<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> might redistribute profits from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fossil fuel</a> companies and impose <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> consumption limits.
The bloc is currently weighing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-questions-russian-oil-price-cap-considers-making-fossil-fuel-companies-pay-a-solidarity-contribution">various measures</a> to help member states cope with a freeze in Russian energy exports — including natural gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which Russia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/let-the-wolfs-tail-freeze-putin-doubles-down-on-halting-natural-gas-flow-to-western-europe">paused</a> in reaction to Western support of Ukraine. In her State of the Union <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_22_5493">address</a>, von der Leyen asserted that Russia is largely responsible for the energy crisis.
“Russia keeps on actively manipulating our energy market,” von der Leyen said, noting that natural gas prices have recently increased more than tenfold. “But Europeans are also coping courageously with this.”
Multiple European countries are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter">imposing regulations</a> for thermostat and appliance usage. However, von der Leyen announced that she would propose standards for European Union member states to reduce “overall electricity consumption,&#8221; funded by redistributing profits from energy companies.
“We are proposing a cap on the revenues of companies that produce electricity at a low cost. These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dreamt of,” von der Leyen said. “In our social market economy, profits are good. But in these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record profits benefitting from war and on the back of consumers. In these times, profits must be shared and channeled to those who need it the most.”
Russian shipments accounted for 40% of the European natural gas supply last year — a rate that has since dropped to 9%. However, Germany — the continent’s largest economy — has seen dependence decrease from 55% to 35%.
Von der Leyen argued that fossil fuel producers have a “special duty” to aid with the crisis. “Major oil, gas and coal companies are also making huge profits. So they have to pay a fair share — they have to give a crisis contribution,” she added. “These are all emergency and temporary measures we are working on, including our discussions on price caps.”
The European Union, in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement, abides by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">official goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050.
Though von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use">acknowledged</a> last week that low hydropower generation caused by droughts is partially responsible for high energy prices in Europe, she said that “the climate crisis” is the ultimate impetus for the weather conditions and called for the elimination of all fossil fuel dependence.
“Half a century ago, in the 1970s, the world faced another fossil fuel crisis. Some of us remember the car-free weekends to save energy. Yet we kept driving on the same road. We did not get rid of our dependency on oil. And worse, fossil fuels were even massively subsidized,” she continued. &#8220;This was wrong, not just for the climate, but also for our public finances, and our independence. And we are still paying for this today. Only a few visionaries understood that the real problem was fossil fuels themselves, not just their price.”
In a departure from other European leaders, however, incoming British Prime Minister Liz Truss <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-prime-minister-liz-truss-unveils-package-to-cut-soaring-fuel-prices-offers-reforms-so-we-are-never-in-this-position-again">proposed legislation</a> last week to open the North Sea for oil and gas drilling, as well as to facilitate the construction of more nuclear power plants. Other countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, have been slowly shuttering their remaining nuclear facilities in reaction to the 2011 meltdown in Fukushima, Japan.
“Energy policy over the past decades has not focused enough on securing supply,” Truss told the House of Commons. “All of this has left us vulnerable to volatile global markets and malign actors in an increasingly geopolitical world.”

CDU/CSU parliamentary group closed meeting

European Union ‘Social Market Economy’ Might Redistribute Fossil Fuel Profits

European Commission Chief Proposes Redistributing Fossil Fuel Profits

Climate Change

European Union

Fossil Fuels

Oil and Gas

Ukraine-Russia War

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nato" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Atlantic Treaty Organization</a> (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned his fellow <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europeans</a> that the continent will undergo trials as it supports <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> in the midst of an <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> crisis.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> severed <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last week, citing mechanical issues as the country continues its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasion of Ukraine</a>. While top ministers in the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> float policies such as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/g7-finance-ministers-commit-to-russian-oil-price-cap-will-help-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes">price cap</a> on Russian oil and a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-questions-russian-oil-price-cap-considers-making-fossil-fuel-companies-pay-a-solidarity-contribution">solidarity contribution</a> from fossil fuel companies, Stoltenberg encouraged his fellow Europeans that supporting Ukraine is worthwhile in an <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d5bbd979-ae7e-4125-abcb-16368be3dcaf">opinion piece</a> for the Financial Times.
“Our unity and solidarity will be seriously tested, as families and businesses feel the crunch of soaring energy prices and costs of living caused by Russia’s brutal invasion,” Stoltenberg wrote. “We face a difficult six months, with the threat of energy cuts, disruptions and perhaps even civil unrest. But we must stay the course and stand up to tyranny — for Ukraine’s sake and for ours.”
Nations in eastern Europe such as Estonia, Latvia, and Poland have contributed aid to Ukraine worth between 0.5% and 1% of their gross domestic product, according to <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/27331/countries-committing-the-most-of-their-gdp-to-ukraine-aid/">data</a> from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Other nations, such as the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, have contributed less than 0.25% of their economic output, while Germany — the largest economy in Europe — has contributed 0.08%.
“We are preparing more than a dozen new projects to help Ukraine face the winter,” Stoltenberg continued. “We see the decisive difference our support is making on the battlefield every day. The Ukrainian army has proved its ability to resist Russian aggression, strike back deep behind enemy lines and impose significant costs on the invading forces.”
The United States has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-sending-5-5-billion-more-in-aid-to-ukraine">sent</a> nearly $10 billion in military assistance to Ukraine as of early August. According to one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-demand-more-accountability-over-ukrainian-aid-after-cbs-report">report</a>, roughly 30% of the aid has not arrived to the front lines as various Ukrainian factions used equipment as political leverage.
With respect to the energy crisis compelling multiple European countries to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter">impose regulations</a> for thermostat and appliance usage, Stoltenberg said that the economic calamity will help Europe to “break free of Russia’s energy blackmail for good.”
“We do pay a price for our support to Ukraine. But the price we pay is counted in dollars, euros and pounds, while Ukrainians are paying with their lives,” he remarked. “And all of us will pay a much higher price if Russia and other authoritarian regimes believe they can invade their neighbours and trample on international law with impunity.”
Several member nations of the European Union, which abides by the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050, heavily regulate fossil fuel production even as they gradually close remaining <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months">nuclear plants</a>. In addition to the severance of Russian natural gas shipments — which Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/let-the-wolfs-tail-freeze-putin-doubles-down-on-halting-natural-gas-flow-to-western-europe">said</a> will continue as long as fulfilling orders contradicts the nation’s interests — low hydropower capacity emerging from drought conditions has impacted the continent’s electric grid, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use">speech</a> delivered last week by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In a departure from other European officials, however, British Prime Minister Liz Truss reversed the nation’s ban on fracking and proposed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-prime-minister-liz-truss-unveils-package-to-cut-soaring-fuel-prices-offers-reforms-so-we-are-never-in-this-position-again">return to oil and gas</a> drilling in the North Sea following her succession of Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson last week. “Energy policy over the past decades has not focused enough on securing supply,” Truss told the House of Commons. “All of this has left us vulnerable to volatile global markets and malign actors in an increasingly geopolitical world.”

Polish Politics And More (archives 2016-2022)

‘We Face A Difficult Six Months’: NATO Chief Urges Europe To Support Ukraine Through Russian ‘Energy Blackmail’

NATO Chief Warns Of Dark Winter As Russia Continues 'Energy Blackmail'

Europe

NATO

Officials in the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> are eyeing a “solidarity contribution” from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> companies as the bloc grapples with rising power prices.
European nations are attempting to secure energy supplies as <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> costs increase <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than tenfold</a> compared to normal levels. After leading finance ministers floated a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/g7-finance-ministers-commit-to-russian-oil-price-cap-will-help-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">price cap</a> on Russian oil, the nation severed gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last week, citing mechanical issues as the country continues its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasion of Ukraine</a>.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Wednesday that member states would impose the price cap while seeking a “solidarity contribution” from fossil fuel companies. During a Friday meeting in Brussels, however, energy ministers failed to reach a consensus on the former policy and debated the specific terms of the latter.
“We can’t take this card off the table because the other, better way — namely bringing down prices — could certainly be complicated,” German Economy and Energy Minister Robert Habeck <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-poverty-european-union-b3c5049fc902bf22da3b7eb3d2a64edf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters, according to The Associated Press. “We’re doing something that affects the heart of European energy supply — we’re intervening in the markets.”
Irish Climate Minister Eamon Ryan noted that policies must be implemented “within weeks, not months.” He added that citizens will “see the high prices having effect” as temperatures decrease this fall.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to double down on the restricted energy shipments, remarking at the Eastern Economic Forum on Wednesday that he is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/let-the-wolfs-tail-freeze-putin-doubles-down-on-halting-natural-gas-flow-to-western-europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prepared to ignore</a> existing supply agreements. “Will there be any political decisions that contradict the contracts? Yes, we just won’t fulfill them. We will not supply anything at all if it contradicts our interests,” Putin said. “We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil — we will not supply anything.”
European Union ministers concurred that Russia was attempting to “blackmail” its geopolitical rivals. “Russia has used its gas supplies as a weapon to foster an energy crisis next winter but also to weaken our economies and divide — politically — the European Union,” European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said. “We have to ensure that their efforts will fail.”
Several member nations of the European Union, which abides by the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050, heavily regulate fossil fuel production even as they gradually close remaining <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear plants</a>. Mentioning low hydropower capacity stemming from drought conditions throughout the continent, von der Leyen also said on Wednesday that the European Union would consider a “mandatory target” for cutting electricity consumption during peak hours.
“If you look at the costs of electricity, there are peak demands. And this is what is expensive, because, in these peak demands, the expensive gas comes into the market,” she said. “So what we have to do is to flatten the curve and avoid the peak demands. We will propose a mandatory target for reducing electricity use at peak hours.”
France has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for a 10% reduction in energy consumption, while Spain and Switzerland <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulate</a> thermostat levels for households and businesses. In a departure from other European officials, however, British Prime Minister Liz Truss reversed the nation’s ban on fracking and proposed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-prime-minister-liz-truss-unveils-package-to-cut-soaring-fuel-prices-offers-reforms-so-we-are-never-in-this-position-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">return to oil and gas</a> drilling in the North Sea.
“Energy policy over the past decades has not focused enough on securing supply,” Truss told the House of Commons. “All of this has left us vulnerable to volatile global markets and malign actors in an increasingly geopolitical world.”

Extraordinary Energy EU Ministers Council

European Union Questions Russian Oil Price Cap, Considers Making Fossil Fuel Companies Pay A ‘Solidarity Contribution’

European Union Debates Response To Russia As Country Severs Power Supplies

Energy

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a> threatened on Wednesday to let <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europe</a> “freeze” through the winter by refusing to continue <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> shipments.
Russia severed <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last week, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-to-keep-nord-stream-pipeline-shut-citing-mechanical-problems-11662137957" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing</a> mechanical issues as the country continues its invasion of Ukraine. During a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/08/putins-threatens-to-let-europe-freeze-raising-energy-rationing-risk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> at the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin said that he is prepared to ignore existing supply agreements.
“Will there be any political decisions that contradict the contracts? Yes, we just won’t fulfill them. We will not supply anything at all if it contradicts our interests,” Putin remarked. “We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil — we will not supply anything.”
The cutoff of natural gas supplies occurred as finance ministers of the G7 nations — which include France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/g7-finance-ministers-commit-to-russian-oil-price-cap-will-help-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed</a> plans to impose a price cap on Russian oil.
“We would only have one thing left to do: as in the famous Russian fairy tale, we would let the wolf’s tail freeze,” Putin added. According to a <a href="https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/153887-putin_europe_freeze/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Russian news outlet Pravda, the account centers upon villagers finding a wolf stuck in ice and beating it due to its actions over the summer. Though the wolf eventually escaped, its tail was left in the ice.
Indeed, many European nations find themselves constrained as the cost of natural gas increases <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than tenfold</a>. Germany, the continent’s largest economy, imported roughly 55% of its gas from Russia before the invasion of Ukraine, although officials have since reduced dependence to 35%.
Yet several member nations of the European Union, which has endorsed the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050, have placed heavy regulations upon fossil fuels even as they gradually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shutter nuclear power plants</a>. Mentioning low hydropower generation capacity stemming from drought conditions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Wednesday that the European Union would consider a “mandatory target” for reducing electricity consumption during peak hours.
“If you look at the costs of electricity, there are peak demands. And this is what is expensive, because, in these peak demands, the expensive gas comes into the market,” she commented. “So what we have to do is to flatten the curve and avoid the peak demands. We will propose a mandatory target for reducing electricity use at peak hours.”
Several nations have already enacted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy usage restrictions</a> or warned that such policies could soon be necessary. While the legislature of Spain mandated that public air conditioning be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius — roughly 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit — through the summer months, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a 10% voluntary reduction in the nation’s power usage to avoid “last resort” consumption limits.
Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, may <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impose hefty fines</a> for citizens who set their thermostats above 19 degrees Celsius — 66 degrees Fahrenheit — in the event of energy rationing. Possible sanctions include three years in prison for intentional offenders.
In a departure from other European officials, however, British Prime Minister Liz Truss reversed the nation’s ban on fracking and proposed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-prime-minister-liz-truss-unveils-package-to-cut-soaring-fuel-prices-offers-reforms-so-we-are-never-in-this-position-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">return to oil and gas</a> drilling in the North Sea. “Energy policy over the past decades has not focused enough on securing supply,” Truss told the House of Commons. “All of this has left us vulnerable to volatile global markets and malign actors in an increasingly geopolitical world.”

Eastern Economic Forum In Vladivostok

‘Let The Wolf’s Tail Freeze’: Putin Doubles Down On Halting Natural Gas Flow To Western Europe

Vladimir Putin Doubles Down On Pausing Energy Flow To Western Europe

Russia

Vladimir Putin

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/banks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banks</a> have conducted stress tests complete with backup generators and dimmed lights to determine whether their operations will be impacted by <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> rationing, according to a Wednesday report from Reuters.
The move comes after <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> cut off natural gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline until Western powers roll back sanctions on the nation’s petroleum products. As the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> scrambles to address energy shortages while natural gas prices increase <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than tenfold</a> compared to normal levels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Wednesday that her government would propose a “mandatory target” for reducing electricity consumption during peak demand.
Leading banks, many of which facilitate transactions crucial to the European economy, are therefore conducting stress tests to determine the possible impact of rationed power supplies.
One person familiar with operations at JPMorgan Chase, which employs thousands in London and Frankfurt, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/europes-banks-dim-lights-they-brace-winter-blackout-2022-09-07/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a> that the company has carried out power outage simulations and could use diesel generators to keep offices running for multiple days.
Another source told the outlet that UniCredit, the second-largest bank in Italy, tested the resilience of its data processing amid low power supplies. Meanwhile, Euronext — which runs the Italian and French stock exchanges — said it had re-evaluated its energy consumption and possesses backup generators. Swiss company Zurich Insurance Group is darkening offices and turning off “decorative power consumers,” such as fountains.
Deutsche Bank is likewise switching off hot running water in bathrooms, adjusting workplace temperatures, powering down interior branch lighting and illuminated outdoor advertising at night, and shuttering the fountain outside its office in Frankfurt.
“Additional measures that can be taken should the energy situation worsen include using only certain floors of the buildings, and the shutdown of certain services such as the employee gym,” the insurer told Reuters.
Several nations have already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implemented </a>energy usage restrictions or warned that such policies could be necessary for the coming months. While the legislature of Spain mandated that public air conditioning be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius — roughly 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit — through the summer, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a 10% voluntary reduction in the nation’s power usage to avoid “last resort” consumption limits.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who succeeded fellow Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson on Tuesday, is proposing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boris-johnson-out-as-british-prime-minister-successor-vows-to-solve-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stimulus packages</a> for companies and businesses contending with high power expenses. “We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills. … I will deal hands-on with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war,” Truss remarked in her first speech as head of government. “I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply.”
The European Union has adopted the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050 in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. Although <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some critics</a> have pointed to the continent’s rapid transition toward renewable energy as a factor behind low power supplies, von der Leyen — acknowledging that hydroelectric capacity has severely diminished amid drought conditions — called for “massive investments” into green power sources.
“The renewables are cheap, they are home-grown, they make us independent,” she said. “The renewables are really our energy insurance for the future.”

City of London financial district at sunset

European Banks Brace For Energy Rations That Could Threaten Financial System, Rush To Test Diesel-Fueled Backup Generators

European Banks Prepare To Dim Lights, Use Backup Generators Amid Possible Energy Rationing

Banks

Economy

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Wednesday that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> would propose a “mandatory target” for reducing <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electricity</a> consumption during peak demand.
European powers are scrambling to address energy shortages as natural gas prices increase <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than tenfold</a> compared to normal levels ahead of the winter months. Pointing to low hydropower generation and disruptions caused by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian invasion of Ukraine</a>, von der Leyen revealed in a <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_22_5389" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> that the European Union plans to work with member states to limit power usage.
“If you look at the costs of electricity, there are peak demands. And this is what is expensive, because, in these peak demands, the expensive gas comes into the market,” she commented. “So what we have to do is to flatten the curve and avoid the peak demands. We will propose a mandatory target for reducing electricity use at peak hours.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NOW &#8211; EU will propose a &#8220;mandatory target for reducing electricity use at peak hours&#8221; in order to &#8220;flatten the curve.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Q6EuLLTM0L">pic.twitter.com/Q6EuLLTM0L</a>
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1567462388898594816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
Indeed, several nations have already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implemented </a>energy usage restrictions or warned that such policies could be necessary for the coming months. While the legislature of Spain mandated that public air conditioning be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius — roughly 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit — through the summer months, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a 10% voluntary reduction in the nation’s power usage to avoid “last resort” consumption limits.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who succeeded fellow Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson on Tuesday, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boris-johnson-out-as-british-prime-minister-successor-vows-to-solve-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floating stimulus packages</a> for companies and businesses. “We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills. &#8230; I will deal hands-on with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war,” Truss remarked in her first speech as head of the government. “I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply.”
In her remarks, von der Leyen attributed the droughts that have lowered river capacity, and therefore hydropower production, to the “effects of climate change” and called for “massive investments in renewables.” The European Union has adopted the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050 in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement.
“The renewables are cheap, they are home-grown, they make us independent,” von der Leyen said. “The renewables are really our energy insurance for the future.”
The announcement comes days after Russia cut off natural gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and called for the removal of Western sanctions. Finance ministers of the G7 nations — which include France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — had previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/g7-finance-ministers-commit-to-russian-oil-price-cap-will-help-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirmed</a> a plan to impose a joint price cap on Russian oil.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the nation might resume gas shipments via Nord Stream 1 if sanctions are eased. “Problems with gas supply arose because of the sanctions imposed on our country by Western states, including Germany and Britain,” Peskov said. “We see incessant attempts to shift responsibility and blame onto us. We categorically reject this and insist that the collective West — in this case, the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom — is to blame for the fact that the situation has reached the point where it is now.”

Statement by EC Commission’s President Ursula Von Der Leyen On Energy

European Union Intends To ‘Flatten The Curve’ For Electricity Use

Comservatives pointed out the disastrous impact of European <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> policy and sanctions after an Irish café owner posted her exorbitant electricity bill on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a>.
Geraldine Dolan, the owner of the Poppy Fields Café in the town of Athlone, County Westmeath, shared a photo of her electricity bill on Twitter Monday. The bill, dated between June 8 and August 19, totaled nearly 10,000 euros.
&#8220;I got this electricity bill today, how in the name of God is this possible, we&#8217;re a small coffee shop in [W]estmeath,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/DolanGeraldine/status/1564392353300889603">Dolan</a> wrote from her Twitter account Monday.
Dolan told the Irish <a href="https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/cafe-owner-in-shock-after-10000-electricity-bill-for-just-two-months-41947378.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Independent</a> that her annual power bill was about 12,700 euros for the whole of 2021. She estimated that it would cost over 45,000 euros to keep her restaurant lights on for the rest of the year, excluding value added tax. “I don’t know how I am going to cope,&#8221; she said. &#8220;A cost like that is just bananas.”
Conservatives on Twitter reacted to the photo, pointing out that Dolan&#8217;s crushing power bill was a consequence of the European Union&#8217;s energy crisis, which was caused by Russia cutting off natural gas supplies to the continent, and the EU&#8217;s aggressive push for green energy failing to make up the difference and meet Europeans&#8217; electricity needs.
Conservatives also warned that the Democratic Party&#8217;s war on fossil fuels could bring the crisis to American shores as well.
&#8220;This is coming to America as a direct consequence of a radical Democrat agenda to dismantle abundant reliable energy,&#8221; Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/chiproytx/status/1564611230291091463?s=20&amp;t=8PrMOdd6ALoGBY9ZIJ2keA">Chip Roy</a> (R-TX) tweeted. “No, really. So &#8211; let’s stop it.&#8221;
&#8220;People with Ukraine flag bios are scratching their heads over soaring energy prices,&#8221; National Pulse editor-in-chief <a href="https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/1564713983319343106?s=20&amp;t=8PrMOdd6ALoGBY9ZIJ2keA">Raheem Kassam</a> wrote. &#8220;Perhaps don’t elect governments that provoke wars, fail to plan w/ nuclear power, and implement climate change &#8216;net zero&#8217; policies that all raise prices? This is the grave you have dug.&#8221;
&#8220;Small UK coffee shop gets a two-month $10,000 electricity bill,&#8221; junkscience.com founder <a href="https://twitter.com/JunkScience/status/1564675312687906818?s=20&amp;t=3QjYBzqF5aTiycRHTnNqvg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steven Milloy</a> replied. &#8220;Climate idiocy is pointlessly expensive and needlessly disastrous.&#8221;
&#8220;Don’t worry. Just your part in saving the climate,&#8221; former Navy SEAL <a href="https://twitter.com/mchooyah/status/1564664364497620994?s=20&amp;t=8PrMOdd6ALoGBY9ZIJ2keA">Rob O&#8217;Neill</a> added.
&#8220;This is what happens when you give up energy independence and another solution doesn’t exist at scale. Small biz, working class and poor bear the brunt of this anti-human movement,&#8221; commentator <a href="https://twitter.com/caroljsroth/status/1564626678936207364?s=20&amp;t=8PrMOdd6ALoGBY9ZIJ2keA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carol Roth</a> tweeted.
&#8220;In just 18 months the US has spent $500B embracing the European energy model which is now proving both prohibitively expensive and wholly unreliable,&#8221; the <a href="https://twitter.com/US_OGA/status/1564634010126409730?s=20&amp;t=8PrMOdd6ALoGBY9ZIJ2keA">U.S. Oil and Gas Association</a> trade association wrote. &#8220;In 5 years we will look back and realize the only thing that saved us from our own meltdown was abundant US natural gas.&#8221;
&#8220;Small businesses in Europe are toast,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1564618627567226894?s=20&amp;t=8PrMOdd6ALoGBY9ZIJ2keA">Wall Street Silver</a> said. &#8220;Can’t survive selling coffee and pastries with monthly bills like this. Even major chains will shut down quickly.&#8221;
Other users were more sympathetic.
&#8220;This sweet old lady is being mocked for not understanding the direct and obvious relationship between Russia sanctions and soaring energy prices but she shouldn’t have to understand it, she’s a sweet old lady who runs a coffee shop!&#8221; one Twitter user said.

EU Electric Plug

Conservatives Blast Europe’s ‘Needlessly Disastrous’ Energy Policies Over Woman’s 10,000 Euro Electric Bill

Conservatives Point Out Europe's Disastrous Energy Policies After Irish Café Owner Posts Photo Of Exorbitant Electric Bill

Conservatives

Ireland

Twitter

As the global <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy">economy</a> continues to see a variety of disruptions, the euro is approaching parity with the dollar for the first time in 20 years.
The euro was established by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/european-union">European Union</a> as its official currency in 1999. For most of the past two decades, exchange rates have been near or above $1.10 per euro on the foreign exchange market — meaning that Americans seeking to acquire euros needed to provide a greater share of dollars than euros they received.
Over the past year, however, the exchange rate has quickly dropped from $1.22 per euro to $1.02 per euro, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/EURUSD:CUR">Bloomberg Markets</a>. The phenomenon implies more favorable conditions for Americans seeking to conduct business or travel in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe">European</a> countries that use the currency.
“We are partly observing a return to a longer run trend, which began in the summer of 2008, where the euro gradually depreciates against the dollar,” William Luther, the director of the Sound Money Project at the American Institute for Economic Research, told The Daily Wire. “That trend was interrupted by the pandemic, with the euro appreciating considerably throughout much of 2020 before reversing course in January 2021 and returning to its pre-pandemic level by March 2022.”
The most recent drop in demand for euros is due to the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia">Russian</a> invasion of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ukraine">Ukraine</a>, which led to higher natural <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas">gas</a> prices and reduced production throughout Europe. “Barring any further calamities, the exchange rate will likely return to its pre-pandemic trajectory as Europe’s energy problem wanes,” Luther, who also works as an economics professor at Florida Atlantic University, added.
Indeed, <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy">energy</a> prices <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europes-gas-prices-are-even-higher-than-americas">have risen across Europe</a> as supply from Russia is threatened. Citizens of Germany, for example, are purchasing gas at <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Germany/gasoline_prices/">$7.27</a> per gallon as of July 4. In Spain and France, prices at the pump are <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Spain/gasoline_prices/">$8.23</a> and <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/France/gasoline_prices/">$8.00</a>, respectively. Prices are especially high in Scandinavia — <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Sweden/gasoline_prices/">$8.47</a> in Sweden, <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Finland/gasoline_prices/">$9.50</a> in Finland, <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Denmark/gasoline_prices/">$9.48</a> in Denmark, and <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Norway/gasoline_prices/">$9.75</a> in Norway.
Many countries are receiving less than half of their usual volumes of natural gas from Russian state-backed company Gazprom, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russian-gas-flows-europe-dip-further-slow-storage-buildup-2022-06-17/">Reuters</a>. German gas importer Uniper recently requested that the nation’s government provide a $2 billion loan amid reduced energy supply from Russia, German state-run news outlet <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/german-energy-giant-uniper-asks-for-a-bailout-amid-gas-crunch/a-62410668">Deutsche Welle</a> reported on Friday. Economy minister Robert Habeck affirmed that the government “will not allow a systemically important company to go bankrupt and cause turbulence on the global energy market as a result.&#8221;
Rising energy prices are complicating the battle against high <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation">inflation</a> in the United States and the European Union. Because inflationary pressures in Europe are more strongly driven by “real supply disturbances,” Luther said that the higher price levels are “more excusable” across the pond. Both American and European policymakers, however, “have done little to counter rapidly rising prices” until recently, he added.
&#8220;The European Central Bank cannot do much to increase the supply of natural gas. The situation is very different in America, where much of the inflation experienced over the last year was due to easy monetary policy,” Luther explained. “The Federal Reserve could have — and should have — offset the surge in nominal spending observed over the last year. If it had, prices would be lower in the U.S. and in Europe today.&#8221;
The Federal Reserve’s benchmark <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-reserve-takes-most-aggressive-action-to-fight-inflation-in-three-decades">interest rate</a> is now pegged between 1.5% and 1.75%, while the European Central Bank has a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61749090">negative</a> interest rate that policymakers hope to bring above 0% by September. Both central banks have a long-term inflation goal of 2%, although inflation rates in both the United States and Europe are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-reaches-8-6-setting-new-four-decade-high">increasing above 8%</a>.

EU flag

Global Turmoil Makes Euro Cheap For Americans

Americans See More Favorable Euro Exchange Rates

Inflation

Ukraine

The European Parliament has passed a <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2022-0365_EN.html">resolution</a> condemning the United States Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
On Thursday, the European Parliament voted 324-155 for a resolution stating, “Everyone has the right to safe and legal abortion” that will be interpolated into the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
“Its harmful consequences will be experienced most acutely by individuals in vulnerable situations,” the EU resolution said of the SCOTUS decision, adding, “SRHR (sexual and reproductive health and rights), including safe and legal abortion care, constitute a fundamental right; whereas criminalizing, delaying and denying access to SRHR constitutes a form of violence against women and girls.”
“Backsliding on the right to access safe and legal abortion is a grave concern,” the EU resolution warned, then segued to its chief concern: “The overturning of Roe v Wade could embolden the anti-abortion movement in the European Union.”
Poland has made its abortion laws narrow; it is the only EU Member State that has removed a ground for abortion from its laws, the resolution noted, charging, “The illegitimate Constitutional Tribunal ruled on 22 October 2020 to reverse the long-established rights of Polish women.”
“Only Malta has a total outright ban on abortions within the European Union,” <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-urges-eu-to-make-abortion-a-basic-right/a-62396892">Deutsche Welle</a> reported.
The resolution asserted a concern “about a possible surge in the flow of money funding anti-gender and anti-choice groups in the world, including in Europe.”
The resolution concluded by calling for the EU president to “forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the President of the United States of America and his administration, the US Congress, and the US Supreme Court.”
European Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli had stated that the SCOTUS decision was “a reminder that hard-won rights cannot be taken as a given, anywhere.”
Stéphane Séjourné, president of the liberal Renew Europe group in the EU Parliament, stated, “The United States has clearly shown why we must use every tool available to safeguard abortion rights in the European Union.”
According to <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/eu-parliament-condemns-u-s-abortion-ruling-calls-for-human-rights-safeguards">PBS</a>, it is not likely that legislation throughout Europe will not be quickly impacted by the resolution.
After the SCOTUS decision was announced, Grégor Puppinck, director of the European Center for Law and Justice, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/roe-vs-wade-us-the-european-activists-taking-inspiration-and-money-from-us-anti-abortion-groups/">enthused</a>, “This is very positive, and it will be looked at by other judges. &#8230; I think it is obvious that 50 years after Roe v. Wade, abortion is still a problem, and it will always be a problem. Normalization is not possible.”

Prague Launches Czech EU Presidency With Parade

European Union Condemns SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe, Fears Pro-Life Trend Will Spread To Europe

European Union Condemns SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe

Abortion

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Supreme Court

Text messages exchanged between the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/european-union">European Union</a>&#8216;s boss and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pfizer">Pfizer</a>’s CEO just before they sealed a lucrative COVID vaccine deal have vanished, a letter released Wednesday revealed, in the latest chapter of what Europeans are calling &#8220;delegate.&#8221;
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged over a year ago that she had been in regular contact with Pfizer boss <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pfizer-ceo-covid-19-could-be-controlled-by-annual-vaccines-pills-to-treat">Albert Bourla</a> while they worked out a deal for 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine. But after a reporter sought the text messages, the commission, which is the EU&#8217;s executive body, said they are gone, according to a letter published by the EU watchdog.
&#8220;The Commission can confirm that the search undertaken by the President&#8217;s cabinet for relevant text messages corresponding to the request for access to documents has not yielded any results,&#8221; European Union Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-pfizer-vaccines-von-der-leyen/eus-von-der-leyen-cant-find-texts-with-pfizer-chief-on-vaccine-deal-letter-idUKL1N2YG0ID">said</a> in a letter to the agency’s ombudsman, according to Reuters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The elite demand that YOU have no privacy while themselves refusing all transparency:
“Ursula von der Leyen exchanged TEXTS with PFIZER CHIEF Albert Bourla for a month when they were negotiating a massive vaccine contract”
She can ‘no longer find them’<a href="https://t.co/uR21K9gkqR">https://t.co/uR21K9gkqR</a>
&mdash; Maajid أبو عمّار (@MaajidNawaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaajidNawaz/status/1542092173138710531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The deal was <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-07/eu-set-to-sign-off-new-pfizer-vaccine-contract-as-soon-as-friday">announced with fanfare</a> in May of 2021, but the commission did not reveal the price of the contract. It covered 1.8 billion doses for the 450 million European Union residents from 2021-2023 as well as booster shots. Pfizer made an estimated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pfizer-set-to-rake-in-15-billion-from-covid-19-vaccine-sales">$15 billion</a> last year off of its vaccine.
Von der Leyen revealed last year that <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-694877">she had exchanged texts</a> with Bourla for a month when they negotiated the deal, believed to be worth billions of dollars. When a journalist sought the texts and was denied, EU ombudsman Emily O’Reilly accused the governing body of “maladministration” and asked the commission to look again for the texts, Reuters reported.
The letter released on Wednesday said the messages are no longer in Von der Leyen’s possession, and argued that text messages are not subject to public scrutiny anyway.
“Due to their short-lived and ephemeral nature, text and instant messages in general do not contain important information relating to policies, activities and decisions of the commission,” the letter <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/29/european-commission-defiant-over-von-der-leyens-pfizer-texts">stated</a>, per The Guardian.
<div class="ad-slot-container ad-slot--offset-right ">
O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s office called the commission’s response “problematic on several points” and said it intends to publish a detailed report on the matter sometime in July.
European Parliament Member Kathleen Van Brempt, a Belgian Social Democrat and chair of the special committee on Covid-19, told the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/29/european-commission-defiant-over-von-der-leyens-pfizer-texts">Guardian</a> the European Commission&#8217;s response was unacceptable.
“The complete lack of transparency benefits the industry, not European citizens,” she said.
</div>
In addition to concerns about the secrecy of negotiations, some European leaders have sought to renegotiate the deal because many of the doses are going to waste as more residents refuse to get vaccinated, according to Reuters.

BELGIUM-EU-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE

Texts Between EU, Pfizer Bosses Vanish Amid Questions About Billion-Dollar Vaccine Deal

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Pfizer

Filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza announced on Twitter that his new movie, “2000 Mules,” will be screened today at the EU in Brussels. 
“Remarkable! “2000 Mules” is being screened today at the EU in Brussels, followed by a discussion of the worldwide problem of election fraud,” the 61-year-old political commentator <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshDSouza/status/1526948209075134464?s=20&amp;t=LhgAHRZHNPQD8ncq2hDnpw">shared</a> with his more than two million Twitter followers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Remarkable! “2000 Mules” is being screened today at the EU in Brussels, followed by a discussion of the worldwide problem of election fraud <a href="https://t.co/81Bq1R310w">https://t.co/81Bq1R310w</a>
&mdash; Dinesh D&#39;Souza (@DineshDSouza) <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshDSouza/status/1526948209075134464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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He was retweeting Dutch politician Thierry Baudet’s post, which <a href="https://twitter.com/thierrybaudet/status/1526826267433218050">said</a>, &#8220;Today, @fvdemocratie organizes a screening in the @Europarl_EN (Brussels) of @DineshDSouza’s groundbreaking documentary on the 2020 US Presidential election fraud. Afterwards, I will participate in a panel discussion with #FVD MEP @MJRLdeGraaff and #AFD MEP @Joachim_Kuhs.”
D&#8217;Souza also retweeted the announcement that “2000 Mules” would be returning to theaters this weekend rather than limiting the film to special event screenings, which will make the tickets cheaper. 
“2000 Mules” is a film alleging voter fraud that’s been making headlines for weeks. The Daily Wire originally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dinesh-dsouzas-2000-mules-movie-alleging-voter-fraud-makes-1-million-on-streaming-sites">reported</a> that the documentary made more than $1 million on streaming sites Rumble and its subscription-based platform, Locals, in the first weekend post-release. 
D’Souza said the project was inspired by True the Vote’s Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips, who he claims gained access to a “treasure trove of cellphone data, this is called cellphone “geotracking,” which they believed proved “election fraud.” 
The title refers to 2,000 people who allegedly made dozens of trips each to drop boxes to deposit mail-in ballots, which were targeted to swing states including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Phillips interviewed an informant from Yuma County, Arizona, who claimed “mules” were paid based on the quantity of ballots they stuffed in drop boxes. Previously, the Department of Homeland Security had assured the public that the last presidential election as &#8220;the most secure in American history,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/pro-trump-sheriffs-ludicrous-voting-probe-denounced-private-investigators-question-clerks-1610743">Newsweek</a>. 
“I would get a call to find out how many ballots were brought in and if they were already pre-filled out first,” the informant said. The person kept their identity obscured for the movie.
The film has received both high praise and extreme criticism, mostly divided on party lines. DeSouza shot back at critic Amanda Carpenter, who called “2000 Mules” a &#8220;performance piece&#8221; and “hilarious mockumentary.” She said it’s “an investigative documentary in roughly the same way Reno 911 was a hard-hitting look at real-life police work.&#8221;
The filmmaker <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshDSouza/status/1526534504462045184?s=20&amp;t=6JqsYd1izi-emfbbgM-yHw">shot back</a>, &#8220;Ball State grad @amandacarpenter offers a good lesson in the limitations of studying film criticism at a third-rate university.&#8221;
The film has a 7.2/10 <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18924506/">rating</a> on IMDb.

Dinesh D’souza at the Democratic Party at CPAC

‘Remarkable!’: Dinesh D’Souza Announces ‘2000 Mules’ Screening At EU In Brussels

Dinesh D’Souza

Documentaries

Election Results

Vote Fraud

Ukrainian military commander Serhiy Volyna has shared an open letter calling on the European Union and the United States for help as the city of Mariupol remains under siege from Russia&#8217;s military.
Volyna released the letter on social media Monday morning.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Open letter of the Commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade 👇🏼
“I am Serhiy Volyna, Commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Belinsky, am addressing to you from the besieged Mariupol. <a href="https://t.co/UyL3sEKzlm">pic.twitter.com/UyL3sEKzlm</a>
&mdash; Alina Mykhailova (@Mykhailova_A) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mykhailova_A/status/1516063383602307075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;For more than 50 days, the defenders of the city have been heroically defending themselves, despite the overwhelming enemy forces and constant air bombardments, artillery and rocket fire,&#8221; he wrote.
Following the heavy bombing, Russian forces have left many in the city stranded and effectively held hostage.
&#8220;The enemy took the city in a ring and is holding hundreds of thousands of civilians hostage. In our military bunkers there are women, who’re hiding with children, including babies. Mostly relatives of our military, who are wanted by the Russians, without water, food,&#8221; he added.
Volyna blasted Russia&#8217;s claims of providing a green corridor for humanitarian evacuations, telling readers not to believe the Kremlin&#8217;s &#8220;promises.&#8221;
&#8220;Now we, the military, are forced not only to fight the overwhelming forces of the enemy, but also to take care of more than a thousand civilians,&#8221; he stated.
The military leader concluded with the hope that Mariupol could still be saved, vowing Ukraine&#8217;s forces are ready to &#8220;fight until the last drop of blood.&#8221;
&#8220;Mariupol can be saved. We are ready to fight to the last drop of blood. But we must know that the world has done everything possible for this. Then we are ready to do even the impossible for our country,&#8221; Volyna wrote.
Mariupol has been one of the most devastated cities in Ukraine during Russia&#8217;s invasion.
On March 28, the mayor of Mariupol called for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mariupol-mayor-calls-for-complete-evacuation-of-ukrainian-city-claims-5000-have-died" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complete evacuation</a> of his city after reporting that more than 5,000 people had died since attacks by Russian armed forces.
“About 140,000 people had fled the city on the Sea of Azov before the Russian siege began and 150,000 have exited since then, leaving 170,000 still there, according to the data,” Sky News <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-news-live-russia-war-putin-nuclear-biden-latest-updates-12541713?postid=3627898#liveblog-body" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Mayor Vadym Boichenko, who has now left Mariupol, said on national television that about 160,000 residents were still trapped in the city at that time.
“People are beyond the line of humanitarian catastrophe,” he said, <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/mariupol-mayor-fears-humanitarian-catastrophe-073625259.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> a Reuters report. “We need to completely evacuate Mariupol.”
Approximately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-300-dead-in-russian-airstrike-on-mariupol-theater" target="_blank" rel="noopener">300 people died</a> in a Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol used as a bomb shelter, according to a report by the city’s government.
The bombing occurred on March 16 despite large lettering of the word “children” on the ground outside written in Russian that was visible from the air.
“Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament’s human rights commissioner, said more than 1,300 people had been sheltering in the building,” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-kyiv-europe-moscow-b56759e5d40db18e94bef8e42db23e47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Associated Press.
As of Monday, an estimated 21,000 people have been killed in the city, according to an Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-kyiv-business-europe-893384be23cf0fc1c0b9e566de372046" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>. An estimated 100,000 of Mariupol&#8217;s residents remain in the port city that once held a population of 450,000.

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No Surrender: Mariupol Commander Calls For Help To Fight Until ‘Last Drop Of Blood’

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