Marius Borg Høiby Released on House Arrest as He Appeals His Rape Conviction – Reunited With His Recovering Mother Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit
July 16, 2026
Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit recovers from a successful lung transplant, while her convicted son Marius Høiby is released on house arrest pending appeal
In the case of Høiby, it’s a ‘palace arrest’.
The Norwegian Royal Family drama had another development today, as the convicted son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been released on house arrest, as he continues to appeal his conviction and sentencing for rape and other charges.
“Marius Borg Høiby, who was arrested in August 2024, will be transferred from prison and held at a home with an electronic tag for the next four weeks, according to VG.
The outlet said that he will stay in a royal residence near Skaugum, the home of his mother and Crown Prince Haakon. […] ‘During his period of custody with electronic monitoring, Marius Borg Høiby will reside in a property at his disposal in Semsveien. The Crown Prince Couple wishes to support him through his current phase’.”
Maris and his Epstein-friend mom
“Høiby, 29, who has been in custody since February, was found guilty of two counts of rape, domestic abuse and other offences and sentenced to four years in prison last month. He was also acquitted of two counts of rape.”
Høiby appealed the convictions, while the state prosecutor appealed the sentencing.
Also today (16), his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, had been discharged from the hospital after undergoing a lung transplant last month.
“According to Are Holm, Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Mette-Marit’s condition is ‘as good as can be expected’. Meanwhile, the Crown Princess released a statement saying she is ‘deeply grateful’ and has been ‘given the gift of life’.”
Mette-Marit is still under investigation over her Epstein links
The Oslo District Court extended Marius Borg Høiby’s pretrial [pre-appeal] detention by another four weeks, but allowed him serve that time under electronic monitoring, instead of behind bars.
“It’s a rare moment of good news for the royal family, arriving the same day Crown Princess Mette-Marit was discharged from the hospital, wrapping up the treatment she’d started just days earlier.”
This happens as investigations continue surrounding Princess Mette-Marit’s alleged links to the Epstein case – a subject that has disappeared from the headlines in light of her very serious health situation.
“According to Norwegian media, Marius Borg now falls under RISK, a program run by Norway’s prison service that uses intensive electronic monitoring to let people serve pretrial detention at home under close supervision. It comes with round-the-clock monitoring, tight restrictions on movement, and daily check-ins from corrections officers.
For the court to sign off, everyone living in the household has to agree to the conditions. Crown Prince Haakon’s family and household staff all consented to let Marius Borg serve this phase of his detention there, vouching for the home as a stable, controlled environment that meets the program’s requirements.”
Sydney Government-Funded “Unholy Playhouse,” The Left’s Temple
July 16, 2026
The fact that an LGBTQ playhouse mocking Christianity was established in a former church is troubling enough, but Christians are now being vilified for opposing it.
An LGBTQ venue called the Unholy Playhouse, later renamed the Divine Playhouse, opened in the site of a 158-year-old former Catholic church in Sydney with taxpayer funding. Christian groups protested because the shows directly mocked Christianity. In the end, the landlord, Revelop, issued a breach notice demanding that the venue “cease engaging in offensive trade” within two days or face lease termination.
However, the intense debate in support of the venue, particularly the rhetoric condemning Christians for opposing it, illustrates the shift toward a post-Christian world.
The building, St. John the Evangelist Church, was built in 1868, owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, and deconsecrated around 1932. It later housed the Genesian Theatre for roughly 80 years, and the property was sold to developers in 2017. The Divine Playhouse opened on July 8, 2026, operating on a one-year lease with an option to extend, at 422-424 Kent Street in Sydney’s CBD.
The venue was produced by Kat Dopper, known for Heaps Gay and Pleasures Playhouse, and operated by Heaps Gay Events. It was marketed as “a sanctuary for divine mischief.” Programming included live music, DJ sets, karaoke backed by a gospel choir, a cabaret series called Holy Flesh, a Harry Potter-themed party, and an event titled Possession, billed as Australia’s first live exorcism, scheduled for October. A weekend event was billed as Sunday Mess: An Unholy Brunch Party – The Resurrection.
Opening-night staff included performers dressed as nuns in blue habits. The project received a $100,000 grant from the New South Wales government arts agency, Create NSW, to support a four-month program. The opening event, titled “The First Rite,” featured men dressed as nuns in sexualized pig angel suits. The following night, the venue hosted a comedy show titled Two Queers Walk Into A Bar.
A spokesperson for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said the church “holds a strong Catholic history, and to see it used for direct mockery of our beliefs – events built around the resurrection and purgatory – is genuinely hurtful to our community,” and called on the NSW Government to “apply the same standard to all faiths.”
The venue drew immediate opposition. On opening night, roughly 70 people from Christian groups Fit for the Kingdom and The Prodigal Sons gathered outside the venue, chanting hymns and filming attendees. One protester, Lewis Anderson, filmed himself confronting patrons entering the venue and posted the video to Instagram. Catholic petitioner Chris Nave’s Change.org campaign calling on the NSW Government to withdraw support for the venue reached 5,200 signatures.
The two Christian groups gave specific reasons for their opposition. A Prodigal Sons spokesperson said the choice of a former church was deliberate rather than incidental. “There is no shortage of venues across Sydney where the LGBTQ community is free to express itself and its artistic creativity,” the spokesperson said. “The selection of a former church is a deliberate and conscious decision.”
The groups pointed to a specific opening-night performance, in which a performer dressed as a pig offered McDonald’s fries as a parody of Holy Communion, as an example of what they found offensive. A Fit for the Kingdom spokesperson said the group’s objection was to performances that “mocked Christian beliefs.”
Both groups said their goal was not to silence artists but, in the words of Prodigal Sons, to communicate “how deeply this material has wounded a community of faith.”
Protester Liam Aquilina similarly told ABC News that he had no objection to the church being used by “certain communities,” but objected to specific elements, including staff “dressing up as nuns” and alcohol being sold under names such as “Unholy Order.”
Divine Playhouse responded in a statement: “The arts have always been a place where people ask difficult questions, challenge ideas and use humor, satire and performance to reflect on the world around us. Not every work will resonate with every person, but the freedom to make and experience art is part of what makes an open, creative and democratic society… While causing offence was not our intention, respectfully, we heard those concerns and in good faith promptly made changes prior to opening.”
After Christians petitioned to shut the venue down, a counter-petition organized by drag performer Fran Giapanni gathered 2,300 signatures calling for the venue to remain open as an inclusive arts space. Some supporters framed their defense in explicitly religious terms, arguing that Christians opposing the venue were themselves failing to live out Christian teaching.
One commenter wrote: “It’s sad to see those who say they are Christian so ready to judge and condemn. Jesus would have bought a ticket, He was a rebel and a change maker… He asked us to love each other. Let’s do it.” City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller similarly invoked religious language in defense of the venue, describing it as creating “cathedral communities that are ultimately so much stronger for being together than for being split.”
A performer known as Father Daddy made a similar case, arguing that “this idea that the Church is beyond critique or parody has been very dangerous. It’s given us crusades, wars, witch hunts and the recent sexual abuse crisis,” and adding: “You don’t think Jesus would have washed the feet of gay men dying of AIDS in the 80s, or stood up for trans people today?”
Liberals attempting to invoke Scripture in defense of activities expressly forbidden by the Bible are fighting a losing battle, which is generally why they try to silence conservatives rather than engage in free and open debate.
The claim that Jesus would have washed the feet of AIDS patients is accurate. The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care has estimated that the Catholic Church provides 25 percent of all AIDS care worldwide.
Family First’s lead New South Wales Legislative Council candidate, Lyle Shelton, made the funding a campaign issue, pledging to seek an end to Create NSW support for any project that “deliberately denigrate[s] Christianity or any other faith” if elected next year.
Revelop’s breach notice stated: “We note that the trade carried on by HG Events has been the subject of significant protest and public criticism, given its offensive nature.”
Dopper responded by announcing the venue’s closure and the cancellation of all events while she explored legal options. Separately, Meta shut down the accounts of Divine Playhouse, Heaps Gay, and other LGBTQIA+ community pages. The accounts were restored after four days.
A New South Wales government spokesperson defended the grant, saying the government is committed to protecting both LGBTQIA+ people and people of faith from discrimination.
NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann called on the government to support the venue, describing the backlash as an intimidation campaign against queer spaces.
City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller said she was concerned by the lease termination. She added that it was “not my place to decide what is ‘art,’” but that she was “very sympathetic to those whose livelihoods are directly and seriously affected by this abrupt decision.”
A further Christian protest was scheduled for the following Friday, with NSW Police confirming they would maintain a presence to help ensure public safety.
BREAKING: House Budget Committee ADVANCES the SAVE America Act in Reconciliation Which Needs Just 50 Votes + JD Vance in Senate
July 16, 2026
Screenshot
House Republicans scored another major victory Thursday after the House Budget Committee advanced the SAVE and Protect America Act through the budget reconciliation process.
The House Budget Committee advanced a framework for a third reconciliation bill.
Speaker Mike Johnson announced the committee’s approval, calling it a critical milestone in the Republican effort to enact the SAVE America Act despite months of Democrat obstruction and Senate procedural roadblocks.
The reconciliation strategy is designed to allow the measure to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the traditional 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster, although Senate rules will ultimately determine which provisions qualify.
“Today, the Budget Committee advanced the SAVE and Protect America Act. This is the next step toward advancing the SAVE America Act — our party’s top legislative priority,” Johnson wrote.
He also blasted Democrats for refusing to participate in the effort.
“Democrats have chosen not to engage on these important issues. Ultimately, they’ll have to answer to the American people.”
Today, the Budget Committee advanced the SAVE and Protect America Act.
This is the next step toward advancing the SAVE America Act — our party’s top legislative priority.
Democrats have chosen not to engage on these important issues. Ultimately, they’ll have to answer to the… pic.twitter.com/1JfW5VKSjX
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 16, 2026
The next step after the House Budget Committee advances a budget resolution containing reconciliation instructions is for the full House of Representatives to debate and vote on the resolution, which is expected to occur as early as the week of July 20, 2026.
The House has already passed versions of this bill multiple times. Each time, Senate Democrats and a handful of RINOs have blocked it, hiding behind the filibuster while refusing to explain to voters why they oppose basic safeguards against non-citizen voting.
Now the path is clearer. Because this is moving through reconciliation, it only needs a simple majority in the Senate, 50 votes plus Vice President JD Vance to break any ties.
Vance blasted Senate Republicans over what he called “procedural bullsh*t,” arguing there is no constitutional requirement for the Senate’s 60-vote legislative threshold and insisting Republicans should use the reconciliation process to enact election integrity reforms.
Speaking alongside Vice President Vance on Wednesday, Johnson called the reconciliation package “our best shot” at passing the legislation.
“It’s our best shot at enacting our party’s top priority legislation, the SAVE America Act. It is important to the American people and it’s important to the future. And there is nothing in this bill that every Republican in Congress cannot proudly get behind.”
Given Democrats’ absolute refusal to work with us on the nation’s top priorities, we’re moving forward with the SAVE and Protect America Act to deliver on:
A man is accused of punching and robbing a nun, then raping and robbing another woman minutes apart, police said.
The attacks happened in broad daylight on Saturday in Newark, officials said.
Police said Faheem Green, 25, struck a nun with a closed fist, causing her to fall to the ground, before running off with her purse around 7:30 a.m. on Orange Street near South 11th Street.
Green then allegedly assaulted a second woman after she exited a bus on Hudson Street around 8 a.m. According to police, he brandished a handgun and demanded her purse. After she handed over her belongings, Green struck her in the face with the gun, pushed her to the ground, choked her until she lost consciousness and raped her.
The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she is listed in stable condition.
BREAKING: NJ nun beaten and robbed, 2nd woman r*ped by Faheem Green in Newark pic.twitter.com/9pi36k2yAL
SOCIALIST GRIFT: Madrid Court Rejects Appeal, and Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez’s Wife, Begoña Gomez, WILL STAND TRIAL for Influence Peddling and Embezzlement
July 16, 2026
Begoña Gomez – Wiki Commons
Sánchez’s family is always in the headlines, for all the wrong reasons.
A Spanish court rejected for the most part the appeal by Begoña Gomez, the wife of Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and she will have to stand trial before a jury on charges of influence peddling and embezzlement.
It’s another heavy blow for the Socialist government, embroiled in months of graft investigations and scandals.’
“Begoña Gomez’s defense team had launched an appeal, asking Madrid’s high court to drop the charges made against her that she denies, and lift other orders imposed on her by a lower court last month.
The Madrid court dropped a third charge of corruption in business against Gomez, and lifted the lower court’s order barring her from leaving the country, making her regularly report to court and requiring her to surrender her passport.
But it kept the bulk of the case against her – the most serious legal challenge faced by the family and close associates of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.”
Spanish citizens protest Sanchez’s family – Wiki Commons
“The case centers on the creation and management of a chair at Madrid’s Complutense University that was co-directed by Gomez, as well as the alleged use of public resources and personal connections to advance private interests.
[…] The Madrid provincial court said in a statement that it had maintained the two charges of influence peddling and embezzlement but dismissed the accusations of corruption in business dealings and misappropriation.
The court also lifted Gomez’s travel ban. No appeals against the ruling are possible.
Sanchez has dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the right to undermine his government, after a complaint by an anti-corruption group with far-right ties originated the case.”
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Securing our elections
