Author: HP McLovincraft

Seeker of rabbit holes. Pessimist. Libertine. Contrarian. Your huckleberry. Possibly true tales of sanity-blasting horror also known as abject reality. Prepare yourself. Veteran of a thousand psychic wars. I have seen the fnords. Deplatformed on Tumblr and Twitter.

Islamic Sharia Law Legally Valid in Austrian Civil Disputes, Vienna Court Rules

A court in Vienna ruled this week that Islamic Sharia law can be legally upheld in Austria in civil disputes, sparking accusations that the nation’s Christian values are being undermined by multiculturalism.

The Vienna Regional Court for Civil Law Matters has upheld the findings of a Sharia arbitration tribunal concerning a civil dispute between two men in Austria, with the group of informal Islamic mediators ruling that one owed the other €320,000 ($372,000).

The man appealed to the Vienna court, arguing that Sharia diktats have no standing in Austria and that the Islamic code violated the constitutional rights of the European country.

Yet, according to Kronen Zeitung, Vienna judges found that it was permissible for private individuals to settle civil disputes through the manner they saw fit, and that Sharia arbitration did not violate the basic law of Austria.

However, the court noted that this would only apply to civil matters and that Sharia is not applicable in criminal cases. Nevertheless, critics warned that the ruling demonstrated an erosion of the Western liberties and Christian ethics upon which Austria was founded.

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Jeffrey Epstein committed his first crime in the U.K. and it involved a bizarre deadly weapon

Jeffrey Epstein once admitted being convicted of a bizarre crime involving possession of an offensive weapon in the U.K.

The late disgraced billionaire revealed under oath that he was convicted of having a sword disguised as a walking cane, a device known as a ‘swordstick.’

It is unclear what Epstein’s punishment was for the crime, which happened decades ago, but records show a man later convicted of the same offense received a suspended jail sentence.

The incident, according to Epstein himself, resulted in his first criminal conviction, long before he admitted soliciting a minor in 2008, and was then charged with sex trafficking of minors in 2019.

Epstein spoke about the peculiar episode during a sworn deposition in a separate financial investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in New York in 1981.

According to a transcript of that deposition he was asked if he had ever been convicted of a crime, and replied: ‘I’ve been convicted of a crime in Great Britain at one point…I don’t believe it’s…no (U.S.) federal jurisdiction.’

He was then asked by an SEC lawyer: ‘Do you know offhand if it’s a felony or a misdemeanor?’

Epstein responded: ‘No I don’t.’

The lawyer went on: ‘What did it concern? What was the allegation and what was the conviction?’

Epstein said: ‘The allegation was I bought an antique swordstick and they said that could not be carried in the country, it had to be shipped out.’

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Microsoft AI chief says it’s ‘dangerous’ to study AI consciousness

AI models can respond to text, audio, and video in ways that sometimes fool people into thinking a human is behind the keyboard, but that doesn’t exactly make them conscious. It’s not like ChatGPT experiences sadness doing my tax return … right?

Well, a growing number of AI researchers at labs like Anthropic are asking when — if ever — AI models might develop subjective experiences similar to living beings, and if they do, what rights they should have.

The debate over whether AI models could one day be conscious — and merit legal safeguards — is dividing tech leaders. In Silicon Valley, this nascent field has become known as “AI welfare,” and if you think it’s a little out there, you’re not alone.

Microsoft’s CEO of AI, Mustafa Suleyman, published a blog post on Tuesday arguing that the study of AI welfare is “both premature, and frankly dangerous.”

Suleyman says that by adding credence to the idea that AI models could one day be conscious, these researchers are exacerbating human problems that we’re just starting to see around AI-induced psychotic breaks and unhealthy attachments to AI chatbots.

Furthermore, Microsoft’s AI chief argues that the AI welfare conversation creates a new axis of division within society over AI rights in a “world already roiling with polarized arguments over identity and rights.”

Suleyman’s views may sound reasonable, but he’s at odds with many in the industry. On the other end of the spectrum is Anthropic, which has been hiring researchers to study AI welfare and recently launched a dedicated research program around the concept. Last week, Anthropic’s AI welfare program gave some of the company’s models a new feature: Claude can now end conversations with humans who are being “persistently harmful or abusive.“

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Trans Dem Rep Makes Shocking Confession Nobody Saw Coming

One of the most prominent progressive figures in the Democratic Party has made a revealing admission that is now making waves across social media.

Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), who is biologically male and identifies as transgender, offered surprisingly blunt commentary during an appearance on The Ezra Klein Show. In a conversation that veered away from typical talking points, McBride acknowledged that the Democratic Party may have gone too far, too fast in advancing radical gender ideology. The fallout, McBride explained, has contributed to a nationwide backlash that is increasingly difficult to ignore.

“Candidly, I think we’ve lost the art of persuasion,” McBride told Klein. “I think that allowed for the misinformation, the disinformation — that well-coordinated, well-funded campaign — to really take advantage of that lack of understanding.”

McBride continued by noting that progressives as a whole have become too rigid in their messaging and goals. “We became absolutist — not just on trans rights but across the progressive movement — and we forgot that in a democracy we have to grapple with where the public authentically is and actually engage with it.”

The Delaware congressperson, who made history in January by becoming the first openly transgender member of Congress, has not shied away from contentious cultural issues. In fact, McBride has been at the center of several political flashpoints since being sworn in. Early in the congressional term, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced a resolution aimed at preventing McBride from using women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill. Although McBride chose to comply with the policy and shift attention toward legislative work, the decision drew criticism from some transgender activists who felt it signaled a retreat from principle.

In another highly publicized incident, Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) repeatedly referred to McBride as “Mr. McBride” during a Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing in March. The repeated “misgendering” sparked a heated exchange that led Democrats to abruptly end the session. McBride responded coolly with, “Thank you, Madame Chair,” and later denounced the GOP for being “obsessed with culture‑war issues,” reiterating a commitment to stay focused on policy-making rather than personal attacks.

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Taxpayers On Hook For $3.5 Billion To Replenish Munitions US Used Defending Israel

Taxpayers are yet again on the hook for America’s supposed “closest Middle East ally” as the Pentagon is planning to allocate at least $3.5 billion to restock weapons used in defense of Israel.

A Bloomberg report issued this week has reviewed Department of Defense budget documents prepared through mid-May. Emergency expenditures are highlighted which include US combat operations “executed at the request of or in coordination with Israel for the defense of Israeli territory, personnel or assets during attacks by Iran” or its proxies.

The largest single portion of the funding is $1 billion that is earmarked for replenishing Standard Missile interceptors, specifically the SM-3 IB Threat Upgrade models made by Raytheon and deployed by US Navy ships to intercept ballistic missiles.

Each of these big missiles are estimated to be between $9 million and $12 million, and these were used in the initial April 2024 flare-up and brief round of fighting between Israel and Iran.

The US assisted Israel following the Netanyahu government’s airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus – which was the first such deliberate attack by a sovereign government on a foreign embassy in history (the lone precedent being the Chinese embassy strike in Belgrade in 1999, which the US apologized for as an ‘accident’).

The second-largest funding request in the documents is $204 million to restock THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) interceptors, produced by Lockheed Martin at a price tag of about $13 million each.

All of this will be pushed through despite recent polls showing public support for Israel being at a recent all-time low. The American public is also generally war-weary, given the now years-long conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and the fact that Washington has sunk billions into supporting one side of each war.

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California Content Law Design Code Faces Free Speech Clash

Efforts to implement California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code continue to face resistance from both the tech industry and digital civil liberties groups, who argue that the law’s restrictions violate constitutional protections and would compel sweeping surveillance and censorship online.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents companies including Google, Amazon, Meta, and eBay, recently filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case NetChoice v. Bonta.

Stephanie Joyce, the group’s senior vice president and director of its litigation center, condemned the legislation in blunt terms: “The Constitution prohibits the government from dictating what lawful content readers can see, and it extends that protection regardless of the reader’s age.

Though well-intentioned, California’s internet age restriction law is unconstitutional, and the court of appeals should affirm the decision to block it.”

The case marks the second time this legal clash has reached the Ninth Circuit. Previously, the court blocked only a portion of the law and returned the rest for further review.

Now, with renewed scrutiny, the court could determine whether the entire statute fails to withstand constitutional challenge.

NetChoice, an industry coalition that includes many of the same members as the CCIA, has led the charge against a wave of so-called “age assurance” laws.

These policies would require digital platforms to verify the ages of users and potentially restrict minors’ access to content deemed unsuitable. But free speech advocates warn the consequences would be broader and more dangerous than legislators admit.

Groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) have also weighed in with their own amicus brief, arguing that the law’s age estimation mandates undermine essential First Amendment rights. “CDT and EFF’s brief argues that the appeals court should uphold the injunctions solely on the basis of its overbroad, unconstitutional age verification requirement because that requirement is not severable from other provisions and should doom the entire statute.” The brief warns that such mandates not only chill access to lawful speech but also erode online anonymity and place users’ personal data at risk.

They also emphasize that minors’ ability to engage freely online is a critical part of their development and civic participation. “Social media helps minors develop their own ideas, learn to express themselves, and engage productively with others in our democratic public sphere,” the brief states.

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Fulton County Defies Court Orders Requiring Confirmation Of GOP Election Board Nominees

The Democrat-led Fulton County Board of Commissioners is once again defying a court order in its determination to block two Republicans from taking their seats on the county’s elections board.

The Republican Party of Fulton County nominated Julie Adams and Jason Frazier to serve on the elections board in May. Despite state law requiring that the county commissioners “shall” accept the appointments, they had previously refused to do so, criticizing Adams and Frazier for their election integrity efforts.

Even after the Fulton County Republican Party filed suit in June, and the court found in their favor early in August, the commissioners still refused to comply.

Last Wednesday, the board of commissioners filed a motion asking the court to reconsider. Two days later, Fulton County Superior Court Judge David Emerson once again ordered them to confirm Adams and Frazier at the board’s “next regularly scheduled meeting,” describing their actions as a “bad faith” stall tactic.

“The court directs the defendant board to comply with its order,” Emerson wrote.

The board of commissioners even filed an emergency motion with the Georgia Supreme Court, which was transferred to the Georgia Court of Appeals and quickly denied.

But even that did not stop them from behaving like petulant children who aren’t getting their way. In a 2-2 vote on Tuesday, with three members absent by the time the vote happened, the board of commissioners failed to pass Republican Commissioner Bridget Thorne’s motion to confirm the appointees. (You can watch the relevant portion of the meeting here, or read an AI-generated transcript here.)

Thorne argued that the unlawful delay caused “irreparable harm,” and noted an upcoming special election for a state senate seat. It’s a point that Fulton County GOP Chair Stephanie Endres has also emphasized. “There are elections happening right now and our representation is being denied,” Endres told me.

In response to Thorne’s motion, Democrat Commissioner Dana Barrett insisted “no judge” could “compel” her to approve the nominations, minutes before claiming to “respect the rule of law.” She told the activists at Democracy Docket she was willing to “risk contempt charges and fines or jail.”

Her fellow Democrat Commissioner Mo Ivory chimed in, saying “No one should force an elected official or any voter to cast a particular vote.” Ironically, Democrats’ complaint about Adams is her decision not to certify the results of a primary election.

Following Wednesday’s vote, Jason Frazier told me he was “disappointed by the decisions of the Democrat board members,” and that his “only goal is to help Fulton County follow election laws and run clean elections.”

Julie Adams said simply, “The Fulton [Board of Commissioners] was ordered to comply with the order of the court on Friday or risk being held in contempt. Today, they defied that order.”

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Fears About Un-Aired Footage of ‘Drowsy’ Biden Led Paramount to Settle with Trump: Ex-Chairwoman

Sometimes the smallest details tell the biggest parts of a story.

One of the key reasons the parent company of CBS agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump is buried dozens of paragraphs into a New York Times report about now-former Paramount non-executive chairwoman Shari Redstone and the company’s decision-making process.

And it turns out, it involves an apparent play to protect now-former President Joe Biden.

Trump had sued CBS in October over its editing of an interview on the “60 Minutes” program with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. He maintained that “60 Minutes” edited Harris’ answers to make her appear more coherent than she actually was.

Paramount settled the suit in early July with a $16 million donation to the Trump presidential library fund.

According to The New York Times, Redstone and her son, Tyler, feared the lawsuit would bring attention to another CBS interview — this one with President Joe Biden.

“Ms. Redstone said CBS personnel had told her that in October 2023, when Scott Pelley of ’60 Minutes’ interviewed President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the president had seemed drowsy and had to be prodded to answer. She and Tyler worried that CBS might be accused of editing the interview to conceal Mr. Biden’s failings.”

“This case was never as black-and-white as people assumed,” Redstone told the newspaper.

What’s interesting here is that in the “60 Minutes” report itself, correspondent Scott Pelley — a man who openly declared his liberal leanings at a May commencement speech at North Carolina’s Wake Forest University — acknowledged that Biden was “tired,” though he tried to put the best face on it.

From the show’s transcript: “As we spoke to the president, his secretary of state was in Israel, his secretary of defense was in a NATO meeting on Ukraine. America’s oldest president seemed tired from directing all of this. But he was very clear on what he stood for and how his policies, in his view, would see America through.”

If Pelley and “60 Minutes” felt the need to put in posterior-covering garbage like that, it’s truly hard to imagine how bad the actual footage the program left out really was.

The fact that Redstone was worried about raw footage being cherry-picked (the article’s word) by Trump’s lawyers is a pretty good sign that the then-sitting president of the United States — a man with a nuclear arsenal at his command — came across like he was drooling his way through an after-lunch nap.

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US To Fund $500 Million Boeing KC-46 Tanker Aircraft Deal for Israel

The Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that it will be signing a contract to purchase two Boeing-made KC-46 tanker aircraft in a deal worth about $500 million that will be funded by US military aid.

“This is a follow-on contract with the US Government for procuring two advanced refueling aircraft in addition to four previously purchased KC-46 aircraft. This will expand the IDF’s new refueling fleet to six aircraft,’ the Defense Ministry wrote on Facebook.

“The new aircraft will be equipped with Israeli systems and adapted to the IAF’s operational requirements. The contract’s scope is estimated at approximately half a billion USD and is funded through US aid,” the ministry added.

The US provides Israel with $3.8 billion in military aid annually, including $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing, a State Department program that gives foreign governments money to purchase US weapons.

Since October 7, 2023, the US has provided Israel with significantly more aid, including an additional $3.5 billion in FMF that was part of a $17 billion military assistance package for Israel tucked into a $95 billion foreign aid bill authorized by Congress and signed by President Biden last year.

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Trump Attempted Assassin’s Identity Still Not Known in Butler, PA

AbleChild has recently obtained a copy of the much sought after autopsy results of alleged attempted assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. In a word, the autopsy leaves a lot to be desired and, frankly, even with the autopsy, the public still has not been provided physical evidence to, once and for all, indict Thomas Matthew Crooks as the shooter.

First, the autopsy of the alleged shooter was only made public when the Headline USA reporter, Kenneth Silva, filed suit with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) to obtain “the medical examiner case information summary, as well as all lab analysis reports, exam images, pathology reports, histology slide recuts, toxicology reports, and scene images for Thomas Matthew Crooks.” The request also included “all records that document the transportation and chain of custody of Crooks’s body from the crime scene to the Alleghany (sic) County Office of the Medical Examiner or any other coroner’s office, including yours – including all internal communications about this decision.”

As expected, and in keeping with all the other investigative reports and materials surrounding this attempted assassination, the request was denied. Silva appealed and was awarded the right to the autopsy but any information dealing with the “histology slides (which would determine the DNA of the shooter), crime scene photos and exam images were denied.

What is most interesting is that despite the entire free world still blabbing about Thomas Matthew Crooks being the shooter, the data released by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner (ME) not only doesn’t describe how the body autopsied was identified, but admits that the Butler County Coroner, William Young, did not provide written communications about the transport or chain of custody of the deceased. Why?

For the record, neither the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Butler Police Depts., Butler County Coroner, or the Allegheny County Medical Examiner have publicly provided any physical evidence that conclusively identifies Crooks as the shooter.

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