"A Monopoly In Expressing Its Views": D.C. Circuit Hands Down Major Free Speech Victory For Pro-Life Group

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has handed down a major victory for free speech against the District of Columbia. In Frederick Douglass Foundation v. District of Columbia, Judge Neomi Rao reversed district court judge James E. Boasberg who dismissed the challenge by pro-life protesters who alleged that they were treated differently from Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters. The selective enforcement of city ordinances gave what Judge Rao called “a monopoly in expressing its views . . . the antithesis of constitutional guarantees.”

The contrast in these cases was raised by a few commentators and sites in prior years.

In the summer of 2020, the city allowed thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters to take over streets in D.C. without any permit. The police watched as protesters wrote slogans and slurs on stores, streets, and sidewalks with paint and chalk. No one was arrested.

However, later two pro-life advocates in a protest in front of a D.C. Planned Parenthood facility were immediately arrested when they chalked “Black Pre-Born Lives Matter” on a public sidewalk.

Chief Judge Boasberg previously held that they had no right to challenge the selective enforcement of the laws. They simply had to plead guilty and accept that their views were not given the same official tolerance.

Judge Rao reversed the trial court and said this is precisely what the First Amendment is meant to prevent. The D.C. Circuit noted that such selective prosecution cases are based on one of the hardest claims to prove: “Selective enforcement claims must clear a high hurdle. Because the lawful exercise of prosecutorial discretion does not violate the Constitution, disparate enforcement of a neutral ordinance based on viewpoint is unlawful only when the prosecutorial factors are similar, and ‘unlawful favoritism’ remains the predominant explanation for the government’s targets.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/monopoly-expressing-its-views-dc-circuit-hands-down-major-free-speech-victory-pro-life

Russia Flaunts NATO "Trophies" At Moscow Annual Army Expo

Russia is showing off some captured US and Western supplied hardware taken from the battlefield in Ukraine at the Moscow annual Army International Military-Technical Forum. Among these are items that appear in mint condition.

The forum, more commonly dubbed Army 2023, features Russia's leading defense companies displaying their latest defense tech among some 1,500 total unique military items. This ranges from stealth jets, to battlefield medical equipment, to military grade earth-movers.

But this year for the first time Russia's military showed off a large amount of seized "war trophies" — including captured and destroyed armored vehicles from NATO countries.

Below, for example, is an American armored personnel carrier, seen in the foreground, and a British armored vehicle in the center.

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/russia-flaunts-trophies-moscow-annual-army-expo

NEWT GINGRICH: I Am Told Someone From DC Called Fani Willis on Friday and Demanded She Indict Trump on Monday to Cover Up Weiss “Screw Up”

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich told Charlie Kirk a reliable source told him Fulton County DA Fani Willis got a phone call from DC on Friday demanding she indict Trump on Monday to cover up for the Weiss-Hunter Biden “screw up.”

Marxist Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hit President Trump and 18 others with RICO and conspiracy charges for daring to challenge the 2020 election.

A Fulton County grand jury on Monday returned a 41-count indictment which included RICO and conspiracy charges against Trump.

The grand jury was supposed to meet to listen to witness testimony on Tuesday, however, 10 witnesses testified on Monday and the grand jury returned a 41-count indictment that evening.

The entire process has been abusive.

The Fulton County Clerk posted Trump’s charges online BEFORE the grand jury had deliberated.

Newt Gingrich said the person who called Fani Willis demanded she bring the grand jurors in on Monday afternoon and indict Trump later that evening.

“I am told by a reliable source that Friday evening that somebody from Washington called the District Attorney from Atlanta and said ‘you have to indict on Monday – we have to cover up all the mistakes we just made with Weiss,’ and she said apparently, ‘my jurors aren’t coming back until Tuesday,’ and they said ‘you didn’t hear me, you have to indict on Monday,’ and she said, ‘They’re not going to be here before noon…this means it’s going to be 8 or 9 or 10 o’clock at night!'” Newt told Charlie Kirk.

Charlie Kirk asked Newt Gingrich who made the phone call to Fani Willis.

“We don’t know,” Newt Gingrich said. “And I’m telling you upfront, this is hearsay, but it’s from a person who has remarkably good sources.”

“I totally believe it though because that would explain why they leaked and they messed up on the clerk documents, why [Fani Willis] was exhausted and why they had the 11 pm press conference!” Charlie Kirk said.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/newt-gingrich-i-am-told-someone-dc-called/

>>19377572

Hurricanes, Cyclones, and Typhoons Explained

These giant, dangerous storms often cause substantial destruction.

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/hurricanes-cyclones-and-typhoons-explained/

Biden Wants to Give $500 Million of US Taxpayer Money to the Socialist Lula da Silva to “Save” the Amazon in Brazil

President Joe Biden held a virtual meeting with Brazilian Socialist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday, 16. Lula da Silva appealed to Biden to speed up the transfer of 500 million dollars to the Amazon Fund.

Biden responded to Lula da Silva by stating that he would seek approval from the U.S. Congress to provide Brazil with $500 million to help combat deforestation in the Amazon.

During their dialogue, the two presidents recalled their joint efforts to address climate change. While seeking financial support from the U.S., Lula discussed preparations for COP-28 – the UN climate summit to be held in Dubai.

Corruption in the Amazon Fund

The Amazon Fund is a resource that collects donations to be invested in actions aimed at preserving and monitoring the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The fund was created by the Lula administration in 2008. The National Bank for Economic and Social Development of Brazil (“BNDES” in Portuguese) is responsible for managing the allocation of these funds.

In practice, however, a significant portion of the money raised by this fund goes to NGOs that do not work to conserve the Amazon, but rather to support special interests in the region.

Furthermore, some countries invest in the Amazon Fund to profit from illegal tree exploitation and other illegal activities in the region, such as Norway.

In 2019, conservative President Jair Bolsonaro halted both outgoing and incoming funds from the Amazon Fund due to suspicions of corruption and misappropriation of resources meant to protect the Amazon.

But Lula da Silva’s return to power restored the Amazon Fund, and now Brazil’s socialist president is requesting even more money to supposedly “protect” the Amazon and fight illegal deforestation.

Also in 2019, Senator Plínio Valério of Amazonas criticized the role of NGOs in the Amazon and the receipt of money from various countries and entities for the Amazon Fund. Plínio Valério stated:

“These funds from the Amazon Fund end up in the pockets of people associated with NGOs. 80% of the money is spent among them, on lectures, scientific research, book publications, etc., in an irregular manner. In addition, we have found that the projects financed by the Amazon Fund have reached only 160,000 people, a figure considered negligible in relation to the 20 million inhabitants of the Amazon region”.

Currently, Plínio Valério chairs a parliamentary commission of inquiry to investigate the role of NGOs in the Amazon and the irregularities committed with the funds intended for the protection of Brazil’s forests.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/what-biden-wants-give-500-million-us-taxpayer/

>>19377687

https://twitter.com/ADL/status/1633188817598398464

Former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Employee and 14 Others Charged in $3.2 Million Fraud Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/former-illinois-department-children-and-family-services-employee-and-14-others-charged

PAC Fundraiser And PAC Treasurer Charged With Multi-Year Schemes To Defraud Donors

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/pac-fundraiser-and-pac-treasurer-charged-multi-year-schemes-defraud-donors