Print And Fire: 3D Printing Could Muzzle New Gun Laws (+video)

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Photo Credit: defensedistributed.comGun owners who can’t buy high capacity ammo magazines because of new laws have another option: Print them.

Gun control measures passed or proposed in the wake of the Sandy Hook school massacre have targeted magazines that can feed 30 rounds or more into the firing chambers of AR-15s and other semi-automatic guns. New York has banned magazines holding more than seven rounds, and a federal bill proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., would ban magazines holding more than 10 rounds.

But the laws are at least one step behind technology. Using 3D printers and schematics available on the Internet, gun owners can manufacture a fully functional, plastic magazine clip. Plans are free, although getting access to a 3D printer may prove expensive, at least for now.

“If you can download it, you can have it,” said University of Texas law student Cody Wilson, who is part of Defense Distributed, a group that has created the design for what they refer to as a “Cuomo Clip” along with other gun parts. It is all under an initiative they refer to as the Wiki Weapon Project.

“It’s basically to head them [legislators] off at the pass, which we have,” Wilson added, noting that “hundreds of thousands” of visitors have gone to his group’s site to download the CAD file for the ammo magazine since it was first posted in mid-January.

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Students Told to Stop ‘USA!’ Chant, Take Off American Flag Bandanas (+video)

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Photo Credit: Serfs UP ! Roger SaylesFour California high-school students were reportedly suspended for chanting “U.S.A! U.S.A!” and wearing American flag bandanas during a basketball game. While their punishment has since been rescinded, school administrators said “the incident is far from over.”

Oxnard Union School District superintendent Gabe Soumakian told Fox News Radio that “we need to pursue this further” and “work with teachers and students and the community about the concept of cultural proficiency.”

Soumakian and Camarillo High School principal Glenn Lipman felt that the students’ actions might have had racist undertones since the schools have large Hispanic student populations.

See video:

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Going Rove on the Tea Party? Marco Rubio Says Former Bush Strategists’ SuperPAC is ‘Good Idea’

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Photo Credit: APSen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) gave a strong defense of GOP strategist Karl Rove’s Conservative Victory Project in a recent interview, arguing that the super PAC offshoot, designed to quash conservative Senate candidates who might be too extreme to win general elections, was sensible.

Speaking with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network, Rubio was asked if he thought Rove’s endeavor was a “good idea.”

“Yes,” Rubio responded, going on to explain that Rove and his American Crossroads super PAC had been some of his biggest supporters during his rapid rise and eventual victory in his 2010 Senate race.

Rubio also gave credit to the Tea Party supporters that backed him, saying that both Rove’s group and conservative activists “have a place in American politics.”

Rove’s new election effort has quickly highlighted rifts in the GOP’s foundation. Tea Party activists have largely regarded it as a direct affront to their broader goal of putting forth highly conservative candidates. While Rove has pointed to Senate candidates such as Missouri’s Todd Akin and Indiana’s Richard Mourdock — both of whose campaigns suffered irreversible damage after offensive comments about rape — as a justification for his project, Tea Party activists have countered, arguing that Rove’s new push would have clipped the wings of successful candidates like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rubio before they could take off.

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FAA Official: No Armed Drones In U.S.

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An official with the Federal Aviation Administration reassured the public Wednesday that no armed drones will be permitted in U.S. airspace, but he acknowledged the agency can do little about privacy fears associated with the unmanned craft.

In an address to the drone-industry’s leading trade group, which is meeting this week in Northern Virginia, Jim Williams said existing rules already bar aircraft from using weapons and “we don’t have any plans of changing [those rules] for unmanned aircraft.”

“We currently have rules in the books that deal with releasing anything from an aircraft, period. Those rules are in place and that would prohibit weapons from being installed on a civil aircraft,” said Mr. Williams, who heads the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office, formed last year to shepherd drones into already-crowded American skies and integrate drone use with the manned-aircraft system.

The FAA has cited “privacy concerns” as one reason it has fallen behind the congressionally mandated integration schedule, but Mr. Williams said the agency actually can’t do much of anything about those fears.

“The FAA has no authority to make rules or enforce any rules relative to privacy,” he said. “We can ask [the industry] to take into consideration the privacy issue. … There aren’t any rules to date on that.”

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Major Networks Refuse To Cover Rand Paul’s Tea Party Response

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Photo Credit: Daily CallerKentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul delivered the tea party response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday night — but even if you were watching any of the major television networks, you wouldn’t have been able to see it.

Unlike President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address and the official Republican response from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Paul’s speech was watchable only through online streaming.

“I speak to you tonight from Washington, D.C.,” Paul said at the beginning of the address. “The state of our economy is tenuous, but our people remain the greatest example of freedom and prosperity the world has ever known.”

The tea party senator then contrasted former President Ronald Reagan’s skeptical view of government with Obama’s worldview. “President Obama believes government is the solution: More government, more taxes, more debt,” Paul said. “What the president fails to grasp is that the American system that rewards hard work is what made America so prosperous.”

Paul pointed to the ideas of limited government espoused by Scottish philosopher Adam Smith in “The Wealth of Nations.”

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Ron Paul Makes National Radio Debut With Courtside

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Courtside Entertainment Group announced today that former Congressman and Presidential Candidate Ron Paul will make his national radio and podcast debut March 18, 2013. Ron Paul ‘s America will feature one of America’s most popular public figures sharing his thoughts and opinions on the issues listeners care about in twice daily one-minute radio commentaries with radio veteran and bestselling author Charles Goyette as his sidekick. In addition to the daily commentaries, Ron Paul ‘s America will also be available as a weekly podcast to satisfy the growing demand for on-demand digital content.

“There’s no questioning the fact that Ron Paul is one of today’s most impactful leaders. His thoughts and opinions have created a significant and loyal following that has made its presence known throughout the country,” said Norm Pattiz , Founder of Westwood One and Courtside Entertainment Group and Chairman of Launchpad Digital Media. “That following includes college campuses, corporate offices and everything in between. His new radio show for Courtside and his digital presence via podcasting create a platform that will be hugely successful.”

“I am very excited to have this opportunity to take the message of freedom to more people than ever, especially now when our country needs it so much,” said Ron Paul . “Radio and podcasting are a much more powerful means of communication than speaking on the floor of Congress. I welcome this chance to work with Norm and Courtside and interact with America in a new way, delivering a message that is timelier than ever and a philosophy that people are clearly hungry to hear more about.”

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Sen. Paul Threatens Hold On Brennan Over Armed Drone Strikes

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Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday threatened to hold John Brennan’s nomination for CIA director unless he receives more answers on the administration’s drone program.

“I have asked Mr. Brennan if he believed that the President has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and my question remains unanswered,” Paul said in a statement. “I will not allow a vote on this nomination until Mr. Brennan openly responds to the questions and concerns my colleagues and I share.

“These issues must be discussed openly so that the American people can understand what constraints exist on the government’s power to use lethal force against its citizens,” Paul continued. “Before confirming Mr. Brennan as the head of the CIA, it must be apparent that he understands and will honor the protections provided to every American by the Constitution.”

Brennan, Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, faced a contentious confirmation hearing last week, as lawmakers pressed him on the legality of using armed drone strikes against suspected terrorists, in particular American citizens.

The increased congressional scrutiny followed the leak of a Justice Department (DOJ) memo laying out the circumstances in which the administration would authorize a deadly drone strike on a U.S. citizen.

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A Bill of Goods : Napolitano Says US Borders Have ‘Never Been Stronger’

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Photo Credit: The National GuardHomeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano insisted Wednesday that U.S. borders have “never been stronger” during a Senate hearing on immigration reform.

Facing calls from the GOP to crack down on the flow of illegal border crossers, Napolitano said Congress should pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul that strengthens security while also addressing the factors that entice people into the country.

“I often hear the argument that before reform can move forward, we must first secure our borders,” Napolitano said at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s first hearing on immigration reform.

“But too often, the ‘border security first’ refrain simply serves as an excuse for failing to address the underlying problems. It also ignores the significant progress and efforts that we have undertaken over the past four years. Our borders have, in fact, never been stronger.”

Republican Sens. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and John Cornyn (Texas) objected, saying that while border security has improved in recent years, the Obama administration has not done enough.

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State of The Union Viewership Drops 11% From 2012

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Photo Credit: deadline.comUPDATE, 3:10 PM: The first State of the Union of President Obama’s second term last night was watched by 33.5 million viewers. That’s down 11.3% from the 37.75 million who tuned in for last year’s address across 14 broadcast and cable networks. It’s also a State of the Union low for Obama, who has seen a decline every year since his first official SOTU in 2010 was watched by 48 million.

It is not an all-time low since Nielsen started tracking SOTUs in 1993; that goes to Bill Clinton’s 2000 State of the Union when the he was in the last year of his administration — that speech got just 31.478 million. This year’s speech was live from around 9-10:15 PM ET on 15 networks and tape-delayed on Univision. NBC was tops among broadcast networks with 6.469 million total viewers, just ahead of the 6.4 million CBS pulled in.

With 3.683 million watching, Fox News Channel was No. 1 among cable news’ coverage of last night’s speech. However, CNN won in the key adults 25-54 demographic with 1.436 million. Fox News’ total viewership dipped 3% from last year. Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Azteca, Univision, MundoFox, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Current, Centric and Galavision all carried the speech live last night.

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Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown Signs On With Fox News

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Photo Credit: Daily CallerThe Fox News Channel confirmed Wednesday that it would be enlisting former Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown as an on-air contributor.

“Sen. Brown’s dedication to out-of-the box thinking on key issues makes him an important voice in the country and we are looking forward to his contributions across all Fox News platforms,” Bill Shine, Executive Vice President of Programming for Fox News, said.

Brown, known for defeating Democratic Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley to fill the seat held by long-time Sen. Ted Kennedy in 2010, declined to make another run at the Senate seat vacated by recently confirmed Secretary of State John Kerry earlier this month.

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