Federal judge blocks New Mexico governor's suspension of public carry

U.S. District Judge David Urias issued the ruling.

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked part of New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michele Lujan Grisham's public health order suspending the carrying of firearms in public in Albuquerque.

U.S. District Judge David Urias issued the ruling, per the Associated Press. The governor issued the order on Friday in the wake of the shooting of an 11-year-old boy outside a baseball stadium.

The 30-day order would have barred the open and concealed carry of guns within the city and imposed fines on violators. The move drew scrutiny from gun rights advocates, Republicans, and Democrats alike over concerns about its constitutionality.

State Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, announced Tuesday that he would not defend the governor's order, saying "I do not believe that the Emergency Order will have any meaningful impact on public safety… I do not believe it passes constitutional muster."

California Democrat Congressman Ted Lieu, a gun control advocate, raised eyebrows with his quick condemnation of Lujan Grisham's order, stating on X that "I support gun safety laws. However, this order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution. No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution. There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution."

Lujan Grisham's order prompted a bevy of legal challenges from gun rights groups and even drew calls for her impeachment.

https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/federal-judge-blocks-new-mexico-governors-suspension-public-carry

Hunter Biden sues ex-Trump aide for allegedly helping publish emails, other laptop content illegally

The first son is requesting a jury trial to determine appropriate damages.

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit Wednesday against former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler for his alleged role in publishing private emails and images from the infamous laptop.

Ziegler is accused in the suit of improperly "accessing, tampering with, manipulating, altering, copying and damaging computer data that they do not own," in violation of California's computer fraud laws.

According to ABC News, the lawsuit claims that Ziegler and 10 unidentified others obtained Hunter's data and disseminated "tens of thousands of emails, thousands of photos, and dozens of videos and recordings" on the internet.

The first son is requesting a jury trial to determine appropriate damages.

"While Defendant Ziegler is entitled to his extremist and counterfactual opinions, he has no right to engage in illegal activities to advance his right-wing agenda," wrote attorneys for Hunter Biden, according to the outlet. "Yet that is precisely what Defendant Ziegler and his so-called 'nonprofit research group' … have done."

Neither Ziegler or his attorneys have responded to the lawsuit.

https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/hunter-biden-sues-trump-aide-allegedly-violating-california-computer-fraud

China Brings Taliban Out Of Total Isolation In Sending New Ambassador

The Taliban government of Afghanistan is seeking to break loose from its isolation on the world stage, with a little help from Communist China, of all countries.

For the first time since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 amid the disastrous and bloody rapid American pullout, Kabul has welcomed a new Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan.

The Taliban apparently pulled out all the stops Wednesday in creating a lot of fanfare to greet Ambassador Zhao Sheng, with The Associated Press observing that his "car swept through the tree-lined driveway of the Presidential Palace escorted by a police convoy," after which he was "greeted by uniformed troops and met top-ranking Taliban officials, including Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who heads the administration, and Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi."

"It is the first time since the Taliban takeover that an ambassador to Kabul has been afforded such lavish protocol," the report noted.

While the vast majority of countries around the world, including the US, have not formally recognized Taliban rule, China has remained among the few that have maintained a diplomatic mission in Kabul.

China as the globe's second largest economy has expressed a desire to better ties with Afghanistan, especially on a commercial and investment front, also given the potential for Belt & Road related infrastructural works. But it remains that security and terror attacks have plagued the country.

Attempting to put on a new positive face for the world to see of 'responsible rule', Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had this to say:

"It also signals to other countries to come forward and interact with the Islamic Emirate," said Mujahid. "We should establish good relations as a result of good interactions and, with good relations, we can solve all the problems that are in front of us or coming in the future."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-brings-taliban-out-total-isolation-sending-new-ambassador

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-brings-taliban-out-total-isolation-sending-new-ambassador

Top Biden spokesman John Kirby completely ignores a question on why Joe Biden so frequently makes up completely demonstrably false stories in a desperate attempt to feign empathy

https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1702019716963778681

.@NYPost

's @StevenNelson10

: "Can you explain why the President interacted with so many of his son's foreign business associates? More than half of voters told CNN they believe [he] was involved & he lied. You can't have a response to that, Karine?"

KJP ignores him and leaves….

https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1702027474094235740

GOP Rep. Tom Emmer Introduces Legislation to Prohibit Federal Reserve from Creating Central Bank Digital Currency

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (MN-06) reintroduced his flagship legislation, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Anti-Surveillance State Act, signaling a strong countermove against the Biden regime’s overreach into Americans’ financial privacy.

Emmer has rallied a significant bloc of 50 original Republican co-sponsors, underscoring the concern among conservatives about the implications of a government-issued digital currency.

At the core of this legislation is the principle that a Central Bank Digital Currency, unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, would give the federal government unprecedented powers to monitor and control individual financial transactions.

“The administration has made it clear: President Biden is willing to compromise the American people’s right to financial privacy for a surveillance-style CBDC. That’s why I’m reintroducing my landmark legislation to put a check on unelected bureaucrats and ensure the United States’ digital currency policy upholds our values of privacy, individual sovereignty, and free-market competitiveness,” Whip Emmer said in a statement.

“If not designed to be open, permissionless, and private – emulating cash – a government-issued CBDC is nothing more than a CCP-style surveillance tool that would be used to undermine the American way of life,” Emmer added.

While the bill is Republican-led, its implications have garnered wide-ranging support. Heritage Action Acting Executive Director, Ryan Walker, stated, “Thorough anti-CBDC legislation is critical for safeguarding Americans’ financial privacy in the face of potential surveillance, control, and political intimidation. We commend Congressman Emmer’s sweeping bill to prohibit a CBDC issued both directly from the Fed to Americans and indirectly via banks or other intermediaries.”

David McIntosh, President of Club for Growth, also offered a strong endorsement: “We fully support this new legislation which ensures America doesn’t go down the China road and the Federal Reserve never develops a CBDC.”

The CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act aims to:

Prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC directly to individuals, ensuring the Fed cannot mobilize itself into a retail bank able to collect personal financial data on Americans.

Prohibit the Fed from indirectly issuing a CBDC to individuals through an intermediary, preventing the Fed from launching a retail CBDC through our two-tier financial system.

Prohibit the Fed from using any CBDC to implement monetary policy, ensuring the Federal Reserve cannot use a CBDC as a tool to control the American economy. The legislation protects innovation and any future development of digital cash.

According to the press release, “Whip Emmer first introduced the leading Republican bill to address central bank digital currencies in January of 2022. The bill is now co-sponsored by 50 of Whip Emmer’s Republican colleagues, including Members of the Financial Services Committee, Representatives French Hill (AR-02), Warren Davidson (OH-08), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Pete Sessions (TX-32), Young Kim (CA-40), William Timmons (SC-04), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Bryan Steil (WI-01), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Mike Flood (NE-01), Bill Posey (FL-08), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Andy Ogles (TN-05) and Ann Wagner (MO-02).”

During the press conference, Emmer clarified the intentions behind his legislation.

“Recent actions from the Biden administration have made it clear that they are not only itching to create a digital dollar, but they’re willing to trade [the] right to financial privacy for a surveillance-style CBDC,” Emmer announced. “This bill ensures the future of crypto is in the hands of the American people, not the administrative state.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/09/gop-rep-tom-emmer-introduces-legislation-prohibit-federal/

https://twitter.com/VVFriedman/status/1701762045606084693