Author: Blazingcatfur
‘Its ethics are entirely nihilist’: Stephen Harper slams ‘woke’ left in rare interview
In a rare and uniquely candid interview, former prime minister Stephen Harper warned of a “nihilist” modern left bent on “ripping everything down” and seeking to “end the democratic system.”
“If it plays out, our societies fail,” Harper said in a Tuesday edition of the podcast American Optimist. He added, “the adolescent egos of the woke university crowd is not an alternative governing philosophy for any society.”
For the FBI, a shameful anniversary
FOR THE FBI, A SHAMEFUL ANNIVERSARY. Five years ago, on July 31, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened Crossfire Hurricane, its investigation of the presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump. Some parts of the bureau had been looking into allegations of collusion between the campaign and Russia even before the investigation began. But on July 31, the FBI started the process that led to a million leaks, enormous damage to candidate Trump, and then President-elect Trump, and then President Trump, the abuse of the government’s secret surveillance court to wiretap a low-level Trump adviser, efforts to impeach the president, more leaks, media hysteria, and, finally, the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller, who could not establish that collusion — he called it “conspiracy” or “coordination” — ever took place, much less that Trump or anyone associated with him was involved with it.
Disney rebuffs Scarlett Johansson after she claims in new lawsuit she was robbed of ‘Black Widow’ streaming revenue
Actress Scarlett Johannsson has sued Walt Disney Studios for simultaneously releasing her Marvel movie ‘Black Widow’ on its streaming service and in movie theaters. It is alleged to have cost her $50 million in potential bonuses.
… Responding in a statement, Disney said there was “no merit” to the lawsuit, arguing that it had fully complied with the contract, and that the streaming release had “significantly enhanced” Johansson’s ability “to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date.”
Disney described the lawsuit as “especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Black Widow? Isn’t that Racist? Regardless I can’t wait for Lesbian Transgender Hulk.
Robotic police dogs: Useful hounds or dehumanizing machines?
HONOLULU (AP) — If you’re homeless and looking for temporary shelter in Hawaii’s capital, expect a visit from a robotic police dog that will scan your eye to make sure you don’t have a fever.
That’s just one of the ways public safety agencies are starting to use Spot, the best-known of a new commercial category of robots that trot around with animal-like agility.
The handful of police officials experimenting with the four-legged machines say they’re just another tool, like existing drones and simple wheeled robots, to keep emergency responders out of harm’s way as they scout for dangers. But privacy watchdogs — the human kind — warn that police are secretly rushing to buy the robots without setting safeguards against aggressive, invasive or dehumanizing uses.
FBI probe shows amount of chemicals in Beirut blast was a fraction of original shipment
July 30 (Reuters) – The amount of ammonium nitrate that blew up at Beirut port last year was one fifth of the shipment unloaded there in 2013, the FBI concluded after the blast, adding to suspicions that much of the cargo had gone missing.
As the first anniversary approaches on Aug. 4, major questions remain unanswered, including how a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate – which can be used to make fertiliser or bombs – was left unsafely stored in a capital city for years.
CNN Is Suddenly Concerned About Protests Becoming COVID Superspreader Events
What did last year’s Trump rallies have in common with this year’s anti-communist protests in Cuba? Not much, perhaps, except that they are certain to be covered by CNN as coronavirus superspreader events.
George Floyd Rioter Admits He Set Pawnshop Ablaze But Denies Killing Man Inside
A 26-year-old Minnesota man has admitted to setting a local pawnshop ablaze while rioting last May to protest the death of George Floyd.
Montez T. Lee Jr., however, is claiming he’s not responsible for the death of a 30-year-old man found inside the burned down shop.
Anjem Choudary banned from Facebook and Twitter just FIVE days after the Islamic hate preacher set up social media accounts
Anjem Choudary’s social media accounts have been shut down just five days after he set them up.
Twitter said the 54-year-old hate preacher’s page was ‘permanently suspended for violating the rules’ of its violent organisations policy.
Choudary, from Ilford in east London, had his account suspended on Wednesday, before Facebook followed suit on Thursday.
Content Moderation Group Favored by Big Tech Expands Scope of Blacklisted Content
Experts worry that the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism could unfairly censor users
A nonprofit organization that major U.S. tech companies rely on for content moderation is expanding the scope of content it will blacklist on social media platforms.
The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism will expand its database of terrorist content to cover content shared by white nationalist and alt-right users, Reuters reported Monday. Tech companies, including Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and Twitter, rely on the forum’s database to automatically remove inappropriate content. Experts worry that the forum’s lack of transparency could cause some users to be unfairly censored.
If the LPC web censorship bill goes through I have to wonder how long BCF will last.
China Ambushes Top American Diplomat
Once again, China’s regime went out of its way to insult Biden administration diplomats.
The mauling this time took place in the Chinese city of Tianjin, on July 26. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the most senior Biden administration official to visit China, was the victim.
Beijing used the meeting with Ms. Sherman, as it used the now-infamous March meeting in Anchorage, not to work with the U.S. but to launch a propaganda campaign against Washington.
Met Police slammed for failing to catch knifeman 5 days after he stabbed Christian at Speaker’s Corner in front of 30 witnesses in broad daylight
Scotland Yard was today criticised for failing to catch a knifeman five days after he stabbed a Christian preacher wearing a Charlie Hebdo T-shirt at Speakers’ Corner, as counter-terrorism officer continue to investigate.
An estimated 30 witnesses saw Hatun Tash, 39, being slashed across the face in broad daylight at Hyde Park on Sunday with some filming what happened in an area of Central London that is packed with CCTV cameras.
The force are believed to be holding a meeting today to discuss how they police Speakers’ Corner going forward, but questions are being asked about how the attacker got away so easily after stabbing the preacher.
I suspect the police believe an arrest would disrupt social cohesion.
‘They want us out of Japan:’ Nigerian refugee leaving for Canada amid Olympics
Gloria Nkechi Onyekweli landed in Tokyo in 2006 with a fake passport in hand and a burning desire to be as far as possible from Nigeria, her home, where security forces shot her fiancé and had begun to hunt for her.
On Friday, she plans to board a plane for Canada, which has accepted her for resettlement after years of unsuccessful attempts to become a refugee in Japan – a country whose smiling welcome of Olympians stands in contrast to its treatment of people like Ms. Onyekweli.
Not a pretty story but Japan is still within its right to deny “refugees.”
Unvaccinated Canadians have us heading towards a ‘Delta-driven’ fourth wave, Tam says … and Ontario says the Masks Stay!
OTTAWA — Canada is seeing an increase in new COVID-19 cases, and thousands more infections are predicted if contacts aren’t contained, warns new national modelling released Friday.
The new picture on Canada’s pandemic trajectory shows the serious threat the highly-contagious Delta variant is posing, and the risk those who remain unvaccinated pose to the country being thrust into a fourth wave of the disease.
Indoor masking to remain in place when Ontario exits COVID-19 reopening roadmap
The Ontario government is providing the clearest picture so far of what restrictions will look like once the province exits its reopening roadmap plan following the lengthy COVID-19 lockdown and masks will remain a part of the landscape.
CDC team: ‘War has changed’ as delta variant dangers emerge
New evidence showing the delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox and may be more dangerous than other versions has prompted U.S. health officials to consider changing advice on how the nation fights the coronavirus, internal documents show.
Recommending masks for everyone and requiring vaccines for doctors and other health workers are among measures the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering, according to internal documents obtained by the Washington Post.
The documents appear to be talking points for CDC staff to use in explaining the dangers of the delta variant and “breakthrough″ infections that can occur after vaccination. Noted under communications: “Acknowledge the war has changed”
Afghan wanted in connection with 13-year-old Austrian girl’s gang-rape and murder is arrested in London
A suspect, who allegedy boasted with pals about gang-raping a 13-year-old Austrian schoolgirl who died in the attack, has been arrested.
The teenager’s lifeless body was dumped beside a road next to a tree after reportedly being raped by the four men.
Austrian police say all four were immigrants from Afghanistan and arrested three, with an international manhunt carried out searching for the fourth. The suspect has now been arrested in London.