Category: Science

German Ruling Coalition Crushed In Regional Elections As AfD Scores First Victory For German Right-Wing Party Since WWII

German Ruling Coalition Crushed In Regional Elections As AfD Scores First Victory For German Right-Wing Party Since WWII

Two months after the European political establishment suffered a crushing blow in the French elections, on Sunday afternoon we witnessed another demonstration of just how unpopular Europe’s political elite has become when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition was crushed in two regional elections in eastern Germany on Sunday, with populist parties on both the right and left winning about half the votes in both Thuringia and Saxony.

The Alternative for Germany, often defined as “far-right” by most liberal media outlets, is on course for victory in Thuringia on 30.5%, according to projections Sunday for public broadcaster ARD; it represents the first victory for a German right-wing party on a state ballot since World War II (history buffs may recall that Thuringia is where the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, aka NSDAP,  won their first state election in 1929).

What is just as shocking was the voter revulsion to Germany’s ruling coalition: the three parties in Scholz’s ruling alliance — the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats — between them got less than 15% in each of the two states, while the FDP missed the 5% threshold for getting into either regional parliament and the Greens fell short in Thuringia. The only mainstream party to do relatively well was the conservative CDU, which is projected to win in Saxony – by the narrowest of margin vs the ADP – and finish second in Thuringia.

Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the AfD, called the party’s performance “historic” and “a requiem” for the coalition in Berlin and said voters clearly want the AfD in government as the strongest party in Thuringia. Scholz’s coalition “should be asking itself if it can even continue in office,” Weidel told ARD. While it’s unlikely to be able to convince any other party to join it in coalition, with more than a third of the seats in the state parliament it could potentially block major decisions such as judicial appointments.

It’s not just the right that is soaring: in Sunday’s voting, a new far-left party, the Buendnis Sahra Wagenknecht, was on 15.8% in Thuringia and 12% in Saxony, according to early projections and exit polling. Founded only in January after Wagenknecht split from the Left party, it’s likely to play a key role in attempts by mainstream parties to keep the AfD out of power in Thuringia.

Today’s results are the latest bitter blow to German chancellor Scholz and his deeply unpopular government and highlight the risk it faces ahead of the next national election due in just over a year. The picture looks equally dire for another state ballot in three weeks in Brandenburg: the region that surrounds the capital Berlin and is home to Scholz’s Potsdam constituency.

After months of squabbling over spending priorities, nationwide support for the three ruling parties has dwindled to record lows, while support for parties opposing financial and weapons supplies to Ukraine continues to soar. Backing for the conservative CDU/CSU alliance is on around 32% – roughly the same as the SPD, Greens and FDP combined – and the AfD is in second place on about 18%.

According to Bloomberg, the crushing defeat for the unpopular ruling parties in Saxony and Thuringia could prompt renewed calls for an early general election and fuel debate about whether Scholz is the right man to lead the Social Democrats into the ballot next September.

Kevin Kuehnert, the SPD general secretary, said the results in the two regions also send a message to the national government in Berlin: “We need to explain and communicate our policies more and much better, this applies not only for Saxony and Thuringia but for Germany as a whole,” Kuehnert told ZDF in a TV interview, adding that “we must become more self-confident within the ruling coalition and show much clearer to voters what the SPD stands for.” Which of course, is not the problem: Germany as a whole knows very well what SPD’s policies are, and is revolting against them.

Despite its victory in Thuringia, the AfD, which Germany’s authorities have classified as “right-wing extremist” in both regions that voted Sunday as well as nearby Saxony-Anhalt, has no clear path to forming a government as all other political groups have ruled out cooperating with the party — a firewall similar to the one that thwarted Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in France after President Emmanuel Macron called a snap legislative election in June. That should limit any impact on financial markets, which were unsettled by the rise in popularity of French fringe parties.

Wagenknecht, whose party’s policies include stopping aid for Ukraine and curbing immigration, again ruled out any cooperation with the AfD in Thuringia. She indicated that she was ready to govern in a coalition with the CDU and the SPD.

“I don’t think that we’re seen by voters as an AfD light,” she told ZDF. “We are simply closing a representation gap in the political spectrum.”

The CDU’s solid performance Sunday could also impact the process of choosing a conservative chancellor candidate. The leader of the party, Friedrich Merz, seems likely to secure the nomination and can claim some credit for the success in Saxony.

However, a number of other hopefuls can’t yet be ruled out, including North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wuest and Bavaria Premier Markus Soeder, who leads the Christian Social Union, the CDU’s sister party in the southern region.

Merz has said the CDU and CSU will decide on their joint candidate after the Brandenburg vote. The final state election before the next national ballot is at the beginning of March in Hamburg, the port city where Scholz used to be mayor and his SPD rules in coalition with the Greens.

Some 3.3 million people were eligible to vote in Saxony, which borders Poland and the Czech Republic, and about 1.7 million in Thuringia.

Tyler Durden
Sun, 09/01/2024 – 19:15

Post-Tropical Cyclone Hone Forecast Discussion

  • NHC
  • September 1, 2024
  • 0

Issued at 1100 AM HST Sun Sep 01 2024 


547
WTPA41 PHFO 012048
TCDCP1

Post-Tropical Cyclone Hone Discussion Number  42
NWS Central Pacific Hurricane Center Honolulu HI   CP012024
1100 AM HST Sun Sep 01 2024

Hone is now classified as a post-tropical cyclone, so this is the
final advisory. Geostationary satellite imagery reveals that the
low-level circulation center of Hone has become indistinguishable
this morning as it was absorbed into large band of convection
surrounding a deep cutoff low. The center of this merged system,
which now reflects the location of the dominant extratropical cutoff
low, jumped westward considerably as the circulation of Hone was
absorbed. An ASCAT pass from yesterday evening showed a broad area
of gale force winds within a large convective band, and this was
incorporated into this final forecast for the merged extratropical
low.

The post-tropical low of former Hone will continue to move westward
and lose forward motion over the next 12 hours, eventually stalling
tonight as it becomes aligned with the upper-level low. The deep
low will then drift northward near the International Date Line on
days 2 through 4 and likely dissipate by day 5. The post-tropical
low is expected to maintain gale force winds in the northern
semicircle for the next couple of days. If convection does reform
over the center, there is a chance that post-tropical Hone could
regain tropical characteristics over the next 2 days or so. The
Central Pacific Hurricane Center will closely monitor for
redevelopment and the need to resume bulletins east of the
International Date Line.

Since Hone is now a post-tropical low and this is the final
advisory from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, the Tropical
Storm Watch for Kure and Midway Atolls has been discontinued.
However, these atolls could experience gale force winds during the
next couple of days. Additional information can be found in High
Seas forecasts issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu,
Hawaii under AWIPS header HFOHSFNP and WMO header FZPN20 PHFO. If
this system redevelops west of the International Date Line,
bulletins would be issued by RSMC Tokyo, Japan.


FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT  01/2100Z 26.3N 179.3E   35 KT  40 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
 12H  02/0600Z 26.6N 178.8E   35 KT  40 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
 24H  02/1800Z 27.1N 178.5E   35 KT  40 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
 36H  03/0600Z 28.5N 179.2E   35 KT  40 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
 48H  03/1800Z 29.8N 179.9E   30 KT  35 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
 60H  04/0600Z 31.1N 179.0E   25 KT  30 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
 72H  04/1800Z 32.1N 177.8E   25 KT  30 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
 96H  05/1800Z 33.2N 176.1E   20 KT  25 MPH...DISSIPATED

$$
Forecaster Wroe

Post-Tropical Cyclone Hone Public Advisory

  • NHC
  • September 1, 2024
  • 0

…HONE BECOMES EXTRATROPICAL…
As of 11:00 AM HST Sun Sep 1
the center of Hone was located near 26.3, 179.3
with movement WNW at 13 mph.
The minimum central pressure was 1007 mb
with maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph.

  • NHC
  • September 1, 2024
  • 0

Issued at Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:36:21 GMT. This is only a prototype and the file format may change without notice.

Biden-Harris Pentagon Stonewalling Congress, Media on Walz’s China Travel

The Biden-Harris Pentagon is refusing to answer questions from Congress and the media on Democrat vice-presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz’s frequent travel to China — which poses risks for members of the military and can affect those seeking security clearances.

The post Biden-Harris Pentagon Stonewalling Congress, Media on Tim Walz’s Frequent China Travel appeared first on Breitbart.

49er Ricky Pearsall Shot In Chest During San Francisco Robbery; Mom Gives Update

49er Ricky Pearsall Shot In Chest During San Francisco Robbery; Mom Gives Update

Another day, another shooting in a Democrat-run city. This time, 49ers first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall was repeatedly shot during an attempted robbery in downtown San Francisco Saturday, Mayor London Breed confirmed.

May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) smiles during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports

Pearsall, who could be seen walking to an ambulance after he was shot, is in stable condition.

“This afternoon, there was an attempted robbery in Union Square involving San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and he was shot,” said Breed. “SFPD was on scene immediately and an arrest of the shooter was made.”

According to the SF Fire Department, two victims were discovered near Grant and Geary streets with possible gunshot wounds.

And according to SFPD, “two male subjects suffering from injuries” were found at the scene, and were transported to a local hospital after receiving medical attention.

As Fox News reports;

The NFL player, 23, had been walking alone shortly after 3:30 p.m. local time when a suspect attempted to rob him with a gun in the Union Square area, according to officials. Scott said that more than one shot was fired.

The gun allegedly belonged to the suspect and was recovered. Scott said that investigators believe the teen had acted alone, adding that there was no indication that Pearsall had been targeted because he’s a football player.

According to Pearsall’s mother, “GOD shielded him,” and none of the bullets hit his vital organs.

“Update on my baby boy,” she said in a Facebook post. “First and (foremost) I want to thank GOD for protecting my baby boy. He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him. He was shot in the chest and it excited out his back. Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs.

“He is in good spirits right now,” she added. “Life is so precious my friends. Please love (each other). My son was spared today by the grace of GOD. Please pray for my baby.”

 

Tyler Durden
Sun, 09/01/2024 – 13:25