Tag: police state

D.C. Subpoena Causes Zyn to Suspend Online Sales

The tobacco company Philip Morris International, which owns the nicotine-pouch brand Zyn, announced Monday that it will be ceasing online sales for North America, following a subpoena sent by the attorney general of the District of Columbia. The subpoena follows from a 2022 decision by the district to ban flavored nicotine products.

The move to target Zyn comes amid Washington’s widespread crime problem. Violent crime increased by 40 percent in 2023, and the highest homicide rate is at its highest in over two decades. Nevertheless, more than 67 percent of arrests made are declined to be prosecuted, and D.C. is currently facing its largest police shortage in half a century. 

Keep reading

DHS ‘Intelligence Experts Group’ Classified Military Service, Religion, & Trump-Support As Indicators Of Domestic Extremism & Terrorism

A now disbanded group in Joe Biden’s Department Homeland Security (DHS) classified Trump supporters, members of the military, and people with religious views as persons likely to commit “domestic violent extremist” attacks, newly released internal files show.

DHS announced the formation of the “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group” in September 2023 to “provide advice and perspectives on intelligence and national security efforts” to the Department, but according to America First Legal, “it was a completely partisan group designed to provide top cover for the Department’s radical agenda

AFL and former Ambassador Richard Grenell filed a lawsuit against the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group soon after the group was announced, and spurred Republican members of Congress to take action against it.

AFL alleged that the group comprised of partisan actors violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act for various reasons – including its lack of balance, the Biden Administration’s inappropriate influence over it, and its lack of public notice and participation, among other things.

To avoid further litigation and scrutiny, the Biden regime agreed in May to disband the illegal group and provide its records to AFL. However, the group may have been active for a year before it was pressured to shut down.

“By the time the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group was announced in September 2023, the group had already been meeting for as long as four months,” AFL reported.

Members of the deep state cabal included former Obama intelligence officials and Russia collusion hoaxers John Brennan and James Clapper—both signatories of the infamous “Letter of 51,” which mislead the American public on the veracity of the Hunter Biden laptop story ahead of the 2020 election.

Also included in the unit were former Obama official Francis Taylor,  Asha George, Rajesh De, Caryn Wagner, and Elisa Massimino, all of whom contributed exclusively to Democrat candidates for political office.

During a meeting in September on “Collection Posture and Associated Challenges,” the partisan group discussed ways to get around the Constitutional limits to their domestic intelligence gathering goals.

Keep reading

Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Let Him Pardon Past Marijuana Convictions

The governor of Louisiana has vetoed a bill that would have allowed him and future governors to issue pardons for people with past marijuana convictions.

Gov. Jeff Landry (R) rejected the legislation on Wednesday, about a month after it was approved in the legislature. It remains to be seen what he will do with separate proposals to decriminalize cannabis paraphernalia and regulate hemp products that have also been sent to his desk.

The pardon bill from Rep. Delisha Boyd (D) would have made people convicted of cannabis possession eligible for a gubernatorial pardon after paying all court costs associated with the offense, without the need for a recommendation from the Board of Pardons.

Individuals could have only received a pardon for their first possession offense, and anyone “who received such pardon shall not be entitled to receive another pardon by the governor pursuant to this Section,” the legislation says.

Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), said his organization is “saddened” by the governor’s veto of the bill.

“This legislation would have granted him the authority to pardon tens of thousands Louisianans who have a cannabis conviction on their records,” he told Marijuana Moment in an email. “This is a missed opportunity to help everyday citizens better their lives and economic opportunities.”

“This legislation was always about improving opportunities,” Caldwell added. “The strong bipartisan support this legislation achieved is a testament to the level of support sensible cannabis policy has in Louisiana.”

Meanwhile, the governor still has several other cannabis bills pending action.

Keep reading

Arizona Governor Signs Bill To Allow Workers’ Compensation For MDMA Treatment, Despite Vetoing Psilocybin Proposal

The governor of Arizona has signed a bill into law that would allow firefighters and peace officers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to get workers’ compensation coverage for MDMA therapy if it is federally legalized.

While Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed a separate proposal to legalize psilocybin service centers this week, she gave final approval on Tuesday to legislation that would authorize the Industrial Commission of Arizona to provide public safety officials who have PTSD with compensation for a one-course treatment of MDMA if the drug is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The measure is being enacted weeks after an FDA advisory committee recommended against approving a new drug application for MDMA-assisted therapy, drawing criticism from advocates and certain lawmakers, including a GOP congressman who personally benefitted from psychedelic treatment.

The Arizona bill from Sen. David Gowan (R) is fairly limited in its scope, especially compared to the psychedelics services legislation the governor vetoed this week. Not only would it require FDA approval of MDMA, but it also doesn’t create a framework for therapeutic administration. It simply allows officials to approve workers compensation for a course of MDMA-assisted treatment sessions.

“If an independent medical examination reveals a treatment protocol of midomafetamine is deemed a reasonable and necessary treatment and follows the treatment guidelines established by the Industrial Commission of Arizona, workers’ compensation coverage may include on complete course of a treatment protocol of midomafetamine as prescribed by a psychiatrist,” the bill text says.

The commission would also be required to submit a report about the costs of the MDMA treatment to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee each year starting on or before January 1, 2026.

Keep reading

Mission Creep: How the Police State Acclimates Us to Being Modern-Day Slaves

“In a fully developed bureaucracy there is nobody left with whom one can argue, to whom one can present grievances, on whom the pressures of power can be exerted. Bureaucracy is the form of government in which everybody is deprived of political freedom, of the power to act; for the rule by Nobody is not no-rule, and where all are equally powerless, we have a tyranny without a tyrant.” ― Hannah Arendt, On Violence

Like the proverbial boiling frogs, the government has been gradually acclimating us to the specter of a police state for years now: Militarized police. Riot squads. Camouflage gear. Black uniforms. Armored vehicles. Mass arrests. Pepper spray. Tear gas. Batons. Strip searches. Surveillance cameras. Kevlar vests. Drones. Lethal weapons. Less-than-lethal weapons unleashed with deadly force. Rubber bullets. Water cannons. Stun grenades. Arrests of journalists. Crowd control tactics. Intimidation tactics. Brutality.

This is how you prepare a populace to accept a police state willingly, even gratefully.

You don’t scare them by making dramatic changes. Rather, you acclimate them slowly to their prison walls. Persuade the citizenry that their prison walls are merely intended to keep them safe and danger out. Desensitize them to violence, acclimate them to a military presence in their communities, and persuade them that only a militarized government can alter the seemingly hopeless trajectory of the nation.

It’s happening already.

Yet we’re not just being acclimated to the trappings of a police state. We’re also being bullied into silence and subservience in the face of outright injustice and heavy-handed political correctness, while simultaneously being groomed into accepting government tyranny, corruption and bureaucratic ineptitude as societal norms.

What exactly is going on?

Whatever it is, this—the racial hypersensitivity without racial justice, the kowtowing to politically correct bullies with no regard for anyone else’s free speech rights, the violent blowback after years of government-sanctioned brutality, the mob mindset that is overwhelming the rights of the individual, the oppressive glowering of the Nanny State, the seemingly righteous indignation full of sound and fury that in the end signifies nothing, the partisan divide that grows more impassable with every passing day—is not leading us anywhere good.

Certainly, it’s not leading to more freedom.

Keep reading

8 Signs That Extremists Are Taking Over Our Country

It is happening all around us.  Our nation is being radically transformed by people with extreme ideologies, and that should deeply alarm all of us.  According to Google, an extremist is “a person who holds extreme or fanatical political or religious views, especially one who resorts to or advocates extreme action”.  Sadly, that definition accurately describes many that hold prominent positions of power in our society today.  In so many cases, individuals that have political beliefs that most ordinary Americans would consider to be very radical are going to extraordinary lengths to impose their views on all of the rest of us. 

The following are 8 signs that extremists are taking over our country…

#1 In Oregon, a high school track and field coach has been fired for simply “expressing his concerns about allowing biological males to compete with girls”…

The head track and field coach at a high school in Oregon has been fired after writing letters to state officials expressing his concerns about allowing biological males to compete with girls.

John Parks, who had been employed at Lake Oswego High School since January of last year, says his contract was terminated shortly after he began speaking out against trans-identified males self-identifying into female races.

#2 Officials in Seattle have decided that it is perfectly okay to hire migrants that have come into the United States illegally as police officers…

Now, faced with what can only be called an emergency due to low staffing, the city is taking advantage of Senate Bill 6157, signed into law by far-left Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, which will allow DACA recipients or so-called “dreamers” to apply to become police officers.

One issue facing DACA recipients becoming police officers is because they are in the country illegally, which means that they are not generally permitted to carry a firearm. However, Biden’s ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, FIrearms and Explosives) has ruled that “It is ATF’s position that DACA recipients can possess duty firearms and possess ammunition as part of their official law enforcement officer duties,” according to the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

#3 Even though reservoirs are overflowing right now, bureaucrats have decided to greatly restrict the flow of water to countless potato farmers in the state of Idaho…

Eastern Idaho farmers may soon be out of water after the state issued a major curtailment.

Brian Murdock, a farmer who resides in East Idaho, warned of the potential devastating impact of the order on his business during his appearance on “The Bottom Line” Wednesday.

“Well, as you said, the state of Idaho and the Idaho Department of Water Resources has issued this curtailment of 500,000 acres. And to help put that in perspective, that’s basically 781 square miles of farm ground that is being taken out of production,” Murdock stressed.

Keep reading

Prosecutor had dog cremated, bought Target pillows on taxpayers’ dime with funds meant for crime victims: Cops

Authorities in Georgia have arrested an Atlanta prosecutor who allegedly used taxpayer funds meant to help crime victims to buy items for herself such as cremation for her dog, breakfast and pillows from Target.

A grand jury indicted Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard on 11 counts of theft by taking and 13 counts of false statements and writings, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said in a press release. Woodard on “several occasions from July 2018 through September 2022” used funds from Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia for personal expenses, according to Carr. She also allegedly accepted reimbursement for travel and continuing education classes she didn’t actually attend.

“Those elected to uphold the law must operate honestly, ethically and transparently, and anything less undermines our system,” Carr said in a statement. “Theft of taxpayer dollars and falsifying documents to cover up that theft are entirely unacceptable.”

Woodard was tasked with prosecuting misdemeanor cases within the county, but now faces felony charges herself.

Among the allegations: Woodard turned in a receipt from a breakfast restaurant, claiming it was for abuse awareness when it was not. She said she was paying an expense related to law school admissions for a victim in a local youth program when it was really for someone else. Woodard requested reimbursement for costs related to a court case but it was actually to pay for cremation for her dog. She bought pillows for herself at Target and said they were for a victim.

Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA has been investigating Woodard’s actions for years. The TV station even tracked down the person who cremated her dog. Rick Farmer, of Precious Memories Crematory, gave a statement to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation about the $190 expense.

“It was paid to me, for her dog,” Farmer told the outlet. “Sounds like she owes the county some money and a whole bunch of other people a big apology.”

Woodard’s attorneys released a statement calling the indictment “absurd” and “unfathomable.”

Keep reading

Indiana Cop Used Facial Recognition Scans To Preform Non-Work-Related Searches

The use of Clearview’s facial recognition tech by US law enforcement is controversial in and of itself, and it turns out some police officers can use it “for personal purposes.”

One such case happened in Evansville, Indiana, where an officer had to resign after an audit showed the tech was “misused” to carry out searches that had nothing to do with his cases.

Clearview AI, which has been hit with fines and much criticism – only to see its business go stronger than ever, is almost casually described in legacy media reports as “secretive.”

But that sits badly in juxtaposition of another description of the company, as peddling to law enforcement (and the Department of Homeland Security in the US) some of the most sophisticated facial recognition and search technology in existence.

However, the Indiana case is not about Clearview itself – the only reason the officer, Michael Dockery, and his activities got exposed is because of a “routine audit,” as reports put it. And the audit was necessary to get Clearview’s license renewed by the police department.

In other words, the focus is not on the company and what it does (and how much of what and how it does, citizens are allowed to know) but on there being audits, and those ending up in smoking out some cops who performed “improper searches.” It’s almost a way to assure people Clearview’s tech is okay and subject to proper checks.

Keep reading

Louisiana becomes first state to require that Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms

Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.

The GOP-drafted legislation mandates that a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” be required in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. Although the bill did not receive final approval from Landry, the time for gubernatorial action – to sign or veto the bill – has lapsed.

Opponents question the law’s constitutionality, warning that lawsuits are likely to follow. Proponents say the purpose of the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the law’s language, the Ten Commandments are described as “foundational documents of our state and national government.”

The American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday it was joining Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation to file a lawsuit challenging the new Louisiana legislation.

“The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional,” the groups said in a joint statement. “The First Amendment promises that we all get to decide for ourselves what religious beliefs, if any, to hold and practice, without pressure from the government. Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools. “

In April, State Senator Royce Duplessis told CBS affiliate WWL-TV that he opposed the legislation. 

“That’s why we have a separation of church and state,” said Duplessis, who is a Democrat. “We learned the 10 Commandments when we went to Sunday school. As I said on the Senate floor, if you want your kids to learn the Ten Commandments, you can take them to church.”

The displays, which will be paired with a four-paragraph “context statement” describing how the Ten Commandments “were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries,” must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025.

The posters would be paid for through donations. State funds will not be used to implement the mandate, based on language in the legislation.

The law also “authorizes” – but does not require – the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance in K-12 public schools.

Keep reading

Free Speech at Risk: UN Pushes for Global “Hate Speech” Eradication

In a statement issued on the occasion of the “International Day for Countering Hate Speech,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the global eradication of so-called “hate speech,” which he described as inherently toxic and entirely intolerable.

The issue of censoring “hate speech” stirs significant controversy, primarily due to the nebulous and subjective nature of its definition. At the heart of the debate is a profound concern: whoever defines what constitutes hate speech essentially holds the power to determine the limits of free expression.

This power, wielded without stringent checks and balances, leads to excessive censorship and suppression of dissenting voices, which is antithetical to the principles of a democratic society.

Guterres highlighted the historic and ongoing damage caused by hate speech, citing devastating examples such as Nazi Germany, Rwanda, and Bosnia to suggest that speech leads to violence and even crimes against humanity.

“Hate speech is a marker of discrimination, abuse, violence, conflict, and even crimes against humanity. We have time and again seen this play out from Nazi Germany to Rwanda, Bosnia and beyond. There is no acceptable level of hate speech; we must all work to eradicate it completely,” Guterres said.

Keep reading