Reader’s Links for May 18, 2024

12 Replies to “Reader’s Links for May 18, 2024”

1. DHS Admits to Monitoring 3D Printer Purchases with the Help of Amazon, eBay, and PayPal
   Ammoland Inc. Posted on May 18, 2024 by John Crump
   Young engineer working on a 3D printer 3d guns ghost iStock-demaerre 586694292
   Young engineer working on a 3D printer 3d guns ghost iStock-demaerre 586694292

   The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made a shocking admission while speaking about a Staten Island man who was arrested for making homemade firearms. The DHS, with the help of Amazon, eBay, PayPal, and others, is monitoring Americans buying 3D printers and 3D printing materials that could be used for making firearms.

   The Homeland Security Investigations New York’s El Dorado Task Force (EDTF), which consists of various units for DHS, including the Homeland Security Investigations Financial Crimes Task Force, helped the New York Police Department (NYPD) raid the home of John Raia. The 57-year-old man was accused of manufacturing firearms without serial numbers and having several standard compacity magazines, which are against New York State law to own. New York law enforcement authorities arrested the man. After this raid, the task force showed off the guns and ammo it had seized during the raid.
   Sgt. Rashawn Vaughn, commanding officer of the Homeland Security Investigations Financial Crimes Task Force (HSIFCTF), spoke with the press after the raid and made some startling admissions. According to the investigator, DHS is tracking the sale of anything that can be used to create a firearm, including metal rails used in 3D-printed guns. Not only is the government monitoring the sale of perfectly legal gun parts, but they are also tracking things such as the purchase of 3D printers. The vast majority of people who buy 3D printers do not use them to print guns, but buying too many printing supplies or printers could get you investigated by Homeland Security.

   There is no federal law against making homemade firearms, even though the Biden Administration demonizes the practice by calling privately manufactured firearms (PMFs) “ghost guns.” The lack of federal statute banning the PMFs means that DHS is investigating people for carrying out perfectly lawful commerce. If someone passes a certain threshold for purchasing 3D printing supplies, which DHS hasn’t announced, the federal government admitted that it would investigate the buyer and monitor their social media.

   More disturbing is that giant online retailers such as Amazon and eBay and payment processors such as eBay are turning over sales records of anyone who purchased certain items, including 3D printers, every two months to authorities to sift through. None of those being investigated broke any laws for their purchases. To many, this would be like investigating anyone who buys a car because they might buy one to use as a getaway vehicle to be used during a bank robbery. In an article published by AmmoLand a couple of weeks ago, the FBI was quoted as saying that they cannot investigate people for Constitutionally protected conduct, but that seems to be what DHS is doing when it comes to buying 3D printers and legal gun parts.

   “We just basically track internet purchases from eBay, PayPal, Amazon, different various online companies,” Vaughn said. “We get a list every other month, backdated a month, with people purchasing components that could possibly create a ghost gun, like the rails, the 3-D printer.”

   This practice reminds the gun community about the Gun Violence Prevention Through Financial Intelligence Act (GVPTFIA). That act would require the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to help banks track gun purchases so they can notify the federal government. This time, it is reversed. The big tech giants that take gun owners’ money are turning over thousands of records to the federal government on the suspicion that someone might make their own gun, even though that is not federally illegal and is legal in most states.
   The gun community has a deep distrust of the government and perceives the FBI, DHS, and the ATF to be Big Brother-like entities. In the monitoring of lawful commerce, these departments are doing nothing to build trust with the people of the Country. AmmoLand News will file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get more details on the monitoring programs to determine how widespread and long it has been in effect. If you have bought a 3D printer, especially in a state like New York, you should know that Big Brother might be watching you.

   https://www.ammoland.com/2024/05/dhs-admits-to-monitoring-3d-printer-purchases-with-the-help-of-amazon-ebay-and-paypal/

2. Read more: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/05/wtf-is-happening-to-america/#ixzz8ab91gG3B
   Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
   Follow us: @Ammoland on Twitter | Ammoland on Facebook
   WTF is Happening to America & What Are You Going To Do About It?
   Ammoland Inc. Posted on May 18, 2024 by Mark Walters
   Opinion
   Paul Campbell
   The title of this piece is a question I always hear (and ask). What the fuck is happening to this country?

   From listeners, neighbors, friends, family, and even those whom I despise on the opposite end of the political spectrum, it’s obvious to anyone paying attention that this country is a complete mess. The natural follow-up question is, how did we get here?
   It’s not hard to answer.
   It simply took 248 years for our government to bloat itself to what we are witnessing today. That’s all. Nothing more, nothing less.
   Our founders understood this, and Benjamin Franklin wondered aloud when Elizabeth Willing Powell asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin famously responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” They knew what we are experiencing today was inevitable. That government naturally evolves to seek unbridled growth and total power over the people. What no one knew was how long it would take to lose it, and here we are today, in our lifetimes, living through what may very well be the end of our constitutional form of Republic unless we decide to “keep it” and “keeping it” my friends, is not a foregone conclusion.
   To understand this requires a glance back to the work of Lord Alexander Tytler, a Scottish historian who lived between 1747 and 1813. Tytler wrote what has been referred to over the centuries as the “Tytler Cycle,” outlining the eight stages of a democracy or a democratic republic such as ours. His words were prophetic indeed. He believed that every society began in bondage and progressed through the stages below:

   1.

   From bondage to spiritual faith;
   2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
   3. From courage to liberty;
   4. From liberty to abundance;
   5. From abundance to complacency;
   6. From complacency to apathy;
   7. From apathy to dependence;
   8. From dependence back into bondage.

   He professed that our form of government’s average life is 200 years.
   While the Roman Republic survived nearly 500 years before its collapse, we’ve outlived his theory by 48 years. Washington, under Democrat leadership, is pushing us through stage seven en route to its goal of total control, or as Tytler put it, bondage. We are closer than at any time in our history to our eventual disintegration.
   This is the “fundamental transformation” of America referred to by Marxist Barack Obama.

   There isn’t enough space here on AmmoLand News to take a deep dive into the entire Democrat [Uniparty/Deep State] plan for destruction, but you already know the basics. Out-of-control spending and debt, increasing inflationary pressures and policies, weaponized government agencies, jailing of political opponents, the intentional invasion of our nation by illegal foreign actors by the millions across our porous borders, the destruction of Christianity, the rise of woke cancel culture, the nearly complete capture of our cultural and educational institutions, the destruction and rewriting of our history, the intentional breakdown of law and order, total control of virtually all media, and finally, the destruction of free speech and the total disarmament of the civilian population.
   There’s an old saying, “you can never refuse to accept the situation.” We’re there. This is happening to the America you know and love and it’s in your lifetime. Ignoring it is no longer an option. This evil must be confronted head-on and it must be permanently crushed.
   I ask you tonight that when you lay down and try to leave this day behind you, you ask yourself this question: What is it about their agenda that requires my disarmament? Hint: An armed population is standing in the way of number eight, dependence back into bondage. AmmoLand News readers are smart enough to have this already figured out, but an even more important question looms.

   See the column title and keep this in mind: What the fuck is happening to America isn’t the question. The real question is, what the fuck are you going to do about it?

   • On three separate occasions the Roman Republic appointed a Dictator. He’d resolve civil wars, clean house, then go back to whatever he wanted to do, when he felt things had stabilized.

     It worked pretty well.
     Of course the Roman Senate was a compact, homogeneous body where everybody knew everybody else’s ancestors going back generations. Kin. (And they lucked out.)

     So it worked. That’s the only reason the Roman Republic lasted so long.

3. Joint Resolution Seeks To Block Biden’s “Engaged In The Business” Rule
   By
   Mark Chesnut
   –
   May 18, 2024

   A joint resolution of disapproval introduced on Wednesday in the U.S. Senate seeks to block the Biden Administration’s Final Rule that outlaws  most private sales by changing the definition of who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms.
   The measure was introduced by Texas Sen. John Cornyn, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and 43 other Senate Republicans. According to the sponsors, the Final Rule violates the Constitution in trying to require anyone who sells a firearm to register as a federal firearm licensee. 
   “This rule is proof that the Biden administration is a dishonest broker, and Congress must hold it accountable for its actions in favor of its gun-grabbing liberal base over the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans,” Sen. Cornyn said in a press release announcing the legislation. “We will fight this lawless rule tooth and nail to ensure the God-given right to keep and bear arms is preserved and this flagrant distortion of congressional intent of our landmark mental health and school safety law is struck down.”
   Sen. Tillis is equally concerned, calling the Final Rule “outrageous” and an “overreach.”
   “It is outrageous that the Biden Administration decided to take a good faith effort to curb the mental health crisis across our country and turn it into an unconstitutional attempt to restrict firearms from law-abiding American citizens,” Rep. Tillis said. “This overreach is exactly why Republicans don’t trust this Administration, and it will set back any attempt on future bipartisan legislation as long as President Biden is in office. I encourage my colleagues to support this CRA we introduced and immediately overturn this ridiculous regulation.” 
   Calling the Final Rule an attempt by the Biden Administration to force “universal” background checks when Congress won’t pass such a measure, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced that it strongly supports the resolution.
   “The rule ignores Congress’ requirements left unchanged by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) that a dealer is one who devotes time, attention and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms,” Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel said. “All Congress changed was that the conduct need not be for purpose of earning a livelihood, just that it is predominantly to earn a profit. The Biden administration has repeatedly shown its willingness to run roughshod over the Constitution to attack the fundamental rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.”
   Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde is leading the effort to pass the resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.
   “The ATF’s ‘engaged in the business’ rule represents President Biden’s latest attempt to institute universal background checks, advance the Left’s radical gun control agenda and infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment rights,” Rep. Clyde said. “Private citizens simply shouldn’t be forced to jump through unelected, anti-gun bureaucrats’ unconstitutional hurdles to engage in lawful firearms transactions. I look forward to leading this critical CRA in the House, and I urge my colleagues in both chambers to support our measure to stop the Biden Administration’s tyranny in its tracks.”

   https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/joint-resolution-seeks-to-block-bidens-engaged-in-the-business-rule/

4. US Administration Abandons Israel, Empowers Enemies
   by Majid Rafizadeh
   May 18, 2024 at 5:00 am
   Worse, abandoning Israel sends a troubling message to U.S. allies worldwide: in times of crisis, do not rely on American support.
   The Biden administration has eroded trust and damaged U.S. credibility on the global stage even further than it already had done after surrendering Afghanistan and allowing China to kill more than a million Americans with Covid-19, or poisoning to death more than 80,000 Americans each year with fentanyl, or permitting China to commit massive espionage and intellectual property theft with no consequences at all.
   Biden’s decision has projected an image of weakness rather than leadership, further tarnishing America’s reputation as a steadfast defender of the free world. Instead, the Biden administration is seen globally as siding with terrorists — the Taliban in Afghanistan, the terror-funding Qataris, the genocidal Communist government of China, and the annual winner of the world’s top, largest, leading “state sponsor of terrorism,” Iran.
   Such a milestone shift in U.S. foreign policy displays a concerning departure from longstanding principles of backing the Free World. Overall, the development is deeply detrimental to U.S. interests. It threatens the stability of international relations, and for the perception of America’s role as a leading global power, it is nothing short of devastating.

   The Biden administration’s abandonment of Israel sends a troubling message to U.S. allies worldwide: in times of crisis, do not rely on American support. Pictured: U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on April 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
   In an unprecedented move in US governance, the Biden administration has embarked on a policy that departs from its longstanding support for Israel.
   Instead, there is a discernible tilt towards policies that favor the adversaries of the United States, notably Iran and its proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as China and Russia. This strategic realignment marks a significant shift in US foreign policy and has generated a substantial risk both domestically and internationally.
   On one front, the Biden administration’s policy of granting sanctions waivers to Iran has bolstered its financial resources, enabling its regime to resume funding terrorism and “exporting the revolution.” This influx of funds provides the Iranian regime with the means to finance, arm and support terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis; forge closer ties with Russia and supply it with weapons to attack Ukraine, and have Iran’s proxies repeatedly target not only Israel, but also US troops in more than 150 recent attacks in the Middle East. The US gave Iran the funding that they used to attack it. By lifting economic restrictions, the Biden administration has empowered entities hostile to US interests and those of its allies, funded both sides of two major wars, in Ukraine and Gaza, and successfully destabilizing both Europe and the Middle East.
   On top of that. President Joe Biden has orchestrated a policy shift regarding supplying munitions and military equipment that Israel needs to defend itself in a war it did not start — while at the same time lifting weapons sanctions off two of Israel’s off two of the countries that participated in trying to destroy Israel: Qatar, which has been Hamas’s biggest funder since 2007, and Lebanon – which has been launching missiles and drones non-stop into Israel – a country smaller than New Jersey — ever since October 7. Biden threatened to withhold arms supplies if Israel entered Rafah, in southern Gaza, where the last four battalions of Hamas, its leaders and possibly the Israeli hostages could are located. Bizarrely, some of the weapons withheld were precision-guided – exactly what the US had implied Israel should use in order not to fight “indiscriminately.”
   Such a decision undermines Israel’s ability to defend itself against threats posed by Hamas and other enemies. This pause in military supplies could embolden Hamas and other terrorist groups, potentially exacerbating tensions and further destabilizing the region.
   The decision to halt arms shipments to Israel has ignited a firestorm of criticism, particularly from prominent Republican figures such as US House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. Their condemnation underscores a broader discontent with the Biden administration’s handling of the situation. They lamented being blindsided by the announcement, after having received assurances to the contrary from administration officials.
   Expressing their dismay in a strongly worded letter addressed to Biden, the lawmakers emphasized the gravity of the situation, warning that the suspension of arms supplies poses a direct threat to Israel’s security and risked emboldening its enemies in the volatile Middle East region. They called for urgent action to reverse the decision and demanded a thorough briefing to be provided. In the view of Congress and its recent vote for $17 billion in aid to Israel, the administration’s lack of transparency and consultation has been deeply troubling and represents a failure of leadership, particularly in the message sent to America’s allies and foes. Israel, an ally under existential threat, has been left vulnerable, while the counties posing that threat are rewarded. There is concern among lawmakers about the broader implications for regional stability and security
   “If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, “we will pay a price. This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can’t afford to lose.”
   “The American people support Israel overwhelmingly,” said Senator John Thune, who spearheaded a resolution condemning Biden’s decision. “And they also believe that Israel needs to do what is necessary, and if that includes going into Rafah to root out the Hamas threat, then that is necessary for their very survival.”
   Former President Donald Trump also criticized Biden: “What Biden is doing with respect to Israel is disgraceful.” The presumptive Republican presidential nominee went further. “If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden,” he added, “they should be ashamed of themselves. He’s totally abandoned Israel.”
   The decision by the Biden administration to abandon Israel carries far-reaching implications that extend beyond the immediate geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. By withdrawing support for Israel, the administration is bolstering hostile entities such Hamas, Hezbollah, and their benefactors, Qatar and Iran.
   Worse, abandoning Israel sends a troubling message to U.S. allies worldwide: in times of crisis, do not rely on American support.
   The Biden administration has eroded trust and damaged U.S. credibility on the global stage even further than it already had done after surrendering Afghanistan and allowing China to kill more than a million Americans with Covid-19, or poisoning to death more than 80,000 Americans each year with fentanyl, or permitting China to commit massive espionage and intellectual property theft with no consequences at all.
   Biden’s decision has projected an image of weakness rather than leadership, further tarnishing America’s reputation as a steadfast defender of the free world. Instead, the Biden administration is seen globally as siding with terrorists — the Taliban in Afghanistan, the terror-funding Qataris, the genocidal Communist government of China, and the annual winner (here, here and here) of the world’s top, largest, leading “state sponsor of terrorism,” Iran.
   Such a milestone shift in U.S. foreign policy displays a concerning departure from longstanding principles of backing the Free World. Overall, the development is deeply detrimental to U.S. interests. It threatens the stability of international relations, and for the perception of America’s role as a leading global power, it is nothing short of devastating.
   Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Ed

   https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20642/us-abandons-israel-empowers-enemies

5. After pressure from activists, the university of Leiden, the Netherlands issued a statement on their ties with israeli institutions:
   https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2024/05/our-ties-with-israeli-universities

   The activists are not staisfied and todat occupied the 3rd floro of a university building:
   https://www.nu.nl/308522/video/pro-palestina-betogers-bezetten-derde-etage-universiteit-leiden.html

   Related news:
   Dutch public largely opposes pro-Palestinian university protests, occupations
   https://nltimes.nl/2024/05/18/dutch-public-largely-opposes-pro-palestinian-university-protests-occupations

   Police used batons on pro-Palestinian protesters at Utrecht University
   https://nltimes.nl/2024/05/16/police-used-batons-pro-palestinian-protesters-utrecht-university

   Jerusalem Quartet to perform in Amsterdam after all; Saturday concert will go ahead
   https://nltimes.nl/2024/05/17/jerusalem-quartet-perform-amsterdam-saturday-concert-will-go-ahead

   • Good for the Concertgebouw!
     You can’t imagine the stir this caused in the classical music world.

6. Do we need men?

   https://youtube.com/shorts/4n5nVa8TVzg?si=oD6AbyNb5vqPLdFZ

   • LOL. I have always liked men, some of my very best friends have been men. When the sh*t hits the fan, these feckless women will like them too. For now MEOW, MEOW, MEOW.

7. Lab-grown meat becomes a crime to sell in Alabama after new bill

   Alabama became the second state to ban lab-grown meat, making selling it a misdemeanor just six days after Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis signed similar legislation.

   The Alabama bill, proposed by Republican state Sen. Jack Williams, vice chair of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee, and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on May 7, prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells. State Rep. Denny Crawford also had a hand in the legislation.

   “We greatly appreciate Sen. Williams and Rep. Crawford for working to protect consumers in Alabama,” Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Erin Beasley said. “Cattlemen work hard every day to raise cattle and produce high-quality beef. The tireless efforts of Sen. Williams and Rep. Crawford this session will ensure Alabamians continue to purchase safe, wholesome, real beef.”

   Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told Texas Scorecard that he would be in favor of doing the same thing.

   “I commend Governor DeSantis for signing that bill. It’s something that hopefully will start a trend. Maybe we can possibly get that through the Texas legislature,” Miller said.

   While lab-grown meat has yet to hit grocery shelves, two companies (UPSIDE Foods and Eat Just) were approved to sell products in the U.S.

   UPSIDE initially launched its cultivated chicken at restaurant partners, starting with Chef Dominique Crenn’s restaurant Bar Crenn in San Francisco last summer. However, the partners reportedly have gone separate ways since the launch. Meanwhile, Eat Just plans to serve its lab-grown products at José Andrés in D.C.

   The decision to ban cultivated meat is still controversial, with proponents of lab-grown products arguing that bans inhibit innovation and consumer choice. Some users on Reddit call the move “anti-free market,” while others argue that cultivated meats may provide a more environmentally sound option than traditional means of raising livestock for meat. However, a recent study by the University of California Davis suggests that lab-grown meat’s carbon footprint may currently be worse than retail beef.

   In response to the Alabama and Florida bans, Upside started a change.org petition urging consumers to tell politicians “to stop policing” their dinner plates.

   »Related: MIT publication ranks lab-grown meat among 2023’s biggest tech fails
   Sponsored Content on AGDaily
   Related

   Farm Bill 2024: Key steps forward amid stakeholder input
   Bird flu forces Michigan’s biggest poultry farm to lay off 400 workers
   Study explores why many Americans lack adequate dairy nutrition

   Soy Innovation Challenge $75K winner: Clean Label Solutions
   Multi-national cattlemen join in lab-grown beef statement
   Commodity Classic announces 2025 schedule for Denver

   Crops

   usda-ernie-schirmer-farms-cotton-harvest
   Farm Bill 2024: Key steps forward amid stakeholder input
   Soy Innovation Challenge $75K winner: Clean Label Solutions
   Commodity Classic announces 2025 schedule for Denver
   Case IH introduces new Axial-Flow 260 Series combines

   Livestock

   usda-ernie-schirmer-farms-cotton-harvest
   Farm Bill 2024: Key steps forward amid stakeholder input
   Bird flu forces Michigan’s biggest poultry farm to lay off 400 workers
   Study explores why many Americans lack adequate dairy nutrition
   Soy Innovation Challenge $75K winner: Clean Label Solutions

   Lifestyle

   Ag on Instagram: The week’s best photos on May 17, 2024
   The modern challenges faced by America’s land-grant universities
   Commodity Classic announces 2025 schedule for Denver
   5 things to know about the patron saint of agriculture

   Trending articles
   2 Texas men plead guilty to felony horse theft
   Research: Anatomy of wooden breast syndrome in broilers
   backgrounding
   What does it cost to buy beef directly from the farmer?
   Protecting against skin cancer in farming and beyond
   top third
   Markets in Minutes: Top Third looks ahead for week of May 13, 2024
   carhartt moms
   Carhartt video pays tribute to working moms
   The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of AGDAILY.

   read the rest at

   https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/lab-grown-meat-getting-banned-alabama/

   • The worst technology failures of 2023

     The Titan submersible, lab-grown chicken, and GM’s wayward Cruise robotaxis made our annual list of the worst in tech.

     https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/22/1085829/the-worst-technology-failures-of-2023/

8. Australia PASS Digital ID Law