Helmut Brandstatter, MdEP, born in Vienna, is a member of the European Parliament. He sits with the Renew Europe parliamentary group, and is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He recently posted on X, protesting allegations that there is no free speech in Europe. He wrote: “A Message to „piggy Land“: there is No […] The post The Shocking Descent of the EU Into Totalitarianism appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The ladies were out here throwing down like the boys

Sunday Smiles

Here is a question you can ask the Google AI: "Can the Associated Press editorialize?"And here is the answer you will get: "No, the Associated Press (AP) strives for factual, nonpartisan reporting and prohibits its journalists from editorializing or expressing personal opinions in their news coverage; their core mission is to provide objective news, but they face scrutiny and debate over potential biases, requiring consumers and member editors to remain vigilant for bias and clearly identify third-party contributions." That's some remarkably unintelligent artificial intelligence. Well, it sure seems like the AP violated its own alleged prohibition of editorializing with their Saturday story about the arrest of the J6 pipe bomber suspect  by Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker, "Trump administration plays up pipe bomb suspect’s arrest. Jan. 6 violence goes unmentioned." While the title itself sounds suspiciously biased the article text itself comes off as an extended editorial:  WASHINGTON (AP) — After the arrest of a man charged with placing two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national parties on Jan. 5, 2021, the warning from the Trump administration was clear: If you come to the nation’s capital to attack citizens and institutions of democracy, you will be held accountable. Yet Justice Department leaders who announced the arrest were silent about the violence that had taken place when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol and clashed with police one day after those bombs were placed. It was the latest example of the Trump’s administration’s efforts to rewrite the history of the riot, through pardons and the firings of lawyers who prosecuted the participants of the siege, and of the disconnect for a government that prides itself for cracking down on violent crime and supporting law enforcement but has papered over the brutality of the Jan. 6 attacks on police officers. “The administration has ignored and attempted to whitewash the violence committed by rioters on Jan. 6 because they were the president’s supporters. They were trying to install him a second time against the will of the voters in 2020,” said Michael Romano, who prosecuted the rioters before leaving the Justice Department this year. “And it feels like the effort to ignore that is purely transactional.” So in the first four paragraphs of the story supposedly about the arrest of the suspected pipe bomber, the AP reporters angrily editorialized that the Justice Department neglected to talk about the J6 violence by  "supporters of President Donald Trump," and  that the Trump  administration was attempting to "rewrite the history of the riot" by "papering over the brutality of the Jan. 6 attacks on police officers." The icing on the TDS cake was quoting an obviously anti-Trump Justice Department prosecutor who left the DOJ this year.  As could almost be expected the AP editorialists painted the suspect, Brian Cole, as a Trump supporter based on, get this, anonymous sources. People familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that among the statements Cole made to investigators is that he believed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, which Trump has insisted was stolen from him in favor of Democrat Joe Biden. The people were not authorized to discuss ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The rest of the AP story/editorial continues in this vein revealing a couple of very very angry AP editorialists posing as reporters letting off anti-Trump steam in the form of their highly biased report/editorial.

If you want to know how conservatives should think about media ownership policy, a good starting point is to head opposite the people who think that President Trump and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr are “autocratic,” “fascist,” and engaged in “mob-style government.” Those are charges levied in recent comments from Free Press, a left-wing nonprofit opposing the proposed reforms to the FCC’s rules capping ownership of broadcast stations.A strong conservative consensus exists in favor of reform or outright repeal of the ownership limits. Exhibit A is a letter signed by leaders of 18 conservative organizations, including Heritage Action, the Center for Renewing America, Americans for Prosperity, and Americans for Tax Reform. This represents a broad coalition from MAGA to the Reaganite right.Reading the list of commentators reveals a 'who’s who' of the irrelevant and Trump-hating.A few voices now feign uncertainty about where the White House or FCC will land. But conservatives don’t need a crystal ball. When every liberal and left-wing advocacy shop in Washington locks arms on one side of a policy debate, the right answer is almost always the opposite.The liberal groups are not powerful in themselves — Democrat FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez has already sent strong signals that she opposes repeal, and in all events, her single vote cannot stop commission action as long as Republican appointees remain united. But the position of Gomez and her outside allies on the left on a controversial policy question should give any conservative pause — why would we agree with the other party?When the commission last invited comment on this topic in August, TVTech reported, “a large number of filings from unions, consumer groups, civil rights groups, church groups, liberal organizations, free speech advocates and others have come out strongly opposed to any change to the current 39% ownership cap.” Indeed, reading the list of commentators reveals a “who’s who” of the irrelevant and Trump-hating.The unions, for instance, include the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians and the News Guild. The Writers Guild of America, which also opposes the reforms, recently attacked President Trump for a supposed “un-American … unprecedented, authoritarian assault” on the First Amendment, complete with the line: “We don’t have a king, we have a president.” These are the advocates of maintaining the caps on media ownership by Nexstar, Sinclair, and others.Another joint FCC filing included a laundry list of left-wing groups: United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Hispanic Federation, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network separately weighed in, warning that reform would be contrary to its mission of “economic justice, political empowerment, and fair representation in all aspects of public life.” The horror!RELATED: The media just told you their 2026 strategy: ‘Lies, but better!’ Photo by Moor Studio/Getty ImagesThis isn’t the FCC’s first time down this path. When the first Trump administration floated reforms along these lines, 21 Senate Democrats and one independent (Bernie Sanders) sent a letter opposing any further flexibility under the caps. This has been liberal orthodoxy for decades.Hollywood labor unions, left-wing pressure groups, Al Sharpton, Bernie Sanders — these are not normally reliable predictors of good policy. Broken clocks may still be right twice a day, but this is not one of those moments. Trump administration leaders should be deeply skeptical when they’re asked to be on the same side as all of these people.

Wikimedia CommonsMumtaz Mahal’s death inspired the Taj Mahal. India’s Mughal Empire was one of the largest and most powerful empires in the world. Emperor Shah Jahan, who ruled from 1628 to 1658, poured his empire’s wealth into building the stunning Taj Mahal, a gleaming white monument that looms over the city of Agra. Visited by millions every year, the towering marble structure was constructed for one reason: to remember the emperor’s lost love, his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. So who was Mumtaz Mahal, the woman who inspired the construction of the Taj Mahal — one of the Seven Wonders of the World? Born a Persian princess, Mumtaz Mahal married her husband in 1612. Trusted by the emperor and loved by the people, she became an important figure in the empire. Mahal served as the patron for humanitarian programs that supported the needy, and was her husband’s loyal advisor. Tragically, the empress died during childbirth at the age of 38. And Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal to honor her memory. Who Was Mumtaz Mahal? The Life Of The Empress Consort Born Arjumand Banu Begum on April 27, 1593, Mumtaz Mahal came from a powerful Persian family. Her grandfather had become a trusted advisor of Mughal emperor Akbar (1556 to 1605), and her aunt married Mughal emperor Jahāngīr (1605 to 1627) in 1611, intertwining the family with royalty. When she was around the age of 14 years old, the princess crossed paths with Prince Khurram, Jahangir’s son and heir, at a bazaar. The two quickly fell in love and, in 1607, were betrothed. Wikimedia CommonsBefore marrying into royalty, Mumtaz Mahal had many family connections with power. Her grandfather, aunt, and father were all connected to Mughal Emperors. Five years later, on a date selected by court astrologers, the two wed. And Arjumand Banu Begum’s husband gave her a new name: Mumtaz Mahal, which meant “Chosen One of the Palace.” When he became emperor Shah Jahan in 1628, Mahal became the empress consort of Mughal Empire. While many royal marriages were meant to cement political alliances, the union between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal was a love match. And though the emperor had two other wives, Muhal remained his favorite. She traveled across the empire with her husband, serving as his loyal advisor. In return, Jahan gave her his imperial seal, the highest possible honor. As empress, Mumtaz Mahal also won the hearts of the people. She served as a patron of the arts and a champion of the poor. She sent food to widows and orphans and spent her free time writing Persian poetry, as well as enjoying the beauty of a riverside garden in Agra. Public DomainThough Shah Jahan had three wives, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite. She and her husband also had 14 children together – but sadly, childbirth would eventually lead to Mumtaz Mahal’s death. The Tragic Death Of Mumtaz Mahal In Childbirth — And The Intense Mourning Of Her Husband Shortly after Shah Jahan became emperor, he led a military campaign in the Deccan Plateau. Mumtaz Mahal traveled with her husband to Burhanpur, in spite of the fact that she was heavily pregnant with her 14th child. Wikimedia CommonsShah Jahan, a prince of the Mughal Empire met Mumtaz Mahal at a royal bazaar. After traveling more than 400 miles with her husband and his army, Mahal went into labor. She struggled through a 30 hour labor, finally giving birth to a daughter. But Mahal then suffered from postpartum hemorrhage and, despite the efforts of her lady-in-waiting, her doctor, and the many midwives summoned to help, Mahal was beyond saving. The emperor rushed to his wife’s side, but there was nothing to be done. Mumtaz Mahal died in his arms on Jan. 17, 1631. She was 38 years old. Shah Jahan was devastated. The emperor purportedly wept for eight days and went into seclusion for a year. He stopped listening to music, gave up his luxurious clothes and jewelry, and emerged from seclusion with his black hair suddenly stark white. Because Mumtaz Mahal died on a Wednesday, the emperor also banned any entertainment on that day. Metropolitan Museum of ArtShah Jahan ruled over one of the richest empires in the world. Mahal’s body was temporarily buried in a walled garden near the military encampment in Burhanpur. But soon after her death, the emperor ordered his wife’s body disinterred. Encased in a gold casket and escorted by one of her sons, the body of Mumtaz Mahal returned to Agra. Then, Shah Jahan began to plan a monument that would encapsulate his love for Mumtaz Mahal for all time. The Woman Who Inspired The Taj Mahal, One Of The Seven Wonders Of The World After putting down the rebellion that had brought him to Burhanpur, Shah Jahan returned to Agra with a plan to memorialize his lost love. Shah Jahan vowed to build a tomb fit for the empress. Public DomainThe Taj Mahal in the 1860s. According to the Taj Mahal website, the emperor put together a group of architects to build a mausoleum like no other (though the names of the monument’s designer are sadly lost to time). Ultimately, the magnificent monument would take 22 years and 20,000 workers to construct. Over more than two decades, workers transported white marble from a quarry 200 miles away. A thousand elephants carried the marble to Agra, where a 10-mile ramp was constructed to move marble upward. Inside the imposing structure, a master calligrapher etched Quran verses into the white marble. Stonecutters chipped away at the marble to create floral designs in which they embedded dozens of different kinds of precious stones, including jade from China, turquoise from Tibet, and malachite from Russia. The Taj Mahal also glitters with the color and light of carnelian, agates, chalcedonies, lapis lazuli, bloodstone, and garnet. In a nod to how “Paradise” in Islam is described as a garden, the Taj Mahal was designed to look like heaven on earth. It includes a garden divided by rivers which flow into a central pool. Philip Nalangan/Wikimedia CommonsThe Taj Mahal was built to resemble “Paradise,” which, in Islam, is depicted as a garden. At the core of the mausoleum complex, under the majestic dome, rests the cenotaph tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. But it stands empty – the empress’ body was interred beneath the Taj Mahal in a crypt. The Taj Mahal: A Tomb For Mumtaz Mahal And Shah Jahan Shortly after the Taj Mahal was completed, Shah Jahan fell ill. His weakness led his sons to fight amongst themselves and his third son, Aurangzeb, eventually seized power. Aurangzeb then confined his father in Agra Fort, where the aging emperor could see the Taj Mahal from his window. Then, in 1666, Shah Jahan died. Though the emperor had once dreamed of building his own mausoleum, a black version of the Taj Mahal, his son Aurangzeb instead ordered that Shah Jahan be buried in the original Taj Mahal. Today, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal are the only people buried in the mausoleum. Asitjain/Wikimedia CommonsDetails, including calligraphy, on the outside walls of the Taj Mahal. But after Aurangzeb died in 1707 the Mughal Empire began to decline. The British soon swept into India, carving precious stones from the walls of the mausoleum. However, the Taj Mahal has since been preserved. After an early 20th-century restoration project, the monument gained world renown and a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Today, it’s considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Yet while the Taj Mahal’s architectural brilliance captures the wealth and culture of the Mughal Empire, few know the story of the woman who inspired it. The gleaming white monument is a mausoleum, but it’s also an eternal symbol of the love of Shah Jahan for one person — his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. After reading about Mumtaz Mahal, the woman who inspired the Taj Mahal, discover the incredible stories of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Or, learn about the Koh-I-Noor Diamond which Shah Jahan placed atop his Peacock Throne — and which is now part of England’s Crown Jewels. The post The Tragic Story Of Mumtaz Mahal, The Woman Whose Death Inspired The Taj Mahal appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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