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Politicians lean on the financial industry to target activities they don’t like.The first credit card processor to announce plans to track purchases at gun shops is Discover Financial Services. The company hints that its competitors, specifically Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, are on the same schedule to implement a controversial gun-specific merchant category code announced last year. Given that the ideologically charged bank behind the new code has big plans for targeting gun purchases you can expect more fireworks to follow. "Discover Financial Services, a provider of credit cards, told Reuters it will allow its network to track purchases at...

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Guttenberg told the audience at a virtual town hall Monday that Trump was killing Americans by allowing gun stores to remain open, pointing to federal guidelines that labeled gun businesses "essential." . . . "You have crowds showing up around these gun stores not only spreading coronavirus, but they're buying weapons, or they're buying ammunition," he said. "And many of them are prohibited purchasers of weapons, or they already have the weapon, and now they're running out and buying the ammunition to use it."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced he will no longer order that gun stores be temporarily closed during the coronavirus pandemic. For the second time, he said that gun stores could reopen after ordering them to close twice since last Tuesday. He had previously deemed them “nonessential," saying that panic buying produced long lines and could be a safety hazard for the public. Villanueva said the most recent decision stems from an Advisory Memorandum issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Saturday that said workers supporting the firearms and ammunition industry were "included in the list of...

Yes, especially when jails and prisons are releasing inmates early.Law-abiding citizens want the right to buy a gun, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Police have stopped responding to many 911 calls, and massive numbers of inmates are being released early from prison. If shortages become more severe or if lots of police fall ill, chaos may very will ensue. People would rather be safe than sorry. If the police can’t be there to provide protection, people are far safer if they have a gun when confronted by a criminal. That is particularly true for the most vulnerable citizens,...

After hours of pushback from residents, gun stores, Second Amendment organizations, and even the county attorney, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva reversed course early Wednesday morning and now says his office is suspending attempts to force firearm retailers to lock their doors. Villaneuva announced the move on social media, saying it will be up to Gov. Gavin Newsom to determine what is, and isn’t, an essential business.

The explosion of racial violence in Charlotte, N.C. has led to a gun buying spree by locals worried about their safety. At Hyatt Guns, one of the nation's largest, staff arrived Thursday morning after the second night of riots and encountered a line of buyers. "First off, our prayers are with law enforcement this morning. People are afraid. They see lunacy in the streets being perpetrated by criminals and they are gearing up to protect themselves," Justin Anderson, director of marketing for Hyatt Guns told Secrets.

"A group describing itself as a 'Militant Resistance' to a 'corrupt police state' has offered $5000 for details of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson's whereabouts, MailOnline can reveal. Officer Wilson, 28, has been in hiding on paid leave ever since he gunned down unarmed teenager Michael Brown, 18, on 9 August. Now, in one of a series of incendiary tweets the RbG Black Rebels have stated, 'We are paying $5k cash for location of Ofc. Darren Wilson. Real $, no joke, no crime we just wana get his photo an ask him a few questions.' And though the RbG Black...

Some Connecticut residents were heading to gun stores Tuesday to buy weapons and ammunition before the General Assembly passes what has been called the strictest gun control law in the country, but many may have been disappointed by empty shelves.

The phones at Red’s Trading Post wouldn’t stop ringing. Would-be customers from as far away as New York wanted to know if the Twin Falls, Idaho gun shop had firearms in stock. Others clamored to find out if their orders had been shipped. Overwhelmed, gun store manager Ryan Horsley had to do what no employee would ever think of doing just days before Christmas: He disconnected the phone lines for three whole days. … The phones at gun shops across the country are ringing off the hook. Demand for firearms, ammunition and bulletproof gear has surged since the Dec. 14...

GRAY, Maine, Nov 27, 2012 (Bangor Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- So many gun dealers called the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, on Black Friday that the system went down twice and was slowed for those who did get through, Maine gun dealers said Monday. Even with the glitches, a record number of guns were sold on Black Friday all across the country, Stephen G. Fischer Jr., director of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, said Monday. "We had an awful time getting through all day, and sometimes we couldn't get...

(Editor's Note: Follow WTOP's Mark Segraves as he attempts to register for a gun license and buy a firearm. Scroll down to read the rest of his blog.) Despite the fact that they're now legal to own, getting a handgun in the District is going to be impossible -- at least for a while. But this reporter is going to try. At 7 a.m. Thursday, the Metropolitan Police Department will open its doors at Headquarters and begin taking applications for permits. If you already own an illegal handgun, you're in luck. Because of the 90 day amnesty program, you can...

A Washington-based non-profit group called Americans for Gun Safety claims to take the middle ground on gun ownership. I question its neutrality. As a hunter, target-shooter and gun owner, I've been courted in the past by groups that claimed common-sense positions on firearms. These champions of "responsible use" recruit membership and money from both sides but typically lean hard to one side. At its Web site, AGS says it is "bringing a new voice to the debate over guns and gun safety, which for too long has been dominated by the far left and far right. Through legislative measures and...

URGENT ALERT On Tuesday, July 2nd, the city of Temple City will be voting on a variance to allow"Lock, Stock and Barrel Gun Store", which is currently being forced out of its 36 year location in San Gabriel, to relocate to a shopping area not currently zoned for FFL dealers. Ms. Donna Herrick, the store's 70+ year old owner, is running out of options as she has just a few short weeks to relocate. If she doesn't land in Temple City, the only receptive area where rent is reasonably priced, she will be forced to close her doors. Those of...