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March 9 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Thursday upheld a Florida law barring people under age 21 from buying a gun, rejecting a challenge by the National Rifle Association gun rights lobby group. Two Republican state lawmakers have introduced a measure to lower the age to 18, as it was previously. Federal law already imposes a 21-year age requirement for handguns. A federal judge in 2021 upheld the law, finding it was a kind of "longstanding" restriction that courts had upheld in the past. The 11th Circuit panel decided on Thursday that this one was, pointing to more than a dozen 19th century state laws barring people under 21 from buying guns.

☆ Some Red States Weigh Bans on Enforcing U.S. Gun Laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Shannon Najmabadi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The new state bills are intended to stop law enforcement from helping the federal government apply gun restrictions. DES MOINES, Iowa — A 2021 Missouri law banning law enforcement from enforcing federal gun laws has been challenged in the courts, questioned by dozens of police chiefs. The law has failed to gain the backing of the National Rifle Association. This year, it is being copied.

☆ Fox News hosts and executives privately mocked pro-Trump election conspiracy theories after he lost, internal texts show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It enrages me," Tucker Carlson wrote in a text message to his producer Alex Pfeiffer. "Not a single Fox witness testified that they believe any of the allegations about Dominion are true," Dominion lawyers wrote. Imho they need to address but wtf do I know," Hannity wrote in a text message, referring to Newsmax. That email, Dominion's lawyers write, came from an unnamed author who claimed to be a beheaded ghost who talks to the wind. President Trump not only was the sitting President, he was the key figure that day," Dominion's lawyers wrote.

Biden personally adds mentions of an assault weapons ban to his planned public remarks, a White House official said. "We're going to ban assault weapons again," he said on Thursday at a Lunar New Year reception at the White House, to applause. As vice president, he spearheaded a set of gun control proposals for Barack Obama after Sandy Hook that included a recommendation for a new assault weapons ban. However the Quinnipiac and other polls show that just about half of Americans support an assault weapons ban. Even though an all-out assault weapons ban seems unlikely, a very thin Republican majority in the House means that something more modest, such as raising the age to 21 to buy assault weapons, could be possible, the University of New Hampshire's Scala said.

One man carried out his attack with a gun banned by the state, while the other used a gun he legally owned, police said. Even in California, a state with some of the country's strictest gun laws, the limits can be sidestepped. The prospects for new federal gun laws are dim. The majority of guns used in mass shootings were obtained legally, according to the nonprofit Violence Project, which maintains a database of attacks. Chunli Zhao legally owned the gun used in the Half Moon Bay attack on Monday, police said.

They were joined by the parent of a student who died in the 2018 shooting at Santa Fe, Texas, high school. Duran's sister, Irma Garcia, was one of the two teachers and 19 killed in the May 4, 2022 shooting in Uvalde. The Uvalde massacre was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and one of the deadliest in the country. Eric Gay / APThe sorrow of the losses for the Uvalde families were visible in tears, sniffles and anger, as some of the family members made statements at the conference in Austin, which was livestreamed. It has to be the session where we do something on gun safety,” Gutierrez said.

The Justice Department wrote in its brief that a failed background check would not have kept Kelley, from conducting the shooting, and the government could not have known he intended to pursue the attack. But under Texas law, the United States is not legally responsible for the damages caused by that shooting." Critics said a successful appeal will ultimately undercut the background check system, damage the Biden administration’s gun safety law efforts and bolster the gun lobby. “The 26 dead and 22 injured at the Sutherland Springs mass shooting disagree.”Twenty-six crosses stand in a field to honor the victims killed during the mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs in 2017. Now the survivors and victims must relive the traumatic shooting through an appeal that Alsaffar said could take as long as two years.

☆ How Anti-Abortion Activists Bought Access to the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

In exchange for as little as a few thousand dollars in contributions to the nonprofit, these people received easy access to events where Supreme Court justices would be. Supreme Court Historical society trustee Jay Sekulow, center, represented President Trump during the latter's impeachment trial in 2020. Anti-abortion advocates cheer in front of the Supreme Court after the decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores was announced in 2014. Alito did not respond to a request for comment on his involvement in the Supreme Court Historical Society. Supreme Court justices, though, aren't even required to stay within those weak guardrails because no code of ethics governs justices' behavior.

☆ The start of 2023 means carrying a gun without a license is now legal in half of US states: 'Lipstick, an iPhone, maybe a little Smith & Wesson .38'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alabama's permitless carry law went into effect with the start of the new year. Over the past two decades, gun control laws have weakened at the state and federal levels. The law signaled a gun rights landmark for the US: Now, half of the 50 states allow people to carry handguns without permits. More than 600 mass shootings transpired in the US in 2022, making it the second-highest annual total for mass shootings on record, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit tracking gun violence. There were more mass shootings in the last half decade than in any other five-year period going back to 1966, the Marshall Project found last year.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried funded more than 90% of a leading DC ethics group's political arm in 2021
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of those was the political arm of the Campaign Legal Center, a prominent DC watchdog group. Insider has learned that Bankman-Fried's donations funded more than 90% of the political arm in 2021. Bankman-Fried donated $760,000 to the Campaign Legal Center's action fund in 2021, according to a spokesperson for the organization. Insider previously reported that Bankman-Fried donated more than $2.5 million to the Campaign Legal Center and its affiliate organizations since 2021. Under its action group, the Campaign Legal Center filed a number of prominent lawsuits in 2021.

☆ The NRA vs. the Censorship ‘Mob’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( David B. Rivkin Jr. | Andrew M. Grossman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It’s the classic threat of B-movie mobsters: Nice business you got there, it’d be a shame if something happened to it. Government shouldn’t operate like that, but it too often does, sometimes to evade the Constitution’s limits on its power. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the practice and provided a road map for officials to circumvent the First Amendment’s protection for freedom of speech. Maria Vullo led the New York State Department of Financial Services, which has broad power to regulate almost every major financial player in the U.S. After the February 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., Ms. Vullo and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a press release stating that the department would “urge” the insurers, banks and companies it regulates “to review any relationships they may have with the National Rifle Association” for “reputational risk.”

REUTERS/Lucas JacksonCompanies Smith & Wesson Brands Inc FollowDec 20 (Reuters) - The upstate New York city of Buffalo on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in state court accusing major gun manufacturers of fueling violence through irresponsible marketing and sales practices. Defendants in the lawsuit include Smith & Wesson Brands Inc (SWBI.O), Beretta USA Corp, Bushmaster Firearms Industries Inc, Colt's Manufacturing Co LLC and Glock Inc. The city is seeking an unspecified money award to combat gun violence. The case appeared to be the first time a city has sued major gun companies under a 2021 New York law that allows lawsuits against gun makers and sellers for creating a "public nuisance" through their business practices. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

“Nearly every single state in the nation has passed at least one significant gun safety law since Sandy Hook,” concluded the report, first obtained by NBC News. Gun violence has gone from being a political third rail to a kitchen table topic in just ten years. Nearly every American will know a victim of gun violence in their lifetime.”Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., hugs Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., at the Giffords Gun Violence Memorial in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on June 7. Still, gun safety advocates face tall hurdles to achieving other goals, like banning semi-automatic assault-style weapons and large-capacity ammunition. Republicans just won control of the House, almost certainly ending hopes for stricter gun laws for the foreseeable future.

☆ Gun-loving Bolsonaristas challenge Lula's pledge to disarm Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The president-elect has pledged to "disarm" an increasingly gun-toting country where personal firearms have become a symbol of Bolsonaro's conservative base. Reuters interviewed eight other people working on, or advising, Lula's transition team on bolstering gun controls once he takes office on Jan. 1. The priority will be to reimpose civilian prohibitions on certain high-caliber weapons, including the rifle used by Jefferson, the sources said. The political context is a sharp departure from Lula's 2003-2010 presidency, when he passed sweeping gun laws to combat violent crime. Last week, they charged him with four counts of attempted murder, resisting arrest, and weapons charges.

☆ Viktor Bout praises Putin, enjoys celebrity status after Griner exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

He has since given high-profile interviews to state media and on Monday appeared on stage at a political event as he joined an ultranationalist party. Viktor Bout on a plane in Abu Dhabi before departing for Russia on Thursday. Russian media also showed him walking off a plane in Moscow, where relatives waiting with flowers embraced him. AFP - Getty ImagesSince his return home, Bout has given a pair of interviews to Maria Butina on the state-run TV channel RT. Like Butina, who was elected to the State Duma last year, Bout spared no time kicking off a potential political career.

☆ A Republican super PAC run by former NRA executives lost more than $158,000 in an email hack, federal records show
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A GOP super PAC lost more than $158,000 in an email hack, filings with the FEC indicate. The PAC, Secure Our Freedom Action Fund, is run by two former high-ranking NRA executives. Letter from Secure Our Freedom Action Fund to the Federal Election Commission. Sen.-elect Katie Britt, a Republican from Alabama, is one of the candidates that super PAC Secure Our Freedom Action Fund supported this year. The political action committees of three large trade associations reported stolen checks and fraudulent activity this election cycle as well.

☆ Switzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here's why it doesn't have mass shootings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Hilary Brueck | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Switzerland hasn't had a mass shooting in 21 years. The Swiss have strict rules for who can get a gun, and take firearm training very seriously. Loading Something is loading. The National Rifle Association often points to Switzerland to argue that more rules on gun ownership aren't necessary. But the Swiss have some specific rules and regulations for gun use.

☆ 'Red flag' gun laws in focus after attack at Colorado LGBTQ nightclub
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Authorities do not appear to have filed a petition seeking to confiscate any weapons Aldrich may have had at the time under the state's red flag law. RED FLAG OPPOSITIONThe disparity partly reflects deep opposition to red flag laws among some of Colorado's conservative sheriffs and local political officials. While El Paso Sheriff Bill Elder has voiced skepticism about "sanctuary" declarations, he opposed the red flag law over due process concerns, according to local media reports in 2019. The National Rifle Association opposes red flag laws as unconstitutional infringements on law-abiding citizens. Studies on the effectiveness of red flag laws are limited but suggest they can make a real difference.

After learning about its Russian roots from Reuters, it removed Pushwoosh software from seven public-facing apps, citing security concerns. The U.S. Army said it had removed an app containing Pushwoosh code in March because of the same concerns. Pushwoosh code has been embedded into almost 8,000 apps in the Google and Apple app stores, according to Appfigures, an app intelligence website. "We haven't found any clear sign of deceptive or malicious intent in Pushwoosh's activity, which certainly doesn't diminish the risk of having app data leaking to Russia," he added. The CDC apps that contained Pushwoosh code included the agency's main app and others set up to share information on a wide range of health concerns.

☆ Far-right gun group says its members have switched allegiance from Trump to Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The American Firearms Association says its members favor Ron DeSantis over Donald Trump for president. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential election. The American Firearms Association, citing a poll of its members, announced Friday nearly 69% favor DeSantis for president compared to nearly 29% for Trump. Their survey results in March were reversed, according to the group — nearly 67% for Trump and about 21% for DeSantis. The group posed the question to its 2,000-plus followers on Twitter Thursday: "Who do you support for President: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, or someone else?"

Tim Walz is running against Republican Scott Jensen in Minnesota's gubernatorial race. Democratic incumbent Tim Walz faces off against Republican Scott Jensen in Minnesota's gubernatorial election. Prior to being elected, Walz represented Minnesota's 1st Congressional District for six terms, from 2007 to 2019. Born and raised in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, Jensen represented Senate District 47 from 2017 to 2021. The state has voted exclusively Democratic in every presidential election since 1976, last voting Republican during Richard Nixon's landslide victory in 1972.

NEW YORK, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A federal judge in New York temporarily suspended many parts of the state's new gun restrictions on Monday to allow members of a gun-owners' rights group to continue their lawsuit challenging the new law as unconstitutional. Judge Glenn Suddaby of the U.S. District Court in Syracuse agreed to issue the order at the request of six New York residents who are members of Gun Owners of America, which competes with the National Rifle Association in political influence. In his order, he said New York officials could not compel people applying for a gun license to disclose a list of everyone they live with or the handles of their social media accounts, major provisions of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act which took effect on Sept. 1. He also sharply pared back New York's new list of "sensitive places" where it is a new felony crime to possess a gun even with a license, writing that the state could not ban guns in theaters, bars, parks, airports and other public places. Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Leslie Adler and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Measure 114: Oregon could soon have stricter requirements for gun ownership
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Measure 114 would make it a requirement to obtain permits for gun purchases. Ballot measure detailsMeasure 114 would require those who want to purchase a gun to apply for a permit and pass a criminal background check. Support and oppositionLift Every Voice Oregon includes a coalition of religious organizations and nonprofits who are advocating for measure 114. Supporters argue that this will make communities and schools safer from gun incidents, decrease homicide rates, and prevent gun suicides. Stop 114 includes the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association, the National Rifle Association, and the Oregon Hunters Association.

☆ Letitia James Makes Famous Enemies. Will That Win Her an Election?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Michael Gold | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over her four years as New York attorney general, Letitia James has built a formidable national profile through her office’s inquiries into former President Donald J. Trump, former Gov. That prominence has also made Ms. James, a Democrat, a polarizing figure. Though many of her liberal supporters celebrated her lawsuit against Mr. Trump, the former president has attacked her throughout her tenure, with his supporters following suit. And after her office’s report on Mr. Cuomo led to his resignation, he denounced her as an opportunist, an accusation that stuck with some Democrats after Ms. James made a short-lived run for governor. Now as Ms. James runs for re-election in a challenging electoral environment for Democrats, her Republican opponent, Michael Henry, has seized on that criticism to try to unseat her.

☆ Gov. Tim Walz faces off against former Republican state Sen. Scott Jensen in Minnesota's gubernatorial election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tim Walz is running against Republican Scott Jensen in Minnesota's gubernatorial race. He also introduced the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, a bill that sought to limit congressional insider trading. Jensen, Walz's challenger, is a physician and former state senator. Born and raised in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, Jensen represented Senate District 47 from 2017 to 2021. The state has voted exclusively Democratic in every presidential election since 1976, last voting Republican during Richard Nixon's landslide victory in 1972.

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