|
|
CA: Child fatally shoots family member in self-defense during incident at Benicia home, police say
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Benicia police are investigating the shooting death of man Thursday that may have been an act of self-defense during a domestic violence attack.
Officers and Benicia Fire Department personnel were sent to a home on London Circle a little after 10 p.m. after someone called to report a single gunshot, police said Friday.
Once at the home, the fire crew and police officers found a man who had been shot once and who died despite efforts to keep him alive, according to police officials.
|
MD: Maryland Supreme Court Limits Montgomery County Gun Carry Ban
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The Court did not treat that portion as a valid local ordinance. It held that, as currently constructed, § 57-11(a) is not a “local law” because it burdens state-issued wear-and-carry permit holders traveling on public highways through Montgomery County.
The “local ordinance” banning concealed carry within 100 yards of a “place of public assembly” effectively banned it.
Most major roads and highways transited through areas within 100 yards of the multitude of places the County ordinance designated as places of public assembly. |
Australia: NSW Government Signals Retreat on Arming Jewish Security Group After Bondi Massacre
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The New South Wales government is reportedly reconsidering plans to allow a Jewish security group to carry firearms at public events, following the grim aftermath of the Bondi massacre. Premier Chris Minns initially entertained the idea soon after the incident, advocating for increased security measures for the Jewish community. His stance included discussions on granting the Community Security Group (CSG) greater authority to bear arms during events where they provide security services, such as at schools and synagogues.
At a recent press conference, Minns reiterated his support for the proposal while acknowledging the complexities involved in its implementation. |
This MagSafe iPhone Grip Is Actually a Self-Defense Spray in Disguise
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Personal safety products have a design problem few people talk about. Pepper sprays and personal alarms are either too bulky to carry consistently or so visually aggressive that most people feel uncomfortable with them in plain sight. The result is that these tools end up buried at the bottom of a bag or forgotten on a shelf, making them nearly useless when they’re needed most.
Safix is a concept that tries to close that gap by attaching a self-defense spray directly to the back of your iPhone. Built around Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem, it snaps onto the phone magnetically and functions as a finger grip during normal use. The idea is that the safest place to keep your protection is on the one thing you almost never put down. |
LA: House kills bill to hold adults responsible if children access loaded guns
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A bill holding adults legally responsible if children gain access to a loaded firearm was rejected 6-3 by a House committee this week.
House Bill 586, by Rep. Vincent Cox III, R-Gretna, would have criminalized leaving a loaded firearm where children could access it, potentially harming themselves or others, failed in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee
“I believe that HB 586 is common sense and responsibility without restricting Second Amendment rights,” Cox said.
Ashlyn Carraway, whose 13-year-old son Noah died due to his friend accidentally shooting him at a sleepover in 2011, spoke in support of the bill’s goals of child safety. |
DC: D.C. Court of Appeals Strikes Down 10-Round Magazine Limit: What It Means for Product Liability Defenses
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The court held that magazines of all capacities are “arms” because they facilitate armed self-defense and thus fall within the Second Amendment’s text, and that magazines holding more than ten rounds are in “common and ubiquitous use” nationwide and therefore cannot be categorically banned. Because the capacity ban was unconstitutional, the court also vacated the defendant’s related convictions for possession of an unregistered firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and unlawful possession of ammunition, all of which stemmed from enforcement of the invalid ban. |
LA: Bills to hold adults responsible if children access loaded guns dies in House
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A bill holding adults legally responsible if children gain access to a loaded firearm was rejected 6-3 by a House committee this week.
House Bill 586, by Rep. Vincent Cox III, R-Gretna, would have criminalized leaving a loaded firearm where children could access it, potentially harming themselves or others, failed in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee.
“I believe that HB 586 is common sense and responsibility without restricting Second Amendment rights,” Cox said. |
KY: Trump endorses Ralph Alvarado for U.S. House seat in Kentucky
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
President Donald Trump has endorsed Ralph Alvarado, a frontrunner in the Republican primary for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, to fill the shoes of current U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, whom the president endorsed in the race for U.S. Senate just minutes before.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Alvarado was a "true friend to MAGA." "As your next Congressman, Ralph will fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Promote our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Advance American Energy DOMINANCE, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Brave Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment," the post read. |
Freshly Minted ATF Director Robert Cekada and the “New Era of Reform”
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the ATF, Robert Cekada, Wednesday, April 29 – and he wasted no time in getting to work. Shortly after confirmation, Cekada joined Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in announcing the overhaul of 34 regulations. Most of those were administrative and don’t translate downstream to real-world differences felt by everyday Americans, but some were, as you’ll forgive the pun, bombshells. |
Senate Confirms Cekada As ATF Director
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Robert Cekada as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—marking the first time a Republican-nominated candidate has been approved to lead the agency.
Cekada, a 30-year law enforcement veteran who has been with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for the past two decades, has been deputy director of the agency—the second-highest-ranking official there—since April 2025. |
LA: House kills bill to hold adults responsible if children access loaded guns
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Daniel Zelenka, president of the Louisiana Shooting Association, spoke in opposition to the bill. He said the standard of reasonably knowing a child could access a firearm is “impermissibly vague,” and the law is not preventative, as it takes effect after an incident.
Zelenka also said the law conflicts with the U.S. Supreme Court case ruling that Washington, D.C.'s firearm storage law was unconstitutional because firearms were not available for self-defense.
“I hate when you come here,” Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans, told Zelenka. “I am triggered. I am disgusted.” |
Amtrak may ease rules on guns on its trains despite revelations after correspondents' dinner, sources say
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Amtrak is considering allowing people to store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains, which critics say would weaken security measures that instead should be strengthened in light of the shooting at last weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
Amtrak has been considering the policy change since at least early this year, after being pressured by Trump administration officials to ease restrictions on transporting weapons, two people familiar with the proposed plan told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak about it publicly. |
Banish Adds 2 New Stainless-Steel Hunting Suppressors: HNT 30 and VRMT 223
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
From the outside, it’s hard to tell the difference between the .30-caliber and the .223-caliber options. Both are 5.96 inches long and weigh 13 ounces with a 1.61-inch diameter. Built with laser-welded stainless-steel, both suppressors feature an industry-standard HUB mount, six baffles, come in black or FDE Cerakote finishes, and both are protected by the Banish lifetime warranty.
The .30-caliber Banish HNT 30 SS is magnum-rated and compatible with centerfire cartridges from .17 Hornet up through .300 RUM. The HNT 30 touts a 30-dB sound reduction (133.4 dB rating on a 20-inch .308 Win bolt-action rifle) and includes a 5/8x24 direct-thread mount. |
NC: RAWtools South turns guns into garden tools in the mountain south
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
On a chilly spring morning in downtown Spruce Pine, North Carolina, a town of around 2,400 in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a double line of tents stood parallel to the railroad tracks, filled with people working at forges and anvils. The air reverberated with the hiss of gas forges and the rhythmic clanging of hammers striking metal. This was the 2025 Fire on the Mountain festival, an annual celebration of the art of blacksmithing.
Standing under one of the tents was Scotty Utz, a blacksmith with the organization RAWtools South.“As my son says, blacksmithing is boring,” said Utz. “It’s just tap, tap, tap all the time.” |
Associated Press caught producing anti-gun advocacy
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Traditional journalism is pretty simple, really. If you’re writing about a complex issue, make sure to include all of the sides.
For example, most political stories usually involve two sides. A good reporter will include both sides in their fair and balanced story and then let the readers decide whom to believe. If the journalist only includes one side in their story, it becomes advocacy instead of journalism, which should be avoided.
No one should know this better than the Associated Press, which was founded in 1846—15 years before the start of the Civil War. During the AP’s vast 180-year history, they’ve had a bit of experience producing good journalism, at least until now it appears. |
Locked Doors, High Speeds, and Loaded Guns: A Disaster Waiting to Happen on America’s Rails
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
While SMART-TD was not aware of the extent to which Amtrak was considering this request, we have, for a very long time, been concerned with the lack of security on America’s passenger trains. Nowhere is this more evident than our fight against the growing number of assaults on onboard crews and station personnel. And while one is too many, little is being done to correct the dozens, if not hundreds, of attacks that happen annually against our members and other union crafts, which makes this proposal to encourage the presence of more weapons especially problematic. |
Ruger and Magpul Team Up on New 13+1 Round LCP Max EHG .380
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Featuring a removable chassis system for easy grip frame upgrades and a 14-shot capacity, Ruger has a new LCP Max on the block, powered by Magpul.
The two companies in 2024 brought the innovative RXM 9mm pistol to the market, which uses a serialized Fire Control Insert that is independent of its Enhanced Handgun Grip, or EHG, allowing the flexibility to be easily swapped into different grips. And by different we both size (full, compact, subcompact) and color, all inside the Glock Gen 3 9mm double stack ecosystem.
You can see much of the same potential modularity on the newest Ruger LCP Max. Debuted this week, it uses Magpul's new EHG .380 grip frame with a Fire Control Insert chassis. |
|
|
