“Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vučić, has resigned to pursue an attempt to become prime minister in an early parliamentary election that will test his firm rule in the Balkan country after nearly two years of protests. Vučić’s second presidential term would otherwise end in May next year. He is banned by the constitution from seeking a third term and said he was resigning to lead his rightwing Serbian Progressive party (SNS) in the 25 October ballot. The governing populists face a major challenge from a youth-backed movement that led protests triggered by a train station canopy collapse in November 2024 that killed 16 people in the northern city of Novi Sad.” (09/27/26)
“The CEO of a mid-Michigan credit union is no longer employed by the financial institution after posting an AI-generated photo of herself and family members wearing Lake America sweatshirts. Saginaw-based Family First Credit Union said in a Sept. 23 statement that CEO Jane Smith is no longer an employee of the credit union, ‘effective immediately.’ It noted that Jason Acosta, its chief operations officer, is now serving as the institution’s interim CEO. ‘We sincerely apologize for the concern, disappointment and pain this situation has caused our members and community,’ Family First Credit Union said in a Facebook post on Sept. 24.” [editor’s note: Anyone feeling concern, disappointment, or pain over a social media post with an AI-generated “Lake America” t-shirt has big mental or emotional problems; those problems shouldn’t have been made into her employment problem – TLK] (09/26/26)
“Hundreds of thousands of people packed Paris'[s] iconic Champs-Élysées Avenue for Pope Leo XIV’s big outdoor Mass on Saturday, a sign of the Catholic Church’s enduring appeal in the once staunchly Catholic but officially secular country. The Vatican estimated that 800,000 people came out for the Mass — more than the 600,000 who had registered in advance. The stunning turnout testified to the church’s enduring influence in France, despite sharp declines in churchgoing in recent decades and secularizing trends that have emptied churches around Europe.” (09/26/26)
“Misael Ramos, an Austin City Council candidate running to represent District 1 in East Austin, was released from the Travis County Jail on Saturday evening after state troopers arrested him earlier in the day. … Jeffrey Clemmons, Ramos'[s] campaign manager, said two of Ramos’ neighbors saw him being detained by several state troopers, including officers in unmarked vehicles, while Ramos was walking his dog around 8:50 a.m. Saturday. Clemmons said the officers never showed Ramos a warrant for his arrest. … Travis County Sheriff’s Office records show that Ramos was booked into Travis County Central Booking at 9:31 a.m. Saturday on a charge of participating in a riot, a Class B misdemeanor.” [editor’s note: The “riot” was a protest over the ICE gang’s attempted murder of a DoorDash driver – TLK] (09/26/26)
“Protesters outraged by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman spent the night camped in Madrid’s historic Puerta del Sol plaza, where more people — including multigenerational families — joined them Sunday for a second day of demonstrations over Spain’s housing crisis. Tens of thousands of people marched in Madrid on Saturday to protest the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal from an apartment in the upscale Retiro neighborhood which had been her home for decades. Protesters are demanding protective measures for tenants, anti-fraud rules and a ban on evictions without alternative housing.” (09/27/26)
“The White House on Friday evening announced plans to claw back $810 million in congressionally appropriated funding, prompting criticism from lawmakers. A year ago, President Donald Trump’s administration blocked $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid through a pocket rescission, marking the first time in roughly 50 years that the president has attempted to use that authority. The controversial budget maneuver occurs when a president submits a request to Congress to block funding so close to the end of the fiscal year that the funds can expire before Congress receives the full 45-day consideration period under the law. … The rescissions would block $567 million appropriated for Health and Human Services programs for refugees, asylees and other non-citizens and $28 million for HHS research. Additional cuts target the Department of Education’s special programs for immigrant students, among other programs.” (09/26/26)
“The robotic spacecraft that failed to rescue an aging NASA telescope plunged back to Earth on Friday less than three months after launching on the bold mission. Katalyst Space Technologies announced the demise of its three-armed spacecraft named Link. It reentered the atmosphere overnight, bringing the $30 million, NASA-sponsored salvage effort of the Swift Observatory to a close. Swift is expected to follow in early November as its orbit steadily sinks.” (09/25/26)
“At least 27 people were killed in two separate shootings in South Africa on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, adding to the toll of mass shootings in a country struggling to control violent crime. The shootings, which like other attacks in recent years came at bars or taverns, occurred near the country’s two most populous cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, in township communities that face socioeconomic challenges. … South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates.” [editor’s note: And some of the world’s most restrictive victim disarmament (“gun control”) laws. How’s that working out for them? – TLK] (09/27/26)
“Scoring illegal sex along Queens’ Roosevelt Avenue has never been easier — as the number of hookers has multiplied and prostitution-related arrests have plunged by 60% along the seedy strip since soft-on-crime socialist Zohran Mamdani became mayor this year. John, a 40-year-old Manhattan horndog, said he has no problem schlepping on the subway to the notorious open-air sex bazaar — nicknamed the ‘Market of Sweethearts’ — because the women are ‘cheap’ and cops have their hands tied by lax laws and policies. … NYPD officers reported making 193 prostitution-related arrests along Roosevelt Avenue this year through Sept. 13, records show. That’s a massive 59% drop from the 468 arrests during the same period the previous year when ex-NYPD captain-turned-mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch led a major enforcement effort dubbed ‘Operation Restore Roosevelt.'” [editor’s note: The Post reports this like it’s a bad thing – TLK] (09/27/26)
“Police evacuated homes Sunday near an air base in England used by the U.S. and arrested several men over suspected explosives offenses. The Gloucestershire Police force said Sunday that residents of ‘a number of properties’ in Whelford, western England, have been taken to a nearby leisure center and that the situation is ‘contained.’ That is close to RAF Fairford, a base that American forces have used for strictly limited strikes during the war with Iran. … Police say several men have been detained on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, and army bomb-disposal experts are examining several vehicles.” (09/27/26)
