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(Red Oak) -- Resident's hopes of making Montgomery County a second amendment sanctuary will have to wait.

Meeting in regular session Tuesday morning, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors discussed the potential of making Montgomery County a second amendment sanctuary. The discussion comes after county resident Jerald Palmquist introduced a resolution passed by Page County in October to declare their county a second amendment sanctuary. The board heard from those in favor and against the idea during the public comment period, including resident Glenn Mason, who says he's against the idea of any "sanctuary."

"My thing has nothing to do with the second amendment, mine is only that I do not think that local (governments) should pick and choose which laws they're going to obey, and which ones they're not going to obey," Mason said. "You know if you don't like a law and say it infringes your rights, take it to court."

However, resident Michael Luna says he feels the second amendment can protect the others under attack, including the first amendment.

"It's not of matter of if, it's a matter of when because of what they're doing to the first amendment, they're going to do it to the second amendment, they're going to come for your guns," Luna said. "I'm not necessarily a gun nut, but I believe in the right to keep and bear arms. It's up to the local and state governments to stand up to government overreach by the federal government. It has to start here, it has to start in this room, and start in this town."

Currently, at least 28 other counties in Iowa have signed on to the ordinance, including Page, Mills, Adams, Taylor, Ringgold, and Union counties in KMAland.

Montgomery County Attorney Drew Swanson also advised the board that, as of right now, the sanctuary resolution appears to carry little weight if challenged.

"It hasn't been challenged at the federal level at all yet from what I can see, so there's really no precedent to go by," Swanson said. "However, what I have found is that the legal community is likely seeing this as not really enforceable if push should come to shove. So you can do it, but it's questionable how much weight it would carry if it were challenged at some level."

Montgomery County Sheriff Jon Spunaugle and several board members felt more research was needed to determine whether the resolution was even necessary.

Thus, the Board of Supervisors took no formal action on the topic Tuesday and will bring the discussion of making the county a second amendment sanctuary back to their agenda on their January 11th meeting at 8:30 a.m.

At KMA, we attempt to be accurate in our reporting. If you see a typo or mistake in a story, please contact us by emailing kmaradio@kmaland.com.

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Montgomery County holds off on 'second amendment sanctuary' resolution - KMAland

To the editor: In regard to Ruth Bass' Nov. 23 column ("Ruth Bass: Championing freedom? Hang on to freedom to read") in The Berkshire Eagle, I would like to make a few comments.

First, I would like to say that our society, as we know it, would not and could not exist without the tremendous work that our librarians do. They are the keepers of the flame of liberty.

Second, I would like to make what I think is a correction that needs to be noted. In the article it was stated that "Librarians staunchly defend the First Amendment; won't even tell you who else has read the book you're about to take out."

My understanding is that libraries are required by federal law to keep track and records of every book you read or take out of the library. This may also include when and for how long you used their computers, and what websites you visited. Everyone should be aware that the government can track everything you access at your local library.

The American Library Association and local librarians have declared their support for the First Amendment, but stand silent on the government's intrusion into your private life.

I believe it is time for librarians to stand up to the government and stop acting as their agent and truly defend the First Amendment.

James M. Boyle, Cheshire

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Letter: The government can track your library activities - Berkshire Eagle

Armed with an AR-15 and looking for trouble where you dont belong and werent invited allows you to shoot anyone you feel is a personal threat? You get to be the judge, jury, and executioner, especially if you are a white male.

Would those loudly applauding the Rittenhouse jurys verdict celebrate if he had been black? Absolutely not.

Charlton Heston, of Moses and NRA fame, proclaimed the second amendment to be the ''most vital'' of all the amendments and was ''more essential'' than the First Amendment. ''It is America's first freedom, the one that protects all the others. The right to keep and bear arms is the one right that allows rights to exist at all.''

He got it backward. Streets filled belligerent white men in the latest camo fashions and semi-automatic weapons could get away killing those whove assembled to protest, say, Americas promiscuous gun laws. The killers then claim self-defense because they felt threatened. The First Amendment be damned.

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.

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Letter: The Second Amendment Swallow the First | Letters to the Editor | tucson.com - Arizona Daily Star

Hello, hello. I hope you all had a nice holiday and are ready for another one. Last week we looked back on 2021, and this week, were looking forward to 2022. We have a couple quick news hits from last week to get through first, but then Aria and I will offer our predictions for the year to come. Off we go.

Project Brazen and Audiation ordered to release audio recorded for Fat Leonard

In a troubling precedent for journalism, a judge in San Diego ruled the podcast companies behind Fat Leonard, Project Brazen and Audiation, must share all recorded audio from their lead character, Leonard Glenn Francis even audio that wasnt included in the shows final cut. The San Diego Union-Tribune has all the details, but essentially, the podcast tells the story of fraud and bribery within the US Navy. Six naval officers are currently accused of criminal bribery and are heading to trial in February. One of the officers legal team subpoenaed for the audio recordings, which they say might hold critical information for the defense, given that Francis is a key witness.

Per the paper, the judge said the naval officers Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to due process and confrontation are paramount and overshadow the podcast producers First Amendment rights to protect their sources and unpublished materials. Instead of quietly submitting the audio to the lawyers, the companies instead released all 20 hours worth publicly on Dropbox.

We disagree with this ruling and believe it sets a bad precedent for media freedom in the US, tweeted Project Brazen co-founder Tom Wright. We here at Hot Pod agree.

Twitter Spaces reaches 2 million users

Last week, The New York Times published a story about the ongoing war between Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. Both are competing for show hosts and users, who have switched between the two platforms. The story also includes a couple number nuggets that are worth calling out: Spaces reached 2 million users in recent months, while Clubhouse says the app was downloaded 1.8 million times in November alone. The two apps are fighting and growing: thats how were ending the year, and Im sure its how well continue to talk about the apps in 2022.

Automattics CEO wants to keep podcasting open

Protocol published a great profile last week of Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, the company behind WordPress and Tumblr, as well as the acquirer of Pocket Casts. The story mostly focuses on Mullenwegs personal journey to this point and the ethos that drives him. For us, that also means the chance to piece together his vision for podcastings future, too, and how Pocket Casts fits into it.

There is one thing that binds the many products under the Automattic umbrella together: a bet on and belief in the open web and open-source software, writes David Pierce. Most people will tell you it feels like the future of tech hangs in the balance. But the way Mullenweg sees it, open is still going to win. Its not a matter of if, only when. And all hes trying to do is help make it happen a little faster.

A win for all the folks rallying against the closed platforms.

What happened to Dan Bonginos threat to quit his radio show over a vaccine mandate?

We wrote here about podcaster and radio host Dan Bongino threatening to quit his show over Cumulus Medias vaccine mandate. That was months ago, however, and Bongino is still on the air. What happened? The Washington Post pointed at the obvious thing the lack of Bongino actually doing anything and provided an update. People in the story call the whole thing a stunt while Bongino says hes in an ongoing fight with the company and hasnt quit because he needs to protect his staffs jobs. Whos surprised? (If you want even more Bongino content, The New Yorker published a profile of him yesterday.)

And now

Welcome to the prediction party

Lets get to the predictions. Both Aria and I wrote up what we expect to see and cover next year. Were ready to be held accountable for these guesses, and I know we can count on you all to do so!

Facebook will start hosting and monetizing podcasts

Facebook got into podcasts this past year by allowing hosts to distribute their RSS feeds on Pages, and next year, I believe the company will start hosting and monetizing shows no RSS feed required. Of course, saying this will happen in 2022 requires Facebook prioritizing and building the functionality, and its unclear how invested it is in actually doing it. But I do believe hosting and monetization is Facebooks ultimate goal in the space, so I anticipate seeing it happen at some point. -AC

More headline-making podcast appearances

While podcasts are increasingly a stop on celebrities press circuits, they remain the intimate medium theyve always been: guards are lowered and conversations get real. Given this intersection, were likely to hear more and more high-profile people saying some pretty jarring things on tape. As a reminder, the next host of Jeopardy! was ultimately fired from his role because of horrendous things hed said on a podcast years before, ostensibly emboldened by the casual setting. Just months after he was let go, another person whod once had the stamp of approval from the educational TV show football player Aaron Rodgers traded his squeaky-clean public persona for praise of ivermectin, all over the course of 45 minutes on the podcast The Pat McAfee Show 2.0. Were in for quite a ride as even more people try out the medium. -AB

There will be fewer exclusive show deals and more windowing

Spotify popularized the idea of shows going exclusive to one platform, but looking ahead, I foresee this trend fading out. If ad revenue is the primary goal for most of the big platforms, minimizing shows audiences by housing them in one place doesnt make much sense. Instead, I expect to see more deals like the one between Amazon Music and SmartLess with one week of exclusivity, or Amazon Music and 9/12, which offered the entire, bingeable show on the app with only one episode per week released elsewhere. Now, a two-for-one prediction: I also expect more Spotify-exclusive deals will not re-sign. The big paycheck is nice, but it likely comes at the expense of reach and influence. -AC

Salaries become standardized (through solidarity)

When hiring for one-off audio positions, people continue to reference the rates and best practices made publicly available by the organization AIR, and I have a feeling folks will soon realize they want (read: need) standards for staff positions, too especially as more of those positions are created. There arent many places to turn to for that information, though. I predict current salaried workers will soon act on that, and that at least part of it will be bold, public, and online, even if demystifying money by just talking about it has mostly been the domain of freelancers. -AB

Every Tuesday receive analysis, insights, and commentary on the growing audio industry.

A more built-out Spotify Wrapped for podcasts

Still only two slides dedicated to podcasts? Ive gotta say, I expected more from a company that spent this whole year trying to prove it did more than music. -AB

Podcasts become a way to sell products, especially by influencers

You can already argue that podcasts are an important sales channel because of promo codes and direct response advertisers, but I imagine we might see affiliate revenue play a bigger role in 2022. Influencers could still launch shows with the primary intention of using them as a way to connect with fans, but increasingly, they may just want to sell more stuff. It could be their own product line or an affiliate partnership with a larger company. I suspect this is why Amazon is taking an interest in the space podcasts move product, and Amazon has a lot of product to move. Plus, it runs a huge affiliate revenue business. -AC

More pro gamers launch podcasts and reach huge numbers

We talk a lot about Hollywood stars entering podcasting, but next year, I anticipate writing more about pro gamers hosting shows. Were already seeing hints of this. QCODEs Wood Elf Media produces Distractible from streamer Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier), which apparently topped Joe Rogan on Spotifys own charts. Gamers come with a built-in audience and, more so than influencers, are used to talking and having things to say, priming them for podcast fame. -AC

Luminary gets bought or shuts down

I had to make some kind of Luminary prediction, and Im guessing the company either gets bought or shuts down. Thats it. Maybe itll thrive on its own, but its now entering its third year of existence, and something has to happen. -AC

Live social audio goes on-demand and becomes a hot zone for moderation discussions

If 2021 was the year every platform built or invested in live audio, I believe 2022 will be the year they instead focus on on-demand content. Both Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces, as well as Spotifys forgotten Greenroom, allow conversations to be recorded, and these replays will become essential to growing and maintaining the user bases. At the same time, I predict live audios reputation will tarnish as conversations run amok with misinformation, racism, threats of violence, and whatever else the internet is good at drumming up. -AC

Thanks for sticking with us this year. Pop some bottles and manifest those dreams for 2022. Well be back Thursday for our insiders with a special Aria edition, and for the rest of yall, were here Tuesday with our usually scheduled programming.

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Hot Pod 2022 predictions: The next year in podcasting - The Verge

A coalition of the nations largest media companies and news organizations has filed a legal brief in support of Stephen K. Bannon, asking a federal court not to bar him from publicly releasing documents related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

As part of a contempt of Congress case against him, the government is seeking to prevent Mr. Bannon from releasing thousands of pages of documents he has access to. The coalition which includes ABC, CBS, CNN, Dow Jones, NBC, The New York Times and The Washington Post filed the brief on Tuesday, arguing that the governments proposed order would violate the First Amendment.

Mr. Bannon, a onetime adviser to former President Donald J. Trump, was indicted by a federal grand jury in November and charged with two counts of criminal contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with subpoenas to testify and to provide documents for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 mob attack. He has pleaded not guilty.

As part of the discovery process, Mr. Bannons lawyers have gained access to more than 1,000 pages of documents, including transcripts of witness testimony and grand-jury exhibits. In a Nov. 17 filing, the Justice Department asked that a protective order be put in place to bar Mr. Bannon from making any of the documents public.

In a subsequent filing it noted that Mr. Bannon had indicated he intended to release documents to make extrajudicial arguments about the merits of the case pending against him and the validity of the governments decision to seek an indictment. Federal prosecutors also pointed to remarks that Mr. Bannon made at a news conference after his first court hearing, including: Were going to go on the offense on this.

It is unusual for Mr. Bannon and major news organizations to fall on the same side of an issue. Like Mr. Trump, Mr. Bannon has frequently denigrated established news media outlets.

But the coalition argued that the release of documents by Mr. Bannon was in the public interest.

The public has an overwhelming interest in the facts, circumstances and causes of the Jan. 6 riot, the coalition said in its brief. Bannon has been indicted in an investigation of the riot and has demonstrated his desire to communicate with the press and public about the governments case against him.

News of the legal brief was reported earlier by The Daily Mail.

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Major news outlets side with Steve Bannon on one part of his legal fight. - The New York Times