Links For A Rainy Thursday

Yesterday, as I drove back from Virginia, and most of today have had the same weather, as in rain.  But other than the wet stuff falling from the sky, here are some other things going on out there:

From The Local IT, European ministers try to figure out how to help Italy with all those migrants.

From The Observers at France24, some Syrians get "disenchanted" with Europe and go back to Turkey.

From Breitbart London, the Polish government apparently tries to give President Trump a history lesson.

From Radio Poland, Trump calls Poland an "example for others who seek freedom".

From the NL Times, the Netherlands has deported 480 migrants for committing crimes.

From the Express, protesters at the G20 get wet.

From LifeNews, Oregon gives tax-subdized free abortions to everyone.

From FrontpageMag, the latest rise of faketriotism.

From National Review, enough with the idea that Republicans vote "against their interests".

From The Daily Caller, the number of NATO personnel assisting the Iraqi Operation Inherent Resolve is pretty darn low.

From The Times of Israel, the Prime Minister of India hails the blossoming ties between his country and Israel, as he concludes his visit.  (via Breaking Christian News, which was Tweeted by luchadora, my fellow BTR listener)

From The Washington Free Beacon, the Trump administration has been hit by a leak per day.  (Tweeted by GulfDogs, another BTR user)

From The Federalist, in the ratings, CNN was outdone by Yogi Bear.  (Don't feel too bad, CNN.  Yogi is smarter than the average bear.)

From AdWeek, KFC introduces the Colonel Sanders robot.

From Philly(dot)com, Mr. Bill (not the former president) goes back on trial in November.

From Real Clear Politics, Linda Sarsour wants "jihad" against Trump.  (via Fox News)

From Breitbart's National Security, over the same amount of time in their respective terms, President Trump has had 50% more meeting with foreign leaders than President Obama.

From The Local AT, the alleged murderer of an elderly couple in Linz, Austria is believed to have had an "Islamist motive".

From Palestinian Media Watch, the Palestinian Authority calls the Ma'alot massacre an "act of heroism".

From The New Indian Express, a man converts his entire family from Islam to Hinduism.

From AP, Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) undergoes another surgery.

From the Los Angeles Times, a figurative hockey game breaks out at a McDonald's.

From The Daily Signal, meet the Pole who fought for our freedom.  (You might have run across a similarly named brand of mustard.)

And from Niezależna (the name meaning "independent"), the full text of President Trump's speech in Warsaw.

Happy Independence Day, America

On this day in 1776, in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress declared that the thirteen colonies which they represent would no longer be ruled by Great Britain and her king, setting forth the reasons why they would no longer swear allegiance thereto, and assume a "separate and equal station" among the nations of the earth.  Among other things, this Declaration of Independence set forth the then-radical idea that all men are created equal, and have rights which come directly from their Creator.  This was a departure from the centuries-old European tradition be people being born into their respective ranks, each with its own prerogatives, distinct from the other ranks.  Telling a king that he was equal to a peasant was something you just didn't do back then without consequences.

Here are some related articles:

From Hot Air, "Happy Independence Day 2017".

From National Review, "A People without a King".

From Townhall, "5 Ways the American Revolution Was Different From Other Revolutions".

From FrontpageMag, "Freedom and Tyranny: The Meaning of Independence Day".

And of course, you can also read the original document.

Some Various And Sundry Items Before Independence Day

On the day before Independence Day, here are some things going on:

The Greek Coast guard fires on a Turkish cargo ship.

Iraq's gains in Mosul have been boosted by air strikes.

The beach was closed down, but a whale was still spotted.

Why Americans feel less free.

The best thing Chief Justice Roberts wrote during the most recent SCOTUS term.

Why we like McMansions.

The left are eating their own.

In Pakistan, attackers fire two bullets into the home of a civil rights advocate.

In Indonesia, a cleric says that Starbuck's support for gay marriage will bring about the extinction of mankind.  (Do even the Westboro Baptists say anything that stupid?)

In France, police say a recent shooting near a mosque was not terrorism, but gang-related.

In Iraq, a transvestite suicide bomber kills 14 people.  (intermediate source)

A noted Sharia advocate will move from Australia to the United Kingdom.

The media appears to be benefiting from its feud with President Trump.  (intermediate source)

The president offers support for a very young British child.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, but John Adams was its "floor manager".

The president of India will soon visit Israel.

Only one animal in the world has a double kneecap.

And last but not least, some good economic news.

Links For Canada Day

Today is the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Canada as a self-governing dominion of Great Britain.  Here are some things going on more recently:

From the Daily Mail, the student union president at Salford University has some things to say, and they ain't pretty.

From Breitbart London, more than 95,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year.

From Sputnik News, the European Union promises to help Italy with all the migrants they're taken in.

From Yahoo News, who cited Reuters as their source, the "most powerful politician" in Poland says that his country has the right to say "no" to refugees.

From France 24, police break up fights between African immigrants in Calais.

From the Cape Cod Times, an opinion about "hate speech".

From The Times Of Israel, here's what one Palestinian cleric prays for.

From Egypt Independent, members of the Egyptian parliament want their government to censor online interaction between unrelated people of the opposite sex.

From the Boston Herald, the man who killed three policemen in Baton Rouge almost a year ago left behind a suicide note and Islamic prayer.

From AhlulBayt News Agency, British politician Jeremy Corbin calls for his country to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia.

From Gatestone Institute, in Europe, the collusion between big business and Islam.

From National Review, on this date in 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg started.

From Townhall, here's why liberals hate our conservative guts.

From USA Today, 25 people were shot at a nightclub in Little Rock, Arkansas.

From American Thinker, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski "wallow in the mud".

From Fox News, Melania Trump responds to Brzezinski.  (In keeping with my part-Slovak part-Polish ethnic background, I'll call this the Battle of the Slavic Women.)

From the New York Post, meanwhile, Melania's husband keeps on Tweeting about Joe and Mika.

From Crux, a Vietnamese Catholic blogger gets 10 years in prison for "propaganda" against the government.  (via Lisa Graas)

From the Washington Examiner, a reporter who helped bring down President Nixon wants a "different kind of reporting" when dealing with President Trump.

From The Daily Caller, drug abuse has resulted in half a million children being sent to foster care.

From Russia Today, Julian Assange hits back at death threats.

From The Washington Free Beacon, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) opposes efforts to investigate voter fraud.

And from Twitchy, this weekend, The New York Times will include a copy of the Constitution.

Thursday Links

On the last Thursday of the first half of 2017, here are some things going on:

From Philly(dot)com, the death toll and damage from the derecho of 2012.  (The meteorological term derecho is the Spanish word for "straight", if I correctly recall reports of that event.)

From The Guardian, Tasmania tries to help the shy albatross.  (The "shy albatross" is the name of the species.)

From Reuters, studies to show how pesticides banned in Europe affect bees show mixed results.

From the Washington Examiner, if President Trump has his way, under his wall will go his pipeline.

From The Daily Caller, the Redskins will get to keep their trademark.

From the Belfast Telegraph, three men in Armagh have been arrested for displaying anti-Islamic material.  (via Jihad Watch)

From Breitbart London, more than half the people in Frankfurt, Germany "have a migrant background".

From Al Arabiya, in Somalia, Islamic militants block the flow of food.  (Just like their predecessors did during the 1990's.)

From the Birmingham Mail, an imam in Birmingham, England faces extradition to Spain.

From Gatestone Institute, why it's not "silly" to fear sharia.  This article was discussed in the BlogTalkRadio show of Red Fox Blogger, and linked by The Religion Of Peace, who also linked several of the articles above.

From MSN, a woman fatally shoots her boyfriend in a YouTube stunt gone wrong.

From RedState, the president's Tweets are going beneath the dignity of his office.

From National Review, why Trump's Tweets matter.

From FrontpageMag, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his wife are under investigation.

From Fox News, the House passes Kate's Law.  (via Townhall)

From AhlulBayt News Agency, Iraqi troops take the Nuri Mosque in Mosul from ISIS.

From Assyrian International News Agency, ISIS is losing land and going broke.

From The Daily Signal, a couple banned from a farmer's market for not holding gay weddings on their farm speak out.

From The New York Times, a jury rules that the government can seize a skyscraper in Manhattan, because its owners violated American sanctions against Iran, and laundered money.

From Russia Today, a gas canister and an "ignition device" were found in a McDonald's in Berlin, and a man tried to run his car into a French mosque.

From Euractiv, the Czech Republic might be getting its own version of the Second Amendment.

And from Vanity Fair, Greta van Susteren and MSNBC go their separate ways.

Ten Commandments Monument Gets Knocked Over

In a recent links post, I noted that a monument to the Ten Commandments was placed on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol.  I must regretfully relay the news that the monument, dedicated only yesterday, has already been knocked over and broken into three pieces, by a man who allegedly drove his car right into the monument.  He appears to be a self-appointed arbiter of "separation of church and state", and reportedly did the same sort of thing in Oklahoma about three years ago.

Read more at THV 11, CNN, ABC News, Reuters and Arkansas Online.

For what happened three years ago, read more at NewsOK.

Wolf And Dog Sign Animal Cruelty Law

The Wolf is a governor, and the dog is a cruelty survivor.  From Philly(dot)com:

HARRISBURG — Gov. Wolf and an iconic Boston Terrier on Wednesday signed legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s laws against animal abuse and neglect.

The Democratic governor used a pen and ink. Then Libre's paw was dipped in paint and he put his stamp on a copy of the bill. The now-healthy dog was rescued from severe neglect last year in Lancaster County, and became an inspiration for activists and lawmakers seeking to revamp animal-cruelty statutes.

That's Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Libre the Boston Terrier.  Read the full story.

Tuesday Topics

Here are some things going on out there:

In 24 hours, London has had three fatal stabbings.

President Trump goes after CNN.

"Russia is for ratings."

Denmark thinks something's rotten with immigrant smugglers.

A look at the 2017 Pro-Life Women's Conference.

California declares a weed killer carcinogenic.

The Arkansas Capitol grounds now includes the Ten Commandments.  (You know, just like the U.S. Supreme Court.)

Comcast and Sprint are talking.

The Flint airport policeman who was stabbed is now out of the hospital.

ISIS-linked Filipino groups terrorize civilians.

They've also desecrated a Catholic chapel and its Communion hosts.

ISIS celebrates the Grenfell Tower fire.

Car-fire jihad, seemingly common in France and Sweden, comes to Norway.

An Islamist group in Syria rejects Turkish-Russian intervention.

Illinois has become a fiscal mess.

Five Senators oppose starting debate on Trumpcare.

The European Union's attempt to fine Google proves Brexit right.

It was twenty years ago today.  (No, this is not related to a certain Beatles album.)

Although now out of office, former President Obama still takes some pretty expensive vacations.

And to finish, although this is under development in one of my ancestral countries, I think I'll decline.

SCOTUS Rulings And Other Monday Links

As the first Monday of summer is now upon us, here are some other things that have recently been upon us:

From NBC News, the Supreme Court, in a 9-0 decision, will allow parts of President Trump's travel pause to take effect, but won't actually decide on its merits until this fall.

From LifeNews, SCOTUS rules that government programs can't exclude Christian organizations just for being Christian organizations.

From Philly(dot)com and the "Are you serious?" department, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal) says that her party has momentum.

From Breitbart London, in Sweden, children cannot talk about the Bible or even say "amen", in Christian schools.  (Will children in Islamic schools be likewise forbidden from saying "Allahu akbar" or discussing the Koran?  I won't hold my breath.)

From The Guardian, a Swedish man held by Islamic fighters in Mali has been set free after almost six years.

From the Express, ISIS terrorists in Yemen vandalize the graves of British war heroes.

From Morocco World News, ISIS uses the Koran to justify slavery.

From AhlulBayt News Agency, the Hashd al-Shaabi attack ISIS across the Syria-Iraq border.

From YNetNews, five Muslim artists have asked to have their works removed from an Israeli exhibition.

From the Daily Mail, Australia will deport a Muslim immigrant for kidnapping a girl and forcing her to marry him.

From The American Spectator, it's the new Persian Empire.  (If my understanding of ancient history is correct, there have already been two Persian Empires.  The first conquered Babylon, let the captive Jews go back home, and eventually fell to Alexander the Great.  The second, known as the Sassanid Empire, fought against the Romans and Byzantines, and was later conquered by the Islamic Caliphate.)

From FrontpageMag, the left's hierarchy of victim categories gets tested by a murder in Fairfax County, Virginia.

From National Review, the repeal of Obamacare won't cause mass dying.  (NR also has stories related to the two SCOTUS decisions above, so go ahead and browse around the site.)

From Townhall, some advice for Democrats in 2018.

From Haaretz, a Jewish lesbian asks why she and her Israeli pride flag were excluded from Chicago's Dyke March.  (via The Tower, who report that the ADL wants an apology from the march's organizers)

From ESPN, is John McEnroe sexist, or just realistic?

From Radio Poland, Poland has taken in 1.4 million migrants - from Ukraine.

From Sputnik International, a Ukrainian family seeking asylum in Germany poses as Syrians.   (It seems that they should have tried Poland, instead.  They wouldn't have needed to pose as anything other than what they really are.)

From The Washington Free Beacon, the anti-Trump leak campaign is hurting more than just the president.

From the Independent, the next recession could be caused by countries such as China.

And from HokieSports, former Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall has been inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame.

The Jug Bridge Marker

The Jug Bridge Marker currently sits just off Maryland Route 144, near its interchange with Interstate 70, but this is not its original location.  It once sat at one end of a bridge over the Monocacy River in Frederick, MD.  Because the monument resembles a demijohn, a type of whiskey jug popular in the 19th century, the bridge became known as the "Jug Bridge".  (It reminds me a bit of Buddhist stupas.)  There has even been a rumor that a real jug of whiskey is embedded somewhere within the monument.  In 1942, the bridge collapsed, and the monument was moved to where it is now.  From the parking lot, it's a short walk to the marker.  The marker, the rock in front of it and the plaque to right will be shown in greater detail below the fold.