Celebrations have broken out all over Europe among the Iranian diaspora. The video below from RTL.Nl shows a celebration by Iranians in the Hague. Hat tip to Vlad Tepes, RAIR Foundation USA, and Gates of Vienna for the subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Has Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Been Killed?
For what it is worth, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf is reporting today that former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been killed in an airstrike on Teheran. Reportedly, his home in east Teheran was struck. I should add that this is the only Dutch newspaper I see reporting this thus far. Thus, I consider this unconfirmed.
If you can get past the subscriber block below, you have to scroll down to the report, which is brief.
*Update: This is now breaking from many other news sources, including the NY Post.
Saturday, February 28, 2026
It's Been a Good Day..............
Los Angeles
-NY Post
Parliament Hill, Ottawa
Parliament Hill, Ottawa
(Hat tip Vlad Tepes)
Vienna
-Kronen Zeitung
Paris
-USA Today
Athens-Iranians sing the Iranian National Anthem outside the Iranian embassy
-Reuters
London
-Reuters
Berlin-Berliner Morgenpost
Germany: US Veteran Honored in Erlangen
Sgt Alfred Pankey Jr. (L) 2009
-US Army
On this day, it is hard for a humble blogger like me to write about anything, given what is going on in Iran. It is inconceivable that anyone might turn to this site to learn what is happening. I have been scouring the European press to get a sense of how Europe is reacting to the events, but that is for my personal edification.
I happened to come across this article in the Erlanger Nachrichten (Germany), which is related to our military, and I thought it was worth posting here, partly because I have a deep attachment to Erlangen. In the late 1960s, I spent my military service there, and later in life, wrote an English-language book on the city's history. I also think it is fitting on a day like today to pay tribute to our military.
Retired Staff Sgt. Alfred Pankey Jr. was a decorated Vietnam combat veteran who received a Bronze Star for valor, albeit belatedly. He retired in Erlangen in 1982.
-Erlanger Nachrichten
Pankey passed away recently and was buried in Erlangen, an event covered by the local press. Although most of the article has a subscriber block, I am honored to translate what little I can access. A full English-language article in www. army.mil is also posted here.
Rest in Peace, Sgt Pankey.
US Veteran dies
He was a well-known Erlanger. Alfred Pankey Jr. waited over 40 years for his medal for bravery
Erlangen/Landkreis (District) Erlangen-Hoechstadt/Ansbach - Many Erlangers knew the recently deceased US American Alfred Pankey Jr. What many did not know: The Vietnam veteran was the holder of a high honor. However, he had to wait a long time for this. We learned how the delay came about..............................(Subscriber block)
-Sharon Chaffin February 28, 2026 at 20:00
Friday, February 27, 2026
A Public Letter to the University of California Regents
Below is the text of a public letter signed of 368 current and past University of California teachers to the UC Regents protesting the fact that faculty and entire departments at three UC campuses, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC Santa Cruz, are using their positions and resources to lobby for personal political causes, particularly the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel cause. This movement and the actions of the aforementioned faculty and departments have resulted in increasing levels of anti-Semitism being directed at Jewish students.
The signature effort was organized by UCLA Chancellor's Professor Judea Pearl and UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor Ilan Benjamin.
I have signed the letter as well.
Coalition of Concerned UC Faculty
Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff to the Regents
1111 Franklin St., 12th Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
February 26, 2026
Re: UC Faculty Call on Regents to Stop Political Advocacy as Institutional Practice
Dear Chair and Members of the University of California Board of Regents,
We write as current and former UC faculty, many of us in STEM fields and professional schools, in response to the release of When Faculty Take Sides: How Academic Infrastructure Drives Antisemitism at the University of California. UC is admired worldwide for rigorous teaching, original research, and open inquiry anchored in scholarly standards rather than political advocacy. That reputation depends on a simple but essential boundary: individual faculty are free to speak as citizens, but UC’s academic authority, resources, and UC-branded platforms must not be used to advance organized political advocacy as institutional practice.
The report finds that UC has not consistently enforced this boundary. In practice, political advocacy has been carried into UC’s academic life through courses, academic-unit communications, and UC-branded programming -- and the result has been hostile or exclusionary conditions for some students. In the cases documented in the report, those harms fall disproportionately on Jewish students and others labeled “Zionist” or “pro-Israel,” but the underlying problem is institutional: UC academic authority is being used in ways that make political agendas appear to carry the University’s official endorsement.
Looking across UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC Santa Cruz, the report shows the same pattern repeating: faculty influence concentrated in key unit roles; academic units using their websites, listservs, social media, and events to push one-sided messaging; new campus-branded academic initiatives that amplify that programming; and classrooms being used to steer students toward political activity.
For the Regents, the implications are not abstract. UC’s crisis cannot be resolved by treating it solely as a matter of episodic student conduct or generalized “climate.” The report describes a governance-related breakdown: UC lacks clear systemwide operational rules and consistent enforcement that distinguish protected individual faculty speech from institutional academic-unit action, and that prevent misuse of UC authority and resources inside core academic functions.
This breakdown also harms the University itself. It undermines UC’s academic mission, damages UC’s reputation as a leading research institution, and increases exposure to federal scrutiny and potential funding consequences -- risks that fall disproportionately on research-intensive STEM departments and the broader UC research enterprise. When the public sees UC-branded academic units operating as political actors, confidence in UC’s scholarly standards and institutional integrity erodes. When regulators see inconsistent enforcement of rules that govern instruction, resource use, and institutional neutrality, the stakes become not just reputational but financial.
We therefore urge the Regents to act now. Enforce UC’s existing rules -- and strengthen them where needed -- to stop faculty and academic units from using UC authority, resources, and UC-branded platforms to advance political advocacy as institutional practice. The point is not to restrict anyone’s private speech. It is to restore a clear, enforceable boundary: UC academic units should educate and conduct research, not operate as political actors. The report lays out specific Regents-level actions to make that boundary real across all campuses, with consistent oversight and consequences when it is violated. We also respectfully request that the Regents take up the report and its recommendations for discussion at the Regents’ March meeting.
The Regents’ leadership is essential to protect UC’s academic mission and instructional integrity, safeguard equal access to UC’s educational programs for all students, and restore public confidence that UC’s academic units operate as scholarly institutions rather than political actors.
Respectfully,
368 Current & Emeritus UC Faculty and Staff
Cc: UC President James B. Milliken
UC Chancellors
UC General Counsel Charles F. Robinson
California Schools K-12 Sued for Anti-Semitism
The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under the Law and Stand With Us, two organizations dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, particularly in our schools and universities, have filed a lawsuit against the State of California over anti-Semitic treatment of Jewish students.
I am cross-posting an article in Algemeiner describing the action.
It goes without saying that I approve of this action. Lawsuits are absolutely necessary to remedy this situation, and if our public schools and the states that oversee them will not take action to protect Jewish students, then legal action is required.
France: Jean-Luc Mélenchon's Jew-Baiting Reference to the Jeffrey Epstein Affair
Jean-Luc Mélenchon speaking in Lyon
Just a few days ago, we were reporting on the beating death of a conservative activist in Lyon at the hands of 6 people, identified as members of the Antifa-like group, La Jeune Garde. At least one of the suspects facing charges was an assistant to a deputy in the National Assembly (French Parliament) who represents the left-wing La France Insoumise party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Mélenchon has previously been accused of anti-Semitism, and his party is linked to La Jeune Garde.
In the face of national outrage against the party from both the right and the left, Mélenchon gave a defiant speech Thursday evening in Lyon in which he invoked the name of Jeffrey Epstein, who is also big news in France due to alleged associations between Epstein and certain prominent Frenchmen.
Most disturbing were Mélenchon's references to the pronunciation of Epstein's name. He mocked French media for pronouncing it as "Epst-ine" as opposed to "Epstein", which he pronounced as "Epst-een". ("Epsteen" is my phonetic reference to what Mélenchon used.)
We are working on adding English subtitles to a video clip of Mélenchon's speech. In the meantime, here is a translation of a written article by CNEWS, France, which gives the backdrop and context of what the LFI leader said. Both the video and the article are from CNEWS. Translation of the article is by Fousesquawk.
"Say Epstine, not Epstein..." Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused of anti-Semitism after a comment about the name of the American pedophile-criminal.
-By CNEWS
Posted February 27, 2026-Updated February 27, 2026 at 10:32
At a rally Thursday evening in Lyon, Jean-Luc Mélenchon invoked the Epstein affair in playing with the pronunciation of the name of the American pedophile criminal, (who was) of the Jewish faith. A comment that has provoked the ire of the political class, first and foremost Aurore Bergé, who has accused the leader of (La France) Insoumise party of anti-Semitism.
A comment with a nauseating stench. While the LFI is being criticized by the entire political class for distancing itself from the Jeune Garde movement after the death of the militant Quentin Deranque, a new controversy is brewing since Thursday evening after the remarks of Jean-Luc Mélenchon. In Lyon to lend his support to the top of the list LFI (candidate), Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi, the LFI leader held a rally in the Gaul capital. An opportunity for Jean-Luc Mélenchon to bring up the supposed media silence of the Epstein affair.
Referring to the investigative work of France Info journalists in judicial affairs, Jean-Luc Mélenchon deplored the supposed violation of "the secret of investigation". "Except when it concerns the Epstein affair", he immediately corrected himself, emphasizing the ending of the financier's last name.
"Ah... I meant Epstine, pardon me, that sounds more Russian, 'Epstine'. So now you say, 'Epstine' instead of 'Epstein'. 'Frankenstine' instead of 'Frankenstein'! And there you have it, everyone understands how it must be said. You can all progress," declared the three-time presidential candidate.
The political class up in arms
The comment has provoked the ire of the president of Crif ( Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France), Yonathan Arfi: "Whether J.L.Mélenchon likes it or not, a 5th grader knows that in English, 'Epstein' is pronounced 'Epstine'. The journalists are only pronouncing an American name ...the American way. To see this pronunciation as a manipulation reeks of a conspiracy plot with anti-Semitic undertones. Whatever the pronunciation, Mélenchon remains synonymous with political disgrace," he declared.
"In France, the pronunciation '-ein" often evokes Jewish (identity). In his attack against France Info, Mélenchon criticized the media that no longer pronounce Epstein as -'ein'. Now you see? Yes, it is surreal and nauseating," explained on X, journalist and specialist in French literature, Marianna Perebenesiuk. A detail far from insignificant, since Jeffrey Epstein was of the Jewish faith.
"The new anti-Semitism in France is written in 3 letters: LFI"
Aurore Bergé, Minister of Equality Between Women and Men, was quick to react: "The new anti-Semitism in France is written in 3 letters: LFI. In the face of the LFI, there is only one possible attitude-Combat. Everyone must assume their responsibilities. Everyone must clean house. Not one single vote for these anti-Semites," added the Macron supporter.
For Rassemblement National deputy, Matthias Renault, it is a "calculated anti-Semitic outburst from Jean-Luc Mélenchon."
The same sentiment was echoed from the left side of the political spectrum. The head of the Green party declared on X that, "Nothing is acceptable" in the remarks by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, before stating, "Enough is enough now".
"For how many decades has a political leader made a hall laugh by throwing out Jewish names, stressing their pronunciation with a hateful grin? This no longer has anything to do with Gaza. It has only to do with the most terrifying anti-Semitism," the PS (Socialist party) senator, Laurence Rossignol, said angrily.
In response, Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced a "dismaying reaction from those who see it as anti-Semitism". And adding: "The brutalization of political life is from the side that wants to silence us through threats and insults at every turn. They are deliberately inciting violence against the LFI."
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*Update: Here is the aforementioned CNEWS video with English subtitles. Hat tip RAIR Foundation USA, Vlad Tepes, and Gates of Vienna for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Trump Played the Dems Like a Fiddle at SOU
This article first appeared in New English Review.
We all knew the State of the Union was going to be great theater last night, and Trump and Democrats did not disappoint. True to their word, 73 Democrats chose not to attend, a childish display in itself. Many of the Democrat women who did attend chose to wear all white as some form of protest. They wore buttons on their shirts, many of them demanding that the Epstein files be released. Even worse, Rashida Tlaib wore a button (along with her Palestinian keffiyeh) that read, "F---ICE". (The F-word was fully spelled out.) One Democrat senator, Mark Warner of Virginia, walked out.
Al Green followed up on last year's outburst with his second consecutive ejection as he displayed a poster that read, "Black people aren't apes", a reference to an offensive image borrowed from "The Lion King", posted by somebody in the White House, portraying Barack and Michelle Obama's heads superimposed on the bodies of apes. As he was being escorted out, he got in the faces of Republicans on the aisle and shoved the poster at them, as if they were responsible. I seriously doubt anybody in that hall last night believed that black people are apes. Green then compounded his childishness by comparing himself to Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, people who, unlike Green, were arrested and thrown in jail for their bravery. There was nothing brave about what Green did last night. He was not arrested. That is an important distinction. Yes, the image of the Obamas was offensive, and hopefully, whoever was responsible for it was fired, but Green could have chosen a better way to voice his indignation.
Then there was the spectacle of Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, who were seated next to each other (as is fitting), shouting at Trump. Yes, Trump goaded them and all the Democrats who refused to stand and applaud the most sympathetic guests invited to attend and be recognized. A child who was critically injured in an accident involving an illegal alien, and family members of people murdered by illegal aliens. By my count, they only stood in unison and applauded the US Hockey team and two Medal of Honor winners as they were being presented with their medals.
The glaring exception on the Democrat side of the aisle was Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Every time I saw him-even if the camera was not trained on him- he applauded when it was appropriate, and stood when appropriate. Yet, he did nothing to try and stand out, even though he uncharacteristically wore a suit-uncharacteristically. He behaved in a low-key, dignified manner as befitting a US senator. He deserves to be recognized, and I respect him.
As stated, Trump certainly goaded the Democrats, and they took the bait. Perhaps his best rhetorical tactic was to invite all those who agree that "the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens" to stand and show their support. Once again, the Democrats sat on their hands. (I don't recall seeing Fetterman on the screen at that moment.)
And then there was the Democrat response from Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger. I was taken aback when she announced that she was a former federal agent investigating drugs and money laundering. Was she an ex-DEA or FBI agent? Being retired from DEA, I was hoping it was not the former, especially given the way she trashed ICE agents, accusing them of everything but kidnapping Nancy Guthrie. I did some checking after the speech and learned that she spent 8 years in the CIA. Her federal agent experience was as a US Postal Inspector. They are considered federal agents, and we occasionally worked with them on cases involving drugs sent through the mail. Call it nitpicking, but I thought her description of herself was just a tad misleading and exaggerated.
Last night demonstrated once again the stark difference between the two parties. The Democrat party has moved so far to the left that its allegiance to this country has to be called into question. People like Al Green, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and so many others are now the face of this party. For all this talk about the likelihood that the Republicans will lose control of Congress come November, last night's spectacle cannot be lost on the public at large.
Granted, a lot of people don't like Trump, but he will not be on the ballot in November. We need to remember that last night showed us that the Democrat party does not support law enforcement, and they do not support secure borders. I will close with a cautious prediction. I have a feeling that Senator Fetterman will be making a major announcement in the not-too-distant future.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Germany: Syrian/Iraqi Gang Rape
Hat tip Gates of Vienna
Four Syrians and one Iraqi are charged with the gang rape of a young woman in the Aachen area last October. In addition, the 5 men are also being investigated for other gang rapes in the area.
The below article from Westdeutsche Rundfunk (WDR) is translated by Fousesquawk. We are also working on adding English subtitles to the video in the article.
Gang rape: Charges against 5 men in Heinsberg District
Posted February 18, 2026 06:05
The Prosecutor's Office in Aachen has filed charges against 5 men from Heinsberg District for several rapes.
-By Thomas Wenkert
The alleged perpetrators are between the ages of 17 and 27. Four of them are of Syrian origin, and one is of Iraqi origin. They are in pre-trial custody. The group has been under investigation since the end of October.
The 5 men, among other things, are accused of raping a young woman together over an extended period of time on October 19, 2025 in the small town of Heinsberg-Unterbruch. The young woman immediately filed a report.The investigation by the State Prosecutor's Office in Aachen has now been expanded as more victims have come forward. "The proceeding concerns three cases of rape," explained Senior State Prosecutor Katja Schlenkermann-Pitts in response to an inquiry from West Deutsche Rundfunk.
State Prosecutor's Office not commenting on details
The investigators are withholding details on the crimes. Partly out of consideration for the ongoing investigations, partly because protecting the victims is primary. It seems, however, that 2 of the 3 victims are minors.
As to the motive of the young men, the Public Prosecutor's Office cannot say as yet. As of now, all 5 suspects are in pre-trial custody. However, a different facility is reportedly being sought for the 17-year-old. This is stipulated under juvenile court law in Germany.
Discovery of weapons during Special Operations Forces operation
Shortly after the rape last October, there was a Special Operations Forces operation and house search in the residence of one of the men involved. This, however, was in connection with another investigative procedure against the 5 men. It was then that a pistol and a taser were seized.
*Update (2-24-26): Here is the aforementioned WDR video with English subtitles. Hat tip Gates of Vienna, RAIR Foundation USA, and Vlad Tepes for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.
Saturday, February 21, 2026
CAIR's List of Most Hostile Campuses (for Muslims)
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The Council on Islamic American Relations (CAIR), a US branch of the Muslim Brotherhood with links to Hamas, is at it again. Now they have published a list of the "10-most hostile (for Muslims) campuses". For the second straight year, Stanford University has made the "top ten". This news has not gone unnoticed by the Stanford Daily. You can read their report, dated February 11, here.
Isn't it amazing that the very bullies and campus disrupters who have brought such disrepute to university campuses over the past couple of decades are crying that they are being picked on? For years, institutions like Stanford have turned a blind eye as (some) Muslim students and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), backed to the hilt by organizations like CAIR, have wreaked havoc on campuses like Stanford. And finally, when several campuses decided last year that there must be consequences for anti-Jewish hate speech, bullying, campus encampments, disruption, and occupation of university buildings, CAIR cries foul.
On the contrary, I would argue that Stanford has been a hostile campus for Jewish students, who, by the way, are not disrupting, engaging in hate speech, occupying buildings, or bullying anybody.
And isn't it laughable that CAIR puts Columbia University at the top of its list- arguably the most hostile university in the nation for Jewish students?
And by what logic does adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism make a campus hostile to Muslims?
And while the Stanford Daily is reaching out to CAIR representatives in their San Francisco office for comment, they might want to ask about anti-Semitic statements attributed to their CEO, Zahra Billoo, over the years.
This report put out by CAIR is just the latest example of their blatant hypocrisy.
Italy: Another Horrific Murder: German Woman Beheaded
Hat tip Gates of Vienna
Moroccan man in custody
A 44-year-old German woman was found decapitated in an open area in Scandicci, Florence province, Italy, on February 18. A 30-year-old Moroccan man is in custody and charged with the murder. He is identified as Issam Chlih, from Morocco. Chlih is previously known to police for drug and robbery offenses. He was living illegally in an abandoned farmhouse.
We are working on providing English subtitles to an Italian news video on this incident. Meanwhile, the article below from Sky TG24 is translated by Fousesquawk.
A woman decapitated in Scandicci, 30-year-old homeless man arrested: Machete was seized
20 February 2026 at 12:59
The man, already known for previous arrests connected to drugs, was living illegally in a farmhouse where the body was found. In the past few days, after having gone on a rampage in the same area of the former National Research Council (Cnr), he was subjected to compulsory medical treatment and taken to a hospital. He is now under guard and in custody. The body of the victim was discovered on the evening of February 18: She is a 44-year-old woman, also without any fixed address.
At the location of the discovery of the corpse, in the area of the former Cnr in Scandicci, in Florence Province, the Carabinieri also found a machete and a bloody knife that were seized. The suspected killer, on the same evening of the discovery of the decapitated body, was placed into compulsory medical treatment because of his outbursts in the area of the abandoned farmhouse in which he was living illegally. Located and taken to a hospital by the Carabinieri, he is now under guard and close surveillance. The 30-year-old, as explained by Colonel Luigi De Simone, is under serious suspicion of homicide in terms of "conclusive evidence against him", including findings "found, such as possible crime weapons, some items of clothing, which are being checked for blood traces, in addition to other investigations." Furthermore,"there has been confirmation with the interviews of witnesses, analysis of the images from video-surveillance, and findings at the scene of the crime".
Awaiting the autopsy
According to initial investigations, the victim knew her killer. In fact, according to the Carabinieri commander, Luigi De Simone, the two had been previously observed and questioned together. As stated, the man had already been known to law enforcement, who, however, had no knowledge of the woman living in the province of Florence. It is not known "how long she was here". We are conducting checks", the colonel stressed, adding that the latest details as to the cause, the date, and time of death will have to await the autopsy. At this time, De Simone concluded, the causes and motives of this cruel act will be investigated in depth, which we reserve the right to investigate with the judicial authorities".
*Update (2-22-26): Here is the aforementioned videotape from Sky TG24 with English subtitles. Hat tip Gates of Vienna, Vlad Tepes, and RAIR Foundation USA for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.
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