Reader’s Links for January 10, 2025

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Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

For those interested, please check out https://vladtepesblog.substack.com/ as an another avenue of expression. The Substack is a different project in a sense. It is older videos that in the light of subsequent events, look different or of increased importance, Check it out now and again if you like.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

42 Replies to “Reader’s Links for January 10, 2025”

  1. The United States Supreme Court has rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s bid for a stay of his sentencing hearing in New York for his business records case on Friday.

    https://vladtepesblog.com/2025/01/10/readers-links-for-january-10-2025/#respond

    Note: It is increasingly ‘real’ that non-globalism politicians like, say, Trump or Tomio Okamura, as well as pro-rule-of-law folks like Tommy Robinson or Canadian Truckers are being persecuted, rule-of-law be damned…

    • That they are, Dan Bongino has written 3 books “Spygate, Follow the Money, Exonerated” all on Amazon although 2 of them are audio books only right now. The books are about the start of Lawfare in the US with the attack on General Flynn for his insistence on opposing the enriching of Iran with money and weapons. The left bankrupted General Flynn and Rudy Giuliani because they were fighting the corruption of US officials.

      Below I posted a URL to Bongino’s latest podcast half of which is about the corruption of the US legal system.

  2. California Officials Send Mistaken Warning to ALL LA Residents to Evacuate City During Live Broadcast on FOX LA – VIDEO
    by Jim Hoft – January 9, 2025
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/california-officials-send-mistaken-warning-all-la-residents/

    Local Claims “Like a Hundred People” Were Looting Affluent Neighborhood in LA – 20 Suspects Arrested as of Thursday Morning (VIDEO)
    by Jordan Conradson – January 9, 2025
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/looters-seen-going-through-homes-california-as-fires/

    • Valentina Zharkova’s GSM
      https://solargsm.com/

      Professor Valentina Zharkova Glasgow 26th October 2024 on Grand Solar Minimum
      Scott Hogg – November 3, 2024

      The world’s leading expert in Grand Solar Minimum, Prof Valentina Zharkova, explains to an audience in Glasgow on sat 26th October 2024 how the earth’s climate will change over the next 40 years similar to the Maunder Minimum of 1645-1715 and how it will affect the nations of Western Europe. Her calculations and analyses are such governments should be mitigating potential issues with food supply and assisting farmers to adapt to the changes that are coming.

  5. LAFD: “Design For Disaster” – The Story of the Bel Air Conflagration | 1962

    1962 documentary film produced by the Los Angeles Fire Department, describes the historic Bel Air / Brentwood wildfire that started on November 5, 1961 in the Bel Air community of Los Angeles. Over the course of three days, the wind-driven fire destroyed 484 homes, damaged 190 others, and burned over 16,000 acres. Amazingly, there was no loss of life attributable to the blaze.

    The then $30 million disaster led to new laws in the City of Los Angeles to eliminate wood shingle roofs, and to clear dry brush away from homes. The film is narrated by actor William Conrad.

  6. Why did the U.S. government allow hundreds, if not thousands, of digital currencies to proliferate and compete with the USD?

    Why do snake-oil salesmen like Michael Saylor desperately try to convince people to buy Bitcoin which is, like all the others beautiful mathematical codes to nothing, a ponzi scheme?

    As rebels revelled in their newfound monetary autonomy little did they realize they were waltzing with The Man. They one-two-three’d themselves into the arms of CBDCs, having been “groomed” by their ephemeral adventure in money. Operation Chokepoint:

    https://youtu.be/rOMloYJBhIA?si=2Mbk7e4b2NooAZ3-

    • Your question implies that the people in power 1) are working in the best interest of the US and 2) That they are smart enough to recognize the threat to the US Dollar and the Republic.

      We both know that neither of the above conditions are met most of the time.

  11. Adam Carolla Evacuated from the #palisades Fire: A Solo Show | The Adam Carolla Show
    Adam Carolla – January 8. 2025

    • How Adam Carolla Plans to Rebuild After the Devastation From the LA Wildfires Caused by Incompetence
      Megan Kelly – 23 hours ago

    • There were a lot more people involved, they need to start digging, not that I expect them to or expect to hear anything about what happens to the man that was captured.

    • I think it is perfectly accurate to blame the wildfires, waterless fire hydrants and equipmentless LA Fire Department on Political Climate Change…

  14. Richard: The Dan Bongino podcast is partially about the damage to the rule of law that has been done by the trial of President Donald Trump on fake charges. Remember Dan uses a slang that is different then what a lot of people do, a movie script is a plan that was delayed for several years, receipts are evidence supporting what he is saying.

    He is right about the damage to the rule of law and how we must at the least fire everyone in the Federal Government that was connected to them and bring charges against everyone from both State and Federal Governments that are connected. The goal of the charges was to establish that the left can charge and bankrupt anyone, this will make everyone besides the ultra rich from opposing them. It will take several decades to repair the damage the left has done to the idea of one law for everyone. We are fighting to restore that idea along with the idea of individual rights instead of group rights, group rights are established by governments and can be removed when the group is no longer important to the government. Individual rights are God given and the government can violate them.

    Dan is still operating on the idea that we can semi peacefully vote our way out of this mess, I pray he is correct but have grave doubts that it will happen.

    https://rumble.com/v67ujbs-disturbing-news-on-the-lawfare-op-against-trump-ep.-2398-01102025.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp

    • Attorney Mike Davis Issues Dire Warning to Judge Juan Merchan and Democrats Over Weaponized Lawfare Against President Trump: “On January 20th at Noon, They’re Going to Become the Hunted”
      thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/attorney-mike-davis-issues-dire-warning-judge-juan/
      Jan. 10, 2025 12:00 pm
      Screenshot: Benny Johnson

      Attorney Mike Davis, founder of the conservative Article III Project (A3P) and a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has issued a stern warning to Judge Juan Merchan and Democrat prosecutors, accusing them of engaging in “weaponized lawfare” against Trump.

      President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced on Friday for his conviction on 34 felony counts related to alleged hush money payments made before the 2016 election.

      Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan issued an “unconditional discharge,” allowing the conviction to stand but imposing no jail time, fines, or probation.

      This is the first time a U.S. president-elect has been sentenced to a felony conviction. That is the talking point Democrats want.

      For the next four years, the fake news media will be happy to introduce President Trump as the first criminally sentenced US President in history.

      Trump himself has consistently denounced the case as a “witch hunt” orchestrated by his political adversaries to tarnish his reputation and impede his leadership.

      The decision to proceed with sentencing just ten days before Trump’s inauguration has been criticized as a deliberate attempt to cast a shadow over his presidency.

      “As the American People have seen, this “case” had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference,” Trump said in a statement.

      “Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

      Now, former Chief Counsel for Nominations to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and A3P Founder Mike Davis issued a stark warning to Judge Juan Merchan and Democrats, accusing them of weaponizing the legal system against President Donald Trump.

      Speaking to political commentator Benny Johnson, Davis vowed to push for a criminal investigation into the “third-world Marxist trash” tactics, claiming the legal proceedings against Trump are a blatant abuse of power.

      Mike Davis:
      I’m glad the Democrats had their cathartic sentencing today because it is going to backfire—and backfire spectacularly. Right now, the Democrats think they’re the hunters.

      And guess what? On January 20th at noon, they’re going to become the hunted. I’m going to make damn sure of that as a private citizen at the Article 3 Project, exercising my God-given right to speak and to lobby government. I’m going to make goddamn sure the Trump 47 Justice Department opens a criminal probe. I’m going to make damn sure that happens. I’m going to make that my very public advocacy every day until Juan Merchan’s ass is in prison.

      Benny Johnson:
      Can you please walk me through what potential charges would be brought against Juan Merchan in this case? You say you want to throw his ass in prison. Walk me through the landscape there, Mike.

      Mike Davis:
      I want to throw his third-world, sexist, trash ass in prison and then revoke his citizenship and send him back to the Cali cartel or wherever the hell he came from in Colombia. Let me tell you what it is: it’s 18 U.S.C. Section 241, Conspiracy Against Rights—a very serious federal civil rights felony.

      When you politicize and weaponize intel agencies and law enforcement to go after your political enemies for non-crimes, which is exactly what happened here, you have committed that very serious federal civil rights felony. Judges are not immune from 18 U.S.C. Section 241.

      I would say to Juanita, Juanito, or whatever the hell this judge’s name is—this third-world Marxist trash—that you better lawyer up, buddy, because there has to be a criminal probe. You are corrupt, you are partisan, you are dangerous.

      You took our country to the brink, and your adult daughter, Lauren Merchan, made a lot of money off this while you sat on this case. There’s a reason they picked you—because you are a stooge. You’re just like Alvin Bragg, Tish James, Matthew Colangelo, Fani Willis, and Nathan Wade. You guys are just the bottom of the barrel—lawyers and judges—the dumbest people in the legal system.

      Trending: ‘PizzaGate’ Gunman Edgar Welch Fatally Shot by North Carolina Police During Traffic Stop

      Mike Davis:
      So the Democrats can use you and manipulate you like puppets. For example, putting your adult daughter, Lauren, on Democrat payroll and making her a lot of money, which is corruption by Judge Merchan to stay on this case.

      WATCH:

      BREAKING: Trump Lawyer Mike Davis just issued a major warning to Judge Juan Merchan & all other Democrats who engaged in lawfare against President Trump.

      “The Democrats think they’re the hunters. On January 20th at Noon, they’re going to become the hunted.”

      Davis then told… pic.twitter.com/QB2YfHJDtm

      — George (@BehizyTweets) January 10, 2025

      https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1877753194727575747

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/attorney-mike-davis-issues-dire-warning-judge-juan/

  15. Leaked Memo Exposes Incompetent LA Mayor Karen Bass’ $49 Million Fire Department Budget Cut Demand Just One Week Before Wildfires Erupted — Plan Would Shut Down 16 Fire Stations
    thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/leaked-memo-exposes-incompetent-la-mayor-karen-bass/
    Jan. 10, 2025 12:20 pm
    Karen Bass struggles to read script during presser on Los Angeles fires

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass demanded an additional $49 million in budget cuts to the already cash-strapped Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) just days before wildfires ravaged the city.

    This ill-timed decision, revealed in a leaked internal memo obtained by the Daily Mail, has sparked outrage among current and former fire officials who say the move left the department woefully unprepared for disaster.

    The memo, dated January 6—merely a day before the Palisades Fire ravaged the region—proposed shutting down 16 fire stations across the city, slashing resources critical for combating wildfires and responding to emergencies.

    In California, wildfire alerts are issued through a combination of state and local systems designed to provide timely warnings to residents. These alerts are typically disseminated as soon as a wildfire is detected or even one week prior when conditions indicate an imminent threat, allowing residents to evacuate promptly and safely.

    So, there’s a chance that Bass was already aware of the wildfire warning, yet she still insisted on cutting the budget. To make matters worse, she chose to travel to Africa during this critical time.

    According to the memo:

    “The LAFD is still going through a FY 2024/2025 $48.8 million budget reduction exercise with the CAO. The Fire Chief, Board of Fire Commissioners, COA, and UFLAC are steadfast in their message of defending what resources we currently have in place.

    The only way to provide a cost savings would be to close as many as 16 fire stations (not resources, fire stations); this equates to at least one fire station per City Council District. The details of this plan have not yet been developed. This is a worst-case scenario and is NOT happening yet. The Fire Chief will have a “Chat with the Chief webinar next week to clarify the situation and the budget.”

    Sources within the LAFD revealed that Mayor Bass’s decision prioritized reallocating funds toward homelessness programs at the expense of public safety.

    One 25-year veteran firefighter described the situation as “untenable,” citing chronic understaffing, outdated equipment, and a skyrocketing call volume.

    “They did not want this out. It’s an internal memo not to be distributed,” a veteran firefighter told Daily Mail.

    “They’re trying to allocate more money for the homeless, and they need to start taking from everybody. But we already exhausted our budget. It’s already tapped. That’s why they cut the fire academy in half, so they could save more money. That’s why we’re not testing if hydrants work any more. We’re doing everything we can to save money.

    “We have fire engines we can’t get parts for. When one breaks down we strip it of parts to put on other fire engines because we can’t buy any more parts. If you shut down 16 stations, that’s about 750 personnel. Then they expect us to take the same call volume. And yesterday we did 3,800 calls, almost twice of what our daily call volume usually is.

    “We’re already shy 200 paramedics, and we’re on the verge of another 200 quitting because we can’t do this any more. If we don’t work overtime, they suspend and threaten to terminate us. It’s untenable.,” he concluded.

    Wow. Leaked memo reveals LA Mayor Karen Bass demanded the fire department cut $48.8 million from their budget just days before the fires broke out! pic.twitter.com/YzsG4T96y5

    — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 10, 2025

    This demand came on top of $17.6 million in cuts already approved in Mayor Bass’s budget for FY 2024/2025 last December.

    DEI Fire Chief Kristin Crowley had previously cautioned that the initial $17.6 million reduction would “severely limit the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires,” the New York Post reported.

    So, Mayor Karen Bass slashed over $17 million from the LA Fire Department budget while prioritizing $170,000 for “Social Justice Art” and $100,000 for “transgender cafés.”

    LA Mayor Karen Bass cut over $17 million from the LA Fire Department budget but made sure to allocate $170,000 for “Social Justice Art” and $100,000 for “transgender cafés.” pic.twitter.com/JXcVZqe2Zo

    — World Hall Of Fun (@WorldHallOfFun) January 10, 2025

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/leaked-memo-exposes-incompetent-la-mayor-karen-bass/

  18. Democrat Speaker of the California State Assembly Turns Into Stuttering Mess as Reporter LAMBASTS Him For Holding Special Legislative Session to Fight Trump Amid LA Fires (VIDEO)
    thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/democrat-speaker-california-state-assembly-turns-stuttering-mess/
    Jan. 10, 2025 12:40 pm
    Robert Rivas, Speaker of California State Assembly

    You love to see it.

    As previously reported, California’s Democrat lawmakers in the Assembly gaveled into a special legislative session on Thursday to help Governor Newsom fight Trump.

    Los Angeles is burning to the ground because of dry hydrants thanks to Governor Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Democrats are attacking President Trump.

    Lawmakers will allocate $25 million to California’s Justice Department to fight the incoming Trump Administration.

    Los Angeles is engulfed in flames and more than 10,000 structures have burned to the ground yet California’s Democrat lawmakers are obsessing over attacking Trump.

    New: California lawmakers in the Assembly have gaveled into the special legislative session to help the state prepare for legal battles with the incoming Trump administration.

    Democrats moved forward with the bill to get $25m to CADOJ—-will have budget hearing Monday.

    — Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) January 9, 2025

    A reporter confronted California’s State Assembly Speaker for holding a special legislative session to fight Trump as the most destructive fire in history ravages Los Angeles.

    Robert Rivas refused to answer any questions.

    “Is now the right time to have a special legislative on allocating money to fight Trump in a way that you could already do without a special legislative session?” KRCA News California Capitol Correspondent Ashley Zavala asked Robert Rivas.

    Rivas was reduced to a stuttering mess as he tried to justify his actions.

    “I’m here to address these-these-these-these wildfires – this is a historic wildfire,” Rivas said.

    The reporter wasn’t having it: “But minutes ago, your house – while the wildfires are happening and while people are trying to understand what’s going on and are worried about disaster relief, worried about the ability to get homeowners insurance, your chamber gaveled into a special legislative session to prepare for Donald Trump in a way you are already able to do without a special legislative session. So again, is now the right time for that?”

    Robert Rivas continued to stutter as he read his empty talking points about supporting recovery efforts.

    WATCH:

    As wildfires rage in Los Angeles, Speaker of California’s Assembly Robert Rivas would not answer my questions, if now is the right time to have a special session to legally fight Donald Trump.

    Both the CA Senate & Assembly gaveled into the Trump-related special session today. pic.twitter.com/GfgXkGnrDj

    — Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) January 9, 2025

    In November Governor Gavin Newsom (D) convened a special legislative session to fight President Trump after he won the election in a landslide against Kamala Harris.

    Governor Newsom said Trump, based on his actions taken during his first term in office, is a threat to California’s climate change program, illegal immigrant population, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.

    “California is ready to fight,” Newsom said. “I just called an emergency special session to help bolster our legal resources and protect our state against any unlawful actions by the incoming Trump Administration.”

    “Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate action — we refuse to turn back the clock and allow our values and laws to be attacked,” Newsom said.

    Newsom was so busy obsessing over Trump that he forgot to prepare his state for fire season and portions of Los Angeles were reduced to a pile of ashes.

    The 360 degree annihilation of parts of Pacific Palisades is genuinely difficult to take in… pic.twitter.com/wzu2YDcND4

    — alex thomson (@alextomo) January 9, 2025

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/democrat-speaker-california-state-assembly-turns-stuttering-mess/

  21. ANTISEMITISM: Brazilian Justice Targets Israeli Soldier on Vacation – PALESTINIAN GROUP ATTEMPTS ARREST; Reports
    thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/antisemitism-brazilian-justice-targets-israeli-soldier-vacation-palestinian/
    Jan. 10, 2025 7:15 am
    Israeli military officer Yuval Vagdani. (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/@amichaichikli)

    Brazilian Federal Justice ordered an investigation into Yuval Vagdani, an Israeli soldier vacationing in the country.

    Vagdani is a survivor of the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 in Israel.

    The decision follows a complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a far-left, pro-Palestinian organization based in Belgium. The group accuses Vagdani of committing war crimes in Gaza.

    HRF’s allegations are based on social media posts by Vagdani, which, they claim, suggest his involvement in violent actions against Palestinians. However, Brazil’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated there is no concrete evidence to support the accusations. Sources in Brazil confirmed that the evidence presented by HRF was produced unilaterally and does not establish any clear link to the alleged crimes.

    According to additional reports, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) also expressed doubt about the case. In a document submitted to the court, the PF requested a reconsideration of the order to launch an investigation, citing insufficient and inconsistent information from HRF to support their claims.

    According to this other site, the HRF is led by Dyab Abou Jahjah, who has been accused of being a former member of Hezbollah, a Lebanese political group designated as a terrorist organization by countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. In a 2003 interview with The New York Times, Jahjah claimed to have received military training with Hezbollah.

    The situation has drawn sharp reactions from the Israeli government. Officials warned military personnel to avoid posting details of operations in Gaza on social media, fearing that anti-Israel groups could exploit such posts for unfounded legal actions.

    As a result of the allegations, Vagdani abruptly left Brazil, cutting his stay short. He traveled to Argentina before returning to Israel.

    In a post on X, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized the soldier’s arrest and accused Brazilian President Lula da Silva of being anti-Semitic.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/antisemitism-brazilian-justice-targets-israeli-soldier-vacation-palestinian/

    • Son of Former President Bolsonaro Admits to Helping Israeli Soldier Escape Brazilian Justice Persecution
      thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/breaking-son-former-president-bolsonaro-admits-helping-israeli/
      Jan. 10, 2025 5:20 pm
      President Donald Trump, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during meet at G20, in Japan, 2019. (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/@Bolsonarosp)

      Conservative Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, played a key role in helping Israeli soldier Yuval Vagdani escape persecution by Brazil’s justice system during his vacation in the country, as reported by TGP.

      In an interview with the daily Maariv published this Friday, the 10th, Bolsonaro detailed the case and how he assisted Vagdani in leaving the country. The Israeli soldier had been targeted with an arrest warrant issued by a far-left organization founded by militants linked to Hamas.

      According to The Jerusalem Post, Bolsonaro contacted sources in Israel shortly after releasing a video exposing the persecution against the soldier. He also launched an online campaign to halt the charges filed against Vagdani.

      The congressman stated:

      “January is our parliamentary recess, a time I usually spend with my wife and two children. That’s why I recorded the first video defending the Israeli soldier. I decided to launch an online defense campaign spontaneously, but I am familiar with the Hind Rajab Foundation. I recorded a video in Portuguese and English, sharing it on my social media accounts. On Instagram and X, I am @BolsonaroSP, with 13 million followers.”

      Bolsonaro further noted that the headquarters of the extremist foundation is in Belgium, operating in Brazil through Lebanese affiliates, primarily tied to Hezbollah.

      The congressman revealed that only minutes after posting the video, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, who handles the fight against antisemitism, reached out to him.

      Following Minister Chikli’s involvement, the campaign to end the investigation against the Israeli soldier gained momentum, and the initiative by Brazil’s justice system was dismissed.

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/breaking-son-former-president-bolsonaro-admits-helping-israeli/

  22. Pacific Palisades reservoir was offline and empty when firestorm exploded

    A large reservoir in Pacific Palisades that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was out of use when a ferocious wildfire destroyed thousands of homes and other structures nearby.

    Officials told The Times that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed for repairs to its cover, leaving a 117 million gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades.

    The revelation comes among growing questions about why firefighters ran out of water while battling the blaze. Numerous fire hydrants in higher-elevation streets of the Palisades went dry, leaving firefighters struggling with low water pressure as they combated the flames.
    Ad

    read the rest at

    https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-10/as-flames-raged-in-palisades-a-key-reservoir-nearby-was-offline

  25. Media’s Latest Alito Conspiracy Theory Is Particularly Ridiculous

    Even by the standards of the left-wing press’s campaign against Alito, this week’s hit is particularly stupid.
    Author Mollie Hemingway profile
    Mollie Hemingway
    Visit on Twitter
    @mzhemingway

    Left-wing media breathlessly reported Wednesday that Associate Justice Samuel Alito provided a job reference on behalf of one of his former clerks to President-elect Donald Trump.

    “William Levi, one of my former law clerks, asked me to take a call from President-elect Trump regarding his qualifications to serve in a government position. I agreed to discuss this matter with President-elect Trump, and he called me yesterday afternoon,” Alito told ABC News, which broke the shocking news that an employer gave a job reference for one of his former employees.

    read the rest at

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/09/medias-latest-alito-conspiracy-theory-is-particularly-ridiculous/

  26. Meta Promised Free Speech, But What Does That Mean For Guns?
    Ammoland Inc. Posted on January 10, 2025 by John Crump
    Meta Promised Free Speech, But What Does That Mean For Guns? iStock-1404146717
    Meta Promised Free Speech, But What Does That Mean For Guns? iStock-1404146717

    Meta (Facebook) promises a new era of free speech on the social media platform. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg announced that Facebook would be dropping its “fact-checking network” and move to a “community notes” style system similar to the system on X. Many wonder what this means for guns.
    Facebook used to count on fact-checking partners to cut down on so-called “disinformation.” The issue is that some of this disinformation was actually true. One of the most prominent examples is the Hunter Biden laptop story. That New York Post article was censored across all social media platforms. Fact-checkers claimed that the laptop story was “Russian disinformation.” After the 2020 presidential election, fact-checkers acknowledged that the “laptop from hell” was real.

    According to Zuckerburg, those days are now over. He claims he recognizes that censorship is a detriment to society. He highlighted that the fact-checkers have been wrong and let their political bias seep into their process. One example of this happening was during the 2020 presidential election cycle. Third-party fact-checkers from France marked an article claiming that Kamala Harris does not support an individual’s right to bear arms as “false.” This reporter posted the Amicus brief filed by Harris in the Heller case, where she argued against the right to bear arms. It was posted without context. The fact checkers marked it false even though it was taken directly from the Supreme Court’s website. AmmoLand News followed up with Meta about the misclassification. Although the “false” rating was removed after our story broke, the social media giant banned my account from the site.

    “After Trump first got elected in 2016, the legacy media wrote nonstop about how misinformation was a threat to democracy. We tried in good faith to address those concerns without becoming the arbiters of truth,” Zuckerberg said. “But the fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created, especially in the U.S.”

    If we take Zuckerburg at his word, this change at Meta could be good, but many wonder if the new policy will apply to firearms. Meta has said it will only ban illegal materials, and firearms are legal in the United States, so if Meta is to be believed, it will lift restrictions on gun content.

    The trust and safety department is moving from California to Texas, which seems to signal a shift, but the city Meta has chosen is Austin. Although not as far left as the hometown of Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Austin is one of the most left-wing cities in the Lone Star State and no friend to guns. Austin has seen an influx of Californian refugees in recent years. Many of these new residents bring their left-wing politics with them, including a disdain for firearms.

    One glimmer of hope is Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan. Mr. Kaplan has a true conservative pedigree from working in Republican circles. He even showed up during the confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh to show his support against unfounded accusations. He has worked for conservative media outlets in the past. Mr. Kaplan is an outspoken critic of censorship and has advocated against taking action against political speech on the platform. This spring he will become the president of global affairs.
    Other former Meta employees who have had pro-gun stances in the past have left the company. Some of those employees are now returning to help fix Meta. Inside the company, there is a small number of staunch supporters of gun rights. I contacted some of these contacts at Meta, whom I had made contact with during my time working at Facebook, for their thoughts. These former colleagues expressed hope that the censorship of guns will change.
    Whether anything changes or not, only time will tell. The winds might have shifted to make social media platforms more pro-gun, or it could all just be lip service.

    https://www.ammoland.com/2025/01/meta-promised-free-speech-but-what-does-that-mean-for-guns/

  27. For more than eight years, the climate scientist Michael Mann harassed National Review through litigation over a blog post — until, eventually, the First Amendment brought an end to his attack. This week, a court in our nation’s capital ordered Mann to pay us $530,820.21 worth of attorney’s fees and costs, and to do so within 30 days. It is time for him to get out his checkbook, and sign on the dotted line.

    This restitution is welcome, if incomplete. As was made clear during the discovery process, Mann’s explicitly stated intention was to use a “major lawsuit” as a vehicle with which to “ruin National Review.”

    https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/01/pay-up-mr-mann/

  28. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was ordered to pay nearly $22,000 in legal fees to a conservative watchdog last week after a Georgia court found that she “flatly ignored” an open records request submitted by the organization.

    The group, Judicial Watch, had submitted an Open Records Act (ORA) request to Fulton County in August 2023 seeking communications Willis had with special counsel Jack Smith and the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.

    One day after the request was made, the Fulton County District Attorney’s office told Judicial Watch that it did not have any “responsive records.”

    “This response was perplexing and eventually suspicious to [Judicial Watch], given that Plaintiff subsequently uncovered through own effort at least one document that should have been in the District Attorney’s Office’s possession that was patently responsive to the request,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his Jan. 3 order.

    https://nypost.com/2025/01/08/us-news/fani-willis-flatly-ignored-conservative-groups-open-records-request-ordered-to-pay-nearly-22k/

  29. ‘Nightmare’ for Anti-Gunners: Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act Introduced ~ VIDEO
    Ammoland Inc. Posted on January 10, 2025 by Dave Workman

    YouTube video player

    Two months ago in the wake of Donald Trump’s smashing election victory, ABC News reported on the reaction from gun prohibition lobbying organizations, expressing fears about the president-elect’s promise to sign national concealed carry reciprocity legislation if it reaches his desk.

    The first step toward making their bad dream come true just took place with the introduction of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025, H.R. 38 by Congressman Richard Hudson (R-N.C.). The measure is already picking up support from major gun rights organizations including the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Gun Owners of America, along with the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action and U.S. Concealed Carry Association, Fox News said.
    The bill appears to have momentum, with more than 120 co-sponsors, all Republicans. According to Fox News, the bill is also getting support from Rep. Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat.

    The full text is not yet available, but the title states, “To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a means by which nonresidents of a State whose residents may carry concealed firearms may also do so in the State.”

    National reciprocity is a toxic subject among gun control proponents, dubbed “gun violence prevention advocates” by ABC News. They object to the fact that reciprocity would “allow gun owners with concealed carry permits to travel with their weapons to all 50 states, even those that do not honor out-of-state permit holders from doing so.”

    Presently, several states and the District of Columbia do not honor out-of-state licenses or permits, as revealed by checking with Handgunlaw.us. The list also includes California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

    According to Lawrence Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel, “This legislation eliminates the confusing patchwork of laws surrounding concealed carry permits that vary from state-to-state, particularly with regard to states where laws make unwitting criminals out of legal permit holders for a simple mistake of a wrong traffic turn. It safeguards a state’s right to determine their own laws while protecting the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.”

    CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb is encouraging members and supporters to “tell Congress it is time to make reciprocity the law of the land.”
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    Gottlieb said the “way was paved” for reciprocity when the Supreme Court issued its 2010 ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago by incorporating the Second Amendment to the states via the 14th Amendment.

    “Passage of a national reciprocity bill will go far in the effort to fully restore the Second Amendment to its rightful place in the Bill of Rights following years of erosion,” Gottlieb asserted in a prepared statement.

    Rep. Hudson, speaking to Fox News Digital, compared the proposal to what now exists with states recognizing the drivers’ licenses from all other states.

    “When I drive to D.C. from North Carolina across Virginia, I don’t stop at the Virginia line and take a driver’s test to get another license,” he said. “The state recognizes that North Carolina license.”

    Driving is a privilege, but bearing arms is a constitutionally protected right, a fact that several states apparently refuse to acknowledge.
    NSSF alluded to the case of Pennsylvania mom Shaneen Allen, who made a wrong turn back in 2013 and suddenly wound up in neighboring New Jersey, where she was arrested after acknowledging in a traffic stop she had a licensed handgun in her vehicle. She spent 48 days in jail, and faced up to five years in prison until then-Gov. Chris Christie gave her a full pardon after her case became a national issue.

    When reciprocity first was introduced, Allen endorsed it.

    According to ABC News, 29 states now allow concealed carry reciprocity. In the holdout states, however, penalties can be harsh.

    Contrary to arguments made the last time a reciprocity bill was introduced, a gun owner licensed in his/her home state would have to abide by all the laws and regulations of the state in which they were traveling. No state’s concealed carry laws would give way to laws and regulations of another state.

    But opponents contend reciprocity would create a dangerous situation for law enforcement.

    “The biggest threat here is carrying a firearm across state lines without a permit,” Monisha Henley, senior vice president of government affairs for Everytown for Gun Safety, told ABC News. “A piece that I really want to underscore is that law enforcement won’t know who has firearms.”

    But proponents have maintained all along this argument is a false flag at best. Criminals already carry guns across state lines without any kind of a permit, and a reciprocity measure is not going to change that.

    This time around, the Senate is under GOP control and there is new leadership, which may make the difference. Expect Democrats to line up against reciprocity and to bring out all of the old arguments, along with some new ones, in an effort to prevent H.R. 38 from becoming law

    https://www.ammoland.com/2025/01/nightmare-for-anti-gunners-concealed-carry-reciprocity-act-introduced/

  31. Mel Gibson: Los Angeles fires ‘devastating, it’s emotional’ | Vargas Reporters
    NewsNation – 22 hours ago

  32. Joe Biden Extends Protected Status to Hundreds of Thousands of El Salvadorans to Prevent Deportation Before Trump Takes Office
    thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/joe-biden-extends-protected-status-hundreds-thousands-el/
    Jan. 10, 2025 2:40 pm
    El Salvadoran MS 13 gang members

    Joe Biden on Friday extended “Temporary Extended Status” to hundreds of thousands of El Salvadorans before Trump takes office.

    The TPS will allow 232,000 El Salvadorans to remain in the United States for 18 months from March 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026.

    The Biden DHS extended the relief to the El Salvadorans due to “geological and weather events, including significant storms.”

    “The Department of Homeland Security announced today the extension of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador for 18 months, from March 10, 2025, to Sept. 9, 2026, due to environmental conditions in El Salvador that prevent individuals from safely returning. The corresponding Federal Register notice provides information about how to re-register for TPS under El Salvador’s TPS extension.” – the DHS announced in a press release on Friday.

    “After reviewing the country conditions in El Salvador and consulting with interagency partners, it was determined that an 18-month TPS extension is warranted because of continued conditions from environmental disasters that resulted in a substantial, but temporary, disruption of living conditions in the affected areas of El Salvador. El Salvador’s extension of TPS is based on geological and weather events, including significant storms and heavy rainfall in 2023 and 2024, that continue to affect areas heavily impacted by the earthquakes in 2001. Those earthquakes were the basis of El Salvador’s initial TPS designation on March 9, 2001.” the DHS press release said.

    After allowing hundreds of thousands of dangerous criminals and murderers to illegally enter the US over the past four years, the Biden DHS absurdly reassured the public that these individuals have been rigorously vetted.

    “Every individual processed by the Department of Homeland Security goes through rigorous national security and public safety vetting during the original application process and again during re-registration. If any individual is identified as posing a threat, they may be detained, removed, or referred to other federal agencies for further investigation or prosecution as appropriate. Individuals are barred from TPS if they have been convicted of any felony or two misdemeanors. Current beneficiaries under TPS for El Salvador must re-register in a timely manner during the 60-day re-registration period beginning when the Federal Register notice is published to ensure they keep their TPS and employment authorization.” the DHS said.

    President Trump has vowed to conduct the “largest deportation operation” in US history in his second term.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/joe-biden-extends-protected-status-hundreds-thousands-el/

  33. Collin Rugg
    @CollinRugg
    JUST IN: Los Angeles Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley turns on Los Angeles leadership, says they failed her.

    Remarkable interview.

    Crowley called out the city for having no water in the Santa Ynez Reservoir.

    Reporter: “Did the city of Los Angeles fail you and your department?”

    Crowley: “It’s my job to stand up as a chief and exactly say what the fire department needs.”

    Reporter: “Did they fail you?”

    Crowley: “Yes.”

    They’re turning on each other.

    https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1877827973895893084