282 reported sexual assaults closed without disciplinary action at public university

From October 2021 through September 2022, Louisiana State University closed 282 reported cases of sexual assault without imposing any disciplinary action, according to reports obtained by Fox News Digital.

In 2020, USA Today released a report accusing LSU of mishandling sexual assault cases. The news outlet reported instances where university officials failed to believe victims' stories, chose not to investigate, or did not report the incidents to authorities.

Following the recent death of 19-year-old LSU sophomore Madison Brooks, the university's handling of sexual assault cases is once again under scrutiny.

On January 15, an intoxicated Brooks was allegedly raped by two males she met at a bar. Brooks was dropped off late at night on the side of a dimly lit road, where she was fatally struck by a car.

University officials were criticized for their response to the young woman's death. LSU President William F. Tate IV called the incident "evil" and stated he wanted to ensure local bars no longer serve alcohol to underage students.

Two student groups, College Democrats of LSU and Feminists in Action, accused Tate of "victim blaming" and ignoring the "overwhelming violence, particularly sexual violence, we face as students."

LSU's most recent "power-based violence" report revealed that the university failed to seek disciplinary action in an overwhelming number of reported sexual assault cases.

According to the reports, between October 1, 2021, and March 3, 2022, 182 sexual assaults were reported. Another 126 were reported between April 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022. Of the over 300 cases, 282 did not result in disciplinary action.

More than 80% of those cases were closed due to one of three reasons, including "complainant not responsive to outreach," "complainant requested supportive measures only," or "complainant requested no further action."

The reports argued that an "overwhelming majority of survivors choose a path that does not include a formal investigation" because it would be an "arduous task." A formal investigation includes interviews with all involved parties and witnesses, along with a hearing and cross-examination.

LSU spokesperson Abbi Rocha Laymoun told Fox News Digital, "Many survivors do not wish to share their experience in those ways."

"A formal resolution is not the only pathway for survivors," Laymoun continued. "That is why resources and supportive measures are available to all survivors, regardless of whether a formal complaint is filed."

"Our philosophy is to listen to survivors and empower them to decide which resources they want and when. Our focus is on the survivor. … The office continues to review processes and monitor any potential barriers to reporting while empowering survivors to make the choice that is right for them," Laymoun explained.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/282-reported-sexual-assaults-closed-without-disciplinary-action-at-public-university

Pedophile pop star Gary Glitter released from jail after serving half his sentence

Disgraced British pop star and convicted pedophile Gary Glitter was released from prison Friday after serving just half of his 16-year sentence.

Glitter, born Paul Francis Gadd, was set free from Dorset’s HMP The Verne prison in England, PA News reports.

The “Do You Wanna Touch Me” singer was caged in 2015 after he sexually abused three young girls, all under the age of 13, at the height of his fame in the 1970s.

The 79-year-old’s third victim was under the age of 10. He snuck into her bed and tried to rape her back in 1975.

Glitter reached global stardom in the 1970s and 80s — but his success was short-lived after he was caught downloading 4,000 child pornography images in 1999, landing him in jail for just 4 months.

His string of pedophilic crimes continued into the early 2000s when he was expelled from Cambodia amid reports of sex crime allegations.

He was convicted of having sex with a minor in Vietnam in 2006. He was freed after serving 3 years in jail there and was ordered to register as a sex offender upon return to home soil.

In a bid to carry out his heinous crimes, Glitter separated the young girls from their parents by inviting them backstage at his gigs.

He then took advantage of them in his dressing room.

“It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behavior,” Judge Alistair McCreath said at his sentencing, adding that he wished he could put Glitter behind bars for longer, but was constrained by sentencing restrictions for crimes committed in the 1970s.

Now out of prison, Glitter will be subject to license conditions which means he will have to follow a strict set of rules to serve in the community.

The singer’s 1972 hit “Rock and Roll Part 2” was featured in the 2019 movie “Joker.”

https://nypost.com/2023/02/03/pedophile-pop-star-gary-glitter-freed-from-jail-after-serving-half-his-sentence/

==

Report: Biden Pushed Peace Plan that Recognized Russia’s Control Over 20% of Ukraine==

The White House offered the proposal within days of rolling out a military aid package for Kiev that included main battle tanks, reflecting a growing rift in the Joe Biden administration.

President Joe Biden dispatched his CIA Director to Kiev with a proposal to end the war in Ukraine last month, according to the Swiss outlet Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The peace plan was offered at the same time the White House was preparing significant escalations in military support for Kiev, including announcing that it will send Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

The report cites high-level sources in Berlin who claim William Burns, the head of America’s spy agency, traveled to Kiev in mid-January to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On January 19, the Washington Post reported that Burns recently traveled to Ukraine to meet with Zelensky. During that trip, Burns is said to have offered a deal to Zelensky wherein Ukraine would cede about 20% of its territory to Russia in exchange for Moscow ending its war in Ukraine.

NZZ’s sources claim that both Kiev and Moscow rejected the proposal. In a statement to Newsweek, the CIA denied Burns delivered the proposal. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the NZZ report labeling it a "canard."

According to the German sources, the peace proposal reflects a growing rift within the White House on how to handle the war in Ukraine. "Security adviser Jake Sullivan and Burns [wanted] to end the war quickly so they could focus on China." The report continued, "on the other side would be Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. They did not want to let Russia get away with destroying the rules-based peace order and called for massive military support for Ukraine."

After Burns failed to sway Kiev and Moscow to agree with Washington’s plan, Blinken and Austin were able to sway the president to authorize the transfer of Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

NZZ reports the decision for the US to send main battle tanks to Ukraine caught German leader Olaf Scholz off guard. The Union in the German Bundestag issued a statement saying, “Scholz did not want to deliver until the very end because he firmly assumed that the Americans would not send battle tanks either.”

Negotiations between Kiev and Moscow have stalled for nearly a year. Last March, Turkish diplomats facilitated talks that nearly ended the war with Russian forces withdrawing from Ukrainian territory captured after the start of the invasion. However, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Kiev and told Zelensky that Ukraine’s Western backers were not prepared to allow the war to end.

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/02/03/report-biden-pushed-peace-plan-that-recognized-russias-control-over-20-of-ukraine/

China confirms balloon over US is Chinese

China confirmed that the high-altitude balloon being tracked over the northern U.S. is Chinese, claiming that it is a civilian aircraft that strayed off-course.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced the details after the Pentagon on Thursday revealed that it had been tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S. for several days.

“The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes,” the Chinese spokesperson said in a statement. “Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure.”

“The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure” the spokesperson added.

A senior defense official told reporters Thursday that the U.S. has “very high confidence” that the suspected Chinese balloon was flying over sensitive sites, collecting information, the Associated Press reported.

The balloon flew over the Aleutian Islands, through Canada and into Montana, home to one of the U.S.’ three silo fields for launching nuclear missiles, NBC News reported.

As it drifted into the area of Billings, Montana on Wednesday, flights stopped for about two hours at the Billings Logan International Airport, local news outlet KULR reported. A senior defense official said F-22 fighter jets were scrambled, but President Joe Biden heeded the “strong recommendation” of senior military leaders that it was too risky to shoot the balloon down, CNN reported.

A senior defense official said “our best assessment right now” is that the balloon doesn’t pose a “significantly enhanced” threat of intelligence gathering, nor is there a threat to civilian aviation, CNN reported. But if the level of risk changes, the U.S. “will have options to deal with this balloon.”

“We have made clear we will do whatever is necessary to protect our people and our homeland,” the official said.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/02/china-confirms-balloon-over-us-is-chinese/

Pakistan Suffers Widespread Power Outages Amidst Financial Crisis

Pakistan experienced widespread power outages on January 23, 2023, that lasted up to 15 hours in some areas and almost 24 hours in others, affecting millions. Homes, hospitals, and industries were operating at limited capacity or shut down completely. All commercial activities were disrupted during the day as the outages crippled mobile services and the internet. Major cities such as the capital Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi were plunged into darkness as the sun went down. Although electricity was restored in some regions within a few hours, the rest of the country resumed normal operations later in the evening.

A system failure

On January 3, 2023, the government mandated early closing for malls and markets at 8:30 pm to reduce electricity consumption, a plan which was expected to save the country about PKR 62 billion (equivalent to USD 380 million). In the early hours of Monday, January 23, the electricity was turned off during low usage hours overnight for conservation purposes, but the technicians were unable to boot the system up at daybreak. The Ministry of Energy reported that the National Grid’s system frequency dropped at 7:34 am, leading to a nationwide power failure.

Social activist Siraj Noorani tweeted:

https://www.activistpost.com/2023/02/pakistan-suffers-widespread-power-outages-amidst-financial-crisis.html

US Firms Investing Billions In China’s AI Sector: Report

U.S. companies were involved in at least 37 percent of the total investment transactions in China’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector between 2015 and 2021, according to a new report.

The report (pdf), published by the Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology, found that $40.2 billion in investment transactions into Chinese AI companies had American backing, though it was unclear what percentage of that amount was made by U.S. investors or their overseas counterparts.

The money was given to 251 Chinese AI companies, primarily as venture capital angel, seed, and pre-seed stage investments.

There are risks with such investments, the report noted, as they are generally accompanied by other intangible benefits in which U.S. expertise is delivered to China-based companies.

“While Crunchbase data suggests that U.S. outbound investment into Chinese AI companies is limited, such financial activity, commercial linkages, and the tacit expertise that transfers from U.S.-based funders to target companies in China’s booming AI ecosystem carry implications that extend beyond the business sector,” the report said.

“Earlier stage VC investments in particular can provide intangible benefits beyond capital, including mentorship and coaching, name recognition, and networking opportunities. As such, U.S. outbound investment in Chinese technology, and particularly AI, merits additional attention and tracking.”

US Firms Funding Chinese AI Companies

American investments in China-based AI companies have come under fire in recent years due to the amount of control exercised over such companies by China’s communist regime.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, has implemented several laws that require China-based companies to make all data in their possession available to the regime upon request.

This means that any data or technologies developed by China-based companies with U.S. backing could directly be used by the CCP to improve upon its military capabilities, in line with the regime’s “military-civil fusion” strategy.

Moreover, such investments directly fuel China’s efforts to overtake the United States as the lead technological power.

This is demonstrated by the value of the investments being made by U.S. sources into China’s AI companies. Whereas investment transactions involving U.S. funding sources only made up 17 percent of the total number of transactions made, the report said, those transactions accounted for 37 percent of the total funding value of all such transactions.

Notably, the U.S. investments also include major funding for Chinese companies whose research could tangibly benefit the Chinese military’s pursuit of AI and autonomous systems.

“Some of the largest investments include Goldman Sachs’ solo investment in 1KMXC, an AI-enabled robotics company, as well as an investment by three U.S.-based VC firms in Geek+, an autonomous mobile robot company,” the report said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/us-firms-investing-billions-chinas-ai-sector-report

https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/CSET-U.S.-Outbound-Investment-into-Chinese-AI-Companies-1.pdf

Iran behind hack of French magazine Charlie Hebdo, Microsoft says

The magazine was hacked in early January after it published a series of cartoons that negatively depicted Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

An Iranian government-backed hacking team allegedly stole and leaked private customer data belonging to French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, security researchers at Microsoft said on Friday.

The magazine was hacked in early January after it published a series of cartoons that negatively depicted Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The caricatures were part of a media campaign that Charlie Hebdo said was intended to support anti-government protests in the Islamic nation.

Representatives for the Iranian and French governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A press officer for Charlie Hebdo said the magazine had no comment on the matter "for the moment."

Iran publicly vowed an "effective response" to the "insulting" cartoons, and summoned the French envoy in Tehran, while also ending activities of the French Institute of Research in Iran and saying it was re-evaluating France's cultural activities in the country.

The hack-and-leak targeting Charlie Hebdo was part of a wider digital influence operation with techniques matching previously identified activity linked to Iranian state-backed hacking teams, Microsoft researchers said in a report. The group responsible is the same one that US Department of Justice officials earlier identified as having conducted a "multi-faceted campaign" to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election, Microsoft said. Iran denied the claims at the time.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-730541

Biden slaps 20-year mining ban on Minnesota land, gives more power to China

Biden admin passes 20-year mining ban on more than 225K acres of northern Minnesota forest

Despite the supply of precious minerals in the U.S. being depleted, the Biden administration made a policy move last week that will only exacerbate the problem, according to GOP lawmakers and experts.

"This has been a long problem, but the Green Movement is essentially a reverse opium trade, where the United States buys overpriced green technologies from Chinese manufacturers that, in turn, makes our manufacturing more expensive," Common Sense Society executive director Christopher Bedford said Friday in reaction on "Mornings with Maria."

On Sunday, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Biden announced the 20-year withdrawal of more than 225,000 acres of northern Minnesota forest land, which is home to some of the largest domestic mineral reserves.

According to the House Committee on Natural Resources, this ban includes the Twin Metals mine, which taps into vast domestic supplies of minerals like copper and nickel that are necessary for renewable energy, computer systems, defense applications and essential household products.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/biden-slaps-20-year-mining-ban-on-minnesota-land-give-more-power-china

EMA Approval of COVID Vaccine for Children caused a 698% increase in Child Excess Deaths across Europe

The recent revelation that child excess deaths in Europe increased by 698% following the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the COVID-19 vaccine for children by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a shocking and deeply disturbing trend.

The data, released by official government sources, highlights a disturbing disregard for the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.

The fact that authorities have so callously disregarded the health and safety of children in the pursuit of a vaccine campaign is a damning indictment of their priorities and their inhumane approach to public health.

It is truly unbelievable that children, who were at minimal risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19, have been subjected to experimental vaccines with known side effects and unknown long-term consequences.

The fact that these deaths have occurred in such staggering numbers following the emergency use authorisation of the vaccine for children is a clear indication that the vaccine is not safe for this population and should never have been authorized for use in the first place.

It is clear that the authorities have failed in their duty of care to protect our children and have instead prioritized their own agenda, at the expense of the health and lives of innocent children.

The negligence and disregard for human life displayed by these actions are truly reprehensible and call into question the integrity and motives of those who made the decision to authorize the vaccine for children.

It is vital that we demand accountability and transparency from those in power to ensure that such a tragic and avoidable loss of life never occurs again.

https://expose-news.com/2023/02/03/8x-increase-child-excess-deaths-europe-c19-vaccine/

Zionism’s ‘Three State Solution’

Netanyahu’s governmental partner, the Jewish Strength Party, is willing to conduct Palestinicide in order to create a Jewish-only society in the Levant

Israel calls its latest military campaign Operation Break the Wave, a lyrical description of a brutal reality. This year, 2023, will be the 75th year after the Nakba, the catastrophe of 1948 when Israeli troops illegally removed Palestinians from their homes and tried to erase Palestine from the map. Since then, Palestinians have resisted against all odds, despite Israel’s formidable backing by the most powerful countries in the world, led by the United States.

Operation Break the Wave started in February 2022 with the assassination of three Palestinians in Nablus — Adham Mabrouka, Ashraf Mubaslat, and Mohammad Dakhil — and continued with terrible violence along the spine of the West Bank, spreading into brutalised Gaza.

On Jan. 26, Israeli forces killed 10 Palestinians — including an elderly woman — in Jenin and in al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, and then shot at an ambulance to prevent it from assisting the injured — a clear war crime. The Jenin massacre provoked rocket fire from Palestinian resistance forces in Gaza, to which the Israeli Air Force responded disproportionately, shooting at the densely populated al-Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of Gaza.

The cycle of violence continued with a lone Palestinian gunman killing seven Israelis in the illegal settlement of Neve Yaakov in East Jerusalem. In reaction to that, the Israeli government has put in place “collective punishment” systems — a violation of the Geneva Conventions — which allows the state to target the gunman’s family members. The Israeli government will also make it easier for Israelis to carry firearms.

The Israeli government launched Operation Break the Wave in response to habbat sha’biyya or “popular uprisings” that have begun again across Palestine and express the frustration generated by Israeli pressure campaigns and the near collapse of economic life.

Some of these uprisings took place not only in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza where they are more common, but amongst Palestinians living inside the 1948 Green Line of Israel.

In May 2021, these protestors gathered under The Dignity and Hope Manifesto and called for new agitations, a “united Intifada” which unites Palestinians in exile, inside Israel and in the Occupied Territories. These moves and the gains of Palestinians in the United Nations system indicate a new dynamism within Palestinian politics.

Most recently, on Dec. 31, 2022, the U.N. General Assembly voted 87 to 26 to ask the International Court of Justice to provide an opinion on Israel’s “prolonged occupation, settlement, and annexation of Palestinian territory.” The new phase of Israeli violence against Palestinians is a reaction to their achievements.

In the midst of all this, the Israeli people voted Benjamin Netanyahu into office to form his sixth government since 1996. Already, Netanyahu has been Israel’s prime minister for over 15 of the past 27 years, as he heads into another seven-year term.

His government is fiercely far-right, although from the standpoint of the Palestinians there is steady continuity in Zionist state policy, whether the government is led by the far-right or by less right-wing sections. On Dec. 28, 2022, Netanyahu defined his government’s mission with clarity:

“The Jewish people have an exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel — in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan, Judea, and Samaria.”

Netanyahu’s maximalist standard — that the Jewish people, not just the Zionist state, have the right to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea — has not appeared precipitously. It is rooted in Israel’s Basic Law (2018), which says, “The land of Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people, in which the State of Israel was established.”

https://consortiumnews.com/2023/02/03/zionisms-three-state-solution/

Canada Summons Chinese Ambassador to Explain Spy Balloon

https://www.theepochtimes.com/canada-summons-chinese-ambassador-to-explain-spy-balloon_5032136.html

Former Media Producer Convicted of Extortion and Obstruction of Justice

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-media-producer-convicted-extortion-and-obstruction-justice

Former Arkansas State Senator Sentenced for Bribery and Tax Fraud

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-arkansas-state-senator-sentenced-bribery-and-tax-fraud

That Didn’t Age Well! Read The Most Clownish Takes About The Laptop Hunter Biden Admits Was His

Hunter Biden admitted, in a roundabout way through his lawyers, that the infamous laptop featuring a trove of explicit content that surfaced in 2020 was his. On Wednesday, his attorneys demanded that Biden allies in the Justice Department launch investigations of the people who found the computer.

Biden’s lawyers sent two 14-page letters to the Delaware attorney general and the Department of Justice this week calling on officials to probe whether the people who gave the laptop — which was abandoned property at a Delaware computer repair shop owned and operated by John Paul Mac Isaac — to the New York Post violated state or federal laws.

“There is considerable reason to believe” that the individuals involved “in accessing, copying, manipulating, and/or disseminating Mr. Biden’s personal computer data” may have committed crimes, the attorneys wrote. “Mr. Mac Isaac has admitted to copying that data without Mr. Biden’s consent, and Mr. Mac Isaac has admitted to distributing copies of that data from his place in Delaware.”

In other words, the laptop is undoubtedly Hunter Biden’s despite the remarkable spin from Democrats, the president, and the media who were desperate to dismiss the computer as Russian disinformation. Below are some of the statements that aged the worst.

Lesley Stahl: CBS ‘Can’t Verify’ the Laptop

A CBS “60 Minutes” interview with President Donald Trump stands out in the hall of fame of media malpractice.

During the interview — which aired on Oct. 25, the week before the 2020 election, and garnered nearly 17 million views — the longtime anchor flat-out denied that the Biden family was under any sort of scandal at all. The interview was so combative that the Trump campaign released the full raw footage before network publication.

“He’s in the midst of a scandal,” Trump said in reference to emails from the laptop revealing Joe Biden was lying about involvement with Hunter’s overseas business ventures.

“He’s not,” Stahl said, interrupting the president to outright dismiss the criticism. “He’s not, no.”

Stahl went on to deny that then-Vice President Joe Biden spied on the Trump campaign in 2016, and claimed Hunter Biden’s laptop couldn’t be verified.

More

https://thefederalist.com/2023/02/03/that-didnt-age-well-read-the-most-clownish-takes-about-the-laptop-hunter-biden-admits-was-his/

Vatican's most senior woman says Catholic Church 'failed' child abuse victims

The Vatican's most senior woman says the Catholic Church has "failed" victims of child abuse, and the church must become more modern and inclusive to stay relevant.

Key points:

Census data from 2021 indicated 43 per cent of Australians identify as Christian

This is down from 52 per cent in 2016

The largest group describing themselves as having 'no religion' are people under 39

Sister Nathalie Becquart, the first woman to receive voting rights in the Synod of Bishops, is on a tour of Australian Catholic dioceses, advocating for the church to listen more to its congregation.

Her visit to Sydney and Parramatta coincides with the funeral of Australia's most senior Catholic Cardinal George Pell, an event she did not attend due to prior speaking commitments.

Sr Becquart, 53, said fiery protests outside the funeral showed people were understandably angry at the church for its handling of institutional child sexual abuse.

"It's true that the church in many ways has failed," she said.

"So we can understand that some people are angry."

Sr Becquart is a French nun of the Congregation of Xavieres, and was appointed by Pope Francis as the under secretary to the Synod of Bishops, which will meet this year to discuss the future of the church.

She is considered a more modern Catholic figure and has previously addressed advocacy groups fighting for the inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in the church, as the institution grapples with declining participation in Australia.

Census data from 2021 shows 43 per cent of Australians identify as Christian, down from 52 per cent in 2016, with people under 39 the largest age group describing themselves as having "no religion".

Sr Becquart said the Catholic church needed an open dialogue on its history of child abuse, and must include more women to resonate with younger generations.

"The young people nowadays, they grew up in a world with more gender equality, even if it's not finished," she said.

"They want the church to be the church of today."

On Friday night she spoke at the Parramatta Diocese at St Patrick's Cathedral, a diocese that has tried to modernise under the leadership of Bishop Vincent Long, who has also shown support for LGBTQI+ communities.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-04/vaticans-most-senior-woman-says-church-failed-abuse-victims/101929666

Digits

Leading US association for plastic surgeons lobbies for child sex changes at state level

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has been fighting against legislation seeking to ban sex change surgeries for minors.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has been fighting against legislation seeking to ban sex change surgeries for minors, an investigation by the Daily Caller has revealed.

The professional association that endorses medically unnecessary bilateral mastectomies for teenage girls who believe themselves to be boys has actively opposed attempts to ban sex change procedures for minors in states such as Montana, Alabama, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, prompting some experts to question the group’s motives.

https://thepostmillennial.com/leading-us-association-for-plastic-surgeons-lobbies-for-child-sex-changes-at-state-level