the coalition government. CDU leader Friedrich Merz has been forced to retreat from his promise, made in 2019, that he would halve the AfD’s voter base…

“… many German voters appear to be undeterred… by the fact that the party is under surveillance as a potential threat to the country’s constitutional order… a lot of Germans — especially but not only in eastern Germany — maintain a critical attitude toward the intelligence agency…  They say: Well, we’ve had enough experience with the Stasi [secret service of the communist East German regime 1949-1990], we won’t let anyone prescribe to us what is right and wrong…”

This should come as no surprise when considering the past and current activities of Germany’s past and present intelligence agencies.

US Supreme Court: No Student Loan Forgiveness

The Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“The Supreme Court has struck down President Joe Biden’s $400 billion student loans forgiveness plan in another bombshell decision. The justices ruled 6-3 Biden’s controversial plan to wipe out debts for 26 million Americans at taxpayers’ expense was unconstitutional and an overreach of his executive power. The plan would have eradicated $10,000 in debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 and up to $20,000 for those with Pell Grants. But it was challenged by six Republican states and two borrowers who argued Biden should have sought approval from Congress for a plan using substantial taxpayer funds. 

“Chief Justice John Roberts agreed and said in the majority opinion that a move ‘requires that Congress speak clearly before a Department (of Education) Secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy.’ 

“President Biden called the decision ‘disappointing’ and ‘wrong’ and vowed to fight back in a statement released hours after the ruling came down…

“Former President Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told DailyMail.com in a statement following the decision that ‘everyone knew the debt scheme was illegal,’ including Biden himself… The former secretary said the ‘ploy’ by the Biden administration was also ‘deeply unfair to the majority of Americans who don’t have student loans, and equally concerning, would have only exacerbated the problem of ever-rising college tuition.’

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., added in a tweet that Biden ‘must follow the law.’ ‘President Biden’s student loan giveaway is ruled UNLAWFUL. The 87% of Americans without student loans are no longer forced to pay for the 13% who do.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Slams Joe Biden on the Student Debt Issue

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed President Joe Biden for failing to ‘bring Congress together’ on the student debt issue after the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s attempted debt transfer… Kennedy said the Court’s decision was ‘the predictable result of Biden’s failure to bring Congress together on this issue of crucial importance to young Americans.’ ‘President Biden knew his plan wouldn’t survive a legal challenge. His plan gave the appearance of action, while accomplishing nothing,’ Kennedy added.

“Biden responded to a reporter’s question on Friday and insisted he ‘didn’t give borrowers false hope,’ [adding that] the Republicans snatched away the hope that they were given and it’s real hope.’ Biden then claimed the Court ‘misinterpreted the Constitution’ when a reporter asked if he overstepped his presidential authority…

“Kennedy also promised to work on reducing the cost of higher education… ‘If we devoted even a fraction of our military budget to higher education, it could be virtually free to all (as it is in many other countries)… Let’s invest in America’s young people instead of in the forever wars,’ the Democrat presidential nominee added.”

How true! But the investment in forever wars is not something which Biden and many Democrats [or Republicans] would want to give up.

Biden’s and the Democrats’ Contempt for the Constitution

Fox News wrote on June 30:

“Fox News contributor [and Law Professor] Jonathan Turley joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ Friday after the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student loan relief plan. Turley said the decision is the latest instance where the administration ‘overreached on their authority,’ calling it ‘absurd’ for Biden to enact the plan without Congress’ approval…

“‘This is a huge defeat for the Biden administration, politically and legally. It is only the latest such defeat where the president has overreached on his authority. Previously, the president argued that he could use the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] as the basis for the eviction moratorium during the pandemic, even though many of us said that he clearly lacked that authority, he went ahead and did it anyway. In fact, he admitted that by the time the courts might strike down his efforts, he could get a lot of money out the door. Well, that’s a level of contempt that does not sit well with courts.

“‘In this case, you have the Heroes Act, which is just a few pages long, and was clearly designed to help people who are serving abroad in military conflicts so that they didn’t have to worry about their college tuition payments. The use of the Heroes Act for this massive loan forgiveness program was absurd, and bordered on the obscene. I mean, it was clear that they could not get this through Congress and that they decided to come up with this novel theory to circumvent Congress. What was really unbelievable to watch is that the Democrats applauded him for that. He essentially made Congress a functional nonentity and half of Congress gave him a standing ovation.’”

As we pointed out on numerous occasions, the USA, under Joe Biden and his colleagues, is becoming more and more a dictatorship.

US Supreme Court Sides With Designer Against Same-Sex Couples

The Associated Press wrote on June 30:

“In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Courts’ conservative majority ruled on Friday that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples…

“The court ruled 6-3 for designer Lorie Smith, saying she can refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics. The court said forcing her to create the websites would violate her free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment.

“The decision suggests that artists, photographers, videographers and writers are among those who can refuse to offer what the court called expressive services if doing so would run contrary to their beliefs. But that’s different from other businesses not engaged in speech and therefore not covered by the First Amendment, such as restaurants and hotels…

“The decision is a win for religious rights and one in a series of cases in recent years in which the justices have sided with religious plaintiffs. Last year, for example, the court ruled along ideological lines for a football coach who prayed on the field at his public high school after games. And on Thursday the court in a unanimous decision used the case of a Christian mail carrier who did not want to deliver Amazon packages on Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations… [See discussion below.]

“President Joe Biden said in a statement that the ruling was ‘disappointing’…”

So, President Biden, a confessing and practicing Catholic, finds it disappointing when a decision is rendered by the US Supreme Court which upholds Catholic doctrine? Biden also said that this court was not “normal.” So, is it normal, then, for a confessing and practicing Catholic to disagree with the doctrines of his church?

Are Orthodox Christians or Gays Disfavored?

The New York Post published on June 30 the following opinion by David Harsanyi:

“First, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson releases a blistering defense of racial discrimination in her dissent from the Supreme Court’s affirmative-action decision Thursday. Then, on Friday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor puts out a largely incoherent defense of state-compelled speech in commercial life… As soon as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian web designer named Lorie Smith, who had refused to create a gay wedding site, CNN blasted out this headline: ‘Supreme Court limits LGBTQ protections’…

“Lorie Smith never turned away a customer because of their sexual preference or skin color or religious belief or anything else: She refused to create a message celebrating an event that conflicted with her sincerely held religious convictions. She was practicing her First Amendment rights.

“It’s an easy contention to prove. If a straight person had tried to commission a same-sex wedding site, Smith would have turned them away, as well…

“Think about it this way: A devout orthodox Christian — or Jew or Muslim — walks into a gay-owned bakery and demands the proprietor create a cake with the message, ‘Homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.’ Should that baker be forced to make it?

“Christians, after all, are also a protected group under anti-discrimination laws. If the gay bakery refused, would it be discrimination or an issue of free expression?…

“The sitting president of the United States flies pride flags right next to American ones on the South Lawn of the White House while virtually every major corporation pays its respects on pride month. If any group is disfavored in American life right now, it’s the orthodox Christian…”

If a Catholic President can behave in the way he does, with support of other Catholic Democrats, then it is very true that orthodox Christians who accept the Bible as their guide, are a disfavored group in this country.

US Supreme Court Decision on Accommodation Gains Huge Support

JTA wrote on June 29:

“In a case that drew support from a broad array of Jewish groups, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that employers had to show a ‘substantial’ burden to deny workers religious accommodation.

“In a decision released Thursday, the court sided with Gerald Groff, an evangelical Christian mail carrier who asked not to work on Sundays, his Sabbath. Jewish groups that do not often line up on the same side of church-state issues before the court were of a single voice in this case.

“Justice Samuel Alito, writing the opinion, sought to substantially narrow a 1977 decision that faith groups have for years said is so broad in setting the standard for religious accommodation that it is meaningless. ‘We think it is enough to say that an employer must show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business,’ Alito said.

“The previous decision had said that ‘to require TWA to bear more than a de minimis cost in order to give Hardison Saturdays off is an undue hardship.’ (The now defunct airline in that case was the employer and Larry Hardison was the employee seeking the Sabbath off.) With this ruling ‘substantial’ effectively replaces ‘de minimus,’ or ‘minimal,’ as the standard.

“The decision will have far-reaching consequences for Orthodox Jews, said Mitchel Aeder, the Orthodox Union’s president. ‘Members of our community require accommodations for Sabbath and holiday observance, times to pray, the ability to keep kosher, and the like,’ he said in a statement. ‘Such accommodations enable us to be not only faithful Jews but productive workers and members of American society. That is why the Orthodox Union advocated to the Court in support of Mr. Groff and why we welcome this landmark ruling.’…

“‘Not every belief or practice can be accommodated, but experience has shown that with some effort and goodwill, most can,’ Marc Stern, the AJC’s [American Jewish Committee’s] chief legal officer, said in an email. ‘The court’s insistence that hardship on employers means substantial hardship and not de minimis hardship, puts real teeth into the law.’”

It will remain to be seen whether employers will take to heart the decision of the Supreme Court, or whether they will try to circumvent the law, hoping that many employees will cave in or refuse to take legal action.

The Fury of the Left

CNN published the following opinion and analysis by Stephen Collinson:

“Conservatives – despite their limited federal elected power – racked up another huge win in the great political battle of the early 21st century. The Supreme Court’s gutting of affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday toppled another pillar of America’s liberal social infrastructure. Two more setbacks followed on Friday: the high court struck down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program and dealt a blow to LGBTQ rights when it sided with a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections…

“The decision saying colleges can no longer take race into account as a specific basis for admissions… sent shockwaves across the country. It was a generational decision comparable to another precedent-busting move a year ago, when the court’s conservative majority took away the constitutional right to an abortion by throwing out the half-century-old, society-molding decision of Roe v. Wade… ‘This is not a normal court,’ Biden said…

“But not all of the court’s recent decisions have infuriated the White House and Democrats. Earlier this week, for instance, liberals were hugely relieved when the court rejected a long-dormant legal theory that held that state courts and other state entities have a limited role in reviewing election rules established by state legislatures when it comes to federal elections…”

For the record, there is no constitutional right to an abortion. Rather, there is a constitutional right to life—the life of the unborn child. And what the Supreme Court addressed was the [unconstitutional] use of affirmative action in college admissions in favor of (some) minorities (mainly black) for the purpose of discriminating against other equally or even more qualified applicants (mostly white).

Temporary Injunction Against Biden Administration Another Big Blow

Breitbart wrote on July 4:

“Federal Judge Terry A. Doughty issued a temporary injunction on Independence Day blocking members of the Biden administration from having further contact with social media companies during a censorship trial.

“The judge, an appointee of President Donald Trump, is presiding over a case brought by Missouri and Louisiana challenging federal efforts to block alleged misinformation about the coronavirus and elections on social media. Critics allege that the federal government censored free speech, using private companies to carry out actions that it cannot take under the First Amendment. In so doing, critics say, the government stifled scientific debate, and weaponized social media platforms to help Democrats and hurt Republicans in recent elections.

“The Washington Post reported Tuesday: ‘The injunction was a victory for the state attorneys general, who have accused the Biden administration of enabling a ‘sprawling federal “Censorship Enterprise’” to encourage tech giants to remove politically unfavorable viewpoints and speakers, and for conservatives who’ve accused the government of suppressing their speech…”

“In his order, the judge made some exceptions for communications between the government officials and the companies, including to warn them of national security threats or criminal activity.”

Fox News added on July 5:

“Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki was named several times by a federal judge who is temporarily preventing White House officials from meeting with tech companies about social media censorship. The injunction said that Psaki ‘publicly began pushing Facebook and other social-media platforms to censor COVID-19 misinformation’ on May 5, 2021. ‘At a White House Press Conference, Psaki publicly reminded Facebook and other social-media platforms of the threat of “legal consequences” if they do not censor misinformation more aggressively,’ it continued…

“Doughty is barring several federal officials and agencies – including some of Biden’s Cabinet members and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre – from contacting social media companies in efforts to suppress speech. The injunction also states that the government’s actions ‘likely violate the Free Speech Clause’… ‘If the allegations made by Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history,’ the injunction said. ‘In their attempts to suppress alleged disinformation, the Federal Government, and particularly the Defendants named here, are alleged to have blatantly ignored the First Amendment’s right to free speech.’”

Is there finally the day of reckoning coming?

President Biden Keeps Denying…

Breitbart wrote on June 30:

“President Joe Biden has denied his involvement in the Biden family business nine times over four years. While at least 23 instances of evidence directly contradict his claims, including but not limited to photos, texts, an audio recording, and IRS and former business partner whistleblower testimonies, Joe Biden remains steadfast in insisting that many established facts do not mean he was somehow involved in the family’s overseas business. The list of denials begins in 2019 when he ran for president.”

Breitbart then listed Biden’s denials on May 13, 2019; August 28, 2019; September 19, 2019; October 4, 2019; October 22, 2020; June 8, 2023; June 14, 2023; June 26, 2023, and the latest (so far) on June 28, 2023. In regard to that latest denial, Breitbart stated:

“While speaking outside the White House, reporters swarmed the president with questions about his involvement with the family business in response to whistleblower testimony to Congress that his name was thrown around in his son’s deals. ‘How involved were you in your son’s Chinese shake-down text message? Were you sitting there? Were you involved?’ a reporter asked. ‘No, I wasn’t.’ ‘Were you?’ a second reporter asked. ‘No!’ Biden shouted back.”

It appears that Biden said he was not sitting next to Hunter when the WhatsApp message was sent, calling his son, in effect, a liar. But it is doubtful that Biden really intended to answer that question in that way. How long can Biden continue to try to keep the American people in the dark? Note the next article.

White House Evades Tough Questions About Hunter Biden

The Washington Times wrote on June 26:

“James Rosen, White House correspondent for Newsmax TV, asked National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in a recent presser about the curious WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to his communist-tied Chinese buddy Henry Zhao that seems to implicate Joe Biden in his son’s scandalous business dealings — specifically, that Joe Biden has lied repeatedly by claiming zero knowledge of his son’s overseas’ dealings — and Kirby ran like a little girl from the podium. This must be the approved talking point by the Democrats’ war room: When asked about Hunter — gather your skirts and run! ‘Cause Kirby’s not the only one doing it.

[In the WhatsApp message, Hunter claimed to be sitting next to his father when writing the threatening message to Zhao, demanding payment.]

“He was replaced by a dismissive White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who was then asked the same question Kirby avoided — and she booted, deflected, avoided and then got really ticked; no doubt, even more ticked when other reporters in the White House briefing room wouldn’t let the matter drop. ‘Was the president there or not?’ asked an off-camera female journalist, following on Rosen’s line of questioning that went unanswered. ‘I will refer you to my colleagues. They have addressed this and I will refer you to them,’ Jean-Pierre said.

“Only — they haven’t.

“The White House hasn’t really explained the matter of the WhatsApp message that, if taken at face value, shows Joe Biden being used as a bulldog by his son to threaten communists into paying up, or paying — some unstated price… ‘White House STILL insists Joe was not involved in Hunter’s business dealings as Karine Jean-Pierre is hit with [a] barrage of questions on WhatsApp message to Chinese businessman and his state dinner invitation,’ the Daily Mail wrote in a recent headline…

“And that is why the White House is behaving like frightened little girls. They understand all too well where this could lead.”

In fact, the evidence suggests that Joe Biden was involved, that he lied about this to the American people on numerous occasions, and that America’s security interests have been compromised.

“Now the Gloves Are Off”

Newsmax wrote on July 2:

“The Biden Justice Department is reportedly preparing a superseding indictment of 30-45 more charges against former President Donald Trump, fearing a Trump-appointed judge might rule unfavorably against it. The scope of the charges could potentially bring the presidential documents case to another jurisdiction and include charges against Trump-tied associates, sources told The Independent.  

“According to the report, the DOJ fears Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon – randomly selected for the case – might give deference to the former president. Trump is already facing a 37-count federal indictment delivered by special counsel Jack Smith. Among the charges are 31 counts of willful retainment of military documents under the Espionage Act of 1917. Trump argues he was permitted to possess those documents under the civil statute of the Presidential Records Act, as determined by the precedent of the former President Bill ‘Clinton socks case’ which was ruled around a decade ago by Judge Amy Berman Jackson, appointed by President Barack Obama…

“The special counsel’s team is apparently also considering bringing charges against attorneys for Trump, including those defending him during the 2020 presidential election challenge, like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani was the Trump-directed attorney who unearthed Ukraine/Burisma corruption allegations against Joe Biden when Trump was still in the White House. The Biden DOJ, facing allegations it has throttled back investigations into the Bidens, now might move forward with charges against the one who began looking into the Biden family’s connection to Ukraine…

“Trump had, until recently, vowed not to prosecute his political opponent… ‘when they indicted me for nothing, I said, “Now the gloves are off,'” Trump told a Pickens, South Carolina, rally Saturday… ‘Now we have to say it like it is. He’s a crook… it’s crooked Joe, because it’s a much more appropriate name right now for this man who’s just destroying our country.’”

How is it that many cannot or do not want to see what is really behind these contemplated additional charges against Trump and his attorneys?

USA and UK… a Troubled Relationship

AFP wrote on July 2:

“US President Joe Biden…is set to depart on July 9 for Britain…

“The stop in London will offer the veteran Democrat a chance to meet with King Charles III for the first time since the monarch’s coronation, as well as hold more talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a month after his Washington visit.”

Nile Gardener wrote in The Telegraph, on July 1:

“Is there no end to Joe Biden’s sneering disdain towards this great country? The man who I see as far and away the most anti-British occupant of the White House in the modern era made his agenda clear on day one of his presidency, when he ordered the removal of Winston Churchill’s bust from the Oval Office…

“Joe Biden’s shameful mistreatment of Britain is a monumental folly. It is symbolic of his wider US foreign policy: weak, rudderless and lacking in any grand vision.”

Despite the idea that the relationship between the USA and the UK is “strong,” the opposite is the case… and that is a development which has been prophesied to occur in the end time.

King Charles Crowned King of Scotland

The Daily Mail wrote on July 5:

“King Charles was presented with the crown jewels of Scotland in a historic thanksgiving serving today before he and Queen Camilla stood side by side with the Prince and Princess of Wales to watch a Red Arrows flypast.  

“The monarch received the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre and the Sword of State of the Honours of Scotland – the country’s crown jewels – at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh eight weeks after his crowning at Westminster Abbey…

“The Right Reverend Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, delivered the sermon, in which she called for action to tackle global warming to stop the world ‘baking to a crisp’…

“During the processions activists loudly booed and shouted ‘Not My King’ from a protest spot yards from the Royal Mile – leading to criticism from royalists who believe they should have been given a less prominent location…”

“Consisting of the priceless crown, sceptre and Sword of State, the Honours of Scotland were first used together at a Coronation in 1543 for Mary, Queen of Scots when she was just nine months old. They were later used to crown her son, James VI – who went on to become James I of England – in 1567, Charles I in 1633 and Charles II in 1651. The Crown of Scotland… was placed on the coffin of the late Queen during a moving service at St Giles’ Cathedral after her death last year.

“… the sceptre was a gift from Pope Alexander VI to James IV in 1494. It was re-modelled and lengthened in 1536 and has small figures of the Virgin and Child, St James and St Andrew as well as a polished globe of rock crystal.

“The Sword of State was also a papal gift from Pope Julius II to James IV in 1507 and the blade features figures of St Peter and St Paul and Pope Julius’s inscription…

“Scotland’s crown jewels have not had a smooth or easy journey to their present-day display cabinet at Edinburgh Castle. In mid-17th century, the hoard had to be hidden from Oliver Cromwell – who had already melted down the English Crown Jewels – and they were taken to Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire before being buried in a nearby church…”

America’s Forever Wars

The Future of Freedom Foundation wrote on June 29:

“There are multiple problems facing our nation…

“Consisting of the Pentagon, the vast military-industrial complex, the enormous empire of domestic and foreign military bases, the CIA, and the NSA, along with its foreign policy of interventionism, the national-security establishment is the root cause of the perpetual wars in which the United States has been embroiled since 1947…

“The Cold War. The Korean War. The Vietnam War. The Persian Gulf War. The war on terrorism. The war on Islam. The War on Afghanistan. The War on Iraq. The war on Syria. The war on Yemen. The war on China. The war on Iran. Multiple military incursions. Multiple coups and state-sponsored assassinations. And now the renewed Cold War on Russia, which has gotten us perilously close to all-out, life-destroying nuclear war, just like it did back in October 1962.

“Of course, there is lots of focus on ending America’s ‘endless wars.’… Ending one forever war accomplishes nothing from a long-term perspective because always around the corner is another forever war…

“A national-security state necessarily depends on forever wars or, at the very least, crises, dangers, and threats from official enemies, adversaries, opponents, and competitors in order to justify its existence and its ever-growing taxpayer-funded largess… There is, of course, the out-of-control federal spending, debt, and monetary debauchery that comes with all this to consider… It’s also the warfare state, which is costing American taxpayers close to a trillion dollars a year…”

Sadly, America will continue to conduct or be engaged in its “forever” wars until it is defeated in World War III.

Firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene Sparks Controversy… Again…

Newsweek wrote on June 30:

“Marjorie Taylor Greene has sparked controversy by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, of having a ‘Nazi army.’

“The House Republican made the comment via Twitter on Thursday, in response to Zelensky holding a meeting with Greta Thunberg and other environmental campaigners in Kyiv.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his invasion of Ukraine by claiming he is trying to ‘denazify’ the country… Russian state media has continued to spread the conspiracy theory that Ukraine is secretly colluding with Nazis…

“Greene commentated:

“‘Somehow this makes so much sense [meeting with Greta] from the actor wearing army green every day, fully funded by U.S. warmongers, and who just recently canceled elections, controls his state media, and has a Nazi army.’

“… former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson labeled the Ukrainian leader a demagogue, though others pointed out there is a track record of democracies not holding elections when they face an existential threat, such as Britain, which postponed parliamentary elections for most of World War II.

“Greene’s comments sparked a mostly negative response from other social media users… However, not everyone responded to Greene so negatively…”

The optics of Zelensky meeting with Greta Thunberg on the same day when He met with former Vice President Pence are clearly not good. It is interesting that elections have been placed on hold in times of war, such as was the case in Britain during World War II. Could the same happen in the USA?

Ron DeSantis Under Fire

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) presidential campaign is coming under fire across the political spectrum for its ‘pride month’ campaign video, released on the last day of what society has deemed ‘pride month.’

“The ad begins by featuring former President Donald Trump touting a commitment to ‘protect’ LGBTQ citizens. It also highlights Caitlyn Jenner’s meeting with Trump and a drag queen saying, ‘Make America Great Again.’ The ad then cuts to an image of DeSantis with lightning coming out of his eyes with the caption, ‘No.’ The infamous ‘Giga Chad’ meme appears on the screen before the ad highlights headlines of the actions taken by DeSantis opposing the LGBTQ agenda.

“DeSantis Signs ‘Most Extreme Slate of Anti-Trans Laws in Modern History,’” one headline reads… The ad features more headlines, including DeSantis’s efforts to shut down drag events geared toward children and signing what the HuffPost deemed a ‘draconian anti-Trans bathroom bill’ into law.

“It continued to showcase leftist outrage against DeSantis for taking such ‘draconian’ actions to push against the LGBTQ agenda.

“Some on the right, however, were turned off by the campaign video. The Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican LGBTQ group, deemed the campaign’s video ‘divisive and desperate.’ ‘Republicans and other commonsense conservatives know Ron Desantis [sic] has alienated swing-state and younger voters,’ the organization wrote… ‘Ron DeSantis’ extreme rhetoric…has just ventured into homophobic territory,’ it continued, warning that DeSantis’ rhetoric ‘will lose hard-fought gains in critical races across the nation… Ron DeSantis and his team can’t tell the difference between commonsense gays and the radical Left gays... His naive policy positions are dangerous and politically stupid.’

“… former U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell [who is openly gay, called] the DeSantis video ‘undeniably homophobic.’” [Homophobic means, showing fear, hatred or dislike of or prejudice against gay people.]

Is it all because of the votes?

Modern Sodom and Gomorrah

LifeSiteNews wrote on July 1:

“In a less than five-minute Twitter monologue on Friday, Tucker Carlson… observed that the ‘Pride’ campaign being imposed by the powerful is ‘just another religious war’ between ‘the people who think they’re God versus everybody else,’ and the first category includes ‘virtually everybody… in a position of authority in the United States.’…

“‘People assumed there were consequences to pretending that you were God. They thought Sodom and Gomorrah were real places that were destroyed for disobedience,’ he said, referring to the account in Genesis 19 when God destroyed these cities with ‘brimstone and fire’ for the sins of unnatural sexual practices.

“Such peoples ‘imagined the same thing could happen to them’ if they violated God’s law, Carlson said.”

As Carlson implies, many do not believe today in the literal occurrence of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, thereby rejecting the clear testimony of the Bible and the fact that God has given us rules which we must obey.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. Stance on Abortion

International Family News wrote on July 3:

“Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reiterated his support for abortion rights, despite his belief that ‘every abortion is a tragedy.’… Kennedy argued that the government should not be involved in decisions that belong to women and advocated for medical freedom and bodily autonomy. He acknowledged that he finds third-term abortions appalling and expressed a desire to end them in other ways, although he did not specify his stance on government intervention at various stages of pregnancy.

“Kennedy’s stance on abortion has garnered support from some Democrats, with a recent poll showing that 52% of Democrats support his candidacy. This support could potentially pose a challenge to President Joe Biden’s 2024 run, given his current polling weakness and historical precedent of sitting presidents losing general elections after facing primary challengers…

“Kennedy’s focus on bodily autonomy ignores the fact that abortion ends the life of a genetically distinct human being. His organization… should extend its mission to include protection for preborn children from the moment of conception.”

Absolutely. Kennedy’s current position on abortion is clearly wrong.

The Dangerous Stupidity of the Woke Nonsense

The Daily Mail wrote on June 22:

“Britain’s strictest headteacher has said children allowed to self-identify as animals, moons and holograms should be moved to another school by their parents.  Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of the Michaela School in west London, said she was aware of a child at one school who identified as a gay male hologram – and at least one school where a group of students identified as cats. She claimed the ‘issue’ was widespread but that people are unaware because teachers are ‘not allowed to tell you’. 

“The headteacher, who said she has no pupils identifying as animals at her own school, said it is a ‘societal problem’ where teachers and parents have allowed children to lead the way. Her comments come after a recording revealed the moment a schoolteacher branded a [13 year old] pupil ‘despicable’ after they rejected a classmate’s claim that she identified as a cat…

“Ms Birbalsingh says parents should act quickly if schools tolerated children wanting to be recognised as animals… She also retweeted a tweet from a parent which said: ‘A girl at my daughters school identifies as a Wolf. It’s real. A fact. I doubt she is the only person in the UK.’”

This sounds like Grimm’s fairy tales. Where are the parents and the teachers who allow their young kids to adopt this kind of nonsense? Shame on them for abrogating their duty! Of course, governments and the left-wing mass media are also to be blamed for the encouragement of such dangerous nonsense.  

Isaiah 3:12 comes to mind: “Children are the masters of My people, and women rule over them” (Luther Bible 1984).

Note the next article.

Religious Persecution in Europe and Elsewhere

Catholic News Agency wrote on June 27:

“Although the most severe cases of religious persecution are currently taking place in certain African and Asian countries, the 2023 Religious Freedom in the World report highlighted dangerous trends within Europe and the Western world. The report… showed a rising trend in compelled speech, hate speech laws, censorship, the rise of cancel culture, and a growing intolerance toward some faith-based views in the West.

“The Catholic organization is also following threats in Ukraine to religious freedom from the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian governments amid the ongoing war. In some African and Asian countries, the persecution is often more direct, such as China’s internment of Uyghur Muslims or Nigerian Islamists slaughtering Christians. In Western countries, policies that discriminate against religious groups are more subtle…

“ACN-USA Director of Outreach Edward Clancy… cited examples such as a U.K. doctor who lost his job for refusing to use preferred pronouns, French laws that have restricted religious symbols in certain public places, and COVID-19 restrictions that put harsher rules on religious gatherings than other functions, such as in New York.

“On the subject of cancel culture, the report notes that the rejection of new concepts about gender have subjected people to threats of ‘legal sanction’ in some Western countries and that ‘laws have been introduced, such as hate speech, to legally enforce and entrench these concepts as new [human] rights.’

“The report detailed a case in Finland in which Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen were charged with hate speech based on a Twitter post about the Lutheran teaching on homosexuality. The prosecutor general alleged that Räsänen’s post, which referenced a 2004 pamphlet published by Pohjola, was ‘likely to cause intolerance, contempt, and hatred towards homosexuals.’ Although the charges were dismissed, the prosecutors have appealed the verdict…

“According to Clancy, Ukraine has shut down Russian-speaking religious services and Russia has shut down Ukrainian religious activity in Russian-dominated areas...”

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.

The Sudden End of the Russian “Rebellion”

The New York Post wrote on June 25:

“Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin posed for smiling selfies in Russia Saturday as he was forced into exile — just hours after the rebel mercenary boss brought the country to the brink of civil war.

“Prigozhin’s short-lived rebellion ended suddenly late Saturday with his retreat to Belarus…

“Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced Saturday Prigozhin would be exiled to Russian-aligned Belarus, with any charges against him for the foiled armed revolt being dropped in exchange. 

“Prigozhin’s mercenaries had been fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian soldiers. He ordered them back to their field camps after the rebellion’s abrupt end. Wagner Group’s mercenary troops would also not be prosecuted, the Kremlin said, while those who refused to partake in the coup attempt would be offered Defense Ministry contracts. 

“Prigozhin’s revolt began after what he said was a Russian military attack targeting his troops’ camps in Ukraine Friday with gun- and artillery fire and rockets. He accused Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, of calling for the attacks on his troops after conspiring with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to eliminate the mercenary group.  Russia’s Defense Ministry denied doing so…

“Prigozhin demanded Shoigu be removed from his post as he and his forces advanced upon Moscow Saturday, making it just 120 miles from the city before announcing the retreat.”

This short-lived “coup” did NOT bring the country to the brink of civil war, as the article claims erroneously. Apparently, Prigozhin never tried to fight Putin, but he wanted Shoigu and perhaps Gerasimov to step down. The idea that this episode marks the end of Putin is doubtful, with wild and unconfirmed allegations during the events that Putin had left Moscow. After all, Putin, apparently with the help of Lukashenko, was able to successfully stop the “coup” without much bloodshed [even though it is claimed that the Wagner group killed 39 Russian pilots and crew]. If anything, that would undoubtedly have increased his popularity in Russia. Of course, some may be unhappy with Putin for not punishing the rebels (but note the next article). At the same time, many report that Ukraine’s counter-offensive has been a complete disaster so far. Ukraine’s hope that civil war in Russia would help in defeating Russia has not materialized. Occasional claims that Russia has lost the war in Ukraine are far-fetched. Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban has reportedly said this week that Ukraine cannot win the war against Russia.

Some even feel that the whole event was staged.

All Staged?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 25:

“An ex-CIA analyst has claimed Vladimir Putin ‘orchestrated the coup’ with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhi… Rebekah Koffler told Fox News’ Eric Shawn on Saturday the coup was staged as a way for the Russian leader to boost his political power and he will eventually ‘gain momentum, mobilize additional personnel, and re-energize his offensive on Ukraine.’…

“Prigozhin’s forces moved from their camps in Ukraine into Russia on Friday and took over a regional military command in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, before advancing toward Moscow. Just as suddenly, the advance was called off on Saturday, and Russian state media said the Wagner troops would return to Ukraine while Prigozhin would flee to neighboring Belarus…

“She continued: ‘So this is a pretext to declare martial law, which Putin has already done. He made an amendment today that anybody who is violating the martial law is going to be imprisoned for 30 days. Another very interesting and revealing point is that Putin just authorized that men with a criminal record can join the military…’”

Even though this theory of a staged coup, which is also propagated in Europe and Russia, is basically rejected by most observers, stranger things have happened…

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Newsmax wrote on June 25:

“As war rages in Ukraine and Russia teased a potential mercenary mutiny Saturday, former President Donald Trump repeated his vow to end the conflict with negotiations as a ‘blessed peacemaker.’

“‘When I was president, the world was stable and calm because America was respected and strong. Now — as we see in Russia and all of these other places — this whole world is on fire,’ Trump said Saturday night in Washington, D.C… ‘Before I even arrived at the Oval Office, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine totally settled. I’d have it done in 24 hours. I say that, and I would do that…’

“Trump said his past relationships with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy can get the war ended quickly…

“Speaking to the religious conservative group, Trump hearkened back to the Bible’s scripture. ‘As the Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers,”’ Trump said. ‘I will be your peacemaker.’”

That will have to be seen…

Russia’s Break With the West

Modern Diplomacy wrote on June 26:

“The war that is currently raging between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014. It started with a clash between Russia and Ukraine…

“The tremor of conflict in 2014 turned into an earthquake as far as Russia and the West were concerned. The Kremlin now presents itself as at war with the ‘collective West,’ and in support of Ukraine, the West is eager to isolate Russia as much as it can.

“Russia’s internal transformation under Russian President Vladimir Putin long predates Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and its consequences will be felt long after the war is over. This transformation is Russia’s departure from the West — a shift even more all-encompassing than was the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. One half of this story is Russia’s separation from Europe and the United States and its loss of contact with people, governments, institutions, and companies in the West. The other half is the newly anti-Western tenor of Russian life, a trend that is both spontaneous and government-mandated. The speed with which these changes have taken place is unprecedented in Russian history.

“Nearly sixteen months into the war, ordinary Russians harbor substantial and most likely enduring anger and resentment toward the West…

“Although it can no longer trade with Europe and the United States or harness Western technology for its own modernization, there are many parts of the world with which Russia can increase trade, including China, India, and even Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance…

“The breakup between Russia and the West has acquired an aura of permanence… No matter how long the war continues, and regardless of how it ends, it will almost certainly leave in place a crucial new reality of twenty-first-century international relations…”

Ultimately, Russia and Western Europe will become mortal enemies, fighting each other in war.

Biden Bribery Scandal… More To Come

Newsmax wrote on June 24:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the Department of Justice’s integrity during a Friday news conference, but U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told Newsmax that Garland has destroyed the agency’s reputation. ‘He just stood up and lied to the American people,’ Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability [said]…

“The DOJ has come under heavy criticism for giving what many see as favorable treatment to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden… on Thursday, members of the House Ways and Means Committee released redacted transcripts of whistleblower testimony from two IRS employees who, after working on Hunter Biden’s tax evasion case, reported misconduct and government abuse from the DOJ and FBI. Garland denied the whistleblowers’ claims.

“Comer’s committee has been investigating alleged influence peddling schemes by Joe Biden and his family. They have presented evidence from an FBI whistleblower that an unclassified FD-1023 form contained allegations the president and Hunter Biden each received $5 million from an executive at Ukrainian energy giant Burisma Holdings Limited in exchange for influencing U.S. policy decisions. The committee also uncovered documents tracing money allegedly paid to Joe Biden and his family to several shell companies.

“Comer said there is more to come… Remember, we just disclosed two countries thus far: China and Romania. There are still some more Chinese wires that we have yet to present to the American people. ‘And there are a lot of wires, mysterious wires from Ukraine and Russia, that we’re about to expose. So, this is just beginning for the Bidens. All the Department of Justice is doing is standing in our way.’

“Comer said that despite all the obstacles his committee has faced from the DOJ and all the negative media coverage surrounding the investigation, ‘we are still producing results every day that shows this family, the president of the United States’ family, has received millions and millions of dollars from our adversaries all over the world, and they can’t explain why. They can’t explain what they did to produce that money.’”

One has to wonder when the majority of the American people will wake up and demand some action against the corrupt Biden family.

Impeach Biden Now

The New York Post wrote on June 25:

“Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz… highlighted a claim from the stunning closed-door testimony released Thursday that investigators found a WhatsApp message in which Hunter, 53, invoked his father in an apparent attempt to coerce money from a Chinese business associate… Cruz insisted that ‘right now’ is the time for the investigation into the scandal-scarred first son to transform into an impeachment effort against the 80-year-old commander-in-chief.

“Both IRS whistleblowers alleged that key officials in the Biden Justice Department hamstrung their own probe into Hunter Biden — and prevented any meaningful investigation into Joe Biden. This includes allegations that Assistant US Attorney Lesley Wolf scuttled important lines of questioning related to Joe Biden, insisting there was ‘no specific criminality.’

“The elder Biden has repeatedly claimed that he never spoke with his son about his overseas business dealings — but the damning text message casts fresh doubt on the president’s claims. ‘I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,’ Hunter Biden wrote to Harvest Fund Management director Henry Zhao. ‘And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.’…

“Cruz said the WhatsApp message ‘directly ties Joe Biden to the millions of dollars coming from communist China’ but the DOJ and Attorney General Merrick Garland prevented any probe into the threatening message…’Now, it is possible Hunter Biden was lying, it’s possible Joe Biden wasn’t next to him,’ Cruz added.”

The facts are that Hunter Biden received the demanded money shortly thereafter, and he was in Joe Biden’s house when he sent the message, giving somewhat credence to the claim that Hunter Biden wrote the message in his father’s presence. However, under the direction of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Republican-controlled House seems to be unwilling to begin impeachment procedures against Joe Biden.

“Biden Lies About Everything”

On June 27, the Editorial Board of the New York Post published the following opinion:

“Despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, Joe Biden just can’t stop lying about how tangled up he was in son Hunter’s business dealings… Asked point-blank if he’d lied to the American people about never-ever speaking to Hunter about business, he barked ‘No.’… the president lies about everything that could inconvenience him. 

“He called his disastrous Afghanistan bugout an ‘extraordinary success.’ On the raging inflation his policies caused, he scoffed ‘It was already there when I got here, man.’ [Under Trump, inflation was historically low.]… He claimed in 2022 the price of gas was ‘down from over $5 when I took office,’ when it was $2.46 as he came in and then hit highs of more than $5. 

“He claimed again and again to have created millions of ‘new’ jobs, when they were simply the recovered jobs lost to COVID coming back. He lies about having cut the deficit by $1.7 trillion, when his big-spending [policies] increased it. The border is ‘much better than you all expected,’ as he suggested recently to reporters…

“Whether it’s on public policy or personal scandal (‘there’s no there there,’ on his classified-docs woes, he insists, just as with his family corruption), he waves off bothersome facts in the same blustery, barking tone. 

“The tactic worked for most of his long career as a senator with a safe seat, and even as vice president… it still sort-of works for much of the press, who desperately want to believe his lies.

“But most Americans don’t keep falling for a salesman (of used cars or public policy) who never delivers what he promises: They eventually realize that the guy lies about everything. ‘C’mon man!’ is not gonna cut it.”

And still, many Americans state that they would vote for Biden in the next presidential election. Incredible!

Biden Is Destroying the USA

MSN published on June 25 the following opinion by Brandon Weichert, contributor at the Washington Times:

“Noted legal scholar and George Washington University law professor, Jonathan Turley, believes that ‘The Biden Family are beginning to make the Medicis look like small-time operators.’ 

“For the record, the Medici Family was an Italian banking family that used its vast wealth in 15th century Italy to become the most powerful family politically in all of Florence…  As per their station in 15th century Florence, the Medicis were the leaders of a caste of people and families who were, for all intents and purposes, untouchable. 

“Similarly, the Biden Family appears to be taking a role similar to that of the Medicis in America’s increasingly corrupt political and economic caste system…

“In my view, he’s clearly used his position and power to influence the ‘Justice’ system to better protect his wayward son, Hunter, and to insulate the rest of the Biden Family from true justice is another indicator of just how skilled at corrupt machinations the forty-sixth president is… Of course, the Bidens have been able to get away with their alleged crimes, just as the Clintons were able to do…

“As Turley explained to the New York Post, ‘The fact that it took over five years to even secure a plea on a couple of small misdemeanors is a testament to a family that has leveraged Joe Biden public positions into a fortune of influence peddling.’…

“… all reports indicate that the Department of Justice is slow-walking that investigation into Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents (in much the same way that IRS whistleblowers accuse the DOJ of slow-walking their investigations into Hunter Biden’s tax evasion scandal) whereas they are fast-tracking their case against Trump…

“Unlike 15th century Florence, though, modern America is not a flourishing hub of Renaissance thinking. It is a kleptocratic, declining great state with a shockingly overt corrupt and craven political class leading us to our collapse. The way our so-called ‘justice’ system has been converted into a shield for the brazenly corrupt Biden Family and weaponized by that family and their political party to destroy the Biden enemies, such as the Trump Family, is more proof of this sad fact…”

Sadly, the USA IS a declining and collapsing great state with a shockingly corrupt political leadership.

Trump Audio “Leaked” to CNN

Newsmax wrote on June 27:

“Former President Donald Trump is speaking out against CNN’s release of audio it obtained of him speaking with associates at his Bedminster golf club in July 2021 about a military document concerning Iran, saying the report exonerates him in the federal charges he is facing in connection to classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

“‘The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and “spun” a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe,’ Trump said on his Truth Social page Monday night after the audio aired on CNN’s ‘Anderson Cooper 360.’…

“In the tape, Trump is also heard saying that he has a ‘big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him [Army Gen. Mark Milley]. They presented me this – this is off the record but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him… This was done by the military and given to me… See as president I could have declassified it… Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret’…

“Last week, during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump denied having classified documents with him during the meeting… ‘That was a massive amount of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things. And it may have been held up or may not, but that was not a document. I didn’t have a document per se,’ he said. ‘There was nothing to declassify. These were newspaper stories, magazine stories, and articles.’”

The audio was “leaked” to CNN—supposedly by the Justice Department—at a time when the evidence of alleged bribery and improper financial dealings with foreign powers by Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and the entire Biden family is mounting, and when Attorney General Merrick Garland might face impeachment procedures if in fact he lied to Congress under oath, as it has been alleged by two IRS whistleblowers who have now claimed that they can produce six additional witnesses who will collaborate their narrative. Even the New York Times admitted now that Garland did not tell the truth.

In a related article, Newsmax wrote on June 27:

“Former Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told Newsmax on Tuesday that there is nothing to the leaked audio obtained by CNN about former President Donald Trump… ‘My guess is this is a 30-minute to an hour interview, and this is what the left and the media and now, sadly, the Department of Justice and the FBI, love to do is to selectively leak. It is to take something possibly out of context,’ Nunes [said]… ‘It appears like he’s maybe referring to some article, some story maybe that had just come out…

“‘Like a lot of this, it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. I just continue to go back and say, “Look, you’ve got the Presidential Records Act, everybody who did exactly the same thing.” … Vice President [Mike] Pence had them. [Joe] Biden had documents all over the place, including [from] when he was a senator. [Barack] Obama had them. [George] Bush had them. So, what are you doing with Trump?’”

Apart from the question as to what the audio actually does establish, it might be irrelevant from a legal standpoint, if, as we pointed out previously, the false set of laws was applied in the indictment; and if the attorney-client privilege was improperly pierced.

It has also been suggested that the audio has become inadmissible for the additional reason that it has been illegally leaked to CNN by, as it is claimed, the Justice Department in violation of a court order. Furthermore, as it was pointed out, before a tape can be admitted into evidence, context, possible editing and its authenticity will have to be established.

Finally, even if Trump did not declassify the alleged document in question (if he had in fact a secret document in his hand during the interview), it could still have become automatically declassified if the content of the document had become public, for instance in a newspaper or a magazine.

US Supreme Court Sides With Biden on Immigration Issue

npr wrote on June 23:

“The U.S. Supreme Court handed President Biden’s administration a victory in a long-running fight about how to enforce the nation’s immigration laws. The case concerned the Biden administration’s attempt to set guidelines for whom immigration authorities can target for arrest and deportation. Texas and Louisiana sued to block the guidelines, arguing that they were preventing immigration authorities from doing their jobs.

“The Supreme Court held by a vote of 8-1 that the states lacked standing to challenge the guidelines in the first place…

“During former President Trump’s administration, ICE agents and officers were empowered to arrest and deport anyone who was living in the U.S. without legal authorization. When the Biden administration took office, it put on the brakes… Under the new guidance, being present in the U.S. without legal authorization ‘should not alone be the basis’ for immigration authorities to arrest or deport someone…”

Trump’s policy was clearly overblown and wrong—it would even have included the arrest and deportation of “Dreamers.”

US Supreme Court Landmark Decision on College Admissions

The New York Post wrote on June 29:

“The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina Thursday, ruling that both institutions were in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and federal civil rights law. [Affirmative action policies were often used to increase the number of Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented minority groups on campuses.]

“The decision essentially ends the practice of overt racial consideration in higher education admissions and overturns for all intents and purposes the high court’s 2003 ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger, which found that colleges could consider race as one factor in the admissions process to achieve a diverse student body. ‘Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it,’ Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. ‘And the Equal Protection Clause, we have accordingly held, applies “without regard to any differences of race, of color, or of nationality”—it is “universal in [its] application… [T]he student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race,’ Roberts went on…

“Roberts was joined in his opinion… by all five of his colleagues on the court’s conservative wing: Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Neil Gorsuch… The court’s three liberals, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the UNC case, while Jackson… recused herself from the case involving the Ivy League school…

“Nine states already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Washington state…

“President Biden said he ‘strongly, strongly’ disagreed with the court… Former President Donald Trump hailed what he called a ‘great day for America’ in a post on his Truth Social network…”

US Supreme Court Decides On Religious Accommodation of Religious Worker

Fox News wrote on June 29:

“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously for a postal worker in Pennsylvania in an important religious liberty dispute, over how far employers should go to accommodate faith-based requests in the workplace. Gerald Groff, a Chrisitan mail carrier from Pennsylvania, asked the court to decide whether the U.S. Postal Service could require him to deliver Amazon packages on Sundays, which he observes as the Sabbath. His attorney, Aaron Streett, argued in April that the court should revisit a 50-year-old precedent that established a test to determine when employers should make accommodations for their employees’ religious practices.

“In ruling for the government worker, the high court overturned its 1977 precedent that said employers had to ‘reasonably accommodate’ an employee’s religious beliefs and practices, so long as that would not create an ‘undue hardship’ on the business. The new decision tightens the ‘undue hardship’ standard, and could make it easier for some individual employees to secure a religious accommodation in the workplace… A Supreme Court case from 1977, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, said employers could deny religious accommodations to employees when they impose ‘more than a de minimis cost’ on the business.

“Groff’s attorney argued that the court should scrap the ‘de minimus’ test, which he suggested has been abused by lower courts to deny religious accommodations, in favor of the plain language of Title VII, which would define ‘undue burden’ in the same way it is defined in other federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…

“‘To be sure, as the Solicitor General notes, some lower courts have understood that the protection for religious adherents is greater than “more than … de minimus” might suggest when read in isolation,’ Justice Samuel Alito wrote. ‘But a bevy of diverse religious organizations has told this Court that the de minimus test has blessed the denial of even minor accommodation in many cases, making it harder for members of minority faiths to enter the job market… We hold that showing “more than a de minimus cost,” as that phrase is used in common parlance, does not suffice to establish “undue hardship” under Title VII. Hardison cannot be reduced to that one phrase.’

“Groff was a fill-in mail carrier who worked at the United States Post Office when other mail carriers were off… Initially, he was able to work out an arrangement with his supervisors to transfer to another branch that did not deliver on Sundays. When that branch also began Sunday deliveries, Groff was permitted to miss his shifts provided he could find someone to cover for him. However, Groff was frequently unable to do so and missed over two dozen assigned Sunday shifts. 

“Groff contends USPS could have accommodated his beliefs by scheduling shifts so that he didn’t have to work on Sundays. But the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held in May 2022 that USPS would suffer an undue hardship if it took further action to accommodate Groff. The Supreme Court vacated the Third Circuit’s judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with its opinion…”

An important case for all true Sabbath keepers as well.

YouTube Did It Again

Newsmax wrote on June 27:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, revealed on Tuesday that YouTube had taken down yet another interview he was featured in [This was subsequent to YouTube’s censorship of his interview with Joran Peterson last week.]

“Kennedy announced the development in a Twitter threat, suggesting that the removal of his talk with former New York Post reporter Al Guart was an act of political censorship… ‘When industry and government are so closely linked, there is little difference between “private” and “government” censorship,’ he continued. ‘Suppression of free speech is not suddenly OK when it is contracted out to the private corporations that control the public square.’

“The Democratic candidate then cited Elon Musk’s ‘Twitter Files,’ a series of internal company documents publicized through prominent journalists, as proof of Big Tech’s collusion with the federal government. ‘Twitter complied. Doubtless, Facebook, YouTube, and the rest received similar requests,’ he explained, adding that YouTube ‘probably acted on its own initiative’ because it has ‘internalized the political wishes of the establishment.’”

More on the “Woke” Nonsense in Britain

The Daily Mail wrote on June 25:

“Shocking audio footage last week from Rye College in East Sussex revealed that a teacher called a teenage pupil ‘despicable’ for disputing the idea that a classmate could identify as a cat. The clip includes a heated exchange in which the disgruntled teacher says the Year 8 youngster needed a ‘proper educational conversation about equality, diversity and inclusion’. 

“But now parents are criticising the teacher for bringing ‘gender politics’ into the classroom, which they allege is ‘stressing the children out’… The parents of a Year 7 pupil told The Sun that there has been too much focus on ‘woke’ issues and not enough of a priority on education…

“The girl’s father added… ‘It’s highlighted how gender politics has taken over schools. It’s not good…’”

The wave of strange and unbiblical ideas regarding the woke nonsense is sweeping through the Western world… having seemingly risen very suddenly and coming out of nowhere. Truly, Satan IS the god and ruler of this world.

Pride Month in the USA… “We Are Coming for Your Children”

The New York Post wrote on June 24:

“LGBTQ activists participating in New York City’s annual Drag March on Friday sparked outrage for chanting ‘we’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children’ in a Manhattan park… The controversial chant incensed conservatives, who condemned the marchers as the video spread on social media. ‘This movement grooms minors to have mastectomies and castration and fuels a multi billion dollar medical child abuse industry,’ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted in response to the clip…

“New York City will cap off its Pride Month celebrations with its massive annual parade on Sunday to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots — a pivotal moment in the American LGBTQ community’s history.”

On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village, was raided by police. But instead of responding with the routine compliance the NYPD expected, patrons and a growing crowd decided to fight back. The five days of violent [but not deadly] rioting that ensued changed the face of gay and lesbian life forever.

Fox News added on June 28:

“NBC News cited LGBTQ activists who claim the ‘we’re coming for your children’ chant has been ‘used for years.’ [If that was true, it would make it even worse.] Twitter added a community note to NBC News’ tweet of the article that there is no proof to these claims. ‘The news articles provides no evidence of the “we’re coming for your children” chant being done for years at pride nor does it quote specific individuals that make this claim,’ the note reads. ‘This is very irresponsible reporting.’”

Europe—the New Babylon

Israel 365 News wrote on June 25:

“After the Jewish people were forced to wear yellow stars and were murdered on European soil during the Holocaust, they must never again be discriminated against with labelling of their goods and with Jew-hatred disguised as anti-Zionism.

“The European Court of Justice ruled that countries should implement label regulations against products originating from Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and Jerusalem as being produced in ‘occupied’ areas but the same is not being legislated against other nations that occupy disputed territories…

“The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation) Director Andrew Tucker commented that Europe has never gotten over the Holocaust but has moved on to create a Babylon atmosphere…”

Europe is called “Babylon” numerous times in the Bible. Please read, for instance, our free booklets, “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation” and “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe.”

AfD’s Ongoing Success Story

Deutsche Welle reported on June 25:

“For the first time in Germany, the AfD has won a district council election… Voters in the central German town of Sonneberg elected AfD candidate Robert Sesselmann at the expense of incumbent district administrator Jürgen Köpper of the CDU. In the runoff election in the Thuringian district of Sonneberg, Sesselmann won 52.8% of the vote, earning him the necessary absolute majority…

“The area of some 57,000 people is one of the smallest districts in Germany. Still, the AfD victory is a major breakthrough for the far-right party, which mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with in coalition agreements.

“The AfD’s leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, welcomed the win and said it demonstrates the party’s recent momentum. ‘And then we’ll prepare for the state elections in the east, where we can really create a political earthquake,’ he said, referring to state parliament elections in the eastern states of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg…

“Earlier this month, the first round of elections in the runoff vote saw Sesselmann fall short of outright victory by only a few percentage points. Such a strong showing for an AfD candidate raised the alarm nationally, with all other main political parties — the SPD, the Greens, the neoliberal FDP, and the socialist Left Party — backing the incumbent.

“Though the highest political office in that small arena, the position itself is of only moderate consequence and carries rather limited power… However, critics fear the idea of the AfD wielding political power in any measure and say the party is xenophobic and anti-democratic.

“Germany’s domestic intelligence service classifies the party in Thuringia and its controversial hardline leader, Bjoern Hoecke, as known far-right extremists…

“The AfD win on Sunday shows a milestone for the far-right party, which is currently polling between 18% and 20% nationwide. It has gained a wave of support as the national governing coalition of left-leaning SPD with the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) is showing signs of infighting…

“AfD first entered the national parliament in 2017 after campaigning strongly against migration. More recently, the party has been critcizing German support for Ukraine as Kyiv fights off the invasion from Russia.”

To classify the AfD and its leader as “known extremists” is of course a rather stupid and counterproductive measure which has already backfired. But many who are supporting the AfD have stated in the past that they do not necessarily agree with all of AfD’s positions, but that they reject the ineffective unpopular policies of the current coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which many Germans view as being utterly incompetent—not just those voting for the AfD. So, the popularity of the AfD can and perhaps should be viewed as a protest vote against Berlin and the coalition government.

Jewish Leaders Alarmed

JTA wrote on June 26:

“Jewish leaders are reacting with alarm to a local election in the former East German state of Thuringia, where for the first time in Germany a far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate has won the top political post in his district…

“Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the election ‘could open the floodgates’ for a party that espouses xenophobic and anti-democratic values. Some of its leaders also have belittled the Holocaust… ‘Not every AfD voter has extreme right-wing views,’ Schuster told the weekly Jewish newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine. ‘But they voted for a candidate whose party is extreme right-wing, according to the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution.’

“Those voters ‘are knocking out another pillar of support for stable democracy in Germany,’ said Charlotte Knobloch, head of the Jewish community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, in a statement.”

The more the AfD will be criticized and warned against, the more the party will rise in popularity, regardless as to whether the criticism is justified or not.

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.

Why and How the Mass Media Libels Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The New York Post wrote on June 17:

“When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his primary challenge to Joe Biden in April, the media shrugged him off as a meme candidate who would soon collide with political reality. Two months later, Kennedy is polling as high as 20% and his campaign is gaining momentum. And the media… have decided it’s time to step in.

“… Over the past weeks, major print and broadcast organizations have laid the foundations for a powerful narrative designed to hobble Kennedy’s campaign before a single vote is cast. The strategy is to disqualify Kennedy by labeling him a font of misinformation… In other words: a Republican in Kennedy clothes…

“The New York Times set the pace with a takedown brimming with accusations and innuendo. From word one, the article didn’t hesitate with its heavy-handedness — accusing Kennedy in its headline of ‘Pushing Right-Wing Ideas and Misinformation.’ The problem is that the article — which includes zero sources and little in terms of comment from the Kennedy campaign — provides no support for this claim.

“In lieu of actual facts, the Times presents ‘fact-checks,’ claiming, for instance, that Kennedy advanced a conspiracy theory by questioning the outcome of the 2004 Bush-Kerry election. Guess who else questioned the validity of that election? The New York Times in a lengthy November 2004 editorial.

“The same day as the Times hit piece, The Washington Post weighed in… In its first sentence, the article claims that Kennedy ‘campaigns on the idea that powerful people have been working in secret to deceive you.’ That’s partly true: One of Kennedy’s most scrutinized claims is that big pharma is pushing what he considers to be unsafe or unproven drugs, particularly vaccines…

“MSNBC picked up the WaPo piece and ran with it, bringing the article’s author on air for an interview. Probably not by coincidence, the interview was conducted by former Biden White House press secretary, MSNBC host Jen Psaki…

“Washington Monthly suggested journalists refrain from covering this ‘crackpot’ (also in the headline)…

“Outside of the media, however, serious people are beginning to take Kennedy seriously…

“Much of Kennedy’s appeal lies in his forthright approach to major issues, like his visit to the southern border this month, where he spoke directly with immigrants in Arizona. Unsurprisingly, most of the press stayed home.

“Kennedy’s positions on many other issues also cut against the media grain. His most controversial stance is on the war in Ukraine, where he strongly opposes American involvement (though his son volunteered to serve alongside Ukrainians). Back home, he believes transgender athletes should not participate in female sports; and… he’s harshly critical of America’s intelligence community, and particularly the CIA, which he believes is responsible for the assassination of his uncle, John F. Kennedy…

“The media onslaught is not only an attempt to derail Kennedy, but an easy way to deflect attention from the Dems’ real campaign crises: Biden’s age, unfavorability and chaos-plagued son. Faced with a weakened president, the media is trying to make Robert Kennedy into Joe Biden’s whipping boy and send him packing long before Iowa. But with Biden’s scandals bubbling, and Kennedy bottling early electoral lightning, the next claims of ‘misinformation’ might just refer to Kennedy outpolling the president.”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 15:

“A new poll from The Economist and YouGov released yesterday brings more bad news for Biden, as Democratic rival RFK, Jr. surges in favorability with voters while Biden slumps. No wonder Biden refuses to debate RFK, Jr. and is desperately trying to move the first primary to a more favorable state.”

The attempts of the left-wing mass media to interfere in the upcoming election are truly appalling.

Democrats Want Biden and Kennedy to Debate

Breitbart wrote the following on June 19:

“A majority of Democrats want President Biden to debate Democrat challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Convention of States Action/Trafalgar Group survey found…

“Across the board, over one-third, 77.5 percent, said yes, the two should engage in debates. Just 15.6 percent said they should not, and another 6.9 percent remain unsure.

“Predictably, most Republicans — 92.8 percent — believe the two should debate, as do 80.1 percent of independents. However, this consensus is actually bipartisan, as 57.5 percent of Democrats believe Biden should debate RFK Jr. another 31.7 percent believe they should not debate, and 10.8 percent of Democrats remain unsure…

“Notably, RFK Jr. has expressed an eagerness to see Biden on the debate stage, challenging the president to a debate throughout the primary process.”

YouTube Censors RFK Jr

Newsmax wrote on June 19:

“YouTube’s removal of a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. interview with conservative podcaster Jordan Peterson is being called out as election interference… After the blackout on YouTube, RFK Jr. hailed Twitter for keeping the interview up on its social media platform…

“The flap comes after famous video podcaster Joe Rogan offered a vaccine doctor $100,000 to debate Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on his show… Dr. Peter Hotez fired salvos at Rogan and RFK Jr. for spreading vaccine skepticism after Rogan’s podcast interview with the noted COVID-19 vaccine critic RFK Jr., but Hotez declined Rogan’s offer for the charity of his choice.

“Notably, RFK Jr.’s unpopular positions with Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media had The Boston Globe predicting YouTube censorship for weeks…”

What does Hotez want to hide?

Needed… Another John F Kennedy?

On June 19, Ron Paul wrote the following in his weekly column:

“Most people agree that we are closer to nuclear war than at any time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Some would even argue that we are closer now than we were in those fateful days, when Soviet missiles in Cuba almost triggered a nuclear war between the US and the USSR… That crisis was very real to me, as I was drafted into the military in the middle of the US/USSR standoff over Cuba and we could all feel how close we were to annihilation.

“Fortunately, we had a president in the White House at the time who understood the dangers of nuclear brinkmanship. Even though he was surrounded by hawks who could never forgive him for aborting the idiotic Bay of Pigs Cuba invasion, President John F. Kennedy picked up the telephone for a discussion with his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, which eventually saved the world. Historians now tell us that President Kennedy agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey in exchange for the Soviets removing missiles from Cuba…

“It is all too clear that we do not have a John F. Kennedy in the White House today… the Biden Administration is still dragging the US toward a nuclear conflict… This all started with Biden promising to only send uniforms and medical supplies to Ukraine for fear of sparking a Russian retaliation. From there we went to anti-tank missiles, multiple-rocket launchers, Patriot missiles, Bradley fighting vehicles, and millions of rounds of ammunition. The Biden Administration announced last week that it would send depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine, which poisons the earth for millennia to come. Rumors are that long-range ATACMs missiles are to be delivered soon, which could strike deep into Russia. Apparently, F-16 fighter jets are also on the way…

“Congress is silent – or compliant – as we lurch forward toward disaster for no discernable US strategic goal. Biden – or whoever is actually running the show – is forging straight ahead.”

What is REALLY needed is the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ, as man does not know the way to lasting peace.  

“The Utter Failure of Merrick Garland”

On June 17, the Hill published the following opinion piece by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“Merrick Garland began his tenure as attorney general with the stated intention of restoring faith in the Justice Department and the rule of law. By that standard, Garland has been a failure. In fact, if anything, the crisis of faith surrounding his department has only deepened on his watch…

“Polls show that half the country distrusts the FBI. A recent poll by Harvard CAPS-Harris found that 70 percent are either very or somewhat concerned about election interference by the FBI and other intelligence agencies… Another poll showed 64 percent view the FBI as ‘politically compromised.’…

“Various officials were removed from the Department by career officials for their express bias and misconduct during the Russia-collusion investigation… The Justice Department and the media kept the investigation going for years despite the lack of credible evidence…

“Garland’s reputation is more like that of a supervising judge who defers to the views and decisions of his agency. The result has been disastrous for the department… Garland remained largely silent as the FBI cracked down on conservative groups across the country in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot… the Justice Department was criticized for its draconian treatment of people charged with relatively minor offenses such as trespass and unlawful entry into the Capitol.

“The controversies continue to pile up…  Garland could have taken steps to assure the public that there is not a two-tiered system of justice but repeatedly refused to do so. For example, Garland has continued to refuse to appoint a special counsel in the investigation of Hunter Biden. By doing so, Garland has removed the president’s greatest threat in the form of a report that would detail the scope of the Biden family’s alleged influence peddling and foreign contacts.

“Garland is now looking at a new inflammatory situation after Special Counsel Jack Smith has leveled 37 charges against Trump while Robert Hur, ‘the other special counsel’ investigating Biden, has largely disappeared from sight…

“Garland is not solely at fault. Biden took office promising to be a unifier and a moderate. He immediately adopted far left policies and fueled divisions by denouncing millions of ‘MAGA Republicans’ and his political opponents as ‘semi-fascist’ extremists…

“The failure of Merrick Garland is becoming more and more evident by the day. The public continues to distrust the Department, and his assurances of fair dealing have been overwhelmingly rejected by Republicans and independents…  as an attorney general, there is little to like about his last two years.”

The Justice Department, the FBI and the CIA, among many other governmental agencies, as well as Joe Biden and his Administration, have to be distrusted for obvious reasons.  

“Why the Trump Indictment Is Outrageous And Shocking”

On or about June 16, Zero Hedge published the following article by Will Scharf:

“I am a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, worked on two Supreme Court confirmations, and clerked for two federal appellate judges. The indictment and case against President Trump is outrageous and shocking…

“A lot of my friends have spoken insightfully about the scope of the Presidential Records Act… Basically, their argument distills down to the idea that the President’s authority to retain Personal Records, as well as his rights to access his Presidential Records, make it impossible to prosecute him under the Espionage Act section at issue here, § 793(e), because the government cannot prove ‘unauthorized possession,’ as required under the statute.

“I want to make a different point relating to the intent elements in § 793(e) of the Espionage Act, the statute Trump is being charged under. Section 793(e) requires the government to prove that the Defendant KNEW he had National Defense Information (NDI) in his possession, and also that the Defendant KNEW that there was a government official entitled to receive the Information, and also that the Defendant then WILLFULLY failed to deliver it to that official…

“More than anything, this case hinges on the ability of the Special Counsel to prove beyond a reasonable doubt aspects of Trump’s state of mind that will be extremely difficult to prove in this case because of his obligations and rights under the Presidential Records Act…

“Just because something is classified… does not mean that it is National Defense Information (NDI) within the meaning of the Espionage Act. NDI, for the purposes of an Espionage Act § 793(e) prosecution, is defined as one of a long list of items ‘relating to the national defense which information the possessor had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.’

“A lot of the documents listed in the indictment are older, or seemingly random… Anyone who has worked around government knows that over-classification is a huge problem. A ton of documents end up being classified because of arcane technical rules that may not reflect the real world…

“Far and away the most troubling side story to emerge from this saga so far are the allegations made by Trump aide and co-defendant Walt Nauta’s lawyer last week… Nauta’s lawyer, Stanley Woodward, alleged in a court filing that during a meeting with prosecutors about his client’s case, the head of the Counterintelligence Section of DOJ’s National Security Division Jay Bratt ‘suggested Woodward’s judicial application [for a DC Superior Court judgeship] might be considered more favorably if he and his client cooperated against Trump.’

“If true… this is wild misconduct… It could undermine the entire case against both Trump and Nauta. It could end careers at DOJ if fairly investigated…

“The indictment relies on a significant amount of information received, in one form or another, from one of Trump’s lawyers, Evan Corcoran, who was compelled to testify in front of the grand jury. According to news reports, the argument for breaching the privilege was the crime fraud exception…

“The attorney client privilege protects from disclosure to the government confidential communications made between clients and their attorneys. It has been around for centuries, and is considered a core protection in our system of justice.

“The crime fraud exception, though, allows the attorney client privilege to be broken in rare circumstances when two requirements are met:

“First, there needs to be a prima facie showing that the client was engaged in criminal conduct.

“Second, the client has to have obtained or sought the attorney’s assistance in furthering that crime…

“First of all, what was the crime they used as a predicate? Was it unlawful retention of the documents? If so, there’s nothing in the indictment that I can see indicating that Corcoran’s communications with Trump would have furthered that in a way that would justify breaching privilege…

“In any case, the Special Counsel is going to have to show why the communications in question were a solicitation by Trump to Corcoran to join him in criminal acts, as opposed to Trump asking a lawyer he hired to advise him on his legal defense, to tell him what his options were, or to outline what defensive steps might be possible, and what was done by others in previous cases like Hillary’s emails…”

A very insightful legal analysis.

More Censorship Against Trump

The New York Post wrote on June 19:

“A federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump from disclosing evidence and sensitive information discussed in his classified documents case.

“US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off last August on the search warrant for the 77-year-old’s Mar-a-Lago resort, sided with the Justice Department on Monday after special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutors filed a motion to keep the evidence in the case secured during the discovery process.

“The judge said Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta cannot ‘disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure….’”

Sadly, the agenda behind all of this is SO obvious.

Trial Already in August?

Newsmax wrote on June 20:

“A federal judge in Florida has scheduled the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump on charges of illegal retention of classified government documents to start Aug. 14, ‘or as soon thereafter as the case may be called.’

“The order was signed Tuesday morning by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee. Cannon’s order said both sides must file pretrial motions by July 24.

“The Justice Department’s special counsel in the case, Jack Smith, promised a speedy trial after a 37-count indictment charging Trump with willfully retaining classified government records and obstructing justice.

“But the complexities of handling highly classified evidence, the degree to which Trump’s legal team challenges the government’s pretrial motions, and the way the judge manages the schedule could all lead to a trial that is anything but swift, legal experts say.

“And there is no guarantee the trial will start on the scheduled date, experts say.”

Fox News added on June 20:

“Federal Judge Aileen Cannon announced the preliminary court date Tuesday, but the final date for Trump’s trial is likely to change as the former president’s legal team is expected to request a delay….”

Schiff Censored in a House Divided

Fox News wrote on June 21:

“The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for pushing claims that former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia — a vote that made Schiff just the third member of the House to be censured since the turn of the century. The resolution passed 213-209 in a vote — every Republican voted for it except for six who voted “present,” and every Democrat voted against it.

“Immediately following the vote, Democrats gathered on the floor and chanted ‘Shame!’ and ‘Disgrace!’ as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tried to gavel the House in order for several minutes…

“McCarthy then asked Schiff to present himself in the well of the House, and Democrats clapped and cheered as he approached. After being interrupted several times by Democrats, McCarthy said, ‘I have all night.’ Schiff then stood in well of the House as required by the resolution, and was hugged and cheered by dozens of Democrats who surrounded him. The measure also requires the House Committee on Ethics to investigate Schiff’s ‘falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information.’…

“‘To my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity, you flatter me with this falsehood,’ Schiff said. ‘You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truth tellers,’ he said. ‘And I stand proudly before you. Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful.’

“Schiff was a leader of Trump’s first impeachment proceeding…”

Schiff has repeatedly and quite dogmatically stated that there is evidence—more than just “circumstantial”— that Trump colluded with Russia. This was and is a BIG LIE for which Schiff must be held accountable. And shame on those Democrats who want to suppress the truth and uphold the lies, by supporting and cheering for Schiff, all just for the purpose to “get Trump.”

Joe Biden’s Worsening Dementia

Fox News wrote on June 16:

“President Biden caused an uproar of confusion Friday after closing his remarks at a Connecticut summit on gun control reform… [stating] ‘All right. God Save the Queen, man,’ before looking around to figure out where to walk offstage.

“The current monarch of the United Kingdom is King Charles III — as his mother, the long-serving Queen Elizabeth II, died in September. Connecticut, where Biden was speaking, was one of the 13 colonies to declare its independence from Britain in 1776…

“… the reaction to Biden’s closing utterance was… proffering questions about his widely-discussed cognitive acuity… Some observers wondered aloud Friday if the process to invoke the amendment to remove the president should be started, given his latest gaffe…

“Response from some United Kingdom natives was equally critical, as a former aide to the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher appeared to question Biden’s cognitive abilities… ‘The dementia is so bad that he now thinks he’s British,’ quipped Greg Price of the State Freedom Caucus Network…”

Biden’s lack of memory of recent events does give credence to the assumption of his worsening dementia. For instance, he could not remember that he had been in Ireland for several days shortly after his return to the USA, even though he had publicly and with great fanfare declared his love for Ireland and his Irish ancestry, while visiting Ireland.

Impeaching Joe Biden

Breitbart wrote on June 22:

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in the coming days will introduce articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden under a privileged resolution“By superseding House Republican leadership’s ability to control what comes to the House floor, Greene will launch articles of impeachment against Joe Biden, bypassing the usual process for bringing legislation to a full House vote. Greene’s resolution will force House Republicans to vote on the measure. ‘I don’t know what it’s going to take to get them to realize what fools Republicans look like in Congress for not moving forward on impeachment,’ Greene exclusively told Breitbart News.

“‘Joe Biden is a criminal,’ she said. ‘And as vice president of the United States, he committed crimes. He committed crimes, high crimes, and misdemeanors.’ ‘We now know on the Oversight Committee through our investigation that he took a $5 million bribe from a Ukrainian oligarch in order to get Victor Shokin fired — the prosecutor that was investigating Burisma,’ she said. ‘We have bank records after bank records after bank records showing that money was transferred, wire transferred in, from all kinds of countries all over the world, from all kinds of foreign nationals and businesses and state governments into the fake LLC, paying the Biden family members,’ Greene continued. ‘Everyone knows this,’ she said. ‘But for some reason, Republicans in Congress can’t even start the process of impeachment…’ Greene told Breitbart News her privileged resolution posted on Congress.gov was the most viewed bill on the site all Wednesday.

“But despite the grassroots interest in the bill, Greene said Republican members on the House Judiciary Committee do not support the impeachment effort… Greene’s resolution could be ready for a vote as soon as Friday. If the legislative language is not ready by then, she told Breitbart News it will be voted upon when members of Congress return to Washington, DC, in two weeks.”

CNN wrote on June 21 about a similar motion by GOP Republican Lauren Boebert:

“Speaker Kevin McCarthy urged House Republicans to vote against the resolution brought forward by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado forcing a vote to impeach President Joe Biden this week, arguing now is not the right time…

“McCarthy argued that Republicans should let committee investigations play out and warning that jumping to impeachment now could threaten their slim majority… The speaker noted that House Republicans have taken back the House five times in the last 100 years, and two of those times lost the majority the next cycle…”

To gain votes seems to be much more important than to establish righteousness in the land. 

Hunter Biden’s “Sweetheart Deal”

The New York Post wrote on June 20:

“As part of the deal, the 53-year-old will plead guilty to misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax for 2017 and 2018 and enter a pre-trial diversion on a felony gun possession charge, meaning that charge could be dropped if he meets certain requirements… ‘Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere “traffic ticket.” Our system is BROKEN!’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform…

“‘As President Trump predicted, Biden’s Justice Department is cutting a sweetheart deal with Hunter Biden in order to make their bogus case to “get Trump” appear fair. Meanwhile, Biden’s DOJ continues to turn a blind eye to the Biden family’s extensive corruption and bribery scheme,’ Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Make America Great Again Inc., said in a statement. Earlier this month, Trump predicted, ‘They’ll hit Hunter with something small to make their strike on me look “fair.”’…

“‘It continues to show the two-tiered system in America. If you are the president’s leading political opponent, the DOJ literally tries to literally put you in jail, give you prison time. If you are the president’s son, you get a sweetheart deal,’ contended Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). ‘Now this does nothing to our investigation. It actually should enhance our investigation because the DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now,’ added McCarthy, referring to an ongoing probe of the first son by the House Oversight Committee. ‘They should be able to provide Chairman [James] Comer with any information he requires.’

“Comer (R-Ky.) himself decried the development as a ‘slap on the wrist… when growing evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery.’ ‘These charges against Hunter Biden and sweetheart plea deal have no impact on the Oversight Committee’s investigation,’ Comer added. ‘We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family’s schemes are revealed.’…”

Time will tell…

The Investigation Is Ongoing…?

The New York Post wrote on June 21:

“Hunter Biden appears to have ducked other possible charges — including money laundering, bribery and human trafficking — as part of a plea agreement he entered into with federal prosecutors… Hunter likely violated the Foreign Registration Act (FARA) while negotiating lucrative business deals with entities in China, Mexico, Romania, Russia and Ukraine during and after Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president — with George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley last year calling the evidence ‘unassailable and undeniable.’…

“The office of Delaware US Attorney David Weiss announced the charges but added that its ‘investigation is ongoing.’ However, Cornell law professor Robert Hockett told The Post Tuesday that statement amounted to a prosecutorial formality… ‘Certainly new charges could be brought, but they would have to be brought on the basis of new evidence,’ Hockett added. ‘Once a judge approves the deal and it’s finalized then no additional charges can be brought later on the basis of the evidentiary record that we currently have.’”

The New York Post published on June 21 the following related opinion piece by Michael Goodwin:

“To express disappointment in the results of the Hunter Biden probe is to admit you ever believed it was an actual and honest investigation… Santa Claus is more real than the integrity of the FBI and Justice Department under Joe Biden… That’s another way of saying there is no justice system… This is what happens in Third World countries, and now it’s happening in America…

“Although Weiss says in his filing that, ‘The investigation is ongoing,’ that’s more likely a fig leaf so he and the FBI can duck congressional scrutiny by saying they can’t comment on an ongoing case…”

The Post Editorial Board wrote on June 20:

‘Despite the obvious impropriety of the Justice Department investigating the president’s son (and as that president repeatedly, loudly and publicly declared his son innocent), Attorney General Merrick Garland refused to name an independent counsel to take this case.

“If a special prosecutor of clear integrity had offered this plea deal now, it’d still stink but might be something the public could swallow. But as things stand, the only possible conclusion is that Justice is corrupt.”

What Justice? As was pointed out above, America has no justice system. As we read in Isaiah 59:14:

“Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.”

The Cover-Up of the Justice Department in the Hunter Biden Case

 The New York Post wrote on June 22:

“Two IRS whistleblowers told Congress in closed-door testimony released Thursday that the Justice Department waged a coverup in the tax fraud investigation of first son Hunter Biden — revealing stunning details of alleged interference and new evidence indicating President Biden was involved in his son’s foreign dealings…

“The revelation that Biden appointees blocked charges against his son is politically explosive because Attorney General Merrick Garland testified under oath to Congress earlier this year that Weiss was empowered to bring charges outside of Delaware. Intentionally misleading Congress is a crime. Weiss… sought to be appointed special counsel in the case at least twice… but was turned down by the Biden Justice Department, both whistleblowers alleged…”

Breitbart added on June 22:

“House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) told reporters Thursday that the Justice Department twice prevented United States Attorney David Weiss from bringing stronger charges against Hunter Biden… ‘The testimony we released today shows the IRS recommended charges against Hunter Biden that included attempt to evade or defeat tax, a felony; fraud or false statements, a felony; and willful failure to file returns, supply information, or pay tax,’ Smith said. ‘These tax crimes cover an estimated $2.2 million and unreported tax on global income streams to Mr. Biden and his associates from Ukraine, Romania, and China totaling $17.3 million from 2014 to 2019.’

“‘Mr. Biden personally received $8.3 million,’ Smith added. ‘Whistleblowers detail foreign payments to Mr. Biden, including $664,000 from the Chinese company, state energy HK, a large diamond worth $80,000, and a Porsche worth $142,000. These payments are just a fraction of the total, but they provide insight into a world of wealth and influence that no ordinary American would recognize.’…

“The whistleblowers revealed IRS investigators were told by U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf that because the evidence would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden, ‘There is no way’ a search warrant for evidence would ever get approved…”

Maybe that is true when it applies to Joe Biden. It most certainly is not true when it applies to Donald Trump. 

Tucker Carlson: USA Moving Towards Full-Fledged Dictatorship Under Biden

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 16:

“Mocking leftist protests to the contrary, Tucker Carlson laid out the case on Thursday evening for why the Joe Biden presidency represents the final stages of transforming the United States into a full-fledged dictatorship during the latest installment of his new show on Twitter.

‘With sharp satire, Carlson compared Joe Biden, his administration, and the legacy media with dictatorships from around the world. This included the common corruption in arresting the dictator’s principle political rivals, their enriching of their family selling political influence, the thwarting of large protests through murder (Ashli Babbitt) and intimidation (SWAT-type raids and draconian treatment of political dissenters), censorship, comprehensive surveillance and a focus on destroying parental rights over their children…

“‘The one thing that all dictators have in common is they enrich themselves and their families, their tribe, even as the countries they govern grow steadily poorer and more desperate,’ he said. ‘They take kickbacks from businesses and from other dictators [and] they use the official functions of their government to funnel cash to themselves.’

“Furthermore, ‘in a dictatorship, it’s no longer possible to fight injustice’, Carlson continued. ‘People can’t gather in large numbers to protest the rule of the dictator. If they try that, they’ll be arrested by the state security services… And by the way, it’s not just public protests that would be banned in a dictatorship. You wouldn’t be allowed to complain from your own home… Unauthorized opinions expressed on the internet would be censored...

“Furthermore, ‘the wannabe dictator’ exercises profound surveillance over the population… ‘The administration already knows what you buy, of course, because they have leaned on the big banks to turn over your confidential credit card information…’

“After a sarcastic demonstration on how the U.S. legacy media protects Biden like the state-run media of North Korea protected dictator Kim Il Sung, Carlson said, ‘And by the way, if Joe Biden was a wannabe dictator, he’d have the family to match… A dictator would… claim dominion over the most intimate parts of his citizens’ lives. He’d define what attitudes they were allowed to have about sex and religion and how to raise their families. He would, even in his final grandiose stage of dictatorship, claim ownership of their children,’ he said.”

“According to retired congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul, the neoconservatives are ideological heirs of early Bolshevik terrorist Leon Trotsky in believing in ‘permanent revolution, violent as well as intellectual,’ in advancing an American Empire, through ‘hard politics,’ and that ‘lying is necessary’ to achieve their objectives. They also support aggressive ‘imperialism’ to enforce a ‘progressive’ agenda on other nations and ‘using American might to force’ the implementation of these objectives.”

Has America, like Canada, already become a dictatorship? You be the judge!

Israel Opposed to ANY Deal Between the USA and Iran

The Associated Press wrote on June 18:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he opposes any interim agreement reportedly being negotiated between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program…

“Netanyahu vehemently opposed the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers brokered by the Obama administration that sought to rein in Iran’s nuclear program…

“Israel considers a nuclear Iran as a major threat, citing its calls for Israel’s destruction and its support for anti-Israel militant groups across the region.

“Israel says it does not rule out military action to prevent Iran from making a nuclear weapon.”

Such military action might very well take place.

Can Pope Francis Bring Peace to Ukraine?

Herald Malaysia Online wrote on June 17:

“Pope Francis has launched a peace mission aimed at finding a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war, upsetting Ukraine’s allies with his refusal to insist that Russia leave Ukraine as a starting point for negotiations.

“For their part, the Russians simply ignore the Pope.”

Even though the Pope’s role in this area seems to be rather irrelevant and futile, Ukraine and Russia WILL unite in the future.

Western Sanctions Against Russia Huge Mistake

Modern Diplomacy wrote on June 17:

“The West’s sweeping sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine are shaping up to be the West’s most monumental miscalculation in modern history. The sanctions have not brought the Russian economy to its knees, as was widely predicted. Instead, it’s the Western economies that are reeling, their economic growth all but stopped. Many of them are simultaneously suffering from both high inflation and energy shortages.

“Russia, meanwhile, is not only surviving but thriving, acquiring more potency and prestige throughout Asia, Africa and South America than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union… the Russian economy will grow faster than Germany’s or the UK’s this year. Next year, it will also grow faster than those of the U.S., Japan, Italy, and much of the rest of the West…

“Russia has been able to ramp up its own military production rate so effectively that its artillery can massively out-pound Ukraine’s, firing between 40,000 and 50,000 shells per day versus Ukraine’s 5,000-6,000. While Russia’s arms production is on a high-output war footing, the West’s has been unable to keep pace. America’s focus on supplying Ukraine has compromised its ability to meet other goals, such as deterring China’s expansion and maintaining readiness to respond elsewhere.

“Russia’s military robustness is all the more noteworthy given that it has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and a now-close alliance with China’s military. The ascendancy of what is dubbed the ‘Russia-China axis’ and the widespread perception of the West’s decline has in turn convinced other militaries to associate with a winner. In September, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and various former Soviet states joined Russia and China in war games in the Sea of Japan and Russia’s Far East, and in February, South Africa hosted Russia and China for 10 days of joint naval drills…

“In Asia, both China and India have dramatically deepened their ties to Russia. In South America, Russia is embraced by the new socialist government of its largest economy, Brazil, as it was by Brazil’s former conservative government. In the Middle East, where the U.S. is widely distrusted, Russia has good relations with Israel as well as with all the major Muslim nations, whether Sunni or Shia, Arab or Turkish…

“While Russia may be shunned by the West, it is welcomed by most of the rest, as seen in the regional alliances in which Russia plays a leading role: the Russia-China-led Shanghai Cooperation Council, which includes former Soviet countries as well as India and Pakistan, and the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), whose GDP now exceeds that of the G7. Some two dozen countries have expressed interest in joining Russia in these economic and security alliances, including major regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, and Mexico.

“The West’s sanctions, the most severe ever imposed on a country, were meant to teach Russia the lesson that ‘aggression does not pay,’ in the words of NATO’s Stoltenberg. The ferocity of the sanctions, the subsequent cancellation of Russian artists and athletes in the West, and expectation of an end of the Russian Federation by political and military elites such as Former Commanding General of the US Army in Europe, General Ben Hodges, shocked Russia out of its complacency, and led it to [reach very different conclusions]: That the West was determined to destroy it, and that its existence required it to arm itself to the teeth and end its economic interdependence with the West.”

The Bible prophecies a strong Far Eastern power bloc under Russian and Chinese leadership, with the support and collaboration of many other nations.

Europe’s Military to Be Independent of America

The Associated Press wrote on June 20:

“French President Emmanuel Macron called on European nations Monday to seek more independence on airspace defense and advocated against relying too much on the U.S…

“Macron pushed for European defense equipment manufacturers to build independent military systems and relocate production on the continent. He also called for enhanced European standards…

“France has been openly critical of German-led plans for improved European air defense capabilities. The so-called European Sky Shield project, launched at the end of last year, is made up of 17 European nations including the U.K. – but not France. It’s meant to be integrated within NATO air and missile defense systems. The French government believes the project doesn’t adequately preserve European sovereignty, because it’s expected to be largely based on U.S. and Israeli industry…

“Defense has been a recurrent bone of contention between the two countries, with France complaining that Germany wasn´t doing enough in the area for years – until the war in Ukraine led Berlin to announce a major boost to military spending….”

Ultimately, the view point of Macron will prevail.

Synthetic Human Embryos Created

The Guardian wrote on June 14:

“Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, in a groundbreaking advance that sidesteps the need for eggs or sperm…

“However, the work also raises serious ethical and legal issues as the lab-grown entities fall outside current legislation in the UK and most other countries.

“The structures do not have a beating heart or the beginnings of a brain, but include cells that would typically go on to form the placenta, yolk sac and the embryo itself…

“There is also a significant unanswered question on whether these structures, in theory, have the potential to grow into a living creature. The synthetic embryos grown from mouse cells were reported to appear almost identical to natural embryos. But when they were implanted into the wombs of female mice, they did not develop into live animals.

“In April, researchers in China created synthetic embryos from monkey cells and implanted them into the wombs of adult monkeys, a few of which showed the initial signs of pregnancy but none of which continued to develop beyond a few days. Scientists say it is not clear whether the barrier to more advanced development is merely technical or has a more fundamental biological cause…”

Whenever scientists try to play God, we are entering a very dangerous territory.

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.

Trump Indictment… Similar to Corrupt Third World Countries?

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 9:

‘The Biden administration’s Department of Justice has taken the unprecedented step of indicting former U.S. President Donald Trump with violating federal law, making him the first occupant of the Oval Office to face such charges… The shocking move comes as Congressional Republicans were starting to present mounting evidence that Joe Biden was bribed with $5 million from an executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma while serving as Barack Obama’s vice president, prompting some to question if the announcement was retribution…

“Numerous political pundits have compared the move to something corrupt third world countries engage in. ‘These bandits in the White House … want one party rule and they have used the Department of Justice and the FBI to get what they want,’ Mark Levin has said. This is ‘the most severe election interference on the part of the federal government that we have EVER seen!’ Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz exclaimed. ‘They can’t beat Trump at the ballot box,’ former Trump adviser Steve Bannon remarked.

“At a press conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Thursday, Biden claimed he had no foreknowledge of the indictment… In recent months, Joe Biden’s FBI has taken a keen interest in targeting pro-lifers and Catholics…

“Many conservatives… maintain that the charges are part of a strategy hatched by the U.S. ‘Deep State’ to prevent Trump from being re-elected.”

Biden without foreknowledge? Who wants to believe that?

Trump Attacks Special Counsel Jack Smith

Fox News wrote on June 9:

“Former President Donald Trump attacked Special Counsel Jack Smith after his unsealed indictment shows the ex-commander-in-chief was charged with 37 counts of criminal wrongdoing over his handling of classified documents… Trump accused the prosecutor of being behind a 2013 controversy in which the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was revealed to be targeting political groups, mainly those on the right, for increased auditing… ‘He went after Evangelicals and Great Americans of Faith. The United States had to apologize, and pay major damages for what this deranged lunatic did,’ Trump wrote…

“In his attack on Smith, Trump also cited the corruption case of ex-Virginia GOP governor Robert McDonnell. Smith successfully secured his conviction, though it was later overturned by the Supreme Court… ‘His wife is a Trump Hater, just as he is a Trump Hater—a deranged “psycho” that shouldn’t be involved in any case having to do with ‘Justice,’ other than to look at Biden as a criminal, which he is!’ Trump wrote…”

Biden Broke the Seal

Newsmax wrote on June 12:

“Going after a presidential political opponent has consequences, says former President Donald Trump. And now, he says, the gloves will come off. The ‘seal’ for going after your political opposition as the U.S. president is broken, Trump vowed Monday…

“Trump wrote: ‘… I will appoint a real special “prosecutor” to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself!’”

Trump also said that as newly-elected President, he will “obliterate” the “deep state.” Of course, he said earlier that he would go after Hillary Clinton (“lock her up”), which he never did…

The Espionage Act vs. the Presidential Records Act

Fox News wrote on June 13:

“Former President Trump cast his ‘sham’ federal indictment as ‘election interference’ by the Biden administration, slamming it as a ‘the most heinous abuse of power in the history of our country.’

“Trump, the current 2024 frontrunner, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Miami, Florida Tuesday to 37 federal felony counts… Trump… slammed Smith as a ‘deranged lunatic,’ and slammed President Biden for having ‘his top political opponent arrested and charged.’ He said he had undergone ‘political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation.’

“Trump said President Biden will ‘forever be remembered as not only the most corrupt president in the history of our country, but perhaps more importantly, the president, together with the band of his closest thugs, misfits and Marxists trying to destroy American democracy, channeling real anger and charging the President of the United States under the Espionage Act of 1917 [which]… has nothing to do with a former president legally keeping his own documents.’

“Trump defended himself, saying it is, instead, the Presidential Records Act [of 1978] that applies to his case… ‘The Presidential Records Act does not confer any mandate, duty or even discretional authority on the archivist to classify records under the statute,’ Trump said. ‘This responsibility is left solely to the President of the United States…’ [The Presidential Records Act governs the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents that were created or received after January 20, 1981 (i.e., beginning with the Reagan Administration).]

“Trump slammed Biden—who is under special counsel investigation for his alleged improper retention of classified records—and Hillary Clinton, pointing to her destruction of classified emails. ‘Hillary Clinton broke the law and she didn’t get indicted,’ Trump said. ‘Joe Biden broke the law, and in many other ways, we’re finding out, and so far has not gotten indicted.’…

“Trump went on to point to former President Bill Clinton, saying he ‘lost the nuclear codes and absolutely nothing was done… Trump pointed to former President George W Bush, saying his White House ‘lost 22 million emails’…”

Many legal experts agree with Trump that the Presidential Records Act, and NOT the Espionage Act, is applicable here [Note the next article.]. If so, the indictment, which never mentioned the Presidential Records Act, should fail for that reason alone, but there are many other legal issues involved (for instance, the highly dubious piercing of the attorney-client privilege and Jack Smith compelling Trump’s attorneys to testify). Scholars feel that if there is ever a trial, it might not occur before the end of 2024, after the election.

A Destructive Trump Indictment

The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal published the following opinion piece on June 9:

“Americans will inevitably see this as a Garland-Biden indictment, and they are right to think so.

“… the indictment never mentions the Presidential Records Act (PRA) that allows a President access to documents, both classified and unclassified, once he leaves office. It allows for good-faith negotiation with the National Archives. Yet the indictment assumes that Mr. Trump had no right to take any classified documents… If the Espionage Act means Presidents can’t retain any classified documents, then the PRA is all but meaningless.

“In the court of public opinion, the first question will be about two standards of justice… The charges are a destructive intervention into the 2024 election…  Republicans who are tired of Mr. Trump might rally to his side because they see the prosecution as another unfair Democratic plot to derail him.

“If Republicans win next year’s election, and especially if Mr. Trump does, his supporters will demand that the Biden family be next…

“It was once unthinkable in America that the government’s awesome power of prosecution would be turned on a political opponent… However cavalier he was with classified files, Mr. Trump did not accept a bribe or betray secrets to Russia…”

Nor did he destroy sensitive documents, unlike Hillary Clinton. America has changed drastically… for the worse.

The Clinton Socks Defense

Breitbart wrote on June 14:

“Former President Donald Trump deployed a novel strategy Tuesday against charges of mishandling classified documents: the ‘Clinton Socks’ defense… The ‘Clinton Socks’ case…[ was related to an] infamous episode in which Bill Clinton stuffed 79 audio tape recordings in his sock drawer after his presidency. Clinton later claimed the tapes were personal records not subject to the President Records Act of 1978 (PRA), despite allegations they contained classified information and conversations with foreign leaders.

“Judicial Watch’s Michael Bekesha opined in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal that a President can choose what records to keep or return to the National Archives. Bekesha said he understood this well because, as he put it, ‘I know because I’m the lawyer who lost the “Clinton sock drawer” case.’ He noted that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and a federal judge in 2012 defined presidential records as anything left at the White House after a sitting president leaves office. The ‘Clinton Socks’ precedent could therefore provide a path for Trump to argue that the records seized from Mar-A-Lago were personal in nature, even if they contained sensitive information.

“… there are parallels between the two cases in that both former Presidents Clinton and Trump allegedly disclosed classified information in private meetings… The court’s opinion in the ‘Clinton Socks’ case states that the sole authority to classify records pursuant to the (PRA) rests solely with the president, and that the National Archives does not have any authority regarding classification, nor can it seize presidential records.

“… conservative radio host Mark Levin has pointed out, that the Espionage Act of 1917, which Trump is accused of violating, was not intended to apply to presidents. If it had been, then every president who took documents with him before the passage of the PRA in 1978 could have been prosecuted for ‘espionage.’…”

Republicans Rally Behind Trump

ABC News wrote on June 9:

“Republicans are rallying behind Donald Trump in the face of his historic indictment on federal charges. ‘The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society,’ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s biggest adversary in the Republican primary, tweeted on Thursday. Sen. Tim Scott, another 2024 Trump challenger, decried ‘weaponization’ as he told Fox News: ‘What we see is a justice system where the scales are weighted.’

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pledged to ‘hold this brazen weaponization of power accountable.’ ‘Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him,’ McCarthy said… ‘The indictment creates, at the minimum, a serious appearance of a double standard and a miscarriage of justice…’ [Jim] Jordan wrote, calling the indictment ‘politically motivated prosecution.’…

“President Joe Biden… said Americans should trust the Department of Justice in light of attacks on it from Trump and others…”

Trusting the Department of Justice?

“Today It Is Trump; Tomorrow It Is You and Me”

International Family News (IFN) wrote on June 9:

“It looks like the Nazis have found a new home in the U.S. Department of Justice and the offices of state and city district attorneys who have been bought by George Soros. After the Soros-backed district attorney in New York City recently got an indictment against former President Trump on bogus charges, it has been announced that now the U.S. Department of Justice has gotten an indictment against Trump regarding a statute relating to document retention that has never been used against any sitting or former President.

“If anyone needed any more proof of a deep state trying to silence anyone who does not march in lock-step with the left-wing agenda, this is it. This is clear and simple election interference more reminiscent of a third-world dictatorship than the America I grew up in. And the scary thing is, if the deep state and Soros-backed district attorneys have no problem going after a former President on his way to likely winning the next U.S. Presidential election, they will have no problem going after you and me.

“… let us never forget the words of German Pastor Martin Niemöller in regard to Nazi Germany: ‘First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.’”

In Nazi Germany, many kept quiet, but many were also in favor of Hitler’s policies. Today in the USA, it is not much different, but even those who are opposed to the corrupt actions of the current government are asking themselves: What can really be done in such a totalitarian system? The answer is obvious to us: America’s ONLY hope is the return of Jesus Christ who will make a swift end to man’s misrule in the USA—and worldwide.

America’s Two Standards of “Justice”

The New York Post wrote on June 10:

“Based on a grand jury search warrant, federal agents raised Mar-a-Lago and the evidence they gathered was bolstered with FBI interviews of Trump aides, employees and even his lawyers.

“… if federal prosecutors had empaneled a grand jury and obtained a search warrant for Joe Biden’s properties and if FBI agents had put his aides, employees and lawyers under oath, scoured their phones and emails and confronted them with evidence to get them to talk, agents would have found that Biden knowingly kept classified documents for many years in his homes and offices, including in the four years between his being vice president and president. 

“Honest agents unencumbered by any political bias of their own or their bosses’ might also have discovered that Hunter Biden and other family members and associates had access to the supposedly secret documents and possibly used them in drawing up their lucrative business schemes with foreign officials and businesses.

“…had the Department of Justice empaneled a grand jury and executed a search warrant on Hillary Clinton’s home and offices in 2013 or 2014 and seized her private computer server, phones and electronic devices, along with the devices of her aides and interviewed her lawyers under oath, FBI agents would have found many thousands of unsecured critical documents that were still in her possession long after she left the Department of State. As it was, more than 2,000 documents deemed to be classified, top secret or confidential were recovered from her devices in 2015 and 2016, despite the fact that Clinton deleted some 33,000 emails she claimed were not work-related.

“… it is indisputable that Trump is being treated far more harshly than either Biden or Clinton were under very similar circumstances. All three kept classified documents where and when they shouldn’t have. Only one is being prosecuted.  All three ran for president, but only one had his campaign spied on by the FBI, an action later found to be unwarranted. And only one was the victim of nonstop FBI leaks to the media alleging collusion with a foreign power that helped undermine his presidency, even though many of the leaks were found to be misinformation. 

“Does it matter that the one person subjected to these extreme measures by the government and media is a Republican, while the other two are Democrats? Only a fool or a liar would deny the obvious…

“The Justice Department, with the knowledge of the Democratic White House, meddled in a presidential election with the aim of electing the Democrat and defeating — and perhaps prosecuting — the Republican…

“Biden appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland, who appointed [special prosecutor Jack] Smith. Whether he likes it or not, the buck stops on Biden’s desk, especially because Biden let it be known more than a year ago he wanted Trump prosecuted…

“Biden has a lot of dirty laundry himself, but Garland is protecting him… The Hunter Biden probe, now in its fifth year, reeks of favoritism, a charge leveled against it by IRS and FBI whistleblowers. The evidence of various crimes has been public for years, and Joe’s connection is provable. Nearly three years ago, he was identified as the ‘big guy’ scheduled to get a secret 10% cut in a multimillion-dollar family deal with Chinese communists. Those charges… were censored by Big Tech at the direction of the FBI…

“Then there’s the newest dimension to Joe’s likely misconduct — the discovery that the FBI has been sitting on a charge since 2017, and renewed at least twice since by an informant, that he accepted a $5 million bribe from a Ukrainian businessman. Reports say Hunter also got $5 million in the same deal, and there are suggestions the money came from the head of Burisma, the corrupt energy company that hired Hunter for its board of directors and paid him millions while Joe was Obama’s point man for Ukraine. 

“Where’s the grand jury on that case? Where are the subpoenas for Biden’s bank records and a house raid searching for evidence? Where is the media firestorm?… The possibility of Joe Biden’s guilt has many implications, including the specter that Congress impeached the wrong man in 2019… Had that been discovered then, Trump would have been re-elected and Biden would be the one facing criminal charges.”

The hypocrisy of the FBI, the Justice Department, the mass media and the Biden administration is appalling. But the last chapter on Trump AND Biden has not yet been written.

“A Bad Horror Movie?”

Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column on June 17:

“The Democrats and Donald Trump reminds me of a bad horror movie, where the hapless protagonists only make the monster stronger with each attempt to eliminate it. So goes the Democrats’ endless attempts to finally rid America of the ‘scourge’ of Donald Trump.

“Thanks to the Durham Report we now know they started even before Trump was elected president. Hillary Clinton’s campaign – with the full knowledge of the candidate and the sitting president, Barack Obama – cooked up a ‘dirty trick’ to portray Trump as an agent of Russia in their effort to deny Trump the White House.

“When that didn’t work they weaponized the FBI, CIA and the rest of the ‘deep state’ to undermine and hobble his presidency. They spied on Trump and his campaign staff using false information manufactured by the FBI.

“When that didn’t work they impeached him under the false charge that he sought foreign assistance for his 2020 re-election bid. This time a spy, in the person of NSC staffer Alexander Vindman, was sent to listen in on Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Zelensky and then make all manner of false charges against Trump based on it.

“Democrats were furious that Trump was less than enthusiastic about their plans to use Ukraine as a proxy to go to war with Russia. Vindman, though an active-duty US military officer, was of Ukrainian background and was loyal to the country of his origin rather than the country of his citizenship… Trump’s lack of enthusiasm for their ‘Project Ukraine’ infuriated Vindman and he sought his revenge against the US President.

“When that didn’t work they impeached Trump again over the false charge that he led an ‘insurrection’ against the US government on January 6, 2021. The more surveillance video we see of this ‘insurrection,’ the more it looks like a false-flag operation cooked up perhaps by Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Washington swamp to finally be rid of Trump. Hundreds of political prisoners have been held in solitary confinement on false accusations that they tried to overthrow the US government.

“When that didn’t work and Trump’s re-election numbers looked more and more favorable while Biden’s approval rating continued to linger in the political basement, the Democrats have now indicted him over some classified documents apparently discovered in his residence in Florida. The boxes and boxes of classified documents discovered at multiple Biden locations have disappeared into the memory hole with the help of the media. Nothing to see here.

“Suddenly Donald Trump, who polling suggests would obliterate Joe Biden in a fair US election, faces 100 years in prison! [Actually, about 400 years in prison!] Where else would you see the head of one political party arrest his main political opponent on cooked up charges? A banana republic!

“For those of us who love this country, it is truly shocking to see this abuse of power. But there’s one thing these dirty tricksters never seem to understand: the more false evidence and false charges they cook up against Trump, the stronger Trump becomes. With these outrageous and continuous attacks on Trump, the Democratic Party (and plenty of Republicans) has lost all credibility. When this plan fails, and it will, I am afraid to think what they might try next.”

Very insightful and factually accurate comments.

Tucker Carlson: They Are Lying to You!

Newsmax wrote on June 13:

“Tucker Carlson denounced the widespread anti-Trump effort to get former President Donald Trump… [in] his 13-minute monologue, his third episode of ‘Tucker on Twitter’… ‘The prosecution of Donald Trump is transparently political… Anyone that denies its happening is lying to you…

“Nobody with Trump’s views is allowed to have power in this country. Criticize our wars and you’re disqualified. If you keep it up, we’ll send you to prison. That’s the message Washington is sending.’

“Carlson denounced mainstream media bloviating… that U.S. defense is compromised ‘because Donald Trump took some classified documents home and didn’t immediately return them to the National Archives?… What a lie that is,’ Carlson said…”

Indeed!

Tucker Carlson: Moral Norms a Thing of the Past

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 9:

“Religious and ethical moral norms… are being rapidly undermined and replaced by ‘the people who run our country,’ argues Tucker Carlson in the second installment of his new show on Twitter…

“The former Fox News host… pointed out how formerly ‘it was taboo in this country to attack people on the basis of their race,’ but punishing them now ‘based on their skin color is not only permitted in modern America, it is mandatory for business and government and higher education, as long as the victims are white.’

“In addition, he provided the example of adultery having been considered a disqualifying factor for anyone seeking higher office as late as 1992, but Bill Clinton was the last presidential candidate who was required to face that standard, Carlson proposed.

“One by one, with increasing speed, our old taboos have been struck down… Stealing, flaunting your wealth, striking women, smoking marijuana on the street, shameless public hypocrisy, taking other people’s money for not working. All of these things used to be considered unacceptable in America. Not anymore.

‘So it probably shouldn’t surprise us that the greatest taboo of all is teetering on the edge of acceptability: child molestation,’ Carlson warned…

“This became more obvious due to an extensive Wall Street Journal ‘exposé about kiddy porn on Instagram’ earlier this week that Carlson observed. Despite the WSJ reporting how Instagram ‘helps connect and promote a vast network of accounts openly devoted to the commission and purchase of underage sex content,’ the most shocking aspect of this story was that nothing of any significance happened in response… ‘The Justice Department did not announce an investigation. Congress did not schedule hearings,’ he said.”

Rather than going after real criminals, the Justice Department is busy figuring out how to “get Trump.”

The CORRUPT FBI

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

“FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate admitted during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday that the FBI redacted any mention of audio recordings of Joe and Hunter Biden in a document shown last week to Republican lawmakers in which an FBI informant alleged the Bidens were involved in a bribery scheme around 2015 and 2016...

“Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Monday revealed that the document which was a transcript of an FBI interview with an informant, contained references to 17 alleged audio recordings — 15 with Hunter Biden and two with then-Vice President Joe Biden. However, Grassley said, when the document was made available to the House Oversight Committee last week under pressure from Republicans, the references to the audio recordings had been deleted…

“Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)… [told the FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate:] ‘There are two very clear standards of justice in this country. We see it every single day. The American people see this every single day. They look at you and see a politicized entity that is weaponizing an agency of the federal government against the American people…’”

Newsmax added on June 13:

“Texas Sen. Ted Cruz [stated to Abbate] that ‘people are mad at the FBI. Because you are stonewalling and covering up serious allegations of evidence of corruption from the president… You know who isn’t concerned? Not a single Senate Democrat. We’re going to go through this whole hearing, not one Democrat will ask a question about this. You know who else isn’t concerned? The corporate media who is joining with the Democrats in covering up the evidence.’…

“Blackburn said that ‘there is only one conclusion that any serious person could draw: There is a two-tiered system of justice under this administration. The American people know that, if they aren’t loyal to Washington’s liberal political elite or if their last name doesn’t happen to be Biden or Clinton, they are at risk of being targeted.’”

Who Sabotaged the Nord Stream Pipeline and the Kakhovka Dam?

On June 9, The Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“The Washington Post is reporting that material leaked by Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, revealed that the Biden Administration knew three months ago that it was Ukraine that was planning to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines. Teixeira is now criminally charged under the Espionage Act. [This is one way of how to suppress important information and keep it hidden from the public.] If true, the Administration withheld the information for months as the media widely speculated that Russia blew up its own pipeline. Russia accused the United States of approving the attack by Ukrainian forces.

“President Joe Biden was presumably informed by the intelligence agencies. Yet, as speculation continued and Russia pointed fingers [at Ukrainian] and the US, Biden told the public ‘the Russians are pumping out disinformation and lies. We will work with our allies to get to the bottom (of) precisely what happened. Just don’t listen to what Putin’s saying. What he’s saying we know is not true.’

“As Biden ‘worked with our allies to get to the bottom of what happened,’ the Administration knew that months previously it was told by a Ukrainian whistleblower that the CIA was told that a six-person team of Ukrainian special forces were planning to rent a boat, dive to the seafloor and blow up the Nord Stream project. The operation was reportedly led by Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.

“It is not clear what president Volodymyr Zelenskiy knew or when he knew it. However, we knew of this report long before the pipeline was destroyed in the very way described by the whistleblower…

“Now a new environmental disaster is building after sabotaging the Kakhovka hydro-electric dam in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine. Russia has accused Ukraine  and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused ‘Russian terrorists.’

“This follows new evidence that Ukraine appeared responsible for the drone attack on the Kremlin recently. Zelenskyy also denied any involvement in that attack…

“Western countries have stressed that their military aid to Ukraine was premised on the country not attacking Russia on Russian soil. However, the larger question is whether such intelligence should be kept from Congress and the public when we have already spent over $75 billion on Ukraine.  

“It also raises a continued question over the Biden Administration withholding evidence that contradicts its national security claims…

“If Ukraine is engaging in sabotage against our other allies (and the environment), we have a right to know. If committed by Ukraine, the drone attack on the Kremlin was remarkably stupid. It threatened an escalation of the conflict with little obvious military advantage. With tens of billions of dollars going to Ukraine and a world teetering on the brink of a large conflict, we (and particularly Congress) need to know if our allies are telling us the truth or whether they are reliable allies. Likewise, if Zelenskyy did not know of these major operations, it is a fair question to ask who is really in charge of the country or whether Zelenskyy is engaging in willful blindness…”

These questions, and many more, deserve answers. Under the present administration and its past Modus Operandi, it is doubtful that America will ever get those answers.

Is Compulsory Military Service Returning in Europe?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 11:

“After the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War in Europe, many countries abolished compulsory military service. But in the wake of the war in Ukraine, several are considering bringing it back… Germany suspended military service in 2011, but it can be reintroduced if the Bundestag determines there is a need for defense as stipulated by the country’s Basic Law…

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected a proposal by his defense minister, Boris Pistorius, to introduce compulsory military service. However, there are calls for a national debate on the issue from across the political spectrum.

“The Bundestag’s commissioner for the army, Eva Högl, who is also from the ruling Social Democrats like Scholz and Pistorius, recently suggested that a mandatory year of service in military or civilian institutions should be discussed. She also said that members of the military should talk about their work in schools.” 

The article also pointed out that “France is currently debating a ‘light’ form of compulsory military service. President Emmanuel Macron introduced the Universal National Service in 2019, which enables young people to volunteer for a month and serve their country. The government is now considering making this compulsory for all French nationals aged 15-17.”

These are frightening and alarming developments. Based on biblical prophecy, we can expect that compulsory military service will be introduced in Germany, France and other European countries.

Boris Johnson Steps Down

npr wrote on June 9:

“Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shocked Britain on Friday by quitting as a lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament… Johnson quit after receiving the results of an investigation by lawmakers over misleading statements he made to Parliament about ‘partygate,’ a series of rule-breaking government parties during the pandemic… that breached pandemic lockdown rules…

“By quitting, he avoids a suspension that could have seen him ousted from his Commons seat by his constituents, leaving him free to run for Parliament again.”

BBC News reported on June 9:

“Boris Johnson is stepping down immediately as a Tory MP after receiving an advance copy of the Partygate report… In the former prime minister’s fiery resignation statement, he said the process was ‘the very definition of a kangaroo court’. Mr Johnson received a copy on Thursday and claimed it was ‘riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice’… He continued that the committee’s ‘purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts’.

“The statement went on to criticise the direction of the current conservative government. And Mr Johnson did not rule out a return to politics, saying ‘it is very sad to be leaving Parliament – at least for now’…”

Express added on June 9:

“Boris Johnson has resigned as an MP in dramatic fashion over what he and his supporters claim is a witch hunt against him. The former Prime Minister issued a shock statement just hours after his close ally Nadine Dorries announced she too was quitting Parliament in what now appears to be a coordinated move to force two damaging by-elections on Mr Sunak’s floundering government… forcing Mr Sunak to fight for his political life on a number of fronts…

“A close ally of Mr Johnson and former minister told the Daily Express: ‘… When this government falls apart – and it will – they will be begging Boris to come back… Sunak has no election mandate, no mandate from members, he is tearing up all the things we promised in the 2019 manifesto whether it is the Retained EU Law Bill, the Online Safety Bill, the Nationality and Borders Bill or the Northern Ireland Legacy Bill. Sunak has no moral authority and no policy platform.’”

Will Sunak fall and perhaps be replaced by Johnson?

Former Italian Leader Silvio Berlusconi Dies At 86

The Associated Press wrote on June 12:

“Adored, scorned, impossible to ignore in life, former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi in death drew tributes even from his critics, and ever more lavish praise from admirers, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as prayers from Pope Francis…

“Putin hailed Berlusconi as a ‘patriarch’ of Italian politics and a true patriot who had improved Italy’s standing on the world stage… ‘Undoubtedly, he was a politician of the European and the world scale,’ Putin said. ‘There are few such people in the international arena now. He was a great friend of our people and did a lot to develop business, friendly relations between Russia and European countries.’ Berlusconi had expressed reservations about sanctions against Russian interests over the invasion.

“Former U.S. President George W. Bush…recalled Berlusconi as a ‘vibrant leader with a personality to match… He strengthened the friendship between Italy and the United States...’

BBC News wrote on June 12:

“Four times he was prime minister, and each time it seemed his political career was over, he managed to confound his critics and bounce back. Nine years after he was banned from public office for tax fraud, he was back in parliament, elected to Italy’s Senate before he turned 86 in September 2022… Berlusconi, who has died at the age of 86, was a media mogul, football club owner and billionaire businessman who never gave up on politics – and helped shape Italy’s image for decades…

“He also became notorious for his questionable sense of humour after a number of high-profile gaffes. On one occasion, he suggested a German MEP would have made a good concentration camp guard – and on another, claimed Mussolini was actually a benign leader. He dismissed these statements as jokes. However, he was also a long-time friend of Vladimir Putin and blamed Ukraine for Russia’s invasion when his own government was strongly behind Kyiv…”

Declaration of War: Israel Considers Altering Temple Mount “Status Quo”

Israel Today wrote on June 9:

“Hamas last night issued an official response to Israeli lawmaker Amit Halevi’s (Likud) proposal to change current policy on the Temple Mount. According to Halevi’s plan, the Temple Mount would be divided into Muslim and Jewish sections and control of the holy site by the Jordanian Waqf would end.

“Halevi suggests that Muslims should continue to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the southern end of the complex. ‘If they pray there, it doesn’t make the entire Temple Mount a holy place for Muslims’…  Halevi made it clear that the entire plateau is sacred to the Jews and the Dome of the Rock is where the Temple once stood. In addition, regulations for Jews who want to enter the Temple Mount would be changed. Halevi demands that Jews, like Muslims, be allowed to enter the Temple Mount through any available gate, which has not been the case so far.

“Hamas describes the plan as ‘aggression in an attempt to exert sovereignty over al-Aqsa in the context of the fascist occupation government’s religious war.’ Palestinian terror groups also called the plan a ‘declaration of war’ and threatened a ‘thunderous explosion.’ Hamas called on the Palestinian people to tighten their grip on Al-Aqsa. An organization that identifies with the Palestinian cause even published a threat against Halevi’s life in connection with his plan.”

The Temple Mount and the Al Aqsa compound will continue to be in the news, as violence in that area will increase.

Masks and Vaccine Mandates Against COVID Now Deemed USELESS

Fox News wrote on June 10:

“… experts have been calling into question the efficacy of face masks.  A recent study published by the prestigious Cochrane Library, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, dug into the findings of 78 randomized controlled trials to determine whether ‘physical interventions’ — including face masks and hand-washing — lessened the spread of respiratory viruses… ‘There is just no evidence that they [masks] make any difference. Full stop,’ Tom Jefferson, the study’s lead author, said in an interview.  When asked specifically about fitted N95 masks in health care settings, Jefferson said: ‘It makes no difference – none of it.’…

“A recent study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University concluded that COVID vaccine mandates in nine major cities didn’t appear to make a difference in terms of curbing cases of deaths from the pandemic. The study came after last year, a director of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer admitted at a hearing before the European Parliament that, at the time of its introduction, the COVID vaccine had never been tested for stopping transmission of the virus…”

Many have known this and stated it from the outset, but the mass media, in support of Big Pharma and certain governmental agencies, pursued and followed a different agenda.

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.