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Day: April 22, 2024

SCOTUS to take up challenge to Biden admin’s ghost gun rule that group deems ‘abusive’

SCOTUS to take up challenge to Biden admin’s ghost gun rule that group deems ‘abusive’

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will hear a challenge to the Biden administration’s regulation on so-called “ghost guns” next term.  The rule in question was issued in 2022 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to regulate “buy build shoot” kits that are available online or in stores that allow any individual to assemble a working firearm without a background check or the usual serial numbers required by the federal government. The Fifth Circuit late last year struck down the rule, but the Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court. The DOJ argued that the Gun Control Act of 1968 permits the rule because it defines a “firearm” to include “any weapon…which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive,” as well as “the frame or receiver of any such weapon.” However, gun rights groups say that the rule is “unconstitutional and abusive.”  SUPREME COURT ALLOWS CONTINUED REGULATION OF SO-CALLED ‘GHOST GUNS’ Firearms Policy Coalition President Brandon Combs, who is challenging the rule in court, said the group is “delighted that the Supreme Court will hear our case and decide this important issue once and for all.” “The Fifth Circuit’s decision in our case was correct and now that victory can be applied to the entire country,” he said.  The ATF’s rule requires unfinished parts of a firearm, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun, to be treated like a completed firearm. These parts need to be licensed and must have serial numbers. The rule also requires manufacturers to run background checks before selling these parts, as they are required to do for whole commercial firearms. The Biden administration argued the rule is necessary to respond to rising numbers of untraceable guns. GUN GROUPS SLAM BIDEN ADMIN OVER NEW ATF RULE: ‘WEAPONIZING EVERY TOOL’ The Justice Department had argued in court that local law enforcement agencies seized more than 19,000 ghost guns at crime scenes in 2021, a more than tenfold increase in just five years. The Supreme Court had previously allowed the regulation to remain in effect while the lawsuit continued through the courts, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voting with the three liberal members of the court to form the majority.  TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS PASS BILL ALLOWING TEACHERS TO CARRY GUNS AT SCHOOL 1 YEAR AFTER DEADLY NASHVILLE SHOOTING Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas said they would have kept the regulation on hold while the case made its way through the appeals process.  Arguments in the case Garland v. Jennifer VanDerstok will be heard this fall. The Associated Press and Fox News’ Bill Mears and Shannon Bream contributed to this report. 

Trump blasts NY criminal case as ‘Biden trial’ meant to hurt him in November election

Trump blasts NY criminal case as ‘Biden trial’ meant to hurt him in November election

Former President Trump blasted President Biden on Monday ahead of opening statements in his New York criminal trial and said he wants the American people to “understand” that his criminal trial is taking place “for the purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country.”  Trump arrived in court in Manhattan Monday morning before prosecutors for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office and his defense attorneys deliver their opening statements in the trial.  TRUMP TRIAL: OPENING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS TRUMP FLOUTS GAG ORDER AND ATTORNEY PREVIEWS DEFENSE Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.  Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has blasted the trial as pure politics, a “political persecution” and maintains his innocence. The former president, and the first ever to be a defendant in a criminal trial, vowed to “tell the truth” if he takes the stand.  “I just want to say before we begin — these are all Biden trials,” Trump said before opening statements were delivered Monday. “This is done as election interference. Everybody knows it.”  “I’m here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia and lots of other places campaigning, and it’s very unfair. Fortunately, the poll numbers are very good,” Trump continued. “They’ve been going up because people understand what’s going on.”  TRUMP WARNS THAT IF HE LOSES PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, SO WILL ‘CROOKED’ JOE BIDEN Trump again blasted the case as a “witch hunt,” and said its impetus is in Washington.  “It’s in coordination with Washington — everything — including the DA’s office,” Trump said. “I just want people to understand that this is done for the purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country.”  Trump has argued that the cases against him in all jurisdictions — Bragg’s; Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference charges; Smith’s classified records charges; and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ charges — have been brought against him for the purposes of election interference and in coordination with President Biden.  Trump attorney Will Scharf told Fox News Channel on Sunday that the case should never have been brought, and that the facts are on his client’s side. “While the prosecution and the media are hell-bent on sensationalizing this case, we’re focusing on the facts because the facts show that President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong,” Scharf said. “This is a business records case, those business records accurately reflected payments to one of President Trump’s lawyers as legal retainer fees. Additionally, those records weren’t actually entered by President Trump. He was busy running the country from the White House while all this was happening in Trump Tower in New York.” Shifting from Bragg’s case and charges against him, Trump on Monday morning also pointed to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case, in which he was forced to post a $175 million bond and found liable for fraud by New York Judge Arthur Engoron after a months-long civil trial without a jury.  “[Letitia James] campaigned on the fact that ‘I will get Trump. I’m going to get Trump,’” Trump said, pointing to James’ campaign videos.  Trump said James had a problem with the bond company he used and is arguing in court Monday that “she doesn’t know the collateral is good.”  “I put up 175 billion in cash and she’s questioning the bonding company,” Trump said. “Well, when you put up cash and the number is 175, which is what we’re supposed to be putting up, but I give it in cash. She shouldn’t be complaining about the bonding company.”  TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL: MEET THE JURORS WHO WILL HEAR BRAGG’S CASE AGAINST THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Trump added that “nobody is going to be putting up with this.”  “Nobody is going to be listening or coming to New York anymore — business are going to be fleeing because people are treated so badly — it’s got to be the most unfriendly place to do business,” Trump said. “And that’s why businesses are leaving and people are leaving as migrants come in and take over our parks and our schools and everything else.”  Lawyers for James are arguing Monday that the court should void Trump’s $175 million bond in his civil fraud case, questioning whether Knight Specialty Insurance, the company who fronted Trump’s bond, could pay the bond if they had to.  If the judge sides with James’ office, Trump will need to file a new bond. James wants to give Trump seven days to file that new bond, if the ruling is in her favor.  The decision will be left, again, to Judge Arthur Engoron.  TRUMP POSTS $175M BOND IN NY CIVIL FRAUD CASE, AVERTS ASSET SEIZURE Trump, on Monday, blasted James as “the worst attorney general in this country,” and slammed Judge Engoron as an “extremely crazed judge who is the most overturned judge in New York State.”  As for criminal trial stemming from Bragg’s investigation, Trump said: “It’s a very, very sad day in America, I can tell you that.”  The former president is subject to a gag order in Bragg’s criminal case, which Judge Juan Merchan imposed upon him last month before the trial began. Merchan ordered that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about witnesses concerning their potential participation or about counsel in the case — other than Bragg — or about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff. Merchan also ordered that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about any prospective juror or chosen juror. But on Saturday, he let loose with an all-caps rant on his social media platform. “THIS SCAM ‘RUSHED’ TRIAL TAKING PLACE IN A 95% DEMOCRAT AREA IS A

NYC mayor hammers ‘professional’ Columbia anti-Israel agitators, says NYPD ‘ready’ to move in

NYC mayor hammers ‘professional’ Columbia anti-Israel agitators, says NYPD ‘ready’ to move in

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday warned that the New York City Police Department “cannot have a presence” at Columbia University’s campus “unless specifically requested by senior university officials,” decrying “professional agitators” and “antisemitism being spewed” at the Ivy League School.  “I am horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism being spewed at and around the Columbia University campus,” Adams said, citing the example of a young woman holding a sign with an arrow pointing to Jewish students stating “Al-Qasam’s Next Targets.”  The Al-Qassam Brigade is the military wing of Hamas.  The mayor noted another instance where a woman is literally yelling “We are Hamas,” and another where groups of students are chanting “We don’t want no Zionists here.” “I condemn this hate speech in the strongest of terms. Supporting a terrorist organization that aims to kill Jews is sickening and despicable. As I have repeatedly said, hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law that is reported. Rest assured, the NYPD will not hesitate to arrest anyone who is found to be breaking the law,” Adams continued. “We will not be a city of lawlessness, and those professional agitators seeking to seize the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to sow chaos and division in our city will not succeed.” Adams specifically said, “I do, however, want to be abundantly clear: Columbia University is a private institution on private property, which means the NYPD cannot have a presence on campus unless specifically requested by senior university officials. The NYPD has an increased presence of officers situated around the campus to protect students and all New Yorkers on nearby public streets, and they stand ready to respond if another request is made by the university, as they did on Thursday, when the NYPD successfully cleared encampments on Columbia’s South Lawn without any injuries.” COLUMBIA RABBI TELLS JEWISH STUDENTS TO LEAVE CAMPUS, WARNS THAT SCHOOL, NYPD ‘CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY’ The mayor’s statement came hours before Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, who was hauled before Congress to address the school’s inaction on antisemitism, broke her silence overnight. Shafik canceled classes on Monday, calling for a “reset” as “tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.”  Instead of bringing in police to disperse the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” that has persisted for days on the South Lawn, Shafik promised a “working group of Deans, university administrators and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution” in the coming days, including through “continuing discussions with the student protestors and identifying actions we can take as a community to enable us to peacefully complete the term and return to respectful engagement with each other.”  “I know that there is much debate about whether or not we should use the police on campus, and I am happy to engage in those discussions,” Shafik said. “But I do know that better adherence to our rules and effective enforcement mechanisms would obviate the need for relying on anyone else to keep our community safe. We should be able to do this ourselves.” GOP CONGRESSWOMAN DEMANDS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ‘RESTORE ORDER AND SAFETY’ AMID ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS Before the start of Passover on Monday, Columbia and Barnard college’s rabbi warned Jewish students to return to their homes, as Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD “cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy.”  Adams on Sunday also urged Columbia’s senior administration officials “to improve and maintain an open line of communication with the NYPD to ensure the safety of all students and staff on campus, as well as for the safety of all New Yorkers.” The mayor acknowledged how “the conflict in the Middle East has left many of us grieving and angry,” and while New Yorkers “have every right to express their sorrow,” but that “heartbreak does not give anyone the right to harass or threaten others or to physically harm someone they disagree with.”  “As mayor of the city with the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel, the pain these protests are causing Jews across the globe is not lost on me, especially as we start Passover tomorrow evening. I also see and hear the pain of those protesting in support of innocent lives being lost in Gaza,” Adams said. “In this moment of heightened tension around the world, we stand united against hate.” Shafik allowed the NYPD to come onto campus and arrest more than 100 people on Thursday, the day after her congressional testimony, but they have since been released from custody and the protest escalated.

Ilhan Omar daughter barred from campus housing, dining hall after anti-Israel protest suspension, she says

Ilhan Omar daughter barred from campus housing, dining hall after anti-Israel protest suspension, she says

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s, D-Minn., daughter says she has nowhere to go and nothing to eat following her suspension from Barnard College after taking part in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University last week.  Isra Hirsi was among more than 100 people arrested and issued a summons for trespassing on Thursday after protests at Columbia University. Hours earlier, she said she had been suspended from Barnard College for “standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.” The 21-year-old has gone into more detail about the suspension. Along with not being able to go to classes, she said she has been evicted from campus housing and banned from using the dining hall with her meal plan.  “I was a little bit frantic, like, where am I going to sleep? Where am I gonna go? And also all of my s— is thrown in a random lot. It’s pretty horrible,” she told Teen Vogue. “I don’t know when I can go home, and I don’t know if I ever will be able to.” REP. ILHAN OMAR’S DAUGHTER ARRESTED AND RELEASED AMID NYC ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY The student said she reached out to campus administration, but did not hear back until 48 hours after her suspension was handed down, when she was told she could pick up a prepackaged bag of food.  Barnard College is one of four Columbia undergraduate schools that has an independent admissions process, curriculum and financial structure, as well as a separate administration, according to the New York Post. The college did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. ARREST OF ILHAN OMAR’S DAUGHTER AT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST WAS POLITICAL, FELLOW ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER SAYS Dozens of anti-Israel activists began protesting at Columbia University on Wednesday morning, creating an encampment on the main lawn in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas. Protests continued into the overnight hours with calls for an intifada and the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  Omar praised her daughter’s participation in the protests. Earlier in the week, she questioned Columbia administrators during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill about anti-Israel activism on the Ivy League campus.  During the hearing, Omar sounded the alarm about what she called an “attack” with a “toxic chemical substance” at an anti-Israel protest at Columbia University. However, according to court documents, the substance was a non-toxic flatulence spray called “Liquid A–” and “Wet Farts.”  Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office.  Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., suggested Hirsi’s suspension was a reprisal for her mother’s questions.  “The day after @IlhanMN questioned Columbia leadership’s commitment to free academic expression, the school suspended her daughter?” Bowman posted online. “It’s clear what is happening here. Our educational institutions should not be in the business of political reprisals.” Fox News’ Michael Dorgan and Louis Casiano, Alexis McAdams and Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.   

Huge crowds protest Colombian president’s planned reforms

Huge crowds protest Colombian president’s planned reforms

Protesters call Gustavo Petro’s policies ‘dire’ as his government attempts to reform healthcare and other sectors. Tens of thousands of Colombians have taken to the streets in several cities to protest against President Gustavo Petro’s social reform agenda. About 70,000 people demonstrated in Bogota on Sunday, according to estimates provided by the city government. Large rallies also took place in other cities across the country in opposition to Petro’s proposed economic and social reforms. Protests have been a constant since the former leftist fighter took office in 2022, but have gained momentum as Petro has floated the possibility of rewriting the constitution to spur social reforms blocked by a hostile congress and conservative business groups. A Senate committee earlier this month rejected a proposed health reform aimed at stripping power from insurers and expanding access to healthcare. The opposition has been angered by the government’s move to take control of two main insurers it said had failed to correctly care for patients. The government is expected to propose a new version of the health reform once the new legislative session begins in July. Pension and labour reforms are also being debated by lawmakers. Marches have also previously taken place in support of Petro’s reforms. “This government’s policies are dire. The health system, despite its flaws, was working and now Petro is putting an end to it by plunging patients who have no healthcare or medicine into a crisis,” Monica Leon, a 45-year-old doctor told the Reuters news agency. Demonstrators protest against Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s reforms in Bogota [Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters] ‘Topple the government’ President Petro said in a post on X that the protests were large in Medellin, Bogota and Bucaramanga but “weak” in 18 other cities. “The main goal of the marches is to shout ‘Petro Out’ and to topple the government,” Petro said, calling the protests a “soft coup” to thwart reforms. He called for a massive pro-government march on May 1. When Petro came to power two years ago he was the first leftist to govern a country traditionally run by conservative elites. However, he lost majorities in the legislature a few months after his inauguration, and his approval rating has plummeted. Seventy percent of Colombians say the situation in the country “is getting worse”, according to the Invamer polling group. Petro’s ambitious policy of “total peace” – attempting to bring an end to six decades of armed conflict – has also faced reversals. Concessions to armed groups have been controversial, with frequent violations reported. Adblock test (Why?)