activistpost--2020-09-04--CDC’s Eviction Moratorium Is an Unconstitutional Power Grab

In 2012 , then President Barack Obama infuriated many Americans when he told business owners “ you didn ’ t build that ” and suggested that the government has a claim on their stuff .
Yet this comment looks like only a mild affront to property rights next to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) just did .
Under the direction of the Trump administration , the CDC instituted a unilateral order halting many evictions .
It essentially nationalizes millions of private rental properties and strips landowners of their basic rights .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the details : Landlords who violate the order face penalties up to $ 100,000 and up to a year in jail .
For legal justification , the Trump administration cites one vague law that says during a pandemic the CDC director “ may take such measures to prevent such spread of the diseases as he/she deems reasonably necessary , including inspection , fumigation , disinfection , sanitation , pest extermination , and destruction of animals or articles believed to be sources of infection.
” Lawyers immediately blasted using this statute as justification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretch .
“ All of these measures are localized , and limited to prevent the spread of an infection in a single building or location , ” wrote constitutional law professor and Cato Institute scholar Josh Blackman .
“ None of these examples are even remotely close to a nationwide moratorium on evictions .
This action is far beyond the scope of delegated authority.
” Other critics have also made their feelings well known .
In typical # SassyWithMassie fashion , Rep. Thomas Massie , a libertarian-leaning Kentucky Republican , unloaded on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of tweets : Other prominent Republican legislators who remain committed to limited government principles panned the move as well .
“ I think the legal authority is a real stretch , ” Sen. Pat Toomey said .
“ If the CDC has the authority to force landlords to effectively give away their product for free , I don ’ t know where that ends .
Can General Motors be forced to give people cars unless they otherwise crowd into subways ?
” “ CDC does not have the authority to do this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s dangerous precedent and bad policy.
” It ’ s worth considering the reality of what this policy will entail .
See : 177 Different Ways to Generate Extra Income Across the country , millions of landlords will have tenants occupying their property and have no way to force them to pay rent or remove them if they won ’ t .
Pretty much anyone can write a letter making the necessary claims in order to fall under this eviction moratorium .
Moreover , the parameters for qualification are rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 197,000 annually would fall under this rule .
So , it ’ s clear this moratorium can and will be abused by just about anyone who doesn ’ t feel like paying their rent .
Technically , back payments for missed months will be due whenever the moratorium is eventually lifted .
But it ’ s almost certain that Congress and the president will pass some measure making taxpayers pick up the tab ; nobody in Washington is going to want to face the political fallout from handing people a bill for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government is trampling over private contracts and essentially seizing all affected rental properties as the domain of the state .
It ’ s a gross overreach , and it ’ s not even justified by the underlying crisis .
That ’ s right : Evictions are not actually out of control .
“ According to data from Princeton University ’ s Eviction Lab—which tracks eviction filings in select cities—evictions are currently below historic averages in almost every city , including in places where local and state eviction moratoriums have expired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rent payment rates have remained pretty steady during the coronavirus pandemic and are only slightly below where they were last year.
” Yet the CDC ’ s overreach will undoubtedly have severe economic consequences .
This move will worsen the housing crisis in the long-run and make housing more expensive for everyone by decreasing supply .
Many landlords will be unable to make their mortgage and property tax payments without rental income or any remedy for nonpayment .
This will result in them losing their property and its eventual removal from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented invasion of contract rights and private property is sure to discourage future would-be landlords from renting out their property or entering the market .
The long-term impact will be less housing overall , which means higher prices .
Thankfully , the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually recede and social life will eventually return to normal .
But the CDC ’ s eviction overreach is just another example of how economically disastrous infringements on our freedom may be here to stay .
Yes , when the crisis ends , the CDC may scale back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they likely won ’ t completely retreat from their newly expanded power over American housing .
And even more crucially , as Sen. Paul noted , now a dangerous precedent has been set that federal agencies can unilaterally seize entire sectors of the economy in the name of crisis response .
Who ’ s to say that a future President Kamala Harris won ’ t have the CDC declare climate change or student loan debt a “ public health crisis ” and order via fiat a ban on fossil fuels or cancellation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Higgs called “ the Ratchet Effect ” in his classic book Crisis and Leviathan .
Higgs showed how throughout history , crises have been used to excuse government power grabs .
After each crisis , the government lets go of some of the power , but never all of it .
As a result , the federal government ’ s power ( the Leviathan ) has “ ratcheted up , ” crisis after crisis , throughout the last hundred years .
For instance , the New Deal was forced through in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depression .
But many of its core elements became permanent encroachments on our freedom and permanent burdens on the taxpayer .
Similarly , after the 9/11 terrorist attacks , the federal government vastly expanded its surveillance powers and its ability to circumvent the civil liberties of everyday Americans .
There hasn ’ t been anything close to another 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S. in 20 years , but the government still retains much of this power it seized amid the crisis .
Now , we are witnessing in real-time this phenomenon play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the COVID-19 crisis .
From draconian lockdown powers to taking over the rental housing market , it ’ s extremely unlikely our elected officials will cede all the authority they ’ ve seized during the pandemic .
If Americans keep letting this happen every time we face a crisis , we will eventually ratchet up an omnipotent government—and surrender all our freedoms in the name of health and safety .
Brad Polumbo is a libertarian-conservative journalist and the Eugene S. Thorpe Writing Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education .
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By Brad Polumbo
In 2012, then President Barack Obama infuriated many Americans when he told business owners “you didn’t build that” and suggested that the government has a claim on their stuff. Yet this comment looks like only a mild affront to property rights next to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just did.
Under the direction of the Trump administration, the CDC instituted a unilateral order halting many evictions. It essentially nationalizes millions of private rental properties and strips landowners of their basic rights.
Here’s how Reason’s Christian Britschgi summed up the details:
Tenants earning up to $99,000 ($198,000 for joint filers) cannot be evicted for not paying their rent provided they tell their landlord in writing that they’ve made all efforts to obtain government assistance, have lost income or received extraordinary out-of-pocket medical bills, and that their eviction would force them into homelessness or into a crowded living situation. Landlords could still be able to evict tenants who engage in criminal activity on the property, or who pose a risk to public health or safety.
Landlords who violate the order face penalties up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail.
For legal justification, the Trump administration cites one vague law that says during a pandemic the CDC director “may take such measures to prevent such spread of the diseases as he/she deems reasonably necessary, including inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation, pest extermination, and destruction of animals or articles believed to be sources of infection.”
Lawyers immediately blasted using this statute as justification for halting evictions nationwide as a massive stretch.
“All of these measures are localized, and limited to prevent the spread of an infection in a single building or location,” wrote constitutional law professor and Cato Institute scholar Josh Blackman. “None of these examples are even remotely close to a nationwide moratorium on evictions. This action is far beyond the scope of delegated authority.”
Other critics have also made their feelings well known.
In typical #SassyWithMassie fashion, Rep. Thomas Massie, a libertarian-leaning Kentucky Republican, unloaded on the CDC’s power grab in a series of tweets:
CDC inserting itself into private rental contracts, effectively transferring control of private property from the lawful owner to the renter, is possibly the most socialist action our government has taken in decades… and without an act of Congress!https://t.co/phLwFIYWlO — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 2, 2020
If society concedes that the CDC can unilaterally seize property (with their ridiculous rent moratorium) our devolution into a “bureautocracy” is complete, and private property no longer exists. — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 2, 2020
Rental contracts are governed by state law. There is no federal authority to overturn them. The CDC order is an affront to the rule of law, and an emasculation of every legislator in this country – state and federal. Barely a whimper from most of them, Democrat or Republican. — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 3, 2020
Other prominent Republican legislators who remain committed to limited government principles panned the move as well.
“I think the legal authority is a real stretch,” Sen. Pat Toomey said. “If the CDC has the authority to force landlords to effectively give away their product for free, I don’t know where that ends. Can General Motors be forced to give people cars unless they otherwise crowd into subways?”
“CDC does not have the authority to do this,” Sen. Rand Paul wrote. “It’s dangerous precedent and bad policy.”
It’s worth considering the reality of what this policy will entail.
Across the country, millions of landlords will have tenants occupying their property and have no way to force them to pay rent or remove them if they won’t. Pretty much anyone can write a letter making the necessary claims in order to fall under this eviction moratorium. Moreover, the parameters for qualification are rather high income brackets—even a family earning $197,000 annually would fall under this rule. So, it’s clear this moratorium can and will be abused by just about anyone who doesn’t feel like paying their rent.
Technically, back payments for missed months will be due whenever the moratorium is eventually lifted. But it’s almost certain that Congress and the president will pass some measure making taxpayers pick up the tab; nobody in Washington is going to want to face the political fallout from handing people a bill for months of back-owed rent.
More importantly, the federal government is trampling over private contracts and essentially seizing all affected rental properties as the domain of the state. It’s a gross overreach, and it’s not even justified by the underlying crisis.
That’s right: Evictions are not actually out of control.
“According to data from Princeton University’s Eviction Lab—which tracks eviction filings in select cities—evictions are currently below historic averages in almost every city, including in places where local and state eviction moratoriums have expired,” Reason reports. “Thus far, rent payment rates have remained pretty steady during the coronavirus pandemic and are only slightly below where they were last year.”
Yet the CDC’s overreach will undoubtedly have severe economic consequences.
This move will worsen the housing crisis in the long-run and make housing more expensive for everyone by decreasing supply. Many landlords will be unable to make their mortgage and property tax payments without rental income or any remedy for nonpayment. This will result in them losing their property and its eventual removal from the market.
So, too, this unprecedented invasion of contract rights and private property is sure to discourage future would-be landlords from renting out their property or entering the market. The long-term impact will be less housing overall, which means higher prices.
Thankfully, the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually recede and social life will eventually return to normal. But the CDC’s eviction overreach is just another example of how economically disastrous infringements on our freedom may be here to stay.
Yes, when the crisis ends, the CDC may scale back some of its emergency measures. But they likely won’t completely retreat from their newly expanded power over American housing. And even more crucially, as Sen. Paul noted, now a dangerous precedent has been set that federal agencies can unilaterally seize entire sectors of the economy in the name of crisis response. Who’s to say that a future President Kamala Harris won’t have the CDC declare climate change or student loan debt a “public health crisis” and order via fiat a ban on fossil fuels or cancellation of students loans?
CDC does not have the authority to do this. It’s dangerous precedent and bad policy. https://t.co/Gcz0ZmUtZh — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 3, 2020
This is what economist Robert Higgs called “the Ratchet Effect” in his classic book Crisis and Leviathan. Higgs showed how throughout history, crises have been used to excuse government power grabs. After each crisis, the government lets go of some of the power, but never all of it. As a result, the federal government’s power (the Leviathan) has “ratcheted up,” crisis after crisis, throughout the last hundred years.
For instance, the New Deal was forced through in response to the unique crisis of the Great Depression. But many of its core elements became permanent encroachments on our freedom and permanent burdens on the taxpayer. Similarly, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the federal government vastly expanded its surveillance powers and its ability to circumvent the civil liberties of everyday Americans. There hasn’t been anything close to another 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S. in 20 years, but the government still retains much of this power it seized amid the crisis.
Now, we are witnessing in real-time this phenomenon play out in our government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. From draconian lockdown powers to taking over the rental housing market, it’s extremely unlikely our elected officials will cede all the authority they’ve seized during the pandemic.
If Americans keep letting this happen every time we face a crisis, we will eventually ratchet up an omnipotent government—and surrender all our freedoms in the name of health and safety.
Source: FEE.org
Brad Polumbo is a libertarian-conservative journalist and the Eugene S. Thorpe Writing Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education.
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activistpost--2020-09-04--Assange’s US Extradition Hearing Resumes Monday — We Need To Step Up the Fight

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ’ s extradition hearing is set to start on Monday September 7 at the Old Bailey , the Central Criminal Court of London and could last three or four weeks .
Assange has been indicted on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of conspiring with a source to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for his reporting on the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the torture at Guantanamo Bay .
These charges against Assange are a part of a war on journalism .
This is the first time that the Espionage Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a journalist , in this case an Australian citizen publishing material from outside of the US .
The gruesome attack on the First Amendment became naked during the February phase of the UK hearing of the US request for Assange ’ s extradition .
On the first day of what unfolded as a grotesque show trial , Assange was subjected to strip searches twice , handcuffed 11 times , and his legal material was confiscated by prison officers .
In the courtroom he was held behind a glass pane in the presence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers , contrary to the accepted international standard .
The prosecution of Assange has always been politically motivated .
Nils Meltzer , the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture , recognized the coordinated abuse of power by Western governments involved in this case .
After visiting Assange in prison with his medical team in May 2019 , he reported that the WikiLeaks founder showed clear symptoms of prolonged psychological torture .
From his house arrest and arbitrary detention inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to his incarceration in Belmarsh Prison , Assange has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state and his basic rights have been severely violated .
For years , while he was inside the embassy , Assange was deprived of medical care , denied access to fresh air and sunlight by the UK government ’ s refusal to honor his right of asylum – in violation of the rulings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention .
His activities were under constant surveillance by a Spanish security contractor , secretly working on behalf of the CIA .
Evidence from Assange ’ s own extradition case even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From several serious conflicts of interest related to the judge overseeing his case to a documented destruction of evidence by the prosecuting agency , combined with Assange ’ s prolonged lack of access to his lawyers , his case has involved a significant level of abuse of process .
As this latest episode of “ journalism on trial ” approaches , the political nature of the case becomes more apparent .
On June 24 , 2020 , halfway into Assange ’ s extradition case , the US prosecutors introduced a second superseding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extradition request by expanding the scope of the charges ( without changing the charges themselves ) .
At the 27 July administrative hearing , Assange ’ s lawyers posited that this last minute change by the Trump administration was an attempt to postpone the hearing until the US presidential election is over , and that the US attorney general was thereby further manipulating this case for political ends .
To make matters worse , the UK court process has been rife with administrative chaos and mishandling of technical issues .
Reporters Without Borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely monitor administrative hearings in this case , but reports extreme difficulty due to constant barriers to access to the proceedings .
Journalists have been left on hold so they could not listen to the teleconference at all , and even when they gained access the proceedings have often been inaudible .
At one point , even the lawyers were shut out of the teleconference system .
Assange himself has complained of not being able to hear all of the proceedings .
Even worse , on several occasions , the prison simply “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video call room in time for scheduled hearings .
Assange ’ s US extradition case is a testimony to the deepening crisis of Western liberal democracy .
What has been revealed is a widespread breakdown of systems of accountability and a dangerous trend toward authoritarianism .
The sources behind WikiLeaks publications have often sacrificed their freedom ( and potentially their lives ) to alert the public to these precise issues .
The former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning released classified US military video depicting the Apache helicopter gunship killing innocent civilians in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Collateral Murder video , along with release of the Afghan War Diaries and the Iraq War Log became a major catharsis for many Americans , causing them to begin questioning the legitimacy of war and the actions of their own government .
Their release of documents from Strategic Forecasting ( Stratfor ) , the private Texas-based global intelligence company ( allegedly provided to WikiLeaks by computer programmer and political activist Jeremy Hammond ) exposed the inner workings of the pervasive surveillance state , in part perpetrated by contracting agencies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over five million emails from Stratfor – revealed the company ’ s spying activities on human rights activists around the globe .
Emails included discussions on Assange ’ s arrest , and a plot to go after “ every person linked to Wiki [ Leaks ] ” .
Disclosure of confidential documents [ “ Vault 7 “ ] that came from the CIA ’ s top-secret security network ( allegedly released by the former CIA engineer Joshua Schulte ) exposed CIA cyber-weaponry , including their own version of NSA cyber-spying with an ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as Samsung TVs and even the electronic controls of cars .
The excessive power of the agency has been demonstrated via drone attacks , and their engagement in espionage during the French presidential election .
Those young American whistleblowers acted courageously to expose the government ’ s secrets , believing that people have the right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors .
They were inside these institutions , who saw what they believed to be dangerous and unconstitutional activity , and wanted change .
They incurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith in the ability of an informed public to hold the powerful to account .
At a pretrial hearing during her prosecution for releasing the largest leak of classified documents in history , Manning read out a personal statement describing the motivation behind her actions : At his sentencing hearing , Hammond also shared a similar conviction .
He spoke about how his act was inspired by his forerunner Chelsea Manning and her courage in exposing the atrocities committed by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan : WikiLeaks , in dropping a bombshell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicated that the alleged source behind the publication of Vault 7 is said to have released the material in an effort to instigate a public debate about the CIA ’ s cyberweapons ( Joshua Schulte has been indicted – twice – in relation to the Vault 7 leaks ) .
Through their brave acts of whistleblowing , these admitted or alleged WikiLeaks sources performed the duty of citizens providing a check on abuses of power .
Instead of just wishing and hoping for change , they actively strove to become that change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrongdoing , they refused to remain silent and spoke out .
They reminded us of the vital role of an informed and engaged public in a functioning democracy .
Assange , through his work with WikiLeaks provided means for his sources to defend the public ’ s right to know and to engage people in a democratic process of restoring justice .
WikiLeaks , with numerous prestigious journalism awards , has shown how its unique model of “ scientific journalism ” – inspired by the conscience of ordinary people , and fueled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a force powerful enough to challenge oppression , even from a superpower .
From the 2007 release of the Kroll report on official corruption in Kenya which affected the outcome of the national election , to the exposing of the moral bankruptcy of Iceland ’ s largest bank in 2009 , WikiLeaks publications have sparked global revolutionary uprisings , and empowered people around the world .
US cable leaks shared through social networking sites in 2010 toppled the corrupt Tunisian dictator Ben Ali .
The US government reacted strongly to those waves of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of conscience .
For providing evidence of US war crimes , Manning was put into a cage in Kuwait , the Quantico Marine Brig , and was detained way beyond the legal time limit in conditions that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture said amounted to torture .
She was eventually sentenced to 35 years in prison , serving seven years before President Barack Obama commuted her sentence just before leaving office in 2017 .
In 2019 , Manning was once again sent back to jail for refusing to answer questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WikiLeaks 2010 disclosures .
The enormity of the government ’ s efforts to break her down pushed her to the point where she attempted to commit suicide while incarcerated .
For exposing the inner workings of the pervasive surveillance state , Hammond was charged with electronic infiltration and was sentenced to the maximum of 10 years .
He spent significant time in solitary confinement and his communication rights were restricted .
In 2019 , he was also called to serve on a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks publications .
Like Manning , he too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and was found in contempt .
He remains in jail , quietly suffering .
Following a partial mistrial ( he was acquitted on some counts ) , alleged CIA whistleblower Joshua Schulte was recently indicted again in his WikiLeaks-related case .
He is still held in custody in New York , silenced by a form of legal limbo .
Now , with the prosecution of Assange , the US Empire tries to crush conscience once and for all , destroying the last vestiges of democracy .
Assange has been held inside London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , alongside murderers and terrorists , for exposing the war crimes and human rights abuses of the US government ( and their allies ) .
He now faces the risk of extradition to the US , where he could receive no fair trial .
If convicted , Assange would be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison and be subjected to Special Administrative Measures ( SAMs ) , known to be the Darkest Corner of the U.S. federal prison system .
These harsh conditions not only gag a prisoner but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a complete isolation , cut off from the outside world .
Possibly for a lifetime .
Recognizing the dire threat to media freedom everywhere , Human Rights organizations like Amnesty International have come out strongly to oppose this political prosecution of Assange .
Journalists around the world have come together in defense of Assange ’ s freedom .
They have criticized the US government ’ s dangerous move toward criminalizing basic journalistic activity .
Over 200 doctors have spoken out against ongoing torture and medical neglect of the Australian journalist and called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceedings against Assange .
An array of lawyers and legal academics have expressed their concerns about the many violations of Assange ’ s fundamental human , civil and political rights , demanding his immediate release .
As the extradition proceedings resume this month , the mockery of justice will continue .
In this final moment before the light of transparency goes out , as our society rapidly degenerates into despotism , our shared future calls for an informed public to step up and do their duty to hold power to account .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope in this darkness .
Only through our courage to truly confront injustice and act in solidarity with truthtellers , can we end this illegal prosecution of free press and reclaim our own democracy .
Author ’ s Note : WikiLeaks has launched the official campaign page , “ Don ’ t Extradite Assange.
” You can get information on how you can help stop the extradition .
Also , watch the film “ The War on Journalism : The Case of Julian Assange ” to be informed about his case .
Please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund .
During the weeks of the extradition hearing , solidarity actions are planned across the world .
For more information about upcoming actions , go to Decentralized Month of Solidarity with Assange , Whistleblowers and Press Freedom Worldwide .
Nozomi Hayase , Ph.D. , is a writer who has been covering issues of freedom of speech , transparency , and decentralized movements .
Her work is featured in many publications .
Find her on twitter @ nozomimagine .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Nozomi Hayase
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition hearing is set to start on Monday September 7 at the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of London and could last three or four weeks. Assange has been indicted on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of conspiring with a source to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for his reporting on the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the torture at Guantanamo Bay.
These charges against Assange are a part of a war on journalism. This is the first time that the Espionage Act of 1917 has been used to prosecute a journalist, in this case an Australian citizen publishing material from outside of the US.
The gruesome attack on the First Amendment became naked during the February phase of the UK hearing of the US request for Assange’s extradition. On the first day of what unfolded as a grotesque show trial, Assange was subjected to strip searches twice, handcuffed 11 times, and his legal material was confiscated by prison officers. In the courtroom he was held behind a glass pane in the presence of private security officers, away from his lawyers, contrary to the accepted international standard.
Abuse of process
The prosecution of Assange has always been politically motivated. Nils Meltzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, recognized the coordinated abuse of power by Western governments involved in this case. After visiting Assange in prison with his medical team in May 2019, he reported that the WikiLeaks founder showed clear symptoms of prolonged psychological torture.
From his house arrest and arbitrary detention inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to his incarceration in Belmarsh Prison, Assange has been treated with extreme cruelty at the hands of the state and his basic rights have been severely violated.
For years, while he was inside the embassy, Assange was deprived of medical care, denied access to fresh air and sunlight by the UK government’s refusal to honor his right of asylum – in violation of the rulings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. His activities were under constant surveillance by a Spanish security contractor, secretly working on behalf of the CIA. Evidence from Assange’s own extradition case even revealed a CIA-linked plot to poison him.
From several serious conflicts of interest related to the judge overseeing his case to a documented destruction of evidence by the prosecuting agency, combined with Assange’s prolonged lack of access to his lawyers, his case has involved a significant level of abuse of process.
As this latest episode of “journalism on trial” approaches, the political nature of the case becomes more apparent. On June 24, 2020, halfway into Assange’s extradition case, the US prosecutors introduced a second superseding indictment, changing the nature of the extradition request by expanding the scope of the charges (without changing the charges themselves). At the 27 July administrative hearing, Assange’s lawyers posited that this last minute change by the Trump administration was an attempt to postpone the hearing until the US presidential election is over, and that the US attorney general was thereby further manipulating this case for political ends.
To make matters worse, the UK court process has been rife with administrative chaos and mishandling of technical issues. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has regularly attempted to remotely monitor administrative hearings in this case, but reports extreme difficulty due to constant barriers to access to the proceedings. Journalists have been left on hold so they could not listen to the teleconference at all, and even when they gained access the proceedings have often been inaudible. At one point, even the lawyers were shut out of the teleconference system. Assange himself has complained of not being able to hear all of the proceedings. Even worse, on several occasions, the prison simply “forgot” to deliver him to the video call room in time for scheduled hearings.
Crisis of Western liberal democracy
Assange’s US extradition case is a testimony to the deepening crisis of Western liberal democracy. What has been revealed is a widespread breakdown of systems of accountability and a dangerous trend toward authoritarianism. The sources behind WikiLeaks publications have often sacrificed their freedom (and potentially their lives) to alert the public to these precise issues.
The former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning released classified US military video depicting the Apache helicopter gunship killing innocent civilians in the suburb of Iraq. WikiLeaks publication of the Collateral Murder video, along with release of the Afghan War Diaries and the Iraq War Log became a major catharsis for many Americans, causing them to begin questioning the legitimacy of war and the actions of their own government.
Their release of documents from Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor), the private Texas-based global intelligence company (allegedly provided to WikiLeaks by computer programmer and political activist Jeremy Hammond) exposed the inner workings of the pervasive surveillance state, in part perpetrated by contracting agencies. The publication of the Global Intelligence Files – over five million emails from Stratfor – revealed the company’s spying activities on human rights activists around the globe. Emails included discussions on Assange’s arrest, and a plot to go after “every person linked to Wiki[Leaks]”.
Disclosure of confidential documents [“Vault 7“] that came from the CIA’s top-secret security network (allegedly released by the former CIA engineer Joshua Schulte) exposed CIA cyber-weaponry, including their own version of NSA cyber-spying with an ability to hack any Android or iPhone, as well as Samsung TVs and even the electronic controls of cars. The excessive power of the agency has been demonstrated via drone attacks, and their engagement in espionage during the French presidential election.
Duty of an informed public
Those young American whistleblowers acted courageously to expose the government’s secrets, believing that people have the right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors. They were inside these institutions, who saw what they believed to be dangerous and unconstitutional activity, and wanted change. They incurred great risk to initiate that change with faith in the ability of an informed public to hold the powerful to account.
At a pretrial hearing during her prosecution for releasing the largest leak of classified documents in history, Manning read out a personal statement describing the motivation behind her actions:
I believed that if the general public, especially the American public, had access to the information . . . this could spark a domestic debate on the role of the military and our foreign policy in general.
At his sentencing hearing, Hammond also shared a similar conviction. He spoke about how his act was inspired by his forerunner Chelsea Manning and her courage in exposing the atrocities committed by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan:
She took an enormous personal risk to leak this information – believing that the public had a right to know and hoping that her disclosures would be a positive step to end these abuses . . . I had to ask myself, if Chelsea Manning fell into the abysmal nightmare of prison fighting for the truth, could I in good conscience do any less, if I was able? I thought the best way to demonstrate solidarity was to continue the work of exposing and confronting corruption.
WikiLeaks, in dropping a bombshell on the US Central Intelligence Agency, indicated that the alleged source behind the publication of Vault 7 is said to have released the material in an effort to instigate a public debate about the CIA’s cyberweapons (Joshua Schulte has been indicted – twice – in relation to the Vault 7 leaks).
Through their brave acts of whistleblowing, these admitted or alleged WikiLeaks sources performed the duty of citizens providing a check on abuses of power. Instead of just wishing and hoping for change, they actively strove to become that change. When faced with fraud, abuse and wrongdoing, they refused to remain silent and spoke out. They reminded us of the vital role of an informed and engaged public in a functioning democracy.
Prosecution of conscience
Assange, through his work with WikiLeaks provided means for his sources to defend the public’s right to know and to engage people in a democratic process of restoring justice. WikiLeaks, with numerous prestigious journalism awards, has shown how its unique model of “scientific journalism” – inspired by the conscience of ordinary people, and fueled by authenticated, pristine documents – can harness a force powerful enough to challenge oppression, even from a superpower.
From the 2007 release of the Kroll report on official corruption in Kenya which affected the outcome of the national election, to the exposing of the moral bankruptcy of Iceland’s largest bank in 2009, WikiLeaks publications have sparked global revolutionary uprisings, and empowered people around the world. US cable leaks shared through social networking sites in 2010 toppled the corrupt Tunisian dictator Ben Ali.
The US government reacted strongly to those waves of whistleblowers, aggressively prosecuting those who acted out of conscience. For providing evidence of US war crimes, Manning was put into a cage in Kuwait, the Quantico Marine Brig, and was detained way beyond the legal time limit in conditions that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture said amounted to torture. She was eventually sentenced to 35 years in prison, serving seven years before President Barack Obama commuted her sentence just before leaving office in 2017.
In 2019, Manning was once again sent back to jail for refusing to answer questions at a grand jury related to the WikiLeaks 2010 disclosures. The enormity of the government’s efforts to break her down pushed her to the point where she attempted to commit suicide while incarcerated.
For exposing the inner workings of the pervasive surveillance state, Hammond was charged with electronic infiltration and was sentenced to the maximum of 10 years. He spent significant time in solitary confinement and his communication rights were restricted. In 2019, he was also called to serve on a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks publications. Like Manning, he too refused to cooperate in the secretive procedure, and was found in contempt. He remains in jail, quietly suffering.
Following a partial mistrial (he was acquitted on some counts), alleged CIA whistleblower Joshua Schulte was recently indicted again in his WikiLeaks-related case. He is still held in custody in New York, silenced by a form of legal limbo.
Democracy’s hope
Now, with the prosecution of Assange, the US Empire tries to crush conscience once and for all, destroying the last vestiges of democracy. Assange has been held inside London’s maximum-security prison for over 500 days, alongside murderers and terrorists, for exposing the war crimes and human rights abuses of the US government (and their allies). He now faces the risk of extradition to the US, where he could receive no fair trial.
If convicted, Assange would be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison and be subjected to Special Administrative Measures (SAMs), known to be the Darkest Corner of the U.S. federal prison system. These harsh conditions not only gag a prisoner but also their lawyers. He would be placed into a complete isolation, cut off from the outside world. Possibly for a lifetime.
Recognizing the dire threat to media freedom everywhere, Human Rights organizations like Amnesty International have come out strongly to oppose this political prosecution of Assange. Journalists around the world have come together in defense of Assange’s freedom. They have criticized the US government’s dangerous move toward criminalizing basic journalistic activity.
Over 200 doctors have spoken out against ongoing torture and medical neglect of the Australian journalist and called on the UK Government to end extradition proceedings against Assange. An array of lawyers and legal academics have expressed their concerns about the many violations of Assange’s fundamental human, civil and political rights, demanding his immediate release.
As the extradition proceedings resume this month, the mockery of justice will continue. In this final moment before the light of transparency goes out, as our society rapidly degenerates into despotism, our shared future calls for an informed public to step up and do their duty to hold power to account. The conscience of ordinary people is our best hope in this darkness. Only through our courage to truly confront injustice and act in solidarity with truthtellers, can we end this illegal prosecution of free press and reclaim our own democracy.
Author’s Note: WikiLeaks has launched the official campaign page, “Don’t Extradite Assange.” You can get information on how you can help stop the extradition. Also, watch the film “The War on Journalism: The Case of Julian Assange” to be informed about his case. Please consider donating to the WikiLeaks official Defense Fund. During the weeks of the extradition hearing, solidarity actions are planned across the world. For more information about upcoming actions, go to Decentralized Month of Solidarity with Assange, Whistleblowers and Press Freedom Worldwide.
Source: Antiwar.com
Nozomi Hayase, Ph.D., is a writer who has been covering issues of freedom of speech, transparency, and decentralized movements. Her work is featured in many publications. Find her on twitter @nozomimagine.
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activistpost--2020-09-05--DHS Braces For “Potential EMP Attack” As Presidential Election Nears

Activist Post Editor ’ s Note : Please also see Whitney Webb ’ s recent interview with Ryan at The Last American Vagabond to put this alert in its full context .
It could be a Dark Winter indeed .
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) released a new report warning about a “ potential ” electromagnetic pulse ( EMP ) attack against the U.S. DHS ’ s warning published Thur .
( Sept. 3 ) , or about 60 days until the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3 , indicates there are “ evolving threats against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to combat an Electromagnetic Pulse attack which could disrupt the electrical grid and potentially damage electronics.
” The department released an EMP status report via the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) that said the “ key actions to address known EMP-related vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure.
” CISA said an EMP attack could “ disrupt , degrade , and damage technology ” embedded in critical infrastructure systems .
Widespread blackouts could be seen if an EMP was to damage the nation ’ s electrical grid , resulting in additional flare-ups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are part of the emerging threats against our nation and demand a response , ” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli .
CISA Director Chris Krebs said top priorities of the agency is to mitigate threats associated with EMPs : To combat these emerging threats , President Trump signed an executive order in March 2019 , delegating power to the White House for EMP preparedness .
We recently quoted Peter Vincent Pry , ex-chief of staff of the Congressional EMP Commission , who wrote an op-ed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ exposed dangerous weaknesses in U.S. planning and preparation for civil defense protection and recovery , and those weaknesses surely have been noticed by our potential enemies : China , Russia , North Korea , Iran , and international terrorists.
” Pry warned that “ China has been planning to defeat the U.S. with an EMP and cyber ‘ Pearl Harbor ’ attack for a quarter-century.
” DHS nor CISA gave any more information on ‘ evolving EMP threats ’ on the American homeland .
There was not mention of whether the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EMP weapons .
However , the EMP status report did mention DHS is currently running EMP pilot tests to assess EMP vulnerability on infrastructure : Finally , DHS is partnering with other federal departments and agencies , state , local , tribal , and territorial entities and the private sector to field test a more resilient critical infrastructure .
There are a number of field demonstration ( or pilot ) projects planned and underway by both DHS and DOE to assess EMP vulnerability and then deploy , evaluate , and validate EMP mitigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the San Antonio Electromagnetic Defense Initiative , designed to show how an entire region can become resilient against an EMP .
These pilots are multisector , multifunction efforts , seeking to ensure key capabilities continue to function in a post EMP environment and that by maintaining those key functions we can expedite a full recovery .
Working with federal interagency partners , DHS will play a major role in ensuring communications systems remain operational and , by ensuring key systems which are protected against EMP , are also protected against other threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report One EMP-expert and friend-of-the-site summed up the report perfectly : The warning comes just two months before the U.S. presidential election… Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
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By Tyler Durden
Activist Post Editor’s Note: Please also see Whitney Webb’s recent interview with Ryan at The Last American Vagabond to put this alert in its full context. It could be a Dark Winter indeed.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a new report warning about a “potential” electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack against the U.S.
DHS’s warning published Thur. (Sept. 3), or about 60 days until the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3, indicates there are “evolving threats against the American homeland, most recently highlighting efforts to combat an Electromagnetic Pulse attack which could disrupt the electrical grid and potentially damage electronics.”
The department released an EMP status report via the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that said the “key actions to address known EMP-related vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure.”
CISA said an EMP attack could “disrupt, degrade, and damage technology” embedded in critical infrastructure systems. Widespread blackouts could be seen if an EMP was to damage the nation’s electrical grid, resulting in additional flare-ups of socio-economic turmoil.
“EMP attacks are part of the emerging threats against our nation and demand a response,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli.
“That is why DHS is taking these contingencies very seriously, working diligently to mitigate our risks and equipping our state and local partners with the resources they need to do the same. We’ve made significant progress and look forward to work ahead,” Cuccinelli said.
CISA Director Chris Krebs said top priorities of the agency is to mitigate threats associated with EMPs:
“Over the past year, we have worked with interagency and industry partners to identify the footprint and effects of EMP threats across our National Critical Functions, and are developing sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective approaches to improving the Nation’s resilience to EMPs,” Krebs said.
To combat these emerging threats, President Trump signed an executive order in March 2019, delegating power to the White House for EMP preparedness.
We recently quoted Peter Vincent Pry, ex-chief of staff of the Congressional EMP Commission, who wrote an op-ed that said the virus pandemic from China has “exposed dangerous weaknesses in U.S. planning and preparation for civil defense protection and recovery, and those weaknesses surely have been noticed by our potential enemies: China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and international terrorists.”
Pry warned that “China has been planning to defeat the U.S. with an EMP and cyber ‘Pearl Harbor’ attack for a quarter-century.”
DHS nor CISA gave any more information on ‘evolving EMP threats’ on the American homeland. There was not mention of whether the threat could be from a solar storm or EMP weapons. However, the EMP status report did mention DHS is currently running EMP pilot tests to assess EMP vulnerability on infrastructure:
Finally, DHS is partnering with other federal departments and agencies, state, local, tribal, and territorial entities and the private sector to field test a more resilient critical infrastructure. There are a number of field demonstration (or pilot) projects planned and underway by both DHS and DOE to assess EMP vulnerability and then deploy, evaluate, and validate EMP mitigation and protection technologies. One such pilot is the San Antonio Electromagnetic Defense Initiative, designed to show how an entire region can become resilient against an EMP. These pilots are multisector, multifunction efforts, seeking to ensure key capabilities continue to function in a post EMP environment and that by maintaining those key functions we can expedite a full recovery. Working with federal interagency partners, DHS will play a major role in ensuring communications systems remain operational and, by ensuring key systems which are protected against EMP, are also protected against other threats such as cyber-attacks. – EMP status report
One EMP-expert and friend-of-the-site summed up the report perfectly:
We recognize the threat and we’re working on it and you don’t need to know any more than that, thank you for asking…
The warning comes just two months before the U.S. presidential election…
Source: Zerohedge
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activistpost--2020-09-04--Bankrupt Company Gets FCC Approval for Additional 1280 Satellites and Seeks Permission for 48,000 Mo

Bankrupt Company Gets FCC Approval for Additional 1280 Satellites and Seeks Permission for 48,000 More

Despite expert warnings , opposition and accidents , the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) continues to approve more satellites and similar vehicles to provide internet coverage – including 5G – from space ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ) .
Lawsuits have been filed against the agency for NOT protecting Americans from unsafe levels of radiation as well as 5G on ground ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) and in space .
Regardless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be launched to blast WiFi at us .
Bankrupt OneWeb gets FCC approval for another 1,280 broadband satellites OneWeb can launch up to 2,000 satellites , seeks permission for another 48,000 .
Amid a bankruptcy and a pending sale , OneWeb has secured US approval to offer broadband service from 2,000 satellites .
OneWeb already had Federal Communications Commission approval for a 720-satellite constellation that was green-lit in June 2017 .
In an order released yesterday , the FCC gave OneWeb approval for another 1,280 satellites .
The first 720 satellites , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for low Earth orbital altitudes of 1,200km .
The additional 1,280 satellites were approved for medium Earth orbits of 8,500km .
Both are much lower than the 35,000km geostationary orbits used by traditional satellite-broadband networks , which should result in lower latency and a better experience for Internet users .
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Last year The World Health Organization predicted that high levels of Electromagnetic Radiation ( aka “ Electrosmog ” ) could lead to health issues in 30 % of the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s relevant that people reported experiencing health issues after new satellites were recently launched .
Of course – this may not be only from new satellites .
Since 2018 , people have also reported that they and their pets started having health issues after 5G was installed and turned on ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ) .
Of course , other new sources of wireless could be causing these health issues too .
Nevertheless , some are undoubtedly going to tolerate increased involuntary radiation exposure better than others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this right .
Activist Post reports regularly about 5G , WiFi , and other sources of “ Electrosmog ” .
For more information , visit our archives and the following websites : Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
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By B.N. Frank
Despite expert warnings, opposition and accidents, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to approve more satellites and similar vehicles to provide internet coverage – including 5G – from space (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
Lawsuits have been filed against the agency for NOT protecting Americans from unsafe levels of radiation as well as 5G on ground (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and in space. Regardless, they’ve approved more satellites to be launched to blast WiFi at us.
From Ars Technica:
Bankrupt OneWeb gets FCC approval for another 1,280 broadband satellites OneWeb can launch up to 2,000 satellites, seeks permission for another 48,000. Amid a bankruptcy and a pending sale, OneWeb has secured US approval to offer broadband service from 2,000 satellites. OneWeb already had Federal Communications Commission approval for a 720-satellite constellation that was green-lit in June 2017. In an order released yesterday, the FCC gave OneWeb approval for another 1,280 satellites. The first 720 satellites, of which OneWeb has launched 74, are for low Earth orbital altitudes of 1,200km. The additional 1,280 satellites were approved for medium Earth orbits of 8,500km. Both are much lower than the 35,000km geostationary orbits used by traditional satellite-broadband networks, which should result in lower latency and a better experience for Internet users. Read full article
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Last year The World Health Organization predicted that high levels of Electromagnetic Radiation (aka “Electrosmog”) could lead to health issues in 30% of the population. That’s why it’s relevant that people reported experiencing health issues after new satellites were recently launched. Of course – this may not be only from new satellites. Since 2018, people have also reported that they and their pets started having health issues after 5G was installed and turned on (see 1, 2, 3, 4). Of course, other new sources of wireless could be causing these health issues too. Nevertheless, some are undoubtedly going to tolerate increased involuntary radiation exposure better than others. That still doesn’t make any of this right.
Activist Post reports regularly about 5G, WiFi, and other sources of “Electrosmog”. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:
Image: Pixabay
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activistpost--2020-09-05--Ohio Citizen Group Files Federal Lawsuit to Remove State COVID-19 Emergency Order

Ohio is getting a lot of attention lately for alleged legislator–lobbyist–utility corruption ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) and also citizens taking action against state mandated COVID-19 orders ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) .
Recently , another lawsuit has been filed by the latter .
TOLEDO — An Ohio citizens group has filed a lawsuit in federal court to remove Gov .
Mike DeWine ’ s emergency health order , which was signed on March 9 and remains in place today .
Ohio Stands Up !
describes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio citizens focused on restoring the rights of Ohio ’ s 11.69 million residents and educating the public about the realities of COVID-19 data .
Ohio Stands Up !
said it has filed suit in the Northern District of Ohio Federal Court in Toledo to remove DeWine ’ s emergency order .
The group is represented by attorneys Thomas Renz of Fremont and Robert Gargasz of Lorain .
DeWine was asked about the lawsuit during a press conference Tuesday .
“ I ’ ve been sued many times .
[ The Ohio Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many times .
They have been in many different counties , ” he said .
“ We ’ re doing what we know will make a difference .
We ’ ve been very thoughtful of what we ’ ve done , ” he said .
“ None of these decisions are made in a vacuum…I just have to stay focused on what we need to do in Ohio.
” According to the Ohio Department of Health website on Tuesday , there have been 124,610 positive COVID-19 tests since the pandemic began with 4,165 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely funded by donations from Ohio citizens .
As of Aug. 30 , donations reached $ 34,055 .
For more information , visit www.ohiostandsup.org .
“ We believe that the response to COVID-19 has been the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on the American public , ” Renz said in an email press release .
“ The objective of this legal action is to force the state to honor the Constitution and to stop the lies , manipulation and fear-mongering intentionally being promoted by public health officials and elected officials.
” The attorneys said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitutional rights that have been stripped away by the State of Ohio ’ s unjustified actions regarding COVID-19.
” Renz and Gargasz said they will release the extensive evidence that chronicles the case to the public to offer transparency and insight .
“ The State of Ohio has consistently lied to and manipulated its citizens from the earliest stages of this pandemic , ” Gargasz explained .
“ We insist that this nonsense end , our rights be restored , and that the actual truth be shared.
” Recently , the CDC confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus were from people who had as many as two to three other serious illnesses .
The majority of those deaths are individuals 75 and older .
Six percent of the deaths are directly from COVID-19 , according to the CDC .
“ The entire U.S. economy was shut down based on fraudulent models that predicted 2.2 million American deaths , ” Renz said .
“ The State of Ohio violated the U.S. Constitution with an emergency declaration that ignores the fundamental rights of all Ohioans .
As a result , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically , and mentally.
” • Hundreds of thousands of businesses are struggling , and many will never re-open .
• Drug overdoses and suicides have increased as have domestic violence and child abuse cases – directly as a result of the unconstitutional emergency order .
• Many Ohioans were unable to get treatment for conditions not related to COVID-19 because hospitals were closed to accommodate the rush of COVID-19 patients who never arrived .
• Children are struggling emotionally as many are forced into the continued isolation of remote learning while two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young children at home .
• Masks are dangerous , prevent proper breathing , and provide no real protection against this virus , according to multiple studies .
• Families have been barred from seeing their loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities , and residents in long-term care facilities have suffered because of the lack of in person communication from their loved one .
• People living alone , of all ages , have been forced into solitary confinement and are dying at tremendously increased rates due to loneliness and lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing number of Ohioans recognize this and understand that , if they don ’ t stand up and speak out , it could be too late because a precedent has been set .
“ There is zero basis for a state of emergency , ” Renz said .
“ Based on what we know about the consequences the emergency order has caused to the physical , financial , and mental well-being of Ohioans , and the vitality of Ohio communities , this is truly a crime against humanity , and it must not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the lawsuit , visit Ohio Stands Up !
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By B.N. Frank
Ohio is getting a lot of attention lately for alleged legislator–lobbyist–utility corruption (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and also citizens taking action against state mandated COVID-19 orders (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Recently, another lawsuit has been filed by the latter.
From RichlandSource:
Ohio Stands Up! files lawsuit to remove DeWine’s COVID-19 emergency order
TOLEDO — An Ohio citizens group has filed a lawsuit in federal court to remove Gov. Mike DeWine’s emergency health order, which was signed on March 9 and remains in place today.
Ohio Stands Up! describes itself as a grassroots organization composed of Ohio citizens focused on restoring the rights of Ohio’s 11.69 million residents and educating the public about the realities of COVID-19 data.
Ohio Stands Up! said it has filed suit in the Northern District of Ohio Federal Court in Toledo to remove DeWine’s emergency order. The group is represented by attorneys Thomas Renz of Fremont and Robert Gargasz of Lorain.
DeWine was asked about the lawsuit during a press conference Tuesday.
“I’ve been sued many times. [The Ohio Department of] Health has been sued many many times. They have been in many different counties,” he said.
“We’re doing what we know will make a difference. We’ve been very thoughtful of what we’ve done,” he said. “None of these decisions are made in a vacuum…I just have to stay focused on what we need to do in Ohio.”
According to the Ohio Department of Health website on Tuesday, there have been 124,610 positive COVID-19 tests since the pandemic began with 4,165 deaths.
Organizers said the lawsuit is solely funded by donations from Ohio citizens. As of Aug. 30, donations reached $34,055. For more information, visit www.ohiostandsup.org.
“We believe that the response to COVID-19 has been the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on the American public,” Renz said in an email press release.
“The objective of this legal action is to force the state to honor the Constitution and to stop the lies, manipulation and fear-mongering intentionally being promoted by public health officials and elected officials.”
The attorneys said they are determined to “restore the Constitutional rights that have been stripped away by the State of Ohio’s unjustified actions regarding COVID-19.”
Renz and Gargasz said they will release the extensive evidence that chronicles the case to the public to offer transparency and insight.
“The State of Ohio has consistently lied to and manipulated its citizens from the earliest stages of this pandemic,” Gargasz explained. “We insist that this nonsense end, our rights be restored, and that the actual truth be shared.”
Recently, the CDC confirmed that 94 percent of the deaths attributed to the coronavirus were from people who had as many as two to three other serious illnesses. The majority of those deaths are individuals 75 and older. Six percent of the deaths are directly from COVID-19, according to the CDC.
“The entire U.S. economy was shut down based on fraudulent models that predicted 2.2 million American deaths,” Renz said. “The State of Ohio violated the U.S. Constitution with an emergency declaration that ignores the fundamental rights of all Ohioans. As a result, millions of Ohioans are suffering financially, physically, and mentally.”
Renz and Gargasz stated that:
Hundreds of thousands of businesses are struggling, and many will never re-open.
Drug overdoses and suicides have increased as have domestic violence and child abuse cases – directly as a result of the unconstitutional emergency order.
Many Ohioans were unable to get treatment for conditions not related to COVID-19 because hospitals were closed to accommodate the rush of COVID-19 patients who never arrived.
Children are struggling emotionally as many are forced into the continued isolation of remote learning while two income households must find solutions to manage young children at home.
Masks are dangerous, prevent proper breathing, and provide no real protection against this virus, according to multiple studies.
Families have been barred from seeing their loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities, and residents in long-term care facilities have suffered because of the lack of in person communication from their loved one.
People living alone, of all ages, have been forced into solitary confinement and are dying at tremendously increased rates due to loneliness and lack of self-care.
Gargasz said a rapidly growing number of Ohioans recognize this and understand that, if they don’t stand up and speak out, it could be too late because a precedent has been set.
“There is zero basis for a state of emergency,” Renz said. “Based on what we know about the consequences the emergency order has caused to the physical, financial, and mental well-being of Ohioans, and the vitality of Ohio communities, this is truly a crime against humanity, and it must not be allowed to continue.”
For more information about the lawsuit, visit Ohio Stands Up!
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activistpost--2020-09-05--Amazon Working With Landlords To Put Alexa In Your Apartment Before You Move In

Amazon ’ s Alexa smart home gadgets are becoming more popular by the day , but there are still many people holding out on buying these types of devices because they have privacy concerns .
However , soon some of us may not have a choice because Amazon is making moves to have the devices pre-installed in places like apartment buildings .
Amazon has also been working hard to ensure that there is an Alexa device is every single hotel room .
Last week , Amazon announced “ Alexa for Residential , ” a plan that would allow landlords and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Alexa devices so they can be pre-installed into their rental units .
IOTAS , STRATIS IoT , and Sentient Property Services are the first smart home integrators to use Alexa for Residential , and they will open multiple smart apartment residences across the U.S. this fall , according to a press release from the company .
Liron Torres , Head of Smart Properties , Amazon Alexa said that the devices installed through this program will have specific features for landlords and tenants .
“ Our vision was to create a service that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone , regardless of whether they rent or own their home .
Alexa for Residential goes beyond the smart home—it also enables property managers to provide custom voice experiences for their residents , including information about property amenities and custom services .
We ’ re excited to be teaming up with IOTAS , STRATIS IoT and Sentient Property Services to start , and look forward to expanding this experience to even more apartment residences across the US , ” Torres said .
Amazon claims that landlords won ’ t have any access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will , and so will the police if they want to request it .
Alexa has already been used as a witness in numerous criminal cases , and while this data was mostly used to solve murders , it is not unreasonable to imagine a scenario where a spy agency like the NSA cooperates with Amazon to use Alexa for dragnet data gathering on innocent citizens .
Even if Amazon were to object to this type of operation , an organization like the NSA would surely have the resources to either hack the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to make use of the data .
Alexa ’ s short history has shown that Amazon can be very careless and devious with the data collected from these devices .
According to a Bloomberg investigation last year , Amazon employees were listening to Alexa voice recordings and transcribing them .
The employees were reportedly tasked with helping the device respond to commands better , but customers were obviously concerned when they discovered this was happening .
After the controversy , the company added an option to opt-out of human reviews , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and potential customers are even more reluctant to get involved .
According to another report last year , Alexa doesn ’ t always delete data when the user tells it to .
Still , despite these very serious concerns , over 100 million Alexa-powered devices have been sold as of last year .
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By John Vibes
Amazon’s Alexa smart home gadgets are becoming more popular by the day, but there are still many people holding out on buying these types of devices because they have privacy concerns.
However, soon some of us may not have a choice because Amazon is making moves to have the devices pre-installed in places like apartment buildings.
Amazon has also been working hard to ensure that there is an Alexa device is every single hotel room.
Last week, Amazon announced “Alexa for Residential,” a plan that would allow landlords and apartment complex owners to make bulk purchases of Alexa devices so they can be pre-installed into their rental units.
IOTAS, STRATIS IoT, and Sentient Property Services are the first smart home integrators to use Alexa for Residential, and they will open multiple smart apartment residences across the U.S. this fall, according to a press release from the company.
Liron Torres, Head of Smart Properties, Amazon Alexa said that the devices installed through this program will have specific features for landlords and tenants.
Activist Post Recommended Book: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
“Our vision was to create a service that makes having an Alexa-enabled home accessible for anyone, regardless of whether they rent or own their home. Alexa for Residential goes beyond the smart home—it also enables property managers to provide custom voice experiences for their residents, including information about property amenities and custom services. We’re excited to be teaming up with IOTAS, STRATIS IoT and Sentient Property Services to start, and look forward to expanding this experience to even more apartment residences across the US,” Torres said.
Amazon claims that landlords won’t have any access to data or voice recordings, but Amazon will, and so will the police if they want to request it.
Alexa has already been used as a witness in numerous criminal cases, and while this data was mostly used to solve murders, it is not unreasonable to imagine a scenario where a spy agency like the NSA cooperates with Amazon to use Alexa for dragnet data gathering on innocent citizens.
Even if Amazon were to object to this type of operation, an organization like the NSA would surely have the resources to either hack the technology, or just infiltrate the corporation in order to make use of the data.
Alexa’s short history has shown that Amazon can be very careless and devious with the data collected from these devices.
According to a Bloomberg investigation last year, Amazon employees were listening to Alexa voice recordings and transcribing them.
The employees were reportedly tasked with helping the device respond to commands better, but customers were obviously concerned when they discovered this was happening.
After the controversy, the company added an option to opt-out of human reviews, but many customers are still extremely suspicious, and potential customers are even more reluctant to get involved.
According to another report last year, Alexa doesn’t always delete data when the user tells it to.
Still, despite these very serious concerns, over 100 million Alexa-powered devices have been sold as of last year.
Source: The Mind Unleashed
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activistpost--2020-09-05--Australia’s Draconian Lockdowns Spark Backlash — “Freedom Day” Protesters Clash With Cops

Social unrest surged Saturday across Melbourne and Sydney , as hundreds of protesters took to the streets , defying draconian coronavirus lockdowns that have been in effect for nearly five weeks following a spike in virus cases and deaths .
Anti-lockdown groups gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance , a war memorial in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia , with some demonstrators wearing no masks , holding signs , and were heard chanting “ freedom ” and “ human rights matter , ” reported Reuters .
“ It is not safe , it is not smart , it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely selfish for people to be out there protesting , ” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters after the demonstrations .
Dozens were arrested at the protests in Melbourne and Sydney ; hundreds of others were issued violations for breaching the stay-at-home public health order .
“ As a result of the protest , a police officer received lacerations to the head after being assaulted by an individual who was in attendance , ” Victoria Police said in a statement .
The statement continued , “ Our investigations into this protest will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fines once the identity of individuals has been confirmed.
” Australian Broadcasting Corporation ( ABC ) quoted one woman at the Shrine of Remembrance who said , “ there ’ s no epidemic — it ’ s just a pretext to keep us in lockdown.
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Reuters reported several other protests in Sydney and one in Byron Bay in the state of New South Wales .
All demonstrations were in breach of local restrictions on large gatherings , which prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units .
Many anti-lockdown protesters were concerned that stay-at-home orders have become a form of control that restricts people from living their lives .
Others were worried that the latest restrictions would result in a more profound decline in the economy .
Australia officially entered a recession at the beginning of Sept. , the first time in three decades , as deep economic scarring and soaring unemployment rate could result in a much slower recovery .
Tony Abbott , the former Australian prime minister , was heard Tues. ( Sept. 1 ) as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns are perpetuating the economic slowdown and have created a “ something for nothing mindset ” among younger generations living on furlough .
Abbott accused Andrews of being a ‘ health dictator ’ by placing five million Melburnians under “ house arrest.
” He said politicians need to stop acting like “ trauma doctors ” and start adopting the mindset of “ health economists ” – as reckless money printing to sustain the country ’ s economy during lockdowns isn ’ t sustainable .
So the question we ask readers is what could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be mandatory coronavirus vaccinations .
This all comes just days after massive anti-lockdown protests in Germany .
A backlash to the latest increase in restrictions in the US could be just around the corner .
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Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
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By Tyler Durden
Social unrest surged Saturday across Melbourne and Sydney, as hundreds of protesters took to the streets, defying draconian coronavirus lockdowns that have been in effect for nearly five weeks following a spike in virus cases and deaths.
Anti-lockdown groups gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance, a war memorial in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, with some demonstrators wearing no masks, holding signs, and were heard chanting “freedom” and “human rights matter,” reported Reuters.
Chant of the day… Free Victoria pic.twitter.com/iPzFD5B0Zq — 🇦🇺WeareMaximus🇺🇸 (@meridius1776) September 5, 2020
#BREAKING: I was violently ARRESTED today while covering the lockdown protest in Melbourne for @RebelNewsOnline. It seems like JOURNALISTS aren't even safe anymore in Victoria. Full story coming exclusively to https://t.co/oJpSxefEvU RT with the world what's happening here. pic.twitter.com/0Y1mnU0OPq — Avi Yemini 🇦🇺🇮🇱 (@OzraeliAvi) September 5, 2020
“It is not safe, it is not smart, it is not lawful. In fact, it is absolutely selfish for people to be out there protesting,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters after the demonstrations.
Dozens were arrested at the protests in Melbourne and Sydney; hundreds of others were issued violations for breaching the stay-at-home public health order.
“As a result of the protest, a police officer received lacerations to the head after being assaulted by an individual who was in attendance,” Victoria Police said in a statement.
The statement continued, “Our investigations into this protest will continue, and we expect to issue further fines once the identity of individuals has been confirmed.”
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) quoted one woman at the Shrine of Remembrance who said, “there’s no epidemic — it’s just a pretext to keep us in lockdown.”
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Reuters reported several other protests in Sydney and one in Byron Bay in the state of New South Wales. All demonstrations were in breach of local restrictions on large gatherings, which prompted local police to respond with riot police units.
Lockdown anger has erupted with protesters violently clashing with the riot squad in wild scenes across the city. Police promised a swift and firm response, and they delivered, in a show of force rarely seen in Melbourne. https://t.co/AVvaWLotVs @paul_dowsley #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/A4bdaxR88v — 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) September 5, 2020
Many anti-lockdown protesters were concerned that stay-at-home orders have become a form of control that restricts people from living their lives. Others were worried that the latest restrictions would result in a more profound decline in the economy.
“Our economy is going to crash because if we don’t start opening up borders and letting people have freedom of choice to do what they want to do, how are we going to exist?” one protester told ABC.
Australia officially entered a recession at the beginning of Sept., the first time in three decades, as deep economic scarring and soaring unemployment rate could result in a much slower recovery.
Tony Abbott, the former Australian prime minister, was heard Tues. (Sept. 1) as saying virus “hysteria” and draconian lockdowns are perpetuating the economic slowdown and have created a “something for nothing mindset” among younger generations living on furlough.
“Much of the media has indulged virus-hysteria with the occasional virus-linked death of a younger person highlighted to show that deadly threat isn’t confined to the very old or the already-very-sick or those exposed to massive viral loads,” Abbott said.
Abbott accused Andrews of being a ‘health dictator’ by placing five million Melburnians under “house arrest.” He said politicians need to stop acting like “trauma doctors” and start adopting the mindset of “health economists” – as reckless money printing to sustain the country’s economy during lockdowns isn’t sustainable.
“From a health perspective, this pandemic has been serious. From an economic perspective, it’s been disastrous,” he said.
So the question we ask readers is what could incite further unrest? Well, it could be mandatory coronavirus vaccinations.
This all comes just days after massive anti-lockdown protests in Germany. A backlash to the latest increase in restrictions in the US could be just around the corner.
Source: Zerohedge
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activistpost--2020-09-05--White House Issues Space-Security Directive to Address Potential for Satellite Hacks, Hijacks, Jams,

White House Issues Space-Security Directive to Address Potential for Satellite Hacks, Hijacks, Jams, and Other Disasters

Despite expert warnings , opposition and accidents , the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) continues to approve tens of thousands of satellites and similar vehicles to provide internet coverage – including 5G – from space ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ) .
Fortunately , the White House has now issued a directive that requires manufacturers to better monitor and safeguard these vehicles from all kinds of catastrophic possibilities .
Manufacturers need to build in better defenses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spacecraft , directive says .
Satellite makers and operators should harden their spacecraft against hackers and hijackers , and collaborate to make sure everyone is on the same page , according to a White House policy directive released Friday .
The new Space Policy-Directive 5 urges manufacturers to design their hardware and software so that operators can monitor and adapt to “ activities that could manipulate , deny , degrade , disrupt , destroy , surveil , or eavesdrop on space system operations.
” They should also have plans and tools in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jammed , spoofed , hacked , or hijacked .
The directive urges satellite makers and operators to also better manage the security of ground stations and address “ supply chain risks that affect cybersecurity of space systems.
” It calls on satellite makers to better collaborate and “ share threat , warning , and incident information within the space industry.
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The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) is supposed to protect Americans from the telecom industry .
Unfortunately they have an embarrassingly long track record of not doing so .
Lawsuits have been filed against the agency for NOT protecting Americans from unsafe levels of radiation as well as 5G deployment on the ground ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) and in space .
This directive is a step in the right direction but it doesn ’ t address other serious issues associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health issues after new satellites were launched .
Of course – this may not be only from new satellites .
Since 2018 , people have also reported that they and their pets started having health issues after 5G was installed and turned on ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ) .
Of course , other sources of wireless could be causing these health issues too .
Adding insult to injury , this all seems to have been predicted LAST YEAR by The World Health Organization who warned that high levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) could lead to health issues in 30 % of the population .
Of course , environmental impacts of increased radiation are enormous as well .
So will the White House ever address these issues too ?
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology .
For more information , visit our archives and the following websites : Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
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By B.N. Frank
Despite expert warnings, opposition and accidents, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to approve tens of thousands of satellites and similar vehicles to provide internet coverage – including 5G – from space (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).
Fortunately, the White House has now issued a directive that requires manufacturers to better monitor and safeguard these vehicles from all kinds of catastrophic possibilities.
From Defense One:
Fearing Satellite Hacks and Hijacks, White House Issues Space-Security Directive to Industry Manufacturers need to build in better defenses and even ways to regain control of hijacked spacecraft, directive says. Satellite makers and operators should harden their spacecraft against hackers and hijackers, and collaborate to make sure everyone is on the same page, according to a White House policy directive released Friday. The new Space Policy-Directive 5 urges manufacturers to design their hardware and software so that operators can monitor and adapt to “activities that could manipulate, deny, degrade, disrupt, destroy, surveil, or eavesdrop on space system operations.” They should also have plans and tools in place to recapture control of satellites that get jammed, spoofed, hacked, or hijacked. The directive urges satellite makers and operators to also better manage the security of ground stations and address “supply chain risks that affect cybersecurity of space systems.” It calls on satellite makers to better collaborate and “share threat, warning, and incident information within the space industry.” Read full article
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is supposed to protect Americans from the telecom industry. Unfortunately they have an embarrassingly long track record of not doing so. Lawsuits have been filed against the agency for NOT protecting Americans from unsafe levels of radiation as well as 5G deployment on the ground (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and in space.
This directive is a step in the right direction but it doesn’t address other serious issues associated with satellites. People worldwide recently reported experiencing health issues after new satellites were launched. Of course – this may not be only from new satellites. Since 2018, people have also reported that they and their pets started having health issues after 5G was installed and turned on (see 1, 2, 3, 4). Of course, other sources of wireless could be causing these health issues too. Adding insult to injury, this all seems to have been predicted LAST YEAR by The World Health Organization who warned that high levels of Electromagnetic Radiation (aka “Electrosmog”) could lead to health issues in 30% of the population. Of course, environmental impacts of increased radiation are enormous as well. So will the White House ever address these issues too?
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:
Image: Pixabay
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Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE! Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Parler, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.