Supreme Court rules for NRA in New York government coercion battle

The National Rifle Association alleged that official's warning that companies faced “reputational risks” by working with the group violates its constitutional rights.

The Supreme Court said the National Rifle Association can sue over a then-New York official's efforts to encourage companies to end ties with the gun rights group

May 30, 2024, 10:28 AM EDT

By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the National Rifle Association can pursue a claim that a New York state official’s efforts to encourage companies to end ties with the gun rights groupconstituted unlawful coercion.

The justices unanimously found that the NRA can move forward with arguments thatits free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment were violatedby the actions of Maria Vullo, the then-superintendent of the New York state Department of Financial Services.

The case was one of two before the justices concerning alleged government coercion of private entities. The other, yet to be decided, involves claims that the Biden administration unlawfully pressured social media companies when it urged them to remove certain content.

"Government officials cannot attempt to coerce private parties in order to punish or suppress views that the government disfavors," liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote on behalf of the court in Thursday's ruling. The NRA, she added, plausibly alleges that Vullo "did just that."

The NRA appealed a 2022 ruling by theNew York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said Vullo’s actions did not constitute unlawful conduct,meaning the free speech claim should be dismissed.

In a 2018 lawsuit, the gun rights group zeroed in on an investigation by Vullo’s office into insurance companies that the NRA had worked with to provide coverage for members. The gun group is based in Virginia but was incorporated in New York,

Furthermore, in the aftermath of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed,Vullo urged insurance companies and banksto reconsider any relationships they had with gun rights-affiliated groups.

Vullo’s lawyers argued that it was well established that a government official in her position could encourage entities to consider reputational risks.

Sotomayor wrote in Thursday's ruling that nothing in the decision gives advocacy groups immunity from government investigations or "prevents government officials from forcefully condemning views with which they disagree."

The case saw the NRA get legal assistance from the American Civil Liberties Union, which usually backs left-leaning causes. The ACLU said its decision to represent the gun rights group "reflects the importance of the First Amendment principles at stake in this case."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/prewrite-supreme-court-rules-nra-coercion-parkland-shooting-rcna151093

Strict new rules take effect Aug. 1 for bringing your dog across the U.S. border (but not illegal aliens, drug traffickers, cartels, they can come in with diseases, drugs and guns and trafficked women and children)

Beginning this summer, you'll need vet-approved documentation to prove your dog has been vaccinated against rabies. Here's what to know

Joseph Ruttle Published May 30, 2024

If you regularly travel with your dog into the U.S., the process is about to get a lot more complicated.

Beginning on Aug. 1, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will introduce new rules for crossing an international border with a canine.

The most significant and likely the most onerous new requirement is that you’ll need to submit papers to the CDC days in advance of a planned trip that prove your dog is healthy,has a valid microchip— more on that later — and most important, is vaccinated against the deadly rabies virus.

This means a spontaneous road trip to the U.S. with your pet will be basically out of the question.

Is my dog eligible to cross into the U. S.? Starting on Aug. 1, your dog must be at least six months old to travel to the U.S.

Since the tougher measures are primarily aimed at keeping the U.S. free of rabies, there is also a requirement that your dog not have been in one of over 100 countries in the previous six months where rabies is not under control.

There are several other variables, so the CDC has an app called DogBot to help navigate the upcoming rules that includes a list of those countries.

What is changing on Aug. 1? As mentioned, the biggest change is that the U.S. will require recently completed documentation for your pet, submitted to the CDC between a few and 10 days in advance of the trip.

For years, the advice for taking your dog over the border has been to ensure your dog is vaccinated. In most cases, that was a simple question by a border official, and perhaps a request to see Fido’s vaccination record.

Not after July. Starting in August, you’ll need to book an appointment with a veterinarian to have them fill out the new form.

Mark Belanger, a senior lawyer and principal of Border Solutions Law in Vancouver, says that’s going to be a huge “headache” for travellers who often take their dogs with them.

“A lot of people are going to be affected by this,” says Belanger, whose firm specializes in border and immigration issues.

The new rules were announced only a couple of weeks ago, so Belanger admits they’re new to him as well. But he says the change is akin to treating your dog as “chattel” in a legal sense, a thing you own rather than a family member. “The biggest nuisance factor is the form that has to be filled out by a vet, and the microchip.”

Ah yes, the microchip. Belanger notes it must be compatible with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). OK, so are the chips most vets insert in a pet ISO-compatible?“I don’t know what that is,” Belanger says with a chuckle. Nor is there a detailed explanation on the CDC website of how to check that. It only says to “check with the microchip company or the dog’s veterinarian” to find out.

Belanger says the form must include a photo of the dog taken within the past 10 days, though how that will be enforced isn’t clear either. Pups younger than six months, which are too young to be rabies vaccinated, used to be eligible for travel into the U.S. with a vet’s bill of good health. That’s no longer the case.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/strict-new-rules-bringing-dog-across-us-border

Spanish PM Caught Lying About an Investigation Into His Wife

Sánchez has twice denied that Begoña Gómez was being formally investigated on corruption charges, despite knowing her lawyer had responded to the judge in the case.

• Bridget Ryder — May 30, 2024

Newly released documents confirm that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez knew that his spouse Begoña Gómez was being formally investigated in April, when he wrote to the nation announcing he could resign over the matter.

At the time, the Spanish press had broken the story that Gómez was being investigated on charges of corruption, specifically usingher influence as the prime minister’s wife to obtain public funding for certain companies and people. Despite the press reports, Sánchez’s letter denied that his wife was formally under investigation.

On April 24, Sánchez wrote an open letter to the citizens of Spain explaining that he was taking five days off from his public appearances to consider whether he should continue at the helm of the country’s government, in light of the allegations. After his five day reflection period—which gave his supporters time to stage a show of support for the premier—Sánchez, not surprisingly, announced that he had decided to stay in office.

A few weeks later, on May 20, part of the investigative report into Goméz was leaked to the left-wing newspaper El Pais, known for its pro-government bias, despite the judge having imposed a secrecy block on the documents. Just days before the leak, Sánchez was scheduled to appear in Congress for the usual questions to the prime minister. Here it was clear that he would be grilled by the opposition about the situation surrounding his wife. One leaked paragraph stated that the Civil Guard, the police force conducting the investigation, had found no evidence of the crime of influence peddling by Goméz.

One week later, the judge lifted the secrecy measure on the case, allowing all the reports and rulings to come to light through the press.

These documents include a letter from Goméz’s lawyer to the judge acknowledging his client’s situation. The full text of the police report also shows that investigators found no clear indication of influence peddling in some of the listed accusations in the complaint filed by Manos Limpias.

However, in other instances cited in the complaint they saw clear signs of possible crimes. The judge also reasoned that a full investigation may uncover more details of possible criminal activity concerning all the various situations detailed in the complaint. The decision to investigate has also been ratified by a second court.

On Wednesday in congress, Albert Nuñez Feijóo, leader of the center-right Partido Popular (PP), criticized Sánchez for lying to the public and called out the premier’s time of reflection as in reality “five days to organize your procedural and political strategy.”

On Sunday, the PP had organized a protest that brought 80,000 people to the streets of Madrid to demand that Sánchez call elections. Such calls are unlikely to die down anytime soon.

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/spanish-pm-caught-lying-about-an-investigation-into-his-wife/

Citizen Free Press @CitizenFreePres

Mayoral candidate Alfredo Cabrera was assassinated ahead of this weekend's election. Mexico has very strict gun control.With shot to the back of the head.

(The video is brutal)

From Collin Rugg May 29, 2024

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1796005484010344918

Biden campaign makes a ‘guerrilla-style’ (mafia style)pivot on the Trump trial

Many close to the president have expressed private frustration that the media is obsessed with Trump.

(Are you freakin kidding, what did you expect, Carville and many others advised to stop with the charges and lawsuits right after the start of Bragg. they said it would make Trump a martyr and it did but also made him a HERO)

By NATALIE ALLISON and JONATHAN LEMIRE 05/28/2024 06:19 PM EDT

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NEW YORK — After six weeks of staying clear of the courthouse at 100 Centre St., Joe Biden’s campaign on Tuesday showed up to hold their own event — adramatic reversalof the president’s (failed) strategy in the final days of Donald Trump’s trial.

Thechange comes as Biden tries to catch up with Trump, who has been leading in most key battleground state polls even as he has been mostly confined to New York for the duration of the trial.

Much like Trump has done through part of the trial, Biden’s campaign team brought their own set of surrogates to parade before the mob of television cameras that have camped out outside the courthouse each day to hear from Trump’s allies. Asked by a reporter why the president’s reelection campaign decided to hold an event at Trump’s trial, his communications director had a simple answer: “Because you all are here,” Michael Tyler said.

“You’ve been incessantly covering this, day in and day out,” Tyler continued, later saying the Biden team would seek to remind voters of “the stakes of this election.” (So Pathetic)

More so than any other day of the trial — fueled by the Biden campaign’s involvement — the courthouse and its immediate vicinity on Tuesday became a center of litigation for something besides the hush money trial: the November election.

The Biden campaign decided over the weekend to authorize a “guerrilla-style” campaign event near the courthouse in an effort to break through the nonstop cable news coverage of the Trump trial, according to two people familiar with plans and granted anonymity to describe them.

Biden campaign officials acknowledged that holding the surprise press conference was a change in tactics, but said it was not a change of their overall strategy.

They also made the decision over the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware, where the Biden campaign is headquartered, to plan more surprise events in the weeks ahead.They plan to be “nimble and creative,” according to one of the people with knowledge of the strategy, as a means to go on offense and break through the media cycle. (Did they bring their Meme Maker with Them? KEK!)

On Tuesday, that meant bringing out actor Robert De Niro. (Top KEK)

As a car alarm rang out and a group of nearby Trump supporters shouted loudly outside the courthouse Tuesday morning, De Niro, who recently voiced a campaign ad for Biden, and former police officers Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, who responded to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attacks, railed against Trump before the crowd of cameras.

De Niro, who has made no secret of his distaste for Trump, was eager to bracket the moment with a stunt news conference, the people familiar with the plans said. But the Biden surrogates seemed careful not to directly mention the ongoing legal case against Trump — the very issue that has resulted in a month-and-a half-long media bonanza for the former president.

Instead, while introducing the three men, Tyler said the president was looking forward to talking to Trump about three other topics at their June 27 debate — abortion, threats to democracy and economic policies for working families.

“That’s what this campaign is going to be focused on and talking about over the course of the next month,” Tyler said. (So out of touch liars, and Politico is pointing them out)

Stashed in a white trash bag on the ground near the microphones was a blue Biden-Harris placard, a prop that was apparently never set up ahead of the campaign’s press event.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/28/biden-trump-trial-strategy-00160274

>>20938574

2/2

Many close to Biden haveexpressed private frustrationthat themedia is obsessed with Trump, making it difficult at times to garner attention for the incumbent.

But the people familiar with the decision disputed that thestunt was born out of desperation, even as Biden has narrowly but consistently trailed Trump in the polls. (Jealous but he never gets people or crowds or even attention)

Trump’s press team stood in the crowd of reporters and watched as the Biden surrogates addressed the media, quickly jumping at the opportunity to rebut as De Niro and the others walked away, chased by a crowd of cameras.

“President Trump’s numbers continue to rise, and the best that Biden can do is roll out a washed up actor,”said Trump adviser Jason Miller.

When a reporter asked about the Biden campaign’s decision to make the most of all the press gathered for Trump’s trial, Karoline Leavitt, another Trump spokesperson,muttered “they’re pathetic”as she walked away.

The Trump campaign followed with its own press conference during the lunch break, that time featuring Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric — and daughter-in-law and Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump.

They were among the Trump supporters who have attended the trial to lend their support, including some two dozen members of Congress, notably House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Sens. Rick Scott and J.D. Vance.

Trump himself seemed to take note of the Biden stunt — with someone posting on his Truth Social account just before returning to court from lunch a video of De Niro arguing with a Trump supporter as he walked away from the press conference.

“You are gangsters,” De Niro shouted at what appeared to be Trump supporters yelling at him, with one man replying that De Niro was “washed up.”

“Fuck you,” the video captured De Niro yelling back as he was led away. (he sounds like a baby!)

Inside the courthouse, meanwhile, Trump’s defense attorney Todd Blanche sought to undermine the prosecution’s case, slamming the state’s key witness — Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and fixer — as dishonest and a money hungry “thief.”

“He’s literally like an MVP of liars,”Blanche told the jury, later adding thatCohen is “the GLOAT — the greatest liar of all time.” KEK

Prosecutors spent hours Tuesday — with the judge keeping the jury later than usual — reiterating their evidence in an attempt to show that Trump was in on the plans, as told by Cohen earlier in the trial. At times laughing and frequently employing snark, assistant district attorney Joshua Steinglass walked jurors again through a flurry of exhibits, acknowledging that Cohen was not their ideal witness, but was close to Trump at the time.

“We didn’t choose Michael Cohen to be our witness. We didn’t pick him up at the witness store,” Steinglass said. “The defendant chose Michael Cohen to be his fixer because he was willing to lie and cheat on Mr. Trump’s behalf. Mr. Trump chose Mr. Cohen for the same qualities that his attorneys now urge you to reject his testimony because of.”

While the trial is expected to continue at least through Wednesday and Thursday, Biden and his campaign still do not intend to directly address the trial until a verdict is reached.

The president’s first remarks about the trial are expected to be about the need to respect the outcome andwill not be overtly political.

And they will likely be given in an informal White House setting — like answering a question from a reporter on the South Lawn — rather than in some sort of official address, according to the two people familiar with the plans. (YEAH, RIGHT!)

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/28/biden-trump-trial-strategy-00160274

(This was the funniest story I've ever read from Politico)