JUDGE: Short-Barreled Rifle, Suppressor NFA Registration Scheme Unconstitutional

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A judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has ruled that the remaining registration scheme for short-barreled rifles and suppressors in the National Firearms Act (NFA) is unconstitutional in Jensen v. ATF, a case supported by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF).

Since 1934, the NFA required anyone who wished to purchase certain classes of firearms, including silencers and short-barreled rifles, to pay a $200 tax and register the firearm with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), purportedly drawing from Congressional authority to levy taxes. Through the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, however, the tax on these arms was eliminated but the registration requirement was left in place. SAF and its partners have filed three lawsuits challenging the remaining registration requirements, because without the tax, Congress’ reliance on their taxing power is no longer justifiable.

“The basis for each lawsuit challenging the NFA registration scheme is the same – without the tax, the remaining requirements for the affected arms under the NFA have no constitutional basis,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “And today the first court to rule on the issue has agreed with us. We’re eager to continue this fight and leave major portions of the NFA in the dustbin of history. A big win is a great way to kick things off.” (Read more from “JUDGE: Short-Barreled Rifle, Suppressor NFA Registration Scheme Unconstitutional” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

60 Minutes Quietly Killed Explosive Story About Epstein’s Shady Transactions with Some of the World’s Largest Banks

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CBS’s 60 Minutes had the scoop on Jeffrey Epstein’s sketchy financials—before the Bari Weiss–run network fired the reporter fronting the investigation.

A new report by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden revealed that Deutsche Bank AG, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America enabled Epstein by permitting millions in suspicious transactions over the course of the sex offender’s criminal career.

Deutsche Bank AG failed to promptly notify authorities of more than $250 million in questionable transfers tied to Epstein, according to Wyden’s report. Those included cash amounts to pay women in Russia and Eastern Europe—of which the bank retroactively informed U.S. officials after Epstein was arrested on sex-trafficking charges in July 2019.

Bank of America Corp. reported $170 million in Epstein-related transactions tied to billionaire Leon Black. The bank, according to Wyden’s report, noted years later that the transactions had “no apparent economic, business, or lawful purpose.” . . .

Yet former 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi had the story months ago, having interviewed Wyden in March about her own investigation into Wall Street banks’ and the U.S. Virgin Islands government’s relationship with Epstein, according to Bloomberg. (Read more from “60 Minutes Quietly Killed Explosive Story About Epstein’s Shady Transactions with Some of the World’s Largest Banks” HERE)

Iran President Met Supreme Leader in Darkness — and isn’t Convinced it was Him: Report

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Iran’s mysterious, “probably gay” supreme leader is so elusive that even his own president isn’t convinced he met him in a bizarre one-on-one in the back of a dark car.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was whisked to a secret location in Tehran, shoved into the back seat of a dark car with blacked-out windows and told he was sitting next to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei — except he never actually saw the man, according to a bombshell report from Iran International.

The bizarre cloak-and-dagger meeting reportedly lasted just a few minutes, not the cozy two-and-a-half-hour sit-down Pezeshkian bragged about publicly in May. . .

Sources told Iran International that Khamenei’s office agreed to the meeting only after Pezeshkian repeatedly begged for one and threatened to quit. Even then, the supreme leader refused to meet at his official residence, as is custom.

Instead, the president was driven to a secret location in Tehran, pulled from his own security convoy and placed in the back of a commercial vehicle. (Read more from “Iran President Met Supreme Leader in Darkness — and isn’t Convinced it was Him: Report” HERE)

Mass Shooting at North Carolina Home Leaves Three Family Members Dead and One Hospitalized

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Three family members are dead and one is hospitalized after a mass shooting at a North Carolina home Wednesday morning.

The shooting erupted in Caswell County, north of Raleigh, before 8 a.m., authorities said.

The victims and the shooter — who is dead — were adults from the same family, Caswell County Sheriff Tony Durden told reporters.

“One person was transferred to Duke University Hospital with gunshot wounds and we do not have a condition,” Durden said.

Authorities have not yet released information about the victims or suspect “out of respect to the family,” the sheriff added. (Read more from “Mass Shooting at North Carolina Home Leaves Three Family Members Dead and One Hospitalized” HERE)

Archaeologists Unearth Fourth-Century Roman Mosaic

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Archaeologists have uncovered a stunning Roman mosaic hidden beneath farmland in the UK.

Made up of thousands of colorful stone cubes arranged in a floral pattern, the fourth-century mosaic was found among the ruins of a Roman villa in Devon, England.

The ruins date back to England’s time as part of the Roman Empire, which spanned from around 43 to 410 A.D.

Researchers also discovered an elaborate bathhouse nearby with multiple plunge pools and painted plaster walls, along with other artifacts.

The discoveries were shared last month after a two-month dig on farmland between the villages of Halberton and Sampford Peverell, led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter and Cotswold Archaeology, according to a press release from Exeter. Volunteers worked alongside experts to uncover the site. (Read more from “Archaeologists Unearth Fourth-Century Roman Mosaic” HERE)

Hero Civilian Who Fired Back at In-N-Out Shooter Trained in Self Defense after Witnessing another Mass Shooting

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By New York Post. The good Samaritan being hailed as a “hero” for firing upon Idaho In-N-Out gunman Chad Williams in the middle of his deadly drive-thru rampage had trained for such a moment for years after witnessing another mass shooting.

Jordan Salinas, 35, a healthcare worker and the full-time caregiver of his brother, who uses a wheelchair, had been horseback riding with his girlfriend the morning of the shooting when the couple pulled into the Twin Falls In-N-Out location for lunch and immediately noticed something amiss.

[Photo credit: Facebook]

A large crowd of people was rushing through the exit doors of the restaurant, which he assumed was due to a kitchen fire until he heard the unmistakable pop of gunfire.

Operating on pure instinct, Salinas sprinted toward the sound of the gunfire – a response he’d later refer to as “automatic” and “mechanical,” he told the Idaho Statesman.

He drew his FN Five-Seven – a semiautomatic pistol equipped with a suppressor – and engaged Williams using the military’s four-step “Observe, Orient, Decide Act” approach. (Read more from “Hero Civilian Who Fired Back at In-N-Out Shooter Trained in Self Defense after Witnessing another Mass Shooting” HERE)

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California native among 3 killed in mass shooting at Idaho In-N-Out, family says

By ABC News 7. One of the victims killed in a shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Idaho over the weekend was from California, according to the New York Times.

Authorities in Twin Falls, Idaho are still working to find a motive behind the deadly shooting on Saturday. The 24-year-old shooter, identified as Chad Williams, died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene, according to police.

Three people were killed and seven others were injured when the gunman shot at the In-N-Out restaurant, which had just opened about a week before, drawing big crowds.

The New York Times identified Christopher Claunch, a California native, as one of the victims killed in the shooting. His sister lives in Rosamond, north of Lancaster.

His sister told the Times that Claunch worked at Renaissance Ranch Recovery Center in Rupert, Idaho. He had lived in the state for about 30 years. (Read more from “California native among 3 killed in mass shooting at Idaho In-N-Out, family says” HERE)

Photo credit: X Screenshot

Trump Slams Jeanine Pirro for Dropping Reflecting Pool Vandalism Cases, says She “Choked”

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President Trump on Monday publicly rebuked Jeanine Pirro, his handpicked U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, for dropping the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism cases, but ignored questions about whether he intends to fire her.

The Justice Department submitted a court filing Friday moving to dismiss vandalism charges against 67-year-old former Olympian David Hearn, saying the Interior Department incorrectly attributed damage in the pool’s lining to vandalism and that evidence showed “contractor error” and a “botched installation” were to blame.

That move did not rest well with Mr. Trump, who said Pirro “choked” and “made a mistake.”

“I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “Really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella.”

“Frankly, I think she choked,” he said. “…I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened.” (Read more from “Trump Slams Jeanine Pirro for Dropping Reflecting Pool Vandalism Cases, says She “Choked” HERE)

Thousands of Illegal African Migrants Overrun Spanish Enclave, turn Streets into Open Toilets and Bathe in Fountains: ‘An apocalypse’

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An unprecedented wave of 60,000 illegal migrants from Africa flooded the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this week, prompting Spain to deploy its military – as terrified locals likened the invasion to an “apocalypse.”

Harrowing local media reports reveal residents and business owners in Ceuta – a Spanish territory located on the north African coast – are too afraid to open their doors amid the rush of migrants, many of whom arrived wearing nothing but swimwear, without a penny or possession to their name.

“Businesses closed. Shops shut because if you open a business, it gets overrun … We’re scared. The streets are packed. There are no measures in place. It’s every man for himself. They’re not giving us any help,” a frightened downtown restaurant owner who didn’t want to give their name told state-owned Spanish media outlet RTVE.

Ceuta’s president estimated Friday that around 60,000 people had crossed by sea and land from Morocco over the past 24 hours — a sea of humanity representing nearly 70% of Ceuta’s population of 85,000.

Spain’s Interior Ministry, meanwhile, estimated that about 50,000 migrants had crossed the border – but in a stunning reversal by 6 p.m. Friday, 48,300 had already returned home. (Read more from “Thousands of Illegal African Migrants Overrun Spanish Enclave, turn Streets into Open Toilets and Bathe in Fountains: ‘An apocalypse’” HERE)

House Ethics Committee Refuses To Say If GOP Congressman Will Be Investigated For Domestic Violence Allegations

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The House Ethics Committee refused to say Friday whether it would investigate Republican Ohio Rep. Max Miller in connection with domestic abuse allegations.

Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, accused the congressman of domestic abuse against her and their two-year-old daughter and filed for restraining orders. The House Ethics Committee declined to tell the Daily Caller News Foundation whether it would investigate these allegations.

“No comment,” the Ethics Committee told the DCNF.

Miller’s office did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said in May that he does not “get involved in the personal lives of members.”

“I don’t get involved in the personal lives of members and those things. You know, he’s refuted some of these allegations, and he’s got to work that out,” Johnson told NBC News. (Read more from “House Ethics Committee Refuses To Say If GOP Congressman Will Be Investigated For Domestic Violence Allegations” HERE)

Trump DOJ Gives School District 7-Day Ultimatum over Student Trans Policy that Keeps Parents in the Dark

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Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon demanded in a letter sent July 29 that a school district in Maryland stop hiding information about student gender transitions from parents or face litigation from the Justice Department.

“By categorically withholding ‘(i)nformation about a student’s gender identity’ from parents except where ‘legally required,’ AACPS appears to have adopted a blanket, district-wide practice of nondisclosure untethered to FERPA’s enumerated exceptions … parents were denied access to their child’s full record, information was disclosed without parental consent, and the parents were denied a hearing to correct the record,” she wrote, aimed at the Anne Arundel County school system.

“Comply with the law or face us in court,” Dhillon later added on X.

The demand marks the Trump administration’s latest effort to challenge school policies that allow students to socially transition without their parents’ knowledge, testing whether federal education privacy law requires districts to disclose gender-identity records. Anne Arundel County now faces possible litigation — and potentially the loss of federal funding — unless it reverses the policy within seven days, escalating a national dispute over parental rights, a significant plank in the president’s policy agenda.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is designed to give parents the legal right to access their children’s educational records, which the Trump administration argues includes information related to changes in their gender identity. The law has previously been used by the DOJ in attempts to overturn similar policies in Maine and California. (Read more from “Trump DOJ Gives School District 7-Day Ultimatum over Student Trans Policy that Keeps Parents in the Dark” HERE)