Free Republic

U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan's 69-page opinion says he was compelled to rule as he did because of the Supreme Court's rulings in firearms cases, particularly the 2022 Bruen decision that expanded gun rights. Sheridan's ruling left both 2nd Amendment advocates and the state attorney general planning appeals. The judge temporarily delayed the order for 30 days. Pointing to the high court's precedents, Sheridan suggested Congress and the president could do more to curb gun-related violence nationwide. “It is hard to accept the Supreme Court’s pronouncements that certain firearms policy choices are ‘off the table’ when frequently, radical individuals possess...

District Judge Christopher C. Conner of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has issued a ruling granting summary judgment to the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners, declaring the state’s law banning the carry of firearms in a vehicle without a license unconstitutional. He also ruled that a ban on firearms possession without a license during a state of emergency is facially unconstitutional and has enjoined Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris from enforcing these provisions.

During Monday’s House Oversight Committee hearing regarding the U.S. Secret Service, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) urged his congressional colleagues to “find the courage” to ban AR-15 rifles. He pushed universal background checks and repeated the Democrats’ decades long push to close the so-called gunshow loophole, even though the AR-15 used in the failed Trump assassination was “legally purchased.” (When law enforcement speaks of a gun being purchased “legally” it means a purchaser passed a background check to acquire the firearm at retail. Nevertheless, Raskin wants more background checks in the wake of the failed assassination attempt.

The Treasury Department banned the maker of spyware used to target government officials, reporters and activists, deploying “first-of-its-kind” sanctions against sellers of commercial spyware. The U.S. government deployed sanctions against Greece-based spyware vendor Intellexa on Tuesday and the company’s leadership after targeting U.S. officials. “Today’s actions represent a tangible step forward in discouraging the misuse of commercial surveillance tools, which increasingly present a security risk to the United States and our citizens,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said. The Treasury Department targeted two individuals and five entities associated with Intellexa for their...

A federal court lifted the Biden administration’s pause on approvals for new natural gas export terminals on Monday. Judge James Cain Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, who was appointed to his post by former President Donald Trump, ruled to grant an injunction against the administration’s January pause on approvals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals while ongoing litigation plays out. The LNG pause stands as one of President Joe Biden’s most aggressive climate decisions through his first term in office. Cain’s ruling was issued as part of an ongoing lawsuit brought by...

A bill being considered in New York would, as of Jan. 1, 2025, prohibit the sale of gasoline-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers in the state, according to a May 23 report from WYRK. Legislation regarding gas-powered equipment bans was introduced back in 2021. The bill (Assembly Bill A705) is currently being considered by a committee assembly. For more info on ongoing attempts at regulating gas-powered outdoor power equipment, view our ongoing coverage here.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is pushing a unanimous consent vote on a bump stock ban for the purposes of using Republican opposition to paint the GOP as favoring mass shooters, according to a source on Capitol Hill. A unanimous consent vote can be blocked with one Republican in opposition, and that one Republican vote is what Democrats would highlight to then claim Republicans as a whole are against stopping mass shootings, against keeping Americans safe, etc. Sen. J.D. Vance (R) called out Schumer for pressing for votes on “fake problems” instead of taking up serious issues that the...

President Joe Biden called for Congress to ban bump stocks just hours after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the ATF’s ban on the firearm accessories. Biden did this via a post to X, where he wrote: “Today’s Supreme Court decision strikes down an important gun safety regulation. We know thoughts and prayers are not enough. I call on Congress to ban bump stocks, pass an assault weapon ban, and take action to save lives – send me a bill and I will sign it immediately.” A longer statement from Biden was attached to the X post....

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to protect the state’s Israeli financial holdings despite mounting public pressure to cut ties amid the ongoing war with Hamas. Sens. Steve Santarsiero, D-Doylestown, and Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-Jacobus, said they’ll soon introduce legislation to “uphold Pennsylvania’s steadfast support for Israel” by banning from state Treasury or pension funds from divesting from the nation and companies that do business with it. Santarsiero emphasized Israel’s role as a commercial trading partner, historical ally, and “the only true democracy in a volatile region of the world.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling for a ban on kids using smartphones in school — the latest in a campaign against technology she feels is harming children in New York. The proposal would only allow kids to carry simple “dumb” phones in schools that can send texts but can’t access the internet, the governor told The Guardian in an interview published Thursday. The call for the smartphone ban comes as the self-professed “first mom governor” of New York is pushing for a ban on “addictive” social media algorithms that she says target kids. “Our kids are being pulled into a...

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden used a post to X to renew his call for an “assault weapons” ban and was mocked in response. Biden posted: He was immediately mocked on X, with one user responding, “It’s time for a new president.” Another user wrote, “You’re advocating for the disarming of citizens while you try to imprison your opponent. How fascist of you.” Yet another added, “‘Shall not be infringed’ means ‘Shall not be Infringed.’ End of discussion.”

US House passes bill to ban the Federal Reserve from creating a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1793702722480550398

The Supreme Court has issued a conditional order calling on the Environmental Protection Ministry, Public Security Ministry, and Health Ministry to take action on the issue of environmental disturbances caused by a person smoking in his home, when the smoke enters the neighbors' homes, Israel Hayom reported. The court has instructed the ministries to enact guidelines on the matter, or enforce the matter of cigarette smoke pollution entering other apartments in a different manner. The government now has 60 days to respond to the order. The Supreme Court's decision follows an appeal submitted by the Avir Naki organization and six...

The Biden administration ordered a ban on 2024 election betting markets, which often show former President Donald Trump winning in November and President Joe Biden remaining his party’s nominee. Betting markets often provide different insights than election polling that established media outlets perform and are often useful to academics and journalists. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed a rule on May 10 to permanently ban betting on election commercial prediction markets in the United States, the New York Times’ Jeff Sommer recently reported, even as sports gambling became largely deregulated, soaring in popularity: Rostin Behnam, the chairman of the C.F.T.C.,...

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Sunday predicted former President Trump will not have the opportunity to sign a national abortion ban even if he is reelected and wanted to, arguing the issue will never enough support in Congress. When asked on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” if he disagrees with Trump’s remark that he is “not signing a national abortion ban,” Rubio said, “Well, he won’t sign one because there’s no way we can pass it.

Courts in England are reportedly looking to scrap the requirement for barristers to wear traditional wigs amid claims that they discriminate against lawyers with “Afro-Caribbean hair”. The iconic manner of dress in English courtrooms may become wokism’s latest scalp as demands have been made to abandon the requirement of barristers to wear wigs in front of the court because they are “culturally insensitive”, The Telegraph reports.

President Joe Biden’s campaign demanded a ban on audiences during the proposed presidential debates with former President Donald Trump. The demand appears to be designed to reduce the risk of any Biden protestors attending the event. Anti-Israel protestors often appear at Biden’s public events. In a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Biden campaign said it was providing notice that it would not participate in commission debates. The campaign said Biden would only participate in network debates. The Trump campaign has yet to sign off on Biden’s proposal. “The Commission’s model of building huge spectacles with large audiences...

President Joe Biden signed into law a ban on Russian enriched uranium on Monday, the White House said, in the latest effort by Washington to disrupt President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The ban on imports of the fuel for nuclear power plants begins in about 90 days, although it allows the Department of Energy to issue waivers in case of supply concerns. Russia is the world's top supplier of enriched uranium, and about 24% of the enriched uranium used by U.S. nuclear power plants come from the country. The law also unlocks about $2.7 billion in funding in previous...

Yesterday, anti-gun New York legislators introduced a bill designed to COMPLETELY ban the sale of Glock handguns and other semi-automatic pistols.Their bill, S. 9225, comes under the guise that Glocks, and other semi-automatic “convertible pistols,” can be easily turned into machine-guns through the installation or attachment of a “pistol converter,” more commonly known as a “Glock switch.”New York state lawmakers are intentionally targeting a major firearms manufacturer and banning the sale of their product because criminals, who don’t obey the law in the first place, could illegally acquire handguns and then illegally alter them further.Under federal law, machine guns are...

A wave of bills combating “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) efforts on college campuses have made their way into several state legislatures this year. Bills introduced in states such as Utah, West Virginia, Arizona, Kentucky, Iowa, and South Carolina all aim to quell an agenda of racial discrimination and political litmus testing antithetical to higher education’s purpose. But not all of the bills are created equal. While each is designed to curb DEI practices, some articulate the restrictions with greater clarity and specificity. Additionally, some have superior mechanisms of oversight and accountability. A few institutions include provisions upholding viewpoint diversity,...