LA Police Launch “Hate Crime” Investigation After LGBTQ Flag Burned at Southern California Elementary School

Authorities have launched an investigation after an LGBTQ flag was burned at Saticoy Elementary School in North Hollywood, Southern California, just before a planned Pride event. The incident is being treated as a hate crime, NBC News reported.

Over the weekend preceding May 22, an individual broke into the school, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The perpetrator proceeded to burn the LGBTQ flag, leading to significant damage. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has classified the incident as a “vandalism hate crime.”

Alan Hamilton, a deputy chief with the LAPD’s Valley Bureau, revealed that the Pride flag had been placed in a potted plant.

“There was a small potted plant that was set on fire on the campus, and the plant had a small (4 x 6 inch) PRIDE flag inside the potted plant container. Both the plant and the flag were destroyed by the fire,” he said.

No suspects are in custody, and the investigation remains ongoing, as confirmed by the Los Angeles School Police. In response to the incident, the school system has announced that additional patrols will be provided around the campus to ensure student safety.

In recent times, there is a perceived disparity in how the act of burning an American flag is treated as protected freedom of expression under the First Amendment, while burning a pride flag is categorized as a hate crime. This has led to concerns about the state of our country and the perceived double standards in the legal and societal treatment of these acts.

One user commented, “In what damn universe is burning a pride flag a hate crime? You can burn an American flag and that’s freedom of expression. But you burn the pride flag and it’s a hate crime? F that!”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/06/la-police-launched-hate-crime-investigation-after-lgbtq/

ANOTHER LEAK: Georgia Investigation Into Trump Broadens to DC, Other Cities; Prosecutors Likely Building Racketeering Case

Georgia prosecutors investigating Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election have broadened their probe to the former president’s activities in other states, according to a leak to the Washington Post.

It was previously reported Fulton County DA Fani Willis is considering RICO and conspiracy charges against Trump over his efforts to challenge the 2020 election.

Fani Willis based her investigation on President Trump’s call with Georgia officials that was later doctored and leaked to the fake news outlet Washington Post. The WaPo published a completely fraudulent text of the call. These phony charges have already been debunked by The Gateway Pundit and others.

Again — Willis and her handlers are investigating a now-infamous call between former President Trump and Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump pressured the Georgia SOS to uncover what he insisted was fraud that would overturn Georgia’s election results.

The infamous phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was recorded by Raffensperger and his office. Raffensperger’s team then leaked and lied about it to the far left Washington Post.

The latest leak to WaPo is a new sign Fani Willis’ office is building a racketeering case against Trump.

Fani Willis is considering racketeering and conspiracy charges against Trump because there is so-called ‘evidence’ that Trump’s effort to challenge the election in Georgia did not originate in the state as a grassroots movement.

The Washington Post reported:

An Atlanta-area investigation of alleged election interference by former president Donald Trump and his allies has broadened to include activities in Washington, D.C., and several other states, according to two people with knowledge of the probe — a fresh sign that prosecutors may be building a sprawling case under Georgia’s racketeering laws.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) launched an investigation more than two years ago to examine efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn his narrow 2020 defeat in Georgia. Along the way, she has signaled publicly that she may use Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute to allege that these efforts amounted to a far-reaching criminal scheme.

In recent days, Willis has sought information related to the Trump campaign hiring two firms to find voter fraud across the United States and then burying their findings when they did not find it, allegations that reach beyond Georgia’s borders, said the two individuals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the investigation. At least one of the firms has been subpoenaed by Fulton County investigators.

Fani Willis recently said she will announce this summer whether she will charge Trump with crimes in the investigation into Trump’s effort to challenge Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results.

Fani Willis told the Fulton County Sheriff to prepare for increased security at the Fulton County Courthouse between July 11 and September 1.

It appears Willis is expecting the grand jury to unseal indictments against Trump in August.

According to a report by the New York Times, Willis asked judges in a downtown Atlanta courthouse not to schedule any trials for the first three weeks in August.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/06/leak-georgia-investigation-trump-broadens-dc-other-cities/

Mike Pence Cleared by Biden Justice Department in Classified Documents Investigation Just in Time for His Presidential Campaign Launch

CNN reported Friday the Biden Justice Department has informed former Vice President Mike Pence he will not be prosecuted for having classified documents at his Indiana home. The decision comes as Pence is set announce his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination against his old boss, President Trump, on June 7 in Des Moines, Iowa.

CNN excerpt:

The Justice Department has closed its investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents found at former Vice President Mike Pence’s home and will not bring any charges, according to a letter from the DOJ obtained by CNN.

The decision comes ahead of Pence’s planned announcement next week that he will run for president in 2024. It allows Pence to offer an additional contrast between himself and former President Donald Trump, his political rival who’s under serious investigation by the Justice Department and others.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department’s National Security Division have conducted an investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information,” the Justice Department wrote to Pence’s attorney. “Based on the results of that investigation, no criminal charges will be sought.”

In January, Pence’s attorney found about a dozen documents marked classified in Pence’s Indiana home after the former vice president asked his lawyer to search his records following the disclosure of classified documents in Joe Biden’s possession in Delaware.

Pence turned over the classified records to the FBI following their discovery, and the FBI and Justice Department’s National Security Division launched a review of how they ended up at Pence’s home. Pence has said that he had been unaware the documents were at his home but said that “mistakes were made” and took responsibility for it.

NPR’s Carrie Johnson reported a reaction by a Pence spokesperson, “NPR confirms report by CNN that the Justice Department has closed its investigation of classified documents found at the home of former VP Mike Pence without filing any charges. “We’re pleased but not surprised,” a Pence adviser says”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/06/mike-pence-cleared-biden-justice-department-classified-documents/

Antifa Whistleblower Landon Copeland from Prison – Claims 100+ Fellow Antifa Members Involved, Large Organized Planning Session of Hundreds on Jan. 5

Andrew Copeland was sentenced to three years in prison in May 2023. Copeland already served two of those years while awaiting trial. Copeland reportedly pushed one member at the police on Jan. 6, he picked up a police shield during scuffles with police and he was filmed pulling on a bike rack in a tug-of-war with police.

For this he will serve three years in prison..

Copeland previously made headlines when he screamed at DC Judge Meriweather during a previous hearing in 2021.

Copeland’s attorney told the court he didn’t think his client was competent at the time.

Andrew (Landon) Copeland is now serving time at the DC Gulag in Washington DC where he has made friends with several Jan. 6 political prisoners.

Recently, Copeland penned a letter and admitted to J6 prisoners at the facility that he was Antifa and that there were 100+ Antifa members present on January 6. We have included his letter below.

We already knew that Antifa disguised itself that day in MAGA gear. Antifa Leader John Sullivan was arrested that day. Sullivan led violent Antifa protests in DC earlier in 2020. He was immediately released after his arrest in 2021. Three Antifa protesters from Michigan, including BLM trans activist Logan “Leslie” Grimes, who was riding in a car with two Antifa agitators with an illegal firearm, were caught and released and did not face trial.

On Friday morning The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft interviewed Landon Copeland who called from the DC Gulag.

Here is what he told us.

Jim Hoft: Tell me about your activism. You said something before we started recording about being a member of Antifa, is that correct?

Landon Copeland: Yes, I’ve been a member of Antifa since 2006. That’s when I was introduced. I was going to college at the time. Originally, I made, back when – you could use whatever name you wanted to create a Facebook page, and then only college students could be part of Facebook whenever it first came out, and I made the first Antifa Facebook page… And then it was during the Obama election that I really took to Antifa more than just making a Facebook page. We were out there handing out all kinds of flyers and different things of the evils of the patriot act and the different things that had occurred more recently…

More

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/06/jan-6-antifa-whistleblower-writes-letter-prison-admits/

COVID-19 Testing Resumes In Beijing, Shandong, As Reinfection Cases Surge

China has resumed COVID-19 PCR testing in Beijing and Shandong Province amid rising re-infections, while the regime’s top health advisers have warned of a new wave of mass infections.

Since May 29, mainland netizens have posted on Chinese social media platforms that PCR test kiosks in Beijing are quietly back in business.

Mainland media “City Interactive,” a subsidiary of Zhejiang “City Express,” reported on May 30 that one of the PCR testing booths that netizens posted about was in Beijing’s Xicheng District, where the central government and the Beijing municipal government are located.

The staff of that testing kiosk said that the PCR test there has never stopped, reported “City Interactive”, without being clear how long it had been open.

“We have been doing nucleic acid testing in Xicheng District, but I’m not sure about other districts in Beijing,” a staff member said.

The staff member said the laboratory she works for is mainly responsible for nucleic acid testing within Xicheng District. Currently, there are more than ten testing points outdoors, and one person is on duty for each booth from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/covid-19-testing-resumes-beijing-shandong-reinfection-cases-surge

GROOMERS: US Department of Education Wishes Kids a ‘Happy Pride Month’

The US Department of Education is wishing children a 'Happy Pride Month' and has changed its Twitter profile picture to the so-called 'progress pride flag'.

The US Department of Education has kicked off the month of June by wishing a “Happy Pride Month” to the millions of American children enrolled in public schools all over the nation.

“Everyone in the school community should feel valued for who they are & free to be their authentic self,” the US Department of Education wrote in a “#PrideMonth” tweet, before directly and publicly writing to underage children on the topics of homosexuality, transgenderism, and the slew of other sexual deviancies represented by the “LGBTQI+” acronym.

“Our message to LGBTQI+ students, teachers, and staff as we begin #PrideMonth: ED has got your back,” the tweet went on, above an image of multi-racial hands holding various pro-gay items.

One hand in the Department of Education’s photo is holding a megaphone, complete with gay pride flag-colored waves coming out of it, apparently to represent LGBT propaganda being loudly spoken.

A set of hands adjacent to the megaphone makes a heart shape around a rainbow flag-filled heart graphic. While one hand holds a transgender flag and another sticks two fingers and a thumb into the air, wearing what appear to be rainbow-colored silly bands, which are popular with elementary and middle school-age kids.

In addition to posting the graphic wishing children a “Happy Pride Month”, the Biden Administration’s US Department of Education, which has aggressively pushed LGBTism and race radicalism on American students of all ages, changed its Twitter profile picture to reflect its celebration of LGBT “pride month”, a month-long corporate-sponsored event that has taken over the month of June since 2020 and that millions of American consider to be a direct mockery of Christianity.

In its new profile picture, the US Department of Education utilized the so-called “progress pride flag”, which in addition to sporting the rainbow pattern of the gay pride flag, contains a design that promotes transgenderism and another for the radically Marxist Black Lives Matter movement, which has bizarrely attempted to merge black racial strife with homosexuality and transgenderism.

https://nationalfile.com/groomers-us-department-of-education-wishes-kids-a-happy-pride-month/

Ivanka Trump seen chatting with Prince William at royal wedding

She’s been shunned by New York high society, but it seems Ivanka Trump still gets a warm reception from actual royalty.

The former First Daughter, 41, was photographed chatting with Prince William, 40, at the wedding of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein in Amman on Thursday.

Trump, who wowed in a bright blue dress, spoke in an animated fashion as William listened on intently during a break in the evening’s proceedings.

It wasn’t the pair’s first meeting, as Trump previously paid a visit to the British Royal Family during a 2019 visit to the UK with dad, Donald.

The mom of three met with William, Prince Harry and Princess Kate during a State Banquet held at Buckingham Palace at the time. Princess Kate was also in attendance at Thursday’s wedding, although she wasn’t snapped speaking with Trump.

The royal nuptials drew dignitaries from around the world, including current First Lady Jill Biden and her daughter, Ashley. It’s unclear whether the Biden women also spoke with Trump at the wedding.

Crown Prince Hussein, 28, is the son of Jordan’s King Abdullah II and his wife, Queen Rania. Hussein, who graduated from Georgetown University, wed Saudi Arabia-born Rajwa Al Hussein, 28.

Trump’s appearance at Thursday’s royal wedding came following a romantic getaway to Greece with husband, Jared Kushner.

The couple currently reside in Florida, following reports that they’re unable to reside in New York City due to hostility held by their liberal friends.

Trump, who was born and raised in the Big Apple, once hobnobbed with Manhattan’s elite, but the social set savagely turned on the blond after she went to work for her father’s administration.

However, Trump appears to be relishing a quieter life in Miami following four years of her father’s polarizing presidency.

While her dad is making another bid for the White House in 2024, Trump says she’s taking no part in the campaign.

A source told The Post late last year that, moving forward, she just wants a “normal life” for her family.

“Ivanka hated all the criticism and the threats, and was unhappy about how a lot of their friends turned their back on them,” the source said of her time in the political spotlight.

“She feels it’s bad for her family … and negative in general in her circle of friends.”

https://nypost.com/2023/06/02/ivanka-trump-seen-chatting-with-prince-william-at-royal-wedding/

Family of College Student Who Died From COVID-19 Vaccine Sues Biden Administration

The family of a college student who died from heart inflammation caused by Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has sued President Joe Biden’s administration, alleging officials engaged in “willful misconduct.”

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) officials wrongly promoted COVID-19 vaccination by repeatedly claiming the available vaccines were “safe and effective,” relatives of George Watts Jr., the college student, said in the new lawsuit.

That promotion “duped millions of Americans, including Mr. Watts, into being DOD’s human subjects in its medical experiment, the largest in modern history,” the suit states.

The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act allows lawsuits against certain people if they have engaged in “willful misconduct” and if that misconduct caused death or serious injury.

COVID-19 vaccines are covered by the act due to a declaration entered during the Trump administration in 2020 after COVID-19 began circulating.

“DOD’s conduct and the harm caused as alleged within the four corners of the lawsuit speaks for itself,” Ray Flores, a lawyer representing the Watts family, told The Epoch Times via email. “I have no further comment other than to say: My only duty is to advocate for my client. If the DOD conveys a settlement offer, I will see that it’s considered.”

The suit was filed in U.S. court in Washington.

The Pentagon and the Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.

Watts Suddenly Died

Watts was a student at Corning Community College when the school mandated COVID-19 vaccination for in-person classes in 2021. He received one Pfizer dose on Aug. 27, 2021, and a second dose approximately three weeks later.

Watts soon began experiencing a range of symptoms, including tingling in the feet, pain in the heels, numbness in the hands and fingers, blood in his sperm and urine, and sinus pressure, according to family members and health records.

Watts went to the Robert Packer Hospital emergency room on Oct. 12, 2021, due to the symptoms. X-rays showed clear lungs and a normal heart outline.

https://www.ntd.com/family-of-college-student-who-died-from-covid-19-vaccine-sues-biden-administration_923132.html

Biden’s CIA Director — Who Employed CCP Members In Past Gig — Took Secret Trip To China: REPORT

CIA Director William Burns made a covert trip to China in May for meetings with officials in a bid to restore deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing, the Financial Times reported, citing five anonymous officials familiar with the situation.

The visit to China is Burns’ first and the most senior by any Biden administration official, underscoring how concerned the president is over deepening rifts in official communication between the competing countries, the FT reported. Yet, experts have raised concerns about the CIA director’s vulnerability to malign political influence from Beijing since the Daily Caller News Foundation revealed he formerly headed a Washington-based think tank employing undisclosed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members.

He may have met with Chinese intelligence officials, according to the FT’s sources.

“Last month, director Burns traveled to Beijing where he met with Chinese counterparts and emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of communications in intelligence channels,” a U.S. official told the FT, suggesting Burns met with Chinese intelligence officials.

President Joe Biden often dispatches Burns to carry out sensitive overseas missions on a parallel track to official diplomatic initiatives, according to the FT. He communicated the Biden administration’s opposition to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August that severely angered China, the FT reported, citing several people familiar with the situation.

Burns’ visit took place the same month National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Vienna, according to the FT. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hoped to meet with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the annual Asia-based Shangri-La defense summit this week but received a terse denial days before the event began.

Discovery of a Chinese spy balloon that transited across the continental U.S. collecting data on sensitive military sites fractured relations between Xi Jinping’s China and the Biden administration.

But in May, sometime after Burns completed his trip, Biden said he expected an imminent “thaw” in relations, according to the FT.

Paul Haenle, the director of the Carnegie China think tank, which Burns previously oversaw, told the FT Biden may have selected Burns because he has earned respect among Democrats and Republicans and is well-known to Chinese officials.

“They know him as a trusted interlocutor. They would welcome the opportunity to engage him quietly behind the scenes,” Haenle told the FT. “They will see a quiet discreet engagement with Burns as a perfect opportunity.”

The CIA did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/02/biden-cia-bill-burns-china-trip-intelligence/

U.S. Embassy to Vatican Flies LGBTQIAAP2S+ Pride Flag in Rome

ROME — The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See has tweeted out its support for Pride Month while flying a large rainbow flag in front of the Embassy building, an innovation of the Joe Biden administration.

“During the month of June, the United States celebrates Pride Month,” the Embassy said in its tweet. The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See “stands with the LBGTQI+ community against discrimination and other forms of persecution because of who they are and whom they love. ❤”

This is the third year in a row in which the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See publicly celebrates Pride Month after Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a blanket authorization for U.S. diplomatic outposts around the globe to fly the rainbow flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. flag, underscoring support for LGBTQIAAP2S+ rights.

For his part, Pope Francis has championed traditional man-woman marriage since the beginning of his pontificate, insisting that marriage — founded on “the complementarity of man and woman” — is under attack in the modern world.

Traditional marriage between a man and a woman “is being questioned by the so-called gender ideology,” the pope said, yet the differences between men and women do not suggest “opposition or subordination” but are meant for “communion and procreation, always in the image and likeness of God.”

The most persuasive testimony of the blessing of Christian marriage is “the good life of Christian spouses and families,” Francis said on another occasion, since marriage consecrated by God “preserves the bond between man and woman that God has blessed since the creation of the world.”

The testimony that attracts depends on the relationship between men and women and is “the way of reciprocity between them, the complementarity between them,” he said.

https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2023/06/02/u-s-embassy-to-vatican-flies-lgbtqiaap2s-pride-flag-in-rome/

Louisiana State Senate Committee Refuses to Block Chinese Purchase of Immovable Property

In what can only be viewed as a massive betrayal of public trust, two days ago a Louisiana Senate Judiciary Committee defeated legislation that would have prohibited sworn adversaries of the United States from purchasing immovable property in the interior of the State.

The Committee is majority Republican, and its Chairman is Senator Barrow Peacock who represents Caddo and Bossier Parishes in North Louisiana. Neither Peacock nor any other Republican committee member opposed a motion by Democrat Senator Jay Luneau to defer Republican Representative Valarie Hodges’ legislation, effectively killing it. The legislation, House Bill 537, had passed overwhelmingly out of the State House and appeared to be a cinch for passage in the Senate.

Due to massive pressure from Louisiana citizens in the face of Peacock’s inaction, it appears that Peacock is close to rescheduling the Bill for consideration before his Committee. If it is not passed in Committee by June 2, there will not be enough time before the June 8 close of the Legislative Session for it to be considered and passed in the full Senate. It is difficult, but not impossible, right now.

Anybody who has any doubt about China’s imperial designs on the United States need only read the recent article by Calder Walton from the Harvard Kennedy School. It is a devastating indictment of China’s all-out efforts to dismantle American critical infrastructure. That a Republican-dominated Committee in Louisiana would fail to move legislation prohibiting the Chinese Communist Party from acquiring immovable property on Louisiana soil is both inexplicable and damning.

The dastardly action by Peacock and his Committee on Tuesday, May 30 is described, in detail, by this writer in a recent The State of Freedom podcast with co-host Danielle Walker. The description begins at 8 minutes, 28 seconds and goes on for several minutes.

This is a moment that demands urgent action by every concerned citizen of our State and Country. If you are reading this, please Call Senator Barrow Peacock’s district office today at (318) 741-7180 and/or email him at peacockb@legis.la.gov. Demand that House Bill 537 be heard before his Committee TOMORROW, June 2, 2023.

Also, please call the district office of Senate President Paige Cortez at (337) 993-7430 and email him at cortezp@legis.la.gov and demand that House Bill 537 be passed in Committee and scheduled for a full vote in the Senate immediately. If HB 537 does not pass the full Senate this Session, two men are primarily to blame: Senator Barrow Peacock and Senator Paige Cortez. And it should be remembered.

Thomas Paine, in speaking of the American quest for freedom 260 years ago, said that “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his Country.” What just occurred in the Louisiana Senate is, indeed, a crisis of profound significance to the future of our State and our Country. And it cannot be allowed to stand. Nobody is asking that you take up arms, or swim across an ocean. We are asking that you make a phone call and send an email. Your freedom is worth this, and much, much more.

To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, we are the boss, and we will get the kind of government we demand and deserve. Indeed, we will.

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2023/06/louisiana-state-senate-committee.html

Chase's website is down - customers complain transactions are going through TWICE, as banking giant says technical glitch will take five hours to resolve

Users say they are now in arrears after their rent payments went through twice

Customers in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas are worst-affected

Chase said the issue will take around five hours to resolve and it is working to resolve duplicate charges

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12152491/Chase-website-customers-payments-TWICE.html

US Navy changes all social media graphics to LGBTQ+ images then removes them

The United States Navy changed its social media profile photos and header images on Thursday to reflect the first day of the LGBTQ+ community’s Pride Month before changing them back to generic logos and military images by Friday morning. While the Navy briefly focused on the start of Pride Month, other U.S. military branches turned their attention to issues like PTSD Awareness Month, recruitment and education.

The U.S. Navy’s new profile pictures on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram featured the Navy’s eagle, shield and anchor logo with rainbow wings. The logo also included the colors found on the transgender flag and the colors associated with LGBTQ+ people of color.

The Navy’s header photo displayed the word “Pride” six times in rainbow colors. It also featured two images of warships and one image of an aircraft over “progress pride” colors.

By Friday, the Navy changed its Pride Month profile photos and header images on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram back to the Navy’s neutral logo and generic military images.

In addition to Pride Month imagery, the Navy’s social media profiles also featured an image of “an aircraft flying over the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.”

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/06/us-navy-changes-all-social-media-graphics-to-lgbtq-images-then-removes-them/

UK government refuses to hand over WhatsApp messages to COVID inquiry

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's

government on Thursday said it would not hand over internal WhatsApp messages requested by a public inquiry into its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government on Thursday said it would not hand over internal WhatsApp messages requested by a public inquiry into its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and instead seek a legal challenge against the demand.

The inquiry, ordered by the government itself in 2021 and chaired by a former judge, had given the government a 1500 GMT deadline to hand over the documents.

But the Cabinet Office said the COVID-19 inquiry was going beyond its remit and that the WhatsApp messages and other records it was requesting were "unambiguously irrelevant".

"The Cabinet Office has today sought leave to bring a judicial review," the office responsible for overseeing the operation of government said in a letter to the inquiry after the deadline passed.

"We do so with regret and with an assurance that we will continue to cooperate fully with the inquiry before, during and after the jurisdictional issue in question is determined by the courts."

A judicial review is a legal challenge to the lawfulness of a decision by a public body, including a public inquiry.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson had ordered the inquiry to look into the preparedness of the country as well as the public health and economic response after Britain recorded one of the world's highest total number of deaths from COVID.

With a national election expected next year, the detailed examination of decision-making could create political headaches for Sunak, who was finance minister during the pandemic.

"These latest smoke and mirror tactics serve only to undermine the COVID inquiry. The public deserve answers," said Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party.

A spokesperson for the inquiry said its chair Heather Hallett had received the Cabinet Office's judicial review claim and that it would provide further updates on Tuesday during a preliminary hearing.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Johnson said pandemic-era messages and notebooks had been handed to the government and urged them to be passed to the inquiry. The government said it had received WhatsApp material from Johnson, but none from before May 2021, owing to security changes on his devices.

'ABSURD' DEMAND

Sunak said earlier on Thursday that the government was confident in its position.

"We've been long cooperating with the inquiry," Sunak told reporters on the sidelines of a summit in Moldova, adding it was important to learn the lessons of the pandemic.

Hallett had relied on Section 21 of the Inquiries Act to compel the government to turn over the information, meaning a failure to do so could amount to a criminal offence.

However, lawyers representing the Cabinet Office said in court filings that the inquiry only had the power to compel the production of relevant material, but had asked the government for irrelevant material including two years' worth of WhatsApp messages between Johnson and 40 different individuals.

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-government-refuses-hand-over-whatsapp-messages-covid-inquiry-1716312

Firefighters battle hundreds of blazes as Israel sizzles under blistering heatwave

Temperatures reach as high as 111.2°F with wind speeds reaching nearly 30 mph, as authorities scramble to prevent civilian harm and major property damage

Israel simmered under a severe heat wave Friday as temperatures topped 38°C (100°F) in most places and high winds whipped up hundreds of fires across the country, shuttering roads and forcing some buildings to be evacuated.

One man was hospitalized with heatstroke, but no other major injuries from the dangerous weather were reported. Firefighters managed to act quickly to control the brushfires, limiting property damage.

Temperatures reached as high as 44°C (111.2°F) along the Gaza border, 45°C (113°F) in the Jordan Valley, 43°C (109°F) in Tel Aviv, 35°C (95°F) in Jerusalem and 38°C (100°F) in Haifa.

Rolling blackouts were reported throughout the country as the electricity grid struggled to keep up with high demand for air conditioning.

Sustained wind speeds reached nearly 30 mph in the southern city of Arad and the central town of Beit Dagan, according to the Israel Meteorological Service.

Fire officials said there had been at least 220 brushfires nationwide as of 6:30 p.m.

The largest fires took place in the central town of Beit Hanan, where several homes reportedly suffered fire damage, the coastal town of Palmachim, the town of Shilat that straddles the Green Line, the northern town of Kerem Maharal, the nearby Iron Junction, and the southern town of Kiryat Malachi.

At Kastina Junction near Kiryat Malachi, firefighters were attempting to keep flames from reaching dangerous chemicals stored at a pharmaceutical plant, including canisters of explosive gas. Nearby, buildings were evacuated and Route 3 was shut down in the area as extra crews from around the country were brought in.

The Kerem Maharal fire forced law enforcement to temporarily shut down Route 4 from the Atlit to Ofer Junctions. Nearly 30 firefighting teams, including squads in airtankers, were dispatched to the scene to help extinguish the blaze.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/firefighters-battle-hundreds-of-blazes-as-israel-sizzles-under-blistering-heatwave/

Bill in Congress aims to defund colleges for antisemitism after NY law school speech

Pressure mounts on City University of New York over anti-Zionist commencement address, with lawmakers, Jewish groups and civil rights outfits hitting college system from both sides

Pressure mounted on New York City’s public college system on Thursday in the wake of a commencement speech that was harshly critical of Israel, as US Congress members introduced legislation to defund universities that host “antisemitic” events, a growing roster of public officials and Jewish groups condemned the commencement address, and a campaign in support of the speaker gained steam.

The conflagration has battered the City University of New York from both sides since its law school released a video of the speech last week. The university system, better known as CUNY, is a massive public education system spread across the five boroughs.

The featured speaker at the CUNY Law event on May 12, activist Fatima Mohammed, accused Israel of “indiscriminate” murder, encouraging “lynch mobs” and lauded resistance to “Zionism around the world.”

She said “donors” and “investors” were controlling policy behind the scenes for the school system. Leading Jewish groups said the speech employed antisemitic tropes. The address also attacked the New York Police Department, the military, and called laws a function of “white supremacy.”

The speech marked the second consecutive year that the law school’s commencement speaker dedicated much of their address to anti-Israel rhetoric, and comes amid a years-long running battle over alleged widespread antisemitism in the city college system.

The video’s release and details of the speech were first reported by The Times of Israel.

US Congressman Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, introduced legislation “to rescind federal funding for colleges that promote antisemitism on their campuses” in response to the speech.

The Stop Anti-Semitism on College Campuses Act has eight co-sponsors, all Republicans. Lawler represents a section of New York’s Hudson Valley with a sizable Jewish population.

“Many in the Jewish community in New York and across the country were outraged when a student spewed outrageous antisemitic rhetoric at CUNY Law School’s graduation in May,” Lawler said in a statement. “No college or university should receive a single dollar of federal education funding if they peddle in the promotion of antisemitism at an event on their campus.”

At least four US House Representatives and one senator have condemned the speech. New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheimer joined the criticism on Thursday, saying, “This type of vitriolic language is completely unacceptable and is clearly hate speech.”

Without naming CUNY, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said on Thursday that it was acceptable to criticize the Israeli government, but that singling out Israel with “venomous attacks,” trafficking in anti-Jewish conspiracies and ostracizing Zionists “is indeed antisemitic.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/bill-in-congress-aims-to-defund-colleges-for-antisemitism-after-ny-law-school-speech/

Macron, Scholz Urge Kosovo, Serb Leaders to Hold New Elections

France and Germany urged the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to organise new elections as soon as possible in regions affected by recent civil unrest, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday after talks in Moldova with the two parties.

Speaking after a summit of European leaders in Moldova, Macron said he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had given them a week to respond to their proposals.

Unrest in Kosovo's north has intensified since ethnic Albanian mayors took office in the region's Serb-majority area, a move that led the U.S. and its allies to rebuke Pristina. The majority Serb population had boycotted the April election, allowing ethnic Albanians to win the poll.

"What we have asked the two parties is very simple: the organisation as soon as possible of new elections in these four municipalities with a commitment from Kosovo, Macron told reporters.

They had also asked for clear participation from the Serbian side and the resolution without delay on the question of the associations of Serb municipalities from the Kosovo side.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-06-01/macron-scholz-urge-kosovo-serb-leaders-to-hold-new-elections

Deposits at Capitol One bank frozen by NYC’s banking commission amid insolvency fears

After Democrats under then-President Barack Obama rammed through a massive new regulatory regime for the banking industry following the 2008 “Great Recession,” Americans were told that bank collapses were a thing of the past.

We needn’t worry anymore, Democrats said, because brand-new unaccountable agencies like the Consumer Finance Protection Board were going to make sure that depositors were safe, their assets protected, and the bad guys who run shoddy banks dealt with.

But here we are, a mere 15 or so years later, and the same thing is happening again with banks – one collapse and insolvency after another, though taxpayers have spent billions of dollars propping up new federal agencies and plastering laws on the books that no one obviously follows because we’ve already had a series of bank failures in recent months.

And if that’s not bad enough, then we have the woke nanny state moving in to attack healthy banks with nonsensical requirements that do nothing to enhance their performance and protect depositors.

On Thursday, for instance, New York City’s Banking Commission took action against Capital One and KeyBank, major banking institutions, for failing to submit anti-discrimination plans to the city. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced in a press release that the commission voted to “freeze NYC’s deposits” at both banks.

https://www.dcclothesline.com/2023/06/02/deposits-at-capitol-one-bank-frozen-by-nycs-banking-commission-amid-insolvency-fears/

Marco polo interview

Hunter Biden’s ‘insane’ laptop exposed: Sex, drugs, and shady deals

https://youtu.be/tf0NwQyiWko

Biden taps former Obama staffer as new CDC director - with agency's reputation in tatters after Covid mishandlings

Mandy Cohen is a Yale-trained physician with years of government experience

Biden's pick to head the CDC will have to help rebuild its abysmal reputation

President Joe Biden is slated to appoint Dr Mandy Cohen, former North Carolina Health Secretary, to head up the beleaguered Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr Cohen will assume the position at the end of the month when outgoing CDC chief Rochelle Walensky will step down.

The Obama-era health official is also a trained internal medicine physician who helped run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which oversees government-issued healthcare benefits, and aided in the implementation of Obamacare.

Most notably, Dr Cohen spent four years as North Carolina's health secretary where she speerheaded the state's pandemic response, a position that gave her the public health bona fides necessary to head up the sprawling federal health agency.

The announcement comes at a frought moment for the CDC and its reputation after a succession of fatal missteps in addressing the pandemic, from manufacturing inaccurate Covid-19 tests to relaying contradictory messages about safety.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12150447/Biden-taps-former-Obama-staffer-new-CDC-director-agencys-repuation-remains-tatters.html

Seattle-area principal found high on cocaine with loaded gun at grocery store, put on leave

The wife, also a principal at an area school, was also put on leave as couple's drug use was revealed.

Two Seattle-area elementary school principals are on leave after their drug use was exposed when one of them was found high on cocaine with a loaded gun at a local grocery store.

Michael and Meghan Griffin, husband and wife, are both elementary school principals in the Northshore School District in Bothell, Washington, and have been placed on administrative leave through the end of the school year.

According to police documents obtained by The Post Millennial, on April 30, officers responded to a disturbance call at the QFC on 161 Ave NE in Redmond and found Michael “in a paranoid state likely under the influence of cocaine.”

One of the responding officers said Michael had “dilated pupils”, as well as “visible white powder on his lips”, and was making “delusional statements.”

According to law enforcement, Michael was convinced his wife was trying to communicate with him through written notes and attempted to give the responding officer two bags filled with documents and valuables to hold onto “because he could not keep anything in his house.”

He also tried to convince the responding officer that his wife was being “pimped", and pointed at “uninvolved people,” because he “believed his wife was in danger of possibly being trafficked.”

“Griffin identified himself and said he was the principal at Sunrise Elementary in the Northshore School District.” Michael stated, “My wife is Megan Griffin, we go to Las Vegas all the time, someone got ahold of her and…their…it’s like a trafficking thing. She has something on her that they can see or like she is communicating with them. She has been writing me notes, you have to trust me”.

Michael pointed at other uninvolved people near QFC and said, “There’s a team of them, look look” and told officers, “There’s more people in the parking lot watching my white car, I know I sound crazy, and irrational please just trust me.”

He also pointed to an Amazon truck that he said was near his car in the parking lot and said he believed “they” were trying to get into his car.

According to the documents, Griffin also “took his pistol to QFC chambered and unsecured in his front sweatshirt pocket.”

“A loaded and chambered Glock-19 was removed from Griffin and entered into Redmond Police Evidence as safekeeping.”

Officers located Michael’s wife, Meghan inside the grocery store with her daughters. Meghan was “visibly upset and crying” and mentioned she did not know where her 10-year-old son ran to after Michael told their son to run. The boy was later located across the street at a nearby business.

She told officers that Michael was convinced she was having an affair with an old college friend which she said was not true, and that he was paranoid about it and that his paranoia had been going on for about a month and had been getting worse lately. Officers also noted that Michael had yelled at a stranger before his wife intervened.

Police said Michael was involuntarily taken to the hospital after the incident.

Later that day, Michael’s brother Gerald Griffin came to the Redmond Police Department to turn over two firearms he said belonged to Michael because he was concerned about him having access to firearms with his declining mental state. Gerald turned over an SKS Semi-Automatic rifle and a Winchester Shotgun along with 19 rounds of 7.62 X 39 ammunition.

The public school district put Michael on leave on May 9 after learning about the incident.

https://thepostmillennial.com/seattle-area-principal-found-high-on-cocaine-with-loaded-gun-at-grocery-store-put-on-leave

Leading GOP Election Officials: Feds’ ‘Treasonous’ Interference Is A ‘Direct Attack’ On U.S. Elections

Several leading Republican election officials are sounding the alarm about the federal government’s persistent interference in U.S. elections.

Jay Ashcroft and Mac Warner, the secretaries of state of Missouri and West Virginia, respectively, recently told The Federalist they are increasingly worried about the mounting evidence documenting federal agencies’ interference in prior elections to the benefit of the Democrat Party.

Ashcroft pointed to the long-awaited report from U.S. Attorney John Durham that confirmed what The Federalist has been reporting for years: The FBI possessed no real evidence that then-candidate Donald Trump colluded with Russian government officials when it launched its investigation into the Trump campaign leading up to the 2016 election.

The political investigation — which was “based on raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence” — would continue throughout the 2016 election and well into Trump’s presidency.

This type of behavior from government agencies “is what you expect out of a banana republic,” Ashcroft said. “It is a direct attack on a foundational aspect of our country, that being fair, free elections.” As it turns out, he noted, “the largest purveyor of misinformation and disinformation with regard to elections [over the course of] the last several years has been the federal government.”

Warner echoed similar sentiments, calling the report’s findings “extraordinary” and adding that he can’t recall an instance in U.S. history where “our own federal agencies have gotten involved in an election to the point of lying to the American people to sway the outcome … for one candidate and one party.”

The 2016 election wasn’t the only one in which U.S. intel agencies decided to intervene to boost Democrats’ electoral prospects. Last month, a report released by the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government indicated the CIA “both solicited signatures for and eventually approved the infamous 2020 letter claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop story was a Russian disinformation plot.” The letter — which was signed by more than 50 former intel officials — was used as a pretext by Big Tech companies and legacy media to censor and ignore the New York Post’s reporting on the Bidens’ shady business dealings ahead of the 2020 election.

During his Oct. 2020 debate with Trump, Biden even cited the letter to dismiss Trump’s mention of the Post report, accusing the then-Republican president of partaking in a “Russian plan.” It’s also worth noting that during an August interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted Facebook algorithmically suppressed stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop during the 2020 election after being primed to do so by the FBI. According to Zuckerberg, the FBI warned Facebook about forthcoming “Russian propaganda” just before reports of the laptop dropped.

Polls taken since the 2020 election have shown that the coordinated efforts between U.S. intelligence agencies, America’s regime media, and social media companies to censor and ignore the Post’s reporting may have tipped the election to Biden. As Federalist CEO Sean Davis reported, a 2022 poll by TIPP Insights “found that 47 percent of those polled, including 45 percent of independents, said knowing the laptop contents were real and not Russian disinformation likely would have changed their votes in the 2020 election.”

https://thefederalist.com/2023/06/02/leading-gop-election-officials-feds-treasonous-interference-is-a-direct-attack-on-u-s-elections/

More Suspected Terrorists Found Illegally Crossing Southern Border In April Than In Four Trump Years Combined

Border Patrol agents caught 16 people on the FBI’s terror watch list trying to illegally cross the U.S. southwest land border between entry ports in April, bringing this fiscal year’s suspected terrorist arrest total up to nearly 100.

Not only is 16 higher than the recorded combined arrest totals from fiscal years 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 but it’s the same as the total number of suspected terrorists apprehended at the southern border in FY 2021. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection also suggests that the number of suspected terrorists arrested in April alone was five times the three watch list apprehensions listed for all of FY 2019 and FY 2020.

There are still five months left in the 2023 fiscal year, which means that 2022’s arrest total of 98 people on the watch list, an all-time record for the U.S., will be easily surpassed in the coming months. Already, CBP data says 98 noncitizen watch list members were arrested at American borders in 2023, all but two of whom were caught at the southern border. Reports of more potentially dangerous foreign nationals trying to infiltrate the U.S. in May have also surfaced.

Ever since Biden took office in January 2021, border arrests have skyrocketed. The number of suspected terrorists captured by border agents may be small compared to the 1,734,686 and 2,378,944 illegal border crossers apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in FY 2021 and FY 2022, respectively, but it is important.

Despite the Biden administration and corporate media’s attempts to downplay the ongoing border crisis, internal alarm over the escalating number of terror watch list members caught entering the U.S. prompted CBP in April of 2022 to create an “Enforcement Statistics” page detailing all of its agents’ “Terrorist Screening Data Set Encounters.” At that time, roughly 42 people listed on the terror watchlist had been arrested attempting to enter the U.S. since Biden became president.

As the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center webpage notes, everyone listed on the watchlist is “reasonably suspected to be involved in terrorism (or related activities)” and most “are not Americans.” Because these people “have no known connection to the U.S.,” their increased presence at the southwest and northern borders of the nation, where overwhelmed border agents struggle to keep up with the years-long influx of migrants, is suspect.

Just as millions of arrests and hundreds of thousands of gotaways continue to increase, so does the number of national security threats seeping into the country. As Todd Bensman, the Center for Immigration Studies’ Texas-based senior national security fellow, writes, “remember that not all terrorism-linked ‘special interest aliens’ coming from nations of national security concern get as far as nomination and approval for the FBI terrorism watch list, which involves a lengthy, multi-tiered process.”

“Some 3,000 to 4,000 special interest aliens are caught between ports of entry every year from the same countries as those who do make the FBI terrorism watch list. Terror links may not come out until much later, after the individual is in the country,” he warned.

https://thefederalist.com/2023/06/02/more-suspected-terrorists-found-illegally-crossing-southern-border-in-april-than-in-four-trump-years-combined/

Trump reacts to DOJ not charging Pence: 'I'm at least as innocent as he is'

Both Pence and President Joe Biden had harshly criticized Trump following the August 2022 FBI raid on his home.

Former President Donald Trump on Friday lamented an ongoing investigation into his handling of classified materials after learning that the Department of Justice would not pursue charges against former Vice President Mike Pence over a similar matter.

"Just announced that they are not going to bring charges against Mike Pence on the document hoax," Trump posted on Truth Social. "That’s great, but when am I going to be fully exonerated, I’m at least as innocent as he is. And what about Joe Biden, who is hiding at least 1850 boxes, and some located in Chinatown, DC? When will the witch hunt against 'TRUMP' stop?"

Earlier that day, reports emerged that the DOJ had informed Pence that its investigation had concluded and that the agency would not bring charges against him. In late January of this year, the Indiana Republican had egg on his face when he had to inform the federal government that he had discovered classified materials at his home.

Both Pence and President Joe Biden had harshly criticized Trump following the August 2022 FBI raid on his home. Biden also had to eat his words after the discovery of classified materials at myriad locations he occupied after leaving the vice presidency.

Special counsel Jack Smith is handling the DOJ's investigation into Trump.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/trump-reacts-doj-not-charging-pence-im-least-innocent-he

Father of Gonzalo Lira, American jailed in Ukraine, speaks out against “political imprisonment”

US citizen Gonzalo Lira faces a long prison term in Ukraine for criticizing the country’s government. Shunned by the US government, his father is fighting to stop the “slow death of a son.”

When US media have demonstrated any interest in the arrest of an American citizen, Gonzalo Lira, it has been primarily to celebrate his prosecution on the grounds that he has been “shilling for Putin.” The US State Department, meanwhile, refuses to answer questions about the disappearance of an American at the hands of a government substantially funded by Washington.

The Grayzone spoke to Lira’s father, 80-year-old Gonzalo Lira Sr., about his son’s arrest. “I can only say that this episode has marked my life because it is living a slow death of a son,” Lira Sr. said. He fretted that the Ukrainian government was preparing a “kangaroo court” for his son, and lamented that it could lock him up for over a decade for his political speech.

Lira is an American and Chilean citizen who has been living in Kharkov, Ukraine for several years. He first emerged as a novelist, then attempted a career as a filmmaker before marketing himself as a dating coach known as “Coach Red Pill.”

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Lira earned internet notoriety as a war blogger. His analysis of the Russian military operation and harsh criticisms of the Ukrainian government from within Ukrainian territory instantly transformed him into a top target of Kiev’s often rabid band of online supporters. On May 1, Ukrainian state security agents arrested Lira for the second time in just over a year.

The first time he was jailed, Lira emerged after several days, announcing his freedom to the public through new social media accounts. This time, however, Ukrainian authorities charged him with the alleged crime of justifying “Russia’s armed aggression” and disseminating “fakes about the war in Ukraine.” If convicted of these crimes, he faces 13 years in prison.

Lira’s arrest was announced alongside the detention of ten other so-called “internet agitators” living in Ukraine.

“The blogger also denied the facts of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and mass murders of civilians by ruscists,” the SBU said in an official statement, likely referring to disputed narratives around the massacre in Bucha in March 2022 and missile strikes on the Kramatorsk train station in April of that year. Lira challenged the Ukrainian government’s version of events in both instances.

https://thegrayzone.com/2023/06/01/father-gonzalo-lira-american-jailed-in-ukraine-imprisonment/

Disney Pride Collection Includes Mickey Mouse Bodysuit for Babies

Disney, known for fighting anti-grooming legislation in Florida, released its “Pride Collection” for “Pride Month,” which includes a Mickey Mouse bodysuit for babies ages 0 to 24 months.

Disney’s recently launched pride collection features the “Mickey Mouse Bodysuit for Baby,” adorned with the colors of the rainbow.

“Expressive Mickey Mouse shares the love from this soft cotton bodysuit featuring rainbow color graphics and stitched trims. Baby will lead the parade as your pride and joy!” the item description reads.

The description adds that its Pride Collection was “created by members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community,” and that “the Walt Disney Company proudly works with nonprofits throughout the year to support the LGBTQIA+ community globally.”

In recent years, Disney has been in the news regarding its war with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), as the woke corporation pushes back against anti-grooming legislation, including the state’s Parental Rights in Education law, which prohibits teachers from discussing sexuality and transgender ideology to children in kindergarten through third grade.

As Breitbart News reported on Wednesday, the Walt Disney Co. is still planning to invest $17 billion in Florida, despite its ongoing legal battle against Gov. DeSantis, which originated over the state’s anti-grooming law protecting school children from LGBTQ indoctrination.

Meanwhile, all sorts of debauchery continues to take place on Disney property.

Recently, a video posted to social media appeared to show a male Disneyland employee dressed in drag and greeting children.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/06/02/disney-pride-collection-includes-mickey-mouse-bodysuit-for-babies/