NRA vs. Cuomo: first round goes to NRA
The District Court for the Northern District of New York rejected Cuomo's motion to dismiss, finding:
""allegations of direct and implied threats to insurers and financial institutions because of these entities' links with the NRA, and the allegations of resulting harm to the NRA's operations, are sufficient to make out plausible First Amendment freedom-of-speech claims."
Among the "direct and implied threats" is one contained in a press release Cuomo issued in April stating, "I am directing the Department of Financial Services to urge insurers and bankers statewide to determine whether any relationship they may have with the NRA or similar organizations sends the wrong message."
"Red Flag Law" leaves man dead
Story here. His niece seems to be suggesting that the victim's sister sought the order in retribution for a family quarrel. Any process that can be used can be abused, and will be abused unless there are consequences for abuse. Here there are none.
I wonder how those laws square with the Fourth Amendment? Unless the person on the receiving end cooperates, police must search the home. There's no probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. And a residence is at the core of Fourth Amendment protections. Would the courts uphold a search warrant based upon a relative's prediction that the homeowner is at risk commit a crime in the future, unless stopped?
Jeff Sessions has resigned
Not that he's done enough to where it'll be noticed....
My experience in government was that the political appointees always had a big turn-over after the mid-terms. It wasn't really a "shakeup." It was that a lot of those positions were patronage, position given in exchange for political services in the previous election, and now there's been another election, the administration is indebted to other people, and the first group has had their time.
Military considering a 6.8 mm
Story here, albeit written by someone whose knowledge of ballistics is limited.
It'd be nice to have a military cartridge designed for military needs (say a good amount of taper, to ease extraction) rather than just upgrade a varmint hunting round, as we did the last time. Considering that this round may be around, like the 5.56, for fifty years, some serious design work ought to be done.