Obama-Appointed Judge Halts Florida Gov. DeSantis’ Ban on Covid Vaccine Passports For Cruises

A federal judge Sunday night issued a temporary injunction halting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ ban on Covid vaccine passports for cruises.

A lawsuit was filed by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings last month.

US District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, said DeSantis’ law prohibiting vaccine passports likely violates the First Amendment.

The Washington Times reported:

A federal judge on Sunday halted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination before boarding a cruise in a legal battle brought by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“The statute is a content-based restriction because it singles out documentation regarding a particular subset matter … and subjects it to restrictions … that do not apply to documents regarding other topics,” Judge Williams wrote in her order.

The judge cited the growing number of COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant across the country — and especially in Florida — as a concern for cruises attempting to set sail after being shut down last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Norwegian Cruise Line sued to upend Florida’s ban on requiring vaccine passports before passengers can travel safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic last month.

Mr. DeSantis signed the legislation earlier this year barring companies from asking customers if they have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and it went into effect July 1.

Companies that violate the law can be subject to a $5,000 fine per customer.

DeSantis’ office said they will appeal the ruling to the 11th Circuit.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/obama-appointed-judge-halts-florida-gov-desantis-ban-covid-vaccine-passports-cruises/

Mike Lindell Announces Eduardo Bolsonaro Will Speak at Sioux Falls Cyber Symposium on Tuesday

Popular Trump supporter and MyPillow owner and founder Mike Lindell joined Steve Bannon Monday on The War Room the day before his much anticipated Cyber Symposium this week.

Mike’s symposium in Sioux Falls, South Dakota will take place August 10-12 starting at 9 AM Central time.

The Gateway Pundit will have two reporters in attendance this week.

During their conversation this morning Mike Lindell broke the news that Eduardo Bolsonaro will address the conference on Tuesday morning.

Eduardo is the son of popular Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Eduardo has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2015. In 2018, he was re-elected to a second term as Federal Deputy, being the most voted lawmaker in Brazil’s history.

Eduardo will address the symposium tomorrow!

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/breaking-mike-lindell-announces-eduardo-bolsonaro-will-speak-sioux-falls-cyber-symposium-tuesday-video/

WTF pic two says it all

Canada Opens US Border For 1st Time Since March 2020, But Only For Vaccinated Americans

Almost one-and-a-half years since it first closed in March 2020, the Canadian government announced Monday that it's finally opening the US-Canadian border, but only for those fully vaccinated against coronavirus. "When the clock struck midnight on Monday, Canada reopened its borders to U.S. citizens after more than a year of only allowing essential travel," Detroit Free Press observed.

The government is citing it as a big step toward 'normalcy' on the border. "Canadians' safety and security always come first. With rising vaccination rates and fewer cases in Canada, we can begin to safely ease border measures," Canada's minister of health Patty Hajdu said in a statement.

"A gradual approach to reopening will allow our health authorities to monitor the COVID-19 situation here and abroad. Canadians have worked hard and sacrificed for each other, and because of that work, we can take these next steps safely," she added.

It's expected that there will be long wait times to cross the border, however. A statement and bit of a 'warning' by the Canada Border Services Agency said "The CBSA will not compromise the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of border wait times."

The Canadian government has set up the ArriveCAN app to track travelers' vaccination status. Vaccine confirmation must be submitted via the app within 72 hours before arrival. It's also being advised that travelers carry their physical vaccine documentation, ready to show border officials when asked.

All must also submit to a COVID-19 test. Only those showing symptoms or a positive test will have to quarantine. "Fully vaccinated travellers who meet the requirements will be exempt from quarantine; however, all travellers must still provide a quarantine plan and be prepared to quarantine, in case it is determined at the border that they do not meet the necessary requirements," a new government directive indicated.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/canada-opens-us-border-1st-time-march-2020-only-vaccinated-americans

‘Use of force is part of legal system’: Berlin police brush off UN torture rapporteur’s criticism of violence against protesters

In spite of video evidence online, police in Berlin, Germany, have rejected the criticism by the United Nation’s special rapporteur on torture of their heavy-handed response to anti-lockdown rallies that saw hundreds arrested.

The protesters recently gathered in unauthorized demonstrations against the government’s Covid-19 measures, in contravention of the restrictions on such gatherings under the Infection Protection Act. They heeded no warnings and attacked officers, the Berlin police said in a statement on Monday, warranting their “violent” enforcement measures.

The statement was issued in response to the views expressed in the media last week by Nils Melzer, the UN special rapporteur on torture. Melzer had said he would be requesting an official statement from the government on police actions during the massive anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination rally in early August.

“There have been some videos that are worrying,” Melzer told the DPA news agency. “The evidence is strong enough [to suspect] that human rights violations may have been committed.”

He requested some additional information about one video that surfaced on social media showing a police officer brutally grabbing an elderly woman by the neck and throwing her to the ground. “She could have died,” Melzer said.

However, the Berlin police apparently believed there was nothing extraordinary about the footage that drew the attention of the UN official, and have stated that “violence” was virtually a part of their mandate.

“Direct enforcement is violence. Violence harms. Violence hurts. Violence looks violent,” a Berlin police spokesperson, Thilo Cablitz, told DPA on Sunday. “Direct enforcement is still a part of our legal system, even with all those images,” he added, referring to the videos of police brutality that were shared on social networks and via various media outlets.

The police also addressed the specific case involving the elderly woman that had sparked Melzer’s concern. Claiming the officer who threw the woman to the ground acted professionally, the spokesperson said he had held her by the back right until she hit the ground “to avoid head injuries,” according to a statement quoted by the Tagesspiegel daily.

Cablitz admitted that the police were investigating cases of suspected bodily harm during the demonstrations on August 1, however.

‘Communication issue?’

According to Melzer, there was no reason for the violence in the first place. The rapporteur believes the police failed to make their demands clear in the first place. “This is a communication problem, not a violence problem. An armored police force might not be the right answer,” he told DPA.

However, Cablitz maintained that it would have been impossible to communicate with many of the protesters. “I can very well remember the number of people who could have been reached out to … there were three,” he said, adding that he had been among the officers deployed to police the rallies.

https://www.rt.com/news/531562-germany-police-violence-covid-protests/

Nazi storm troopers

Senate Dems Release Text Of $3.5 Trillion "Stimulus" Budget Resolution

With markets distracted by various crypto amendments in the 'bipartisan' infrastructure bill currently working its way through the sausage-making machine in Washington, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday released the full text of Democrats' $3.5 trillion budget resolution, which the Senate is expected to pass without any Republican votes as early as this week.

"Please remember that the resolution only includes 'top-line' reconciliation instructions to the committees, and that every Senator will have opportunities to shape and influence the final reconciliation bill after adoption of the Budget Resolution," Schumer wrote to the caucus.

Passing this massive bill will accelerate Democrats' plans to overhaul the country's climate, child care, and health care laws through the budget reconciliation process, via huge increases in taxation.

Notably absent from the text is any language that would lift the debt limit.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/senate-dems-release-text-35-trillion-stimulus-budget-resolution

https://www.scribd.com/document/519442876/HEN21B52#from_embed

Chinese cyber agency detains 59 over illegal camera voyeurism

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced on Monday that dozens of people have been arrested and 25,000 illegally hacked webcams seized as part of a crackdown on illegal voyeurism in the Asian nation.

In a statement, the cybersecurity watchdog announced the detention of 59 suspects who had allegedly used camera-cracking software to illegally control webcams, eavesdropping on individuals and engaging in illicit activity.

The CAC, together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, and State Administration of Market Regulation, initiated the crackdown on more than 4,000 online accounts and 132 groups, finding 22,000 illegal or harmful posts.

In order to prevent further violations, the CAC, alongside the relevant ministries, ordered digital agencies to improve their inspection and screening processes to identify and fix vulnerabilities that could lead to secure networks being compromised.

Digital platforms, including Alibaba’s UC Browser, Baidu, and Tencent, were among the Chinese providers ordered to ensure their services are “cleaned up” following the discovery of thousands of pieces of voyeuristic content on their sites, according to the CAC. Tech companies have been given a one-month deadline to “complete comprehensive rectification.”

Similarly, e-commerce sites, such as Alibaba’s Taobao, JD.com and Xianyu, took 1,600 cameras offline that had been illegally sold or offered to perpetrators potentially engaging in malicious activity, according to the CAC’s statement.

The CAC’s announcement of the crackdown on illegal voyeurism was paired with a warning from Chinese officials that further illicit behavior will be met with a “strong response” from authorities acting to protect “citizens’ personal privacy.”

https://www.rt.com/news/531541-china-cyber-agency-illegal-voyeruism/

France extends use of health pass to cafes & restaurants despite weekend of mass protests

The French government is pushing ahead with enforcing the extension of France’s new Covid-19 ‘health pass’, which now admits entry to bars and restaurants, as well as flights and trains – and restricts unvaccinated citizens.

On Monday, after a fourth weekend of mass protests, the government proceeded with imposing the extension of the controversial health pass and restrictions on the unvaccinated, which are set to be in place until at least November.

Since July 21, the ‘pass sanitaire’ (health pass) has already been required in certain cultural institutions and venues, such as museums and cinemas. On Thursday, however, France’s Constitutional Council approved plans to extend its use. The court also ruled it constitutional to make the vaccine mandatory for health care workers and make the pass obligatory in bars and restaurants, as well as when taking flights or trains.

On Saturday, almost 250,000 French dissidents took to the streets to protest against the new measures, which they argue is an imposition on their personal freedom – a notion the country has supposedly championed since the 1789 revolution.

Videos have flooded social media showing protesters clashing with police, who fired tear gas to suppress the large crowds.

https://www.rt.com/news/531533-health-pass-use-extended/

BBC studios STORMED by anti-Covid passport protesters, VIDEO shows clashes with police amid attempted break-in

BBC studios at Television Centre in West London were targeted by an agitated group of protesters opposing the government’s Covid-19 plans. The crowd attempted to break into the building, causing clashes with police.

The dramatic confrontation at the entrance of the BBC studios was filmed by witnesses at the scene. The footage showed a dozen or so Metropolitan Police officers rushing to stop the demonstrators, who appeared intent on forcing their way in.

https://www.rt.com/uk/531537-bbc-studios-stormed-covid-protesters/