https://www.theepochtimes.com/90-miles-from-the-us-coast-theres-chinese-military-graceffo-on-ccp-influence-in-latin-america_4228843.html?utm_source=uschinanoe&utm_campaign=uschina-2022-01-24&utm_medium=email&est=zzLAm2hhDzSE%2BDD%2FKKvQ0K6Wwu3L8%2BvSA%2BVUKqHSNj4vZwP%2Fe993ofszLGmKkEF5ya1VOr4%3D

NOT ONLY MILES FROM CANADA / USA BORDER…

’90 Miles From the US Coast, There’s Chinese Military’: Graceffo on CCP Influence in Latin America

In this special episode, we sat down with China economic analyst Antonio Graceffo and Paz Gómez, a researcher at Impunity Observer. They talk about the first female president in Hondurus, how that could change diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and how the Chinese regime’s economic stake in Latin America ripples over into the United States.

Graceffo said, “One of the things that China is doing that’s very clever is that they’re going right to the tree. When you want to find a good apple, you go right to the tree. So one of the things they’re doing is they’re offering scholarships for students, police, and military, but they’re taking junior officers, young people. So they go to China, they’ll have a good experience, and they’ll always—maybe learn to speak Chinese—and then they’ll always be somewhat pro-China. So China will slowly and organically grow support in those countries from China. … And then they produce mega projects in these countries through the Belt and Road Initiative and through other programs. So basically, these programs work like this: China will come and build a very highly visible infrastructure project, they will loan the host country the money to pay for the project, the host company country will then use the money to pay Chinese companies to build the project.”

Gómez said, “As China gains more influence in [manufacturing and infrastructure] projects in [South America], they are also kind of removing key points for the United States. Not because the United States have been intervening, like, explicitly in the countries, but because at the end, if something happens in a geopolitical situation, the logical allies of the United States were the Latin American countries. If they have a commitment with other countries, it will be more difficult for these countries to say, for example, Honduras in the case that they decide to go with China, it is going to be more difficult to say, ‘Yeah, I logically support the United States, I logically support their republican democratic system,’ because they have some commitments with China.”

Watch the full episode online.

https://www.bizpacreview.com/2022/01/24/ninth-circuit-rules-la-pandemic-shut-down-of-gun-stores-unconstitutional-in-big-2nd-amendment-win-1192428/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Get%20Response&utm_term=EMAIL&utm_content=Newsletter&utm_campaign=bizpac

Ninth Circuit rules LA pandemic shut down of gun stores unconstitutional in big 2nd Amendment win

Second Amendment advocates and business owners are cheering over the 9th Circuit Court ruling that Los Angeles County and Ventura County’s closing down of gun stores during the pandemic is unconstitutional, paving the way for lawsuits.

The California counties violated the Second Amendment by mandating the shut down of gun ammunition stores in March of 2020, according to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Those stores were deemed to be nonessential by progressive leaders at the time, according to Fox 11.

“The court today rightfully recognized that Los Angeles County violated Second Amendment rights when it shut down gun stores and ranges in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Michael Jean, NRA’s director of the Office of Litigation Counsel, remarked in a statement. “This is an important decision. It ensures that California — or any state — cannot use a crisis to trample on the Constitutional rights of citizens.”

The president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, John Lott, asserted that the ruling shows that those counties didn’t even attempt to justify why they shut down the gun stores, which violated the right of citizens to self-defense, according to Fox Business.

“The orders by Los Angeles and Ventura counties closed down gun stores and shooting ranges even while they allowed businesses like bike shops to remain open,” Lott asserted. “Despite rising crime, the counties made it impossible for people to exercise their right to self-defense, to get a gun, or even try to get a concealed handgun permit for protection or even buy ammunition. The judges’ unanimous decision complained that the counties didn’t even try to justify what businesses they decided to close.”

Second Amendment advocates and business owners are cheering over the 9th Circuit Court ruling that Los Angeles County and Ventura County’s closing down of gun stores during the pandemic is unconstitutional, paving the way for lawsuits.

The California counties violated the Second Amendment by mandating the shut down of gun ammunition stores in March of 2020, according to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Those stores were deemed to be nonessential by progressive leaders at the time, according to Fox 11.

“The court today rightfully recognized that Los Angeles County violated Second Amendment rights when it shut down gun stores and ranges in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Michael Jean, NRA’s director of the Office of Litigation Counsel, remarked in a statement. “This is an important decision. It ensures that California — or any state — cannot use a crisis to trample on the Constitutional rights of citizens.”

The president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, John Lott, asserted that the ruling shows that those counties didn’t even attempt to justify why they shut down the gun stores, which violated the right of citizens to self-defense, according to Fox Business.

“The orders by Los Angeles and Ventura counties closed down gun stores and shooting ranges even while they allowed businesses like bike shops to remain open,” Lott asserted. “Despite rising crime, the counties made it impossible for people to exercise their right to self-defense, to get a gun, or even try to get a concealed handgun permit for protection or even buy ammunition. The judges’ unanimous decision complained that the counties didn’t even try to justify what businesses they decided to close.”

Judge Lawrence Van Dyke, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, wrote in the ruling that the Second Amendment “means nothing if the government can prohibit all persons from acquiring any firearm or ammunition… These blanket prohibitions on access and practice clearly burden conduct protected by the Second Amendment and fail under both strict and intermediate scrutiny.”

“Appellees omit any evidence or argumentation suggesting that the closure of gun shops, ammunition shops, and firing ranges stems the spread of COVID any more than the closure of bike shops, hardware stores, and golfing ranges,” VanDyke noted. He asserted that the counties’ “carte-blanche rationale,” which “has nothing to do with the actual fundamental right at issue,” is “riddled with exemptions and inconsistencies.”

The judge argued that it “ultimately boils down to the government’s designation of ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ businesses—but nowhere has the government here explained why gun stores, ammunition stores, and firing ranges are ‘non-essential’ businesses while bicycle shops, hardware stores, and golfing ranges are ‘essential.'”…..