Author: HP McLovincraft

Seeker of rabbit holes. Pessimist. Libertine. Contrarian. Your huckleberry. Possibly true tales of sanity-blasting horror also known as abject reality. Prepare yourself. Veteran of a thousand psychic wars. I have seen the fnords. Deplatformed on Tumblr and Twitter.

6 First Gun Control Measures To Expect From A Biden Administration

If we have a Joe Biden administration in the White House on Jan. 20, we will have the most overtly anti-gun president in American history.

Biden’s plan lists effectively every gun control measure ever proposed: banning “assault weapons,” banning “high-capacity” magazines, limiting the number of guns an American can purchase, holding manufacturers liable for the criminal misuse of their products, and many, many more.

Out of the myriad options a Biden administration will have to infringe on our constitutional protections, which will they choose first? Based on my experience with clients and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT) as a firearms attorney, some recent news events, and a bit of firearm-industry intuition, I think the first things a Biden administration will do regarding guns if given the chance are:

  • Banning pistol braces
  • Banning homemade firearms/80 percent receivers
  • Banning online firearm and ammunition sales

Shortly after the first bans, and if he has the help of the Senate, the next gun control measures will likely be:

  • Banning “assault weapons”
  • Banning “high capacity” magazines
  • Requiring universal background checks

Let’s examine each of these in turn.

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Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Repeal Unconstitutional Patriot Act

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) have joined forces from across the aisle in an attempt to bring an end to the unconstitutional Patriot Act forced upon the American people in the wake of 9/11.

Since its quick arrival on October 26, 2001, the USA Patriot Act has been an assault upon civil liberties of ordinary citizens, as well as a boon for the military-industrial complex receiving a flood of taxpayer dollars in the name of security.

Moreover, the bulk data collection of information on Americans has never received proper transparency or oversight, even to Congress. Rep. Massie and Rep. Gabbard are now introducing new legislation called the “Protect Our Civil Liberties Act” (HR8970) as a means to remedy the abuses with 6-point approach.

  1. Repeal the Patriot Act, which permitted phone metadata collection.
  2. Repeal the FISA Amendments Act, which permitted email surveillance.
  3. Make retaliation against whistleblowers inside the intelligence community illegal – with penalties for engaging in such activity.
  4. Ensure that probable cause warrants are issued in all cases of government surveillance of Americans.
  5. Prohibit government backdoors designed to end-run encryption and other privacy measures.
  6. Mandate that the Government Accountability Office annually monitor all surveillance programs for compliance.

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The French Laundry got more than $2.4M in PPP funding; 17x more than average Bay Area restaurants

The luxury restaurant where Governor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed were notoriously spotted dining during a COVID-19 surge, reportedly received millions in PPP funding.

Yountville’s highly acclaimed French Laundry received multiple loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, totaling more than $2.4 million, according to an ABC7 analysis of newly-released data from the Small Business Administration.

The French Laundry received two loans that were both approved on April 30, 2020. According to the SBA, the first loan was for more than $2.2 million to retain 163 employees. The second loan was for $194,656 to retain five employees.

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Joel Osteen’s Church Received $4.4 Million In PPP Stimulus Payments

Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church received a $4.4 million loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, as part of the federal CARES Act that was intended to be a stimulus to keep businesses and employees afloat while the pandemic kept everyone at home.

Churches were also eligible for the money, and some of the most prestigious churches in the country took advantage of the opportunity.

Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church was not on the initial list of recipients and claimed that they did not apply to receive any money. However, the church later applied and was granted $4.4 million, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Osteen himself is estimated to have a net worth of over $50 million, with his church taking in $43 million a year in collections.

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