Concealed carry advocates score win against California in federal ruling
In a win for Second Amendment rights advocates and a blow to California gun control measures, a federal judge ordered the state accept concealed carry permit applications from out-of-state resident on Thursday, Aug. 22. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many states’ gun restrictions that did not align with the United States’ “historic tradition of firearms regulations,” California passed a handful of laws to restrict the ability of citizens to carry weapons in public.
One of those laws passed in the Golden State barred out-of-state residents from applying for concealed carry permits. However, gun rights groups challenged that restriction, saying that it failed the U.S. Supreme Court’s historical test.
District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett agreed with that argument, noting that the state had not found any past laws showing such limits are “part of a historical tradition of this nation.”
Garnett also ruled that California’s waiting time for permits is too long and unconstitutional. Residents in the state can reportedly wait up to 18 months to get concealed carry permit.
Additionally, the lawsuit challenged exorbitant fees, required psychological exams and discretionary denials. However, Garnett said these issues will have to wait until she can review the merits of the entire case.
California is expected to appeal the preliminary injunction and request a stay on the ruling.
Failures by police and Army led up to Maine mass shooting: Report
A final report by an independent commission on Tuesday, Aug. 20, on the deadliest shooting in Maine’s history shows critical failures by both the Army Reserve and local police that could have prevented the shooting. The investigation found multiple missed opportunities to address Robert Card’s mental health and seize his weapons before he killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 25, 2023.
Maine law enforcement was reportedly authorized to confiscate Card’s weapons under a yellow flag law. Police could have also placed him in protective custody weeks before the shooting. Authorities also knew of Card’s two-week hospitalization for psychiatric reasons and access to weapons a month before the shooting. The New York Police Department also could have taken Card’s weapons under a red flag law, which was previously used on non-residents.
The report said that the Army hospitalized Card during training in May of 2023 but that there were no check-ins after his release to ensure he was taking medication and getting follow-up care. In August of 2023, the Army banned him from handling weapons while on duty and listed him as non-deployable.
In September 2023, a fellow Army reservist reportedly wrote in a text about Card, “I think he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting.” The reservist pleaded with authorities to change the passcode to the gate of the military facility and arm themselves if Card showed up. Still, authorities chose not to confront Card.
A separate investigation by the Army led to three reserve officers being disciplined for dereliction of duty. Card’s unit leaders reportedly ignored recommendations from mental health care providers to remove weapons from Card’s home.
Meanwhile, the 215-page final report reiterated findings released in March and essentially laid out that police and the Army should have followed measures available to them in the months leading up to the shooting.
In the wake of the mass shooting, Maine passed new gun laws, including a three-day waiting period for gun purchases that went into effect in July.
Texas AG Paxton threatens to sue Dallas over gun ban at state fair
Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican lawmakers are challenging a new firearms ban at the State Fair of Texas. The fair announced a new rule banning guns at the fair, except for those carried by active or retired peace officers. The ban comes after a shooting at the fair last year left three people wounded.
Paxton has threatened legal action against the city of Dallas if the state fair does not rescind its firearms ban within 15 days. He argued that the ban violates a Texas government code protecting licensed gun carriers’ rights on government property.
Additionally, more than 70 Republican legislators signed a petition opposing the ban, arguing it compromises safety because gun-free zones are “magnets for crime” and less of a deterrent to potential wrongdoers.
According to a spokesperson for the State Fair of Texas, the firearms ban ensures a safe environment and family-friendly atmosphere.
Fair representatives said they will deploy 200 uniformed officers, conduct screenings, use a weapon detection system for security and implement a bag size policy.
Paxton said he sent a letter to the city of Dallas demanding that the ban be lifted before the start of the fair, which runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 20.
Prosecutors say Romanian businessman hired Hunter Biden to ‘influence’ US policy
With a month to go until Hunter Biden’s federal tax trial, prosecutors are making new allegations the president’s son accepted payments from a Romanian businessman to influence U.S. policy. And new details are emerging about the terror plot that resulted in the cancellation of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Austria. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.
Prosecutors say Romanian businessman hired Hunter Biden to ‘influence’ U.S. policy
New details are coming out of Hunter Biden’s federal tax case. While the trial doesn’t begin until September, there’s a new court filing from the special counsel laying out a new allegation the prosecution plans to bring up.
Federal prosecutors allege the president’s son was compensated by a Romanian businessman who was trying to influence U.S. policy and end a local investigation of him in Romania.
According to the Wednesday, Aug. 7 filing, the special counsel intends to go after Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings even more, including his association with Burisma — a Ukrainian natural gas company — and an energy company in China.
The prosecution said it evidence will show he “performed almost no work in exchange for millions of dollars” from these entities and will speak to Hunter Biden’s “state of mind” and “intent” during the years in question.
Hunter Biden’s team had requested certain evidence be omitted from trial, questioning its relevance to the federal tax charges, which include failing to pay taxes, failing to file, and filing a fraudulent form.
He’s charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors in the tax case. The president’s youngest son is accused of failing to pay more than a million dollars in taxes between 2016 and 2019. Prosecutors allege he used the funds to live lavishly, including spending millions on drugs, escorts and luxury cars. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty in the case.
This is separate from Hunter Biden’s federal gun case where he was convicted in June of lying about his illegal drug use while filling out a form to purchase a gun. He has not been sentenced yet in that case.
Biden ‘not confident’ in peaceful transfer of power if Trump loses election
We’re getting a preview of President Joe Biden’s one-on-one interview with CBS News. While the full interview will air on Sunday, Aug. 11, there’s a clip that is getting a lot of attention Thursday morning, Aug. 8.
CBS News reporter Robert Costa asked the president if he’s confident there will be a peaceful transfer of power in January.
“If Trump loses, I’m not confident at all,” Biden said. “He means what he says, he means it, all the stuff about if we lose there will be a bloodbath.”
He added, “You can’t love your country only when you win.”
Trump’s “bloodbath” comments came during a rally in March. The former president has said he was referring to a “bloodbath” in the economy and auto industry if he loses the 2024 election.
Three months later, Trump was asked during the presidential debate on June 27 whether he would accept the 2024 election results. He said as long as it’s a “fair and legal” election, he’ll accept whatever the results are come November.
Taylor Swift shows in Austria canceled over foiled terror plot
Three of Taylor Swift’s concerts set for Vienna, Austria have been canceled after authorities say they foiled a terror attack planned for that leg of her Eras Tour. Austrian police said they’ve arrested two suspects who they say are ISIS sympathizers and became “radicalized by the internet.”
Police chemical substances and technical devices were found at the home of a 19-year-old suspect and are being evaluated. Authorities also said they’ve made “further detentions” but didn’t give any more details.
The concert’s promoter said all tickets for the canceled shows will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.
Family of French explorer killed in Titan catastrophe files $50M lawsuit
The family of French explorer Paul Henri Nargeolet who died when the Titan submersible imploded during a deep dive to the wreckage of the Titanic is suing for more than $50 million. They said the crew of five people on board experienced “terror and mental anguish” before the disaster and accuse OceanGate, the sub’s operator, of gross negligence.
After the June 2023 incident when the vessel imploded due to catastrophic pressure loss, it was revealed that industry experts had raised serious safety concerns about the project years earlier.
The lawsuit also alleges OceanGate failed to disclose the Titan’s flaws and purposely concealed any issues from French explorer Paul Henri Nargeolet. It also saysNargeolet — who had taken part in 37 dives to the Titanic wreckage, more than anyone else in the world — would not have taken the voyage if he’d known about the Titan’s issues.
The implosion killed four other people, including OceanGate’s CEO. This is the first lawsuit to be filed in connection with the disaster.
Intel shareholders sue after stock plunges over job and dividend cuts
Intel’s shareholders are suing a chip maker. Intel said the company hid problems with its manufacturing business ahead of announced layoffs and poor earnings.
The lawsuit accuses Intel, its CEO, and CFO of making false and misleading statements that “artificially inflated” the company’s stock price prior to announcing a loss of more than a billion dollars between April and June of 2024.
American Quincy Hall comes from behind to win men’s 400-meter final
Team USA won more medals on day 12 of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, Aug. 7. The team picked up three more gold medals.
Team USA now tops the charts with 27 gold medals and 94 medals overall.
On Wednesday, the U.S. won wrestling, women’s cycling, and in track and field — even though it looked like sprinter Quincy Hall was out of the running with just seconds to go in the race.
Hall pulled off an amazing comeback with just a quarter of the 400-meter final to go. He fell into fourth place as the runners rounded the last bend but then picked up the pace and passed his competition to cross the finish line first.
American Rounds to expand footprint of ammo vending machines
The company behind ammunition vending machines reportedly announced its intention to expand its footprint across the United States on Friday, Aug. 2. The company known as American Rounds said that it plans to expand to the western part of the United States into states, including California.
The western expansion is reportedly already underway with the first ammunition vending machine being installed in Colorado this week.
Meanwhile, the ammo vending machines are already in states including Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma. American Rounds also said that it has received requests from stores in Indiana and Kentucky.
According to American Rounds, stores in more than 40 states have requested machines. So far there are no specific state-by-state expansion plans.
In order for people to get ammunition from the vending machine, they must have a valid identification card and be alright with using facial recognition technology to verify their identity. The machines hold ammunition for handguns, rifles and shotguns.
“As a family we are pro-Second Amendment, but we are also for responsible gun ownership,” Orin Lagree, the president of LaGree Food Stores, said. “We believe the technology in these machines will help keep ammo out of the wrong hands.”
However, critics say while security measures are fine, it’s the location of the vending machines that is the problem.
“Innovations that make ammunition more secure via facial recognition, age verification and the tracking of serial sales are promising safety features that belong in gun stores, not in the place where you buy your kids’ milk,” Nick Suplina, the senior vice president of Everytown Gun Safety, said.
“In a country awash in guns and ammo, where guns are the leading cause of deaths for kids, we don’t need to further normalize the sale and promotion of these products,” Suplina added.
The company’s CEO contends that it’s a misconception to think they’re “going to put these everywhere that a vending machine-style product would go.”
“We’re not interested in putting them in every location,” CEO Grant Magers said.
Texts say police knew of would-be Trump assassin 100 minutes before shooting
Newly released text messages reveal former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks, was on authorities’ radar nearly 100 minutes before he fired at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The New York Times received the text messages from the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and verified them.
The first text was sent from a local police counter sniper at 4:26 p.m. that day. That counter sniper was leaving after his shift ended and he texted other counter snipers saying he had noticed someone had “snuck in” and parked by law enforcement’s vehicles.
“I’m just letting you know because you see me go out with my rifle and put it in my car so he knows you guys are up there,” the text read. “He’s sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit.”
That counter sniper confirmed the man he spotted was later identified as Crooks.
Forty-four minutes later, at 5:10 p.m., Crooks was no longer at the picnic table. One of the counter snipers who was upstairs in the AGR International warehouse took pictures of Crooks, who was below the counter snipers, outside the building.
At 5:38 p.m., those pictures were shared in a group chat among officers.
“Kid lurking around building we are in. AGR I believe it is,” the text said. “I did see him with a rangefinder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him. Also a bike with a backpack sitting next to it in rear of building that was not seen earlier… call it into command and have a uniform check it out.”
At 6:11 p.m., shots rang out from atop the AGR International warehouse, where Crooks was able to position himself about 400 feet away from Trump and have a clear line of sight to the former president.
Several bullets flew past Trump’s head with one clipping him in the right ear. One person was killed and two others were critically wounded.
A Secret Service sniper team fired at Crooks, killing him just seconds after he opened fire.
Testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray and former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle also helps fill in some of the blanks, including that Crooks did research on President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination.
“On July 6, he did a Google search for quote ‘how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?’” Director Wray said.
According to Wray’s testimony, on July 5, Crooks traveled about an hour from his home in Bethel Park to Butler, Pennsylvania, to scope out the site of Trump’s rally.
He also drove to the Butler site the morning of the rally and left after approximately an hour. Crooks then bought 50 rounds of ammunition from a sports store before returning to the rally site just before 4 p.m.
During testimony, Wray said Crooks had purchased a 5-foot ladder the morning of the shooting. The ladder was not found at the shooting site and it was unclear how Crooks got onto the roof of the warehouse with a rifle.
“The weapon had a collapsible stock, which could explain why it might have been less easy for people to observe,” Director Wray testified. “Because one of the things we’re finding is that people have observed him. The first people to observe him with the weapon is when he was already on the roof, and we haven’t yet found anybody with firsthand observation of him with the weapon walking around beforehand. So that doesn’t mean he wasn’t, obviously, but the collapsible stock is potentially a significant feature.”
The local SWAT team out of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, who were stationed in the AGR building, also told ABC News they had zero communication with the Secret Service snipers the day of the shooting.
“We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service snipers whenever they arrived, and that never happened,” Jason Woods, lead sharpshooter for the Beaver County SWAT team, said.
Former Secret Service Director Cheatle told a congressional panel she was unaware which agency had jurisdiction over the AGR warehouse building.
Cheatle resigned on July 23, one day after testifying on Capitol Hill.
The FBI is still investigating the assassination attempt against former President Trump.
NY bans graphic active shooter drills as parents say they’re traumatizing students
New York, which is home to the United States’ largest school district, is banning the use of realistic active shooter drills in all schools in the state. The New York State Board of Regents approved the change on Thursday, July 11.
The new rules will begin this school year and the board unanimously approved them. Schools now cannot use actors, props and violent depictions during school shooting drills. Instead, schools will be required to use only “trauma informed” and “age appropriate” procedures. Additionally, parents will have to be notified of the drills one week in advance.
The move follows years of complaints from parents. Parents, activists, doctors and lawmakers claimed the graphically detailed drills traumatize children and do not actually prepare them for such events. Instead, they said, the drills create a culture of fear and anxiety among students.
In one case, a parent reportedly complained that their child came home and began locking doors and windows in response to an active shooter drill at their school. In another instance, a five-year-old asked their parent what a “bullet can do to a body.”
Parents said that these incidents show that students’ focus are turning from learning to concerns about violence. However, in reality, the likelihood of being in a school shooting still remains very rare.
Data from Everytown for Gun Safety reveals that less than 1% of gun deaths annually are from school shootings. However, gun control advocates point out that gun violence remains a problem at schools. Everytown for Gun Safety also showed that there have been 118 incidents of gunfire on U.S. school grounds this year so far.
Meanwhile, Stella Kaye, a 17-year-old, who survived two school shootings, said that the realistic active shooter drills do not really prepare students for the actual shootings. Kaye also said she supports the change coming to New York schools.
The New York State Legislature is also looking to reduce the number of mandatory lockdown drills in schools, from eight to four each year and to reduce evacuation drills from four to two annually.
Advocates for the changes argued that the better solution for school safety is to train staff on how to respond to active shooter situations and other safety measures such as locks on doors and windows in classrooms.
Video of fatal Sonya Massey shooting released; officer charged with murder
A former sheriff’s deputy in Illinois is facing murder charges, after body cam footage shows him shooting and killing a 36-year-old mother of two over a pot of boiling water. The incident happened in the early morning hours of July 6 in Springfield, Illinois, when Sonya Massey called 911 to report someone outside her home.
In the video footage, deputies arrive and knock on Massey’s door. She can be seen standing on her porch talking with them and says she needs help because she heard someone outside. Deputy Sean Grayson tells her that he and his partner have checked the areas around her home — including her neighbor’s yard — and that they didn’t see or find anything suspicious.
Massey allows the two deputies inside her home. As she’s sitting on the couch, the deputies ask her name and for identification.
“Do you have an ID?” Grayson asked her. “That would make things so much easier. Just a driver’s license will do.”
While searching for her ID, the deputies heard the sound of boiling water on a stovetop in the kitchen. Grayson asked Massey to turn off the stove because they don’t “need a fire.”
Massey takes the pot of boiling water off the stove, and Grayson starts backing away. Massey asks him where he’s going.
“Away from your hot steaming water,” Grayson said.
“Away from my hot steaming water?” Massey asks. “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
“Huh?” Grayson said.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Massey responded.
Deputy Grayson sternly responds to Massey saying, “You’d better f—ing not. I swear to God, I’ll f—ing shoot you right in your f—ing face!”
Massey apologized and ducks for cover as Grayson draws his gun and tells her to drop the pot of water.
In the video, Massey holds the pot over her head.
Grayson asks her again to drop the pot then he fires three rounds, striking Massey in the face.
The deputies radio for help.
When the other deputy said he is going to get his medical kit, Grayson tells him he can but that there is little to do since she was shot in the head.
About a minute after the shooting, Grayson asked the other deputy, “What else were we going to do?” He said he wasn’t about to take a pot of boiling water to the face.
“Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter and young Black woman, should be alive today,” the statement said in part. “Sonya called the police because she was concerned about a potential intruder. When we call for help, all of us as Americans — regardless of who we are or where we live — should be able to do so without fearing for our lives. Sonya’s death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.”
Grayson is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.
He was fired and taken into custody and has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
FBI agents are investigating 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, searching for what may have compelled Crooks to shoot former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13. Trump survived the assassination attempt with an injury to his ear, one person in the crowd was killed and two others were critically injured.
According to the FBI, Crooks also had explosives in his car, which was parked near the Trump rally.
Two days after the shooting, investigators said they successfully unlocked Crooks’ phone at a lab in Quantico and are exploring his digital footprint.
Retired FBI Special Agent Scott Duffey told Fox News that the FBI’s surveillance team will download the contents on the phone to determine if Crooks was in contact with others before the shooting and to “piece together his whereabouts.”
Duffey also said the agency will be able to “gather information about what Crooks was reviewing, reading and researching,” and see if he left a manifesto or final note.
Investigators are also hoping to learn about Crooks’ political leanings and if he struggled with mental health.
Duffey said when a gunman is killed by law enforcement and the person cannot be questioned about their motive, “the motive ultimately and always resides in the head of the doer.”
So far in the discovery process, the FBI said Crooks was not on its radar. According to the agency, Crooks acted alone and rarely used social media.
Former classmates and people who knew Crooks have spoken to media outlets, describing Crooks as a quiet, loner kid who was often bullied in high school. They say he had a friend group but not many friends.
According to records, Crooks was a registered Republican who also made a monetary contribution to a Democratic-aligned political action committee the day President Joe Biden was sworn into office in 2021.
After Saturday’s shooting, it was disclosed that Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from the popular YouTube channel “Demolition Ranch,” a gun-themed YouTube channel with more than 11 million subscribers.
The channel’s creator, Matt Carriker, uploaded a video to his page Monday, July 15, saying he never encountered the shooter and that it would be impossible for his merchandise shop to vet every person who made an online purchase.
“This channel’s not about violence,” Carriker said. “This channel will never be and we never would condone that at all. I hate that.”
Carriker said he hates that someone lost their life and expressed condolences to the victim’s family.
NRA back in court for phase 2 of civil corruption trial
The National Rifle Association (NRA) and its top executives are back in court for phase two of the civil corruption trial brought forward by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge will decide whether to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group.
During phase one, a jury found that three top executives misspent millions of dollars of the organization’s money on personal expenses, including trips to exotic locations and private jet rides.
The jurors also determined that the organization omitted or misrepresented information in its tax filings and broke New York state whistleblower protection law.
Former CEO Wayne LaPierre was ordered to pay $4.4 million back to the NRA. The retired CFO, Wilson Phillips, was ordered to pay $2 million.
During phase two, the judge will also decide whether LaPierre should face additional punishments, beyond the monetary payments.
“The focal point for ‘phase two’ is the NYAG’s burden to show that any violation of any law is ‘continuing’ and persistent at the NRA,” William Brewer, an attorney for the NRA, told The Associated Press. “This is a burden the NYAG cannot meet.”
Brewer said the NRA has since made a “course correction” to ensure it complies with all laws. He called a court-appointed monitor unwarranted.
This bench trial is expected to last about two weeks. Current NRA President Bob Barr and CEO Douglas Hamlin are expected to testify.
James filed this lawsuit in 2020 and initially sought to have the organization dissolved but the judge declined.
LaPierre took over as head of the NRA in 1991. During phase one of the trial, he admitted to inappropriately expensing private jet flights for his family and accepting vacations to the Bahamas, Greece and Dubai from vendors doing business with the NRA.