Pope Francis was recently in Marseilles promoting open borders, claiming everyone coming illegally is not invading. They are only seeking hospitality. He wants all the ports open to them. To him, Western Civilization is waste and consumerism while the invaders are deserving and poor. “The Port of Marseilles has been an open door towards the […] The post Pope Francis Wants All Those Ports Open to Illegal Foreigners appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Last week four years of lies collapsed in 90 minutes. It may well lead to a generation of new Republicans.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Meta last fall came up with an idea of how to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) (not to be confused with the Digital Services Act (DSA) – considered by critics to be a “censorship law”). Namely, Meta announced at the time that in order to adhere to DMA, and allow an ad-free “experience” in the EU (but also in the European Economic Area, EEA, and Switzerland) Facebook and Instagram would offer subscriptions to privacy-minded users. The problem with what Meta calls “a free, inclusive, ad-supported” internet is not just that ads are annoying – it’s that people actually do pay what turns out to be a pretty hefty price, i.e., with their sensitive personal data monetized by the giant for “personalized,” aka, targeted advertising. But this “opt-out” (for a fee), or alternatively consent to data collection in order to continue to use the platforms (“for free”) idea didn’t go over well in the EU, for reasons presented by EU’s Commission is its typical barely-human-readable fashion. As per the EC, the reasons are the following: the proposed Meta scheme “does not allow users to opt for a service that uses less of their personal data but is otherwise equivalent to the ‘personalized ads-based service,” and, “does not allow users to exercise their right to freely consent to the combination of their personal data.” The enthusiasm of EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton for the EC findings published earlier this week – given his previous track record – does tempt onlookers to wonder if this decision really has to do with protecting competitiveness and users in Europe – or is yet another form of pressuring Meta, at a sensitive (political) time. Whatever the case may be, also in general EU fashion, the Commission’s findings are only the beginning of a lengthy process that is expected to last for months, as Meta looks into the findings and tries to counter their arguments to defend its position. What we know, thanks to a spokesperson’s statement, is that Meta will try to prevail in this controversy, among other things, by citing EU’s top court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), as in 2023 “endorsing” its proposed scheme, which the giant asserts does comply with DMA. If this fight is eventually lost, Meta can look forward to parting with 10 percent of global turnover, and fines up to 20 percent for repeat infringement. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Meta Defends Charging Users For Privacy appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

So Close, and Yet So Far: Sunday Reflection

The New York Post reported that hotels across New York City are set to take in over a billion dollars in taxpayer funds for converting their buildings into migrant havens. There are 193 migrant shelters currently in use across the city, and 153 of them—or, around 80%—are motels, hotels, or inns.On average, the city is paying $156 per hotel room for migrants to stay in, according to a May analysis revealed by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. However, some have suggested that these locations are bringing in more than $300 per night per room since migrants first began flooding into the city in the spring of 2022.'These locations were meant to boost the economy of this city, but instead they’ve become a net drain and are costing us enormously.'This has not only driven up the prices of hotel rooms for tourists, but it has also turned the Airbnb market on its head.The report noted that through May 31, the city has spent approximately $4.88 billion on the migrant crisis, $1.98 billion of which has exclusively been spent in supporting migrant housing. This spending includes hotels and motels, as well as tent cities at Randall's Island and Floyd Bennett Field.William Shandler, who is a manager at Iron Bar, said he and other businesses throughout the city have been getting squeezed from both sides. The city has converted many of the luxury hotels, which previously hosted customers, into migrant havens that do not help businesses stay afloat.“Our taxes are being used to pay for the migrants, and where are we supposed to make revenue?” Shandler said. "How as a business could we function?”CoStar reported in November 2023 that hotels throughout the city have taken up to 16,000 rooms off the market to host migrants. Additionally, the migrant crisis in the city appears to be negatively affecting the hotel business itself.CoStar mentioned:With more than 16,000 rooms taken off-line, curtailed short-term rental inventory and a decreasing pipeline count, the New York City hotel inventory is changing materially. There could be an impact on room rate growth going forward as operators adjust to the new reality of fewer competitors.Councilwoman Joann Ariola stated that hotels are built for tourism, "not for sheltering the masses of people pouring over our borders every day," per the Post.“These locations were meant to boost the economy of this city, but instead they’ve become a net drain and are costing us enormously,” she added.Despite some who have claimed that letting in migrants is a good thing for the city, it appears many New Yorkers are unsettled by the development, and it is unclear what the city is doing to address this unrest.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

It has been claimed that a mother of three children who committed suicide in a Swiss clinic did so to get back at her lawyer husband who had custody of their children, according to the Daily Mail.The woman, Catherine Kassenoff, 54, of Westchester, posted to Facebook in May 2023 announcing that she would be "ending my own life."'She was just concerned that she had been treated abominably by her husband.'Kassenoff wrote that "[i]t is with profound heartbreak, that I hope none of you ever experience, that I am writing my last post ever. Today, I will be ending my own life," adding that "I will be doing so in a dignified and idyllic setting in Europe. There are simply no other options left.""In the last four years of my life, I have woken up every day to a nightmare like no other. I can no longer endure the abuse and terror of Allan Kassenoff... I have also endured the emotional devastation of being without my children for so long," the message continued.Kassenoff claimed that her husband, Allan Kassenoff, was abusing her and their three children. Ultimately, this is what led to her feeling that she had to take her own life, according to the report. Catherine worked as a successful litigator before passing away.Allan was provided sole custody of the couple's three daughters, but the details of this custody arrangement are unclear. Catherine decided to take her own life after losing custody of her children and being diagnosed with terminal cancer, per the report.The Free Press reported that new details emerged about the case, suggesting that it was not as simple as Catherine had made it out to be. Former nannies claimed that Catherine had punished her own adopted daughter by "dripping water" on her all day to prevent her from sleeping. She was also accused of showing favoritism toward her other two daughters, who were later born through IVF.Leading up to her death, Catherine was assessed by psychiatrist Colin Brewer, who had written his report for the Pegasos Swiss Association. In his report, he said Catherine was of "sound enough mine" to end her own life. Pegasos is known to help people end their lives even if they are not suffering from a chronic or terminal illness, according to the Free Press.Brewer went on to reveal that Catherine had planned to kill herself two times before. She originally planned to end her life in October 2022, but it was postponed for administrative reasons.The psychiatrist said her cancer diagnosis was never the reason why Catherine wished to end her life. He characterized it as an "existential assisted suicide.""She was just concerned that she had been treated abominably by her husband," Brewer said.However, Brewer never made a medical diagnosis and instead said Catherine's untimely death was one of "understandable misery."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!