Welcome back in for Al’s Afternoon Tea, our chance to sit and sample some of the latest news.

First up, a tip of the cup to the Austrian authorities.

Terror Plot Against Taylor Swift Shows in Vienna Thwarted

Austrian authorities have thwarted an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack targeting Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna. Thus far, three teens have been seized in connection with the plot, with more suspects believed to be involved. Investigators found chemicals, explosives, knives, and machetes, along with extensive ISIS propaganda and 21,000 counterfeit euros at the home of the lead suspect. The plan included driving a bomb-laden car into the crowd. 

This was a close call. The New York Post reports two of the suspects had been hired as security for the venue. 

Organizers have canceled the three Vienna shows on Swift’s Eras Tour. “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” promoter Barracuda Music announced Wednesday, to the heartbreak of Austrian Swifties.

Swift has said in the past her “biggest fear” is a violent attack on one of her shows, admitting in 2019 she was “terrified to go on tour this because I didn’t know how we were going to keep three million people safe for seven months.”

Concerts are considered soft targets. In 2017, ISIS bombed a concert by Ariana Grande in Manchester, England, killing 22. Earlier this year, more than 130 people were killed in attack by radical Muslims on a theater in Moscow.

And no one will ever forget the Hamas terrorist attack on the Re’im Music Festival last October. Then again, maybe some have. 

NY Times: Harris Tells Pro-Hamas Faction She’ll Consider an Arms Embargo of Israel If She’s Elected

According to The New York Times, Kamala Harris told two leaders of the Uncommitted National Movement (the folks who encouraged about 100,000 Democratic voters to withhold votes from Joe Biden in Michigan over his position on Israel) that she is “open” to an arms embargo of the Jewish state. This at a time when our closest ally in the Middle East is fighting a war in Gaza along its border with Lebanon and is facing an imminent attack from Iran — and is another sign Harris is hoping to appease the pro-Hamas wing of her party.

Harris’s spokespeople would only “reaffirm that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities.”

The leaders of the movement say they want to support the Harris-Walz ticket, but want the arms embargo in place to stop Israel’s effort to wipe out Hamas. Will Harris throw Jews under the bus driven by the terrorists behind October 7 to secure Michigan in November? Perhaps we should ask Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Meanwhile, pro-Palestinians heckled Harris at her Michigan rally recently, chanting, “Kamala! Kamala! You can’t hide. We won’t vote for genocide.”

Harris bit back. “You know what?” she said. “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

Biden Appears for Interview, Says He’s “Not Confident” There Will Be a Peaceful Transfer of Power If Harris Wins

Joe Biden, who now emerges in public about as often as Halley’s Comet, has given his first sit-down interview since being pressured to quit the presidential race. It’s with CBS News and will air on Sunday. Naturally, the clip CBS has released has nothing to do with his abrupt abdication, but rather concerns tin-foil conspiracy theories.

Robert Costa asked Biden if he is confident there will be a peaceful transition of power after the election.  “If Trump loses, I’m not confident at all,” Biden said. Well, actually, at first he said “if Trump wins, I’m not confident at all.”

In his first TV interview since exiting the 2024 race, President Biden tells CBS News' @costareports he's "not confident at all" that a peaceful transfer of power will happen in January 2025 if former President Donald Trump loses. More this Sunday on @CBSSunday. pic.twitter.com/jwXzCd3gkh

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 7, 2024

Of course, if Harris wins, then power transfers from Biden himself — if that hasn’t happened already.

If Trump wins, Rep. Jamie Raskin is already promising that Democrats will try to overturn the results on January 6, 2025. 

Jamie Raskin is saying that congress will STOP Trump from taking office even if he’s chosen by the voters.

This is extremely dangerous. Every Democrat needs to be on the record about this immediately. pic.twitter.com/9IwRoGrrQu

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 5, 2024

Kamala Harris Now on 19^th Day Without an On-the-Record Interview

The Democratic presidential candidate still has not sat down for an on-the-record interview since helping give Scranton Joe the heave-ho. How bizarre, considering that most major news organizations are in her corner like they’re the Mickey to her Rocky. They’ll lob her softballs even the armless could hit.

Even CNN’s Van Jones is admitting Harris’s hide-and-seek act “can’t last” if she is running for president of the United States.

We keep going back to this point, but only because it’s important: One of the knocks on Harris from inside the White House, including her staff, is that she is averse to risk and always fearful of making mistakes. Put policy and partisanship aside; presidents can’t be Hamlet, pacing the White House over every little decision, “To do or not to do.” Sometimes when that 3 a.m. call comes, you darn well better have an answer by 3:01.

If Harris fears even questions from fawning media loyalists, how fearful will she be of decisions that impact the lives of millions?

Then again, perhaps she is not afraid of interviews. As noted above, maybe she’s just disinterested in telling the American people what she’s saying to radicals behind closed doors.

Stolen Valor Update and Snitching on Your Neighbors

The hot water Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is in over stolen valor allegations continues to boil. A statement from his 2006 congressional campaign provides further evidence that he chucked his National Guard battalion under the bus in order to run for Congress, knowing full well they were likely headed to Iraq. 

Tom Shilling, a member of Walz’s former battalion, called Walz’s actions “dishonorable.”

“We all did what we were supposed to do, we did the right thing, and it’s dishonorable what he did,” Schilling told Jesse Watters Wednesday night. “He left somebody else to take over his spot. He just ditched us.”

Meanwhile, remember how Walz has said, “One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness”?

As others have noted, Walz’s idea of being neighborly is having neighbors snitch on neighbors, just like in the old Soviet Union.

During COVID he set up a snitch line for residents to rat out their neighbors for violating the strict COVID distancing mandates.

Tim Walz Covid Snitch Line

If my account is remembered for anything let it be this.

Just like socialism, this is Tim Walz’s idea of being neighborly.

It’s one thing to read about it. It’s another to hear it. pic.twitter.com/4Xu9NlugvS

— CiceroMN (@cicero_mn) August 6, 2024

On the Stream Menu

The latest from Nancy Flory is up: “App That Warns Parents of Real-Time Dangers on Kids’ Phones Coming Soon.” 

Just posted from Dr. Michael Brown, “Is Israel on the Verge of the Gog-Magog War?”

 

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.