<p style="font-weight: 400;">On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider the Biden administration’s appeal of a decision that rejected the administration’s regulation of ghost guns.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In 2022, the Biden administration’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives broadened the interpretation of the definition of “firearm” in the Gun Control Act of 1968. “The 1968 Gun Control Act, the 1988 Undetectable Firearms Act and other federal laws all govern firearms produced by a 3D printing process or any other process, just as they apply to conventional manufacturing processes using machine tools,” NSSF <a href="https://www.nssf.org/government-relations/factsheets/ghost-guns-undetectable-firearms-explained-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a>. The Gun Control Act interpreted “firearm” to mean “any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive” and “the frame or receiver of any such weapon.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The rule claimed that the parts in ghost guns lay under the rubric of “firearm” under the federal Gun Control Act so the federal government could regulate them. It required “manufacturers and sellers to obtain licenses, mark their products with serial numbers and conduct background checks,” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/us/supreme-court-ghost-guns.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In August 2023, in a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court allowed the Biden administration’s rule to stay in effect despite the fact that it had been challenged. In November, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the Biden administration’s regulation unlawful. “Only Congress may make the deliberate and reasoned decision to enact new or modified legislation regarding firearms,” the court <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/22/supreme-court-biden-ghost-gun-background-checks/73280704007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “Because Congress has neither authorized the expansion of firearm regulation nor permitted the criminalization of previously lawful conduct, the proposed rule constitutes unlawful agency action, in direct contravention of the legislature’s will,” they <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-decide-biden-administration-can-regulate-ghost-guns-rcna147065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar countered that if the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision were implemented, “Anyone could buy a kit online and assemble a fully functional gun in minutes — no background check, records, or serial number required. The result would be a flood of untraceable ghost guns into our nation’s communities, endangering the public and thwarting law-enforcement efforts to solve violent crimes.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“If a state placed a tax on the sale of home goods, such as tables, chairs, couches and bookshelves, Ikea surely could not avoid that tax by claiming that it does not sell any of those items and instead sells ‘furniture parts kits’ that must be assembled by the purchaser,” she argued. “So too with guns: An ordinary speaker of English would recognize that a company in the business of selling kits that can be assembled into firearms in minutes — and that are designed, marketed and used for that express purpose — is in the business of selling firearms.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">A brief for the Supreme Court asserted, “Consistent with Congress’s decision not to interfere with the making of firearms by private citizens, commercial production and sale of other items that may be used by private citizens to make firearms for their own use is outside the scope of the Act.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, it offered another perspective, <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23A82/274511/20230802162019194_2023-08-02%20VanDerStok%20-%20Resp%20in%20Oppn%20to%20Stay%20vf.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stating</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>A better analogy would be to a “taco kit” sold as a bundle by a grocery store that includes taco shells, seasoning packets, salsa and other toppings, along with a slab of raw beef. No one would call the taco kit a taco. In addition to “assembly,” turning it into one would require cutting or grinding and cooking the meat — and until that was done, it would be nonsensical to treat it as food and the equivalent of a taco.</em></p>
</blockquote>


OPED-SCOTUS-GHOST-GUNS-EDITORIAL-1-NY

SCOTUS Will Consider Challenge To Biden’s ‘Ghost Gun’ Regulations

Biden Administration

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

firearms

Ghost Guns

Supreme Court

<p>President Joe Biden&#8217;s embattled son <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a> is set to go on trial on three felony gun charges on June 3 — just 17 days prior to the start of his already-scheduled trial for nine tax charges in California.</p>
<p>Delaware U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled on Wednesday that the trial could start on June 3 despite the proximity of the dates, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/politics/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN reported</a>, and both trials were scheduled in the aftermath of a failed plea agreement — which was initially supposed to include both the tax charges and the gun charges.</p>
<p>In Delaware, the younger Biden faces three gun-related charges, including unlawfully purchasing a revolver while using illicit drugs, allegedly lying on federal forms about his drug use when he bought the weapon. Prosecutors say that Biden owned the firearm in question — a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver that he purchased in October of 2018 — for approximately 11 days.</p>
<p>Biden&#8217;s attorneys have filed a number of motions claiming that the plea agreement — which <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-taxes-gun-drugs-690d38f1ffae4dfce2c171d21e7d3594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fell apart last summer</a> — is still valid and covers the gun charges. Judge Noreika said during Wednesday&#8217;s status hearing that she has been &#8220;working through the motions,&#8221; adding, &#8220;I haven’t completely figured out what I’m going to do with all of them.&#8221;</p>
<p><b><a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a></b></p>
<p>According to CNN&#8217;s report, both parties believe the gun trial could wrap up in under a week — with the prosecution taking several days and the defense another two days.</p>
<p>Biden&#8217;s second trial is scheduled to begin on June 20, and covers nine tax-related charges amounting to what CNN referred to as &#8220;an alleged conspiracy across several years to avoid paying over $1 million in taxes.&#8221;</p>
<p>The charges in both cases were brought by Special Counsel David Weiss, who was appointed in August of 2023 by Attorney General Merrick Garland, and charged with overseeing the investigation into Hunter Biden.</p>


Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden Trial On Gun Charges Set To Start 17 Days Prior To Tax Trial

Courts

Guns

Taxes

U.S.

<p>Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters slammed the political Left&#8217;s anti-gun narrative over the weekend in response to a racially motivated shooting that killed three people at a Dollar General store that has been deemed as racially motivated.</p>
<p>The assailant, a white male in his early 20s, left behind manifestos that made it clear that he was specifically targeting black people.</p>
<p>&#8220;The story is always about guns — people are bad — this guy&#8217;s a bad guy,&#8221; Waters said. &#8220;If I could take my gun off right now, and I lay it on this counter, nothing will happen. It&#8217;ll sit there — but as soon as wicked person grabs ahold of that handgun and starts shooting people with it — there&#8217;s the problem.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The problem is the individual,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Now guns are a tool that people use to do horrible things. But it&#8217;s the individuals that wield these things. So we are working hard to try to stop that. But in this situation, in this case, there was nothing saying—, there was nothing illegal about him owning the firearms.&#8221;</p>
<p>The assailant was able to legally purchase firearms despite the fact that he had been placed on a temporarily involuntarily mental health hold in 2017 under the state&#8217;s Baker Act.</p>
<p>WATCH:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jacksonville County Sheriff T.K. Waters:</p>
<p>“The story is always about guns. People are bad. This guy&#39;s a bad guy… The problem is the individual.”</p>
<p> <a href="https://t.co/ZCUkudqVwy">pic.twitter.com/ZCUkudqVwy</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Alec Lace (@AlecLace) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlecLace/status/1695905428377321903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>“This shooting, based on the manifesto that they’ve discovered from the scumbag that did this, was racially motivated,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/several-dead-in-jacksonville-after-racially-motivated-shooting-officials">said</a> on Saturday. “He was targeting people based on their race — that is totally unacceptable. This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions.”</p>
<p>“He took the coward’s way out,” he continued. “We condemn what happened in the strongest possible terms. We’ve offered support for Sheriff Waters in the city of Jacksonville, and we send our condolences to the victims and their families who were the victims of a very cowardly act.”</p>


US-CRIME-SHOOTING

Jacksonville Sheriff Slams Leftist Anti-Gun Agenda After Tragedy: ‘The Problem Is The Individual’

Florida

Shooting

<p>The six-year-old student who allegedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-school-official-aware-that-6-year-old-may-have-been-armed-before-was-teacher-shot-superintendent-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot teacher</a> Abigail Zwerner, 25, allegedly bragged about it to another school official. &#8220;I shot that b**** dead,&#8221; he said, according to a search warrant that was recently unsealed.</p>
<p>The shooting took place on Jan. 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, and Zwerner — who had reportedly been one of several staff members to warn administrators that they had concerns about this particular student — sustained gunshot wounds to her left hand and upper torso.</p>
<p>CBS News affiliate WTKR <a href="https://www.wtkr.com/news/shot-that-b-dead-unsealed-search-warrants-reveal-new-details-on-day-richneck-teacher-shot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on the unsealed document, which revealed what the student allegedly said to reading specialist Amy Kovac — who assisted in restraining the boy until authorities arrived on the scene.</p>
<p>The student made several comments to Kovac after the shooting, according to the warrant, admitting that he had been the one to shoot the teacher. &#8220;&#8216;I shot that b**** dead,&#8217; &#8216;I did it&#8217; and &#8216;I got my mom’s gun last night,'&#8221; he allegedly told her.</p>
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<p>The student has not been charged pursuant to the shooting, but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teacher-shot-by-6-year-old-reportedly-texted-warning-to-loved-one-that-child-was-armed-no-school-officials-came" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his mother</a>, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/08/09/boy-6-who-wounded-teacher-boasted-i-shot-that-bitch-dead/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deja Taylor</a>, faces one felony charge of child neglect and one misdemeanor charge for leaving a firearm where a child could access it and cause harm. She has already pleaded guilty to a federal charge related to the use of marijuana while in possession of a firearm.</p>
<p>Zwerner has filed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-teacher-shot-by-first-grader-files-40-million-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$40 million lawsuit</a> against the local school board, the superintendent of schools, and her school’s assistant principal — alleging that they all knew the child was potentially dangerous and did nothing about it when they had the chance.</p>
<p>&#8220;All Defendants knew that John Doe attacked students and teachers alike, and his motivation to injure was directed toward anyone in his path, both in and out of school,&#8221; the suit reads in part.</p>
<p>The lawsuit also claims that the boy had been placed on a modified schedule by the school due to previous behavior issues, such as threatening and cursing at teachers and &#8220;chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them.&#8221;</p>


US-NEWS-VA-SCHOOL-SHOOTING-NN

Six-Year-Old Who Allegedly Shot Teacher Bragged About It: ‘I Shot That B**** Dead’

Six-Year-Old Who Shot Teacher Bragged About It: 'I Shot That B**** Dead'

Education

Teacher

<p><em>Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions The following four stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. </em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Colorado Gun Law Takes Effect, Raising Gun Ownership Age To 21</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/colorado-gun-law-raising-age-purchase-gun-21-set-take-effect-monday"><span style="font-weight: 400;">new Colorado state gun law </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">took effect Monday, raising the age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21 — with exceptions for first responders and members of the military. Critics say the law takes away the right of some U.S. adults to defend themselves. Gun shop owner Kevin McClung questioned the logic of it in an interview with a local ABC affiliate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;If at 18 you can get called to go die for your country, why can&#8217;t you have a firearm?&#8221; McClung <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwsYOxU2DNE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Criminals don&#8217;t follow the law in the first place. So there&#8217;s no stopping them from having those guns.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><strong>Rapid Reaction: </strong>In response to the law, the Colorado House Republicans tweeted. &#8220;Ranchers, hunters, farmers, domestic violence victims, and anyone else who lives in CO under 21 can no longer buy a firearm as of today — thanks to Democrats’ war on the 2nd Amendment. &#8221;</p>
<p>Indeed, it doesn&#8217;t seem as if this law should have legal standing. If citizens of Colorado can vote at 18 and are considered an adult, then their Second Amendment rights should be recognized at 18 as well. At <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/colorado/article_52a404b4-323d-11ee-8f1d-231f83d8c6f8.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">least one group</a> has already filed a lawsuit against this bill.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>George Floyd Responding Police Officer Sentenced</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tou Thao, a fo</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">rmer Minneapolis police officer who </span><a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/tou-thao-sentenced-george-floyd-killing"><span style="font-weight: 400;">responded</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to the 9-1-1 call that led to George Floyd’s death, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison Today. His sentencing came three months after he was found guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter. The judge cited Thao’s alleged “lack of remorse” as he handed down the sentence.</span></p>
<p><strong>Rapid Reaction:</strong> For a full breakdown of George Floyd and what really happened, watch The Daily Wire&#8217;s documentary, &#8220;<span class="sc-afe43def-1 fDTGTb"><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/the-greatest-lie/subscribe?utm_campaign=greatestlie&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=googlesearch&amp;utm_content=na_subscriptions&amp;cid=greatestlie&amp;mid=g&amp;xid=0&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwrMKmBhCJARIsAHuEAPQcHlbXBY2XpryT54AbaXYqg96B44Q4FxGm4T9yN46kxUPm8iMw2kEaApsrEALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM</a>&#8220;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>U.K. Has A Unique Plan For Dealing With Illegal Aliens</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The United Kingdom has</span> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66424923"><span style="font-weight: 400;">begun moving hundreds</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of illegal aliens on board a gigantic housing barge docked in off the southeast coast of England. The vessel, officially christened the Bibby Stockholm, could eventually house around 500 men. The move comes as the U.K. seeks to cut down costs on housing migrants. Sarah Dines, Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding explained why the move was necessary.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;We need to make sure that it&#8217;s a basic but proper accommodation and not luxurious if you come to the country, from a safe country unlawfully you can&#8217;t expect to stay in a four-star hotel,&#8221; Dines said. &#8220;So this is just one of many measures we&#8217;re bringing in. </span></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;If you cross the Channel illegally, you can&#039;t expect to stay in a four star hotel&#039; - Minister says" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/beOAMbZxHBk?start=71&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Rapid Reaction: </strong>The U.S. isn&#8217;t the only Western nation suffering from illegal immigration. The U.K. has to deal with it as well. While placing these individuals on barges isn&#8217;t a perfect solution, it might be better than what happens in many American cities.</p>
<p>In places like New York City, thousands of illegal immigrants have been <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-09/nyc-migrants-how-nyc-is-finding-housing-and-what-it-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">housed in hotels at enormous cost to taxpayers</a>. The crisis is so bad that the city is now looking at propping up encampments around the city. New York Mayor Eric Adams&#8217; has said the solution to the problem is more federal funding. He seems not so concerned with saving money, rather he simply wants somebody else to pay for all the freebies that New York liberals have been promising for decades.</p>
<p>Perhaps he should listen to our friends across the pond and place the illegal aliens in the Big Apple on a gigantic barge out in the harbor. That sounds a lot less attractive than a night at <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/authorities-move-migrants-sleeping-outside-a-nyc-hotel-to-a-church-190053445768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Roosevelt Hotel</a>.</p>
<p>Ultimately, illegal aliens should be deported, not housed on boats.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Elon Musk To Pay For Legal Fees</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elon Musk, t</span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-vows-to-go-to-war-against-companies-that-punish-employees-for-activity-on-x"><span style="font-weight: 400;">he owner of X</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,  said on Saturday night that his company would pay the legal bills for any user who was “unfairly treated” due to posting or liking something on the social media platform. Musk added there would be “no limit” to the amount of legal funding provided. He later added that his company would also wage a public relations war against companies that punish their employees for what they do on X.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Musk posted, “And we won’t just sue, it will be extremely loud and we will go after the boards of directors of the companies too.” Musk has long maintained that he is an ardent supporter of the first amendment.</span></p>
<p><strong>Rapid Reaction:</strong> Elon Musk might be the most interesting public figure today — if not for his intelligence and technological know-how, then for his surprising business decisions. If you&#8217;ve been wondering what really drives Musk and what his vision for the world looks like, listen to Morning Wire&#8217;s podcast diving into that topic: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/elon-musk-s-view-of-the-future-5-29-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk&#8217;s View of the Future.</a></p>
<p><em>To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.</em></p>
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Illegal Aliens New York City

Rapid Reaction: U.K. Has A Unique Illegal Alien Housing Plan, NYC Should Take Notes

Colorado

Elon Musk

Illegal Immigration

Second Amendment

Twitter

United Kingdom

<p>The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/internal-revenue-service-irs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRS</a> is attempting to hire individuals qualified to wield <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firearms</a> for the tax collection agency’s Criminal Unit as enforcement activities are expected to increase amid a recent funding windfall.</p>
<p>Candidates for the special agent position, which is the only job at the IRS where employees are permitted to carry guns, will be expected to combine their “accounting skills with law enforcement skills to investigate financial crimes,” according to a <a href="https://www.jobs.irs.gov/resources/job-descriptions/irs-criminal-investigation-special-agent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posting</a> on the IRS website. Individuals interested in the job must be “legally allowed to carry a firearm” and “maintain a level of fitness necessary to effectively respond to life-threatening situations on the job.”</p>
<p>Those who work for the Criminal Unit must also be able to “use firearms in life-threatening situations” to the point of “deadly force.” There are roughly 360 vacancies for the position in some 250 locations across the United States, according to the job application <a href="https://www.usajobs.gov/job/706868400#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link</a>, which said that salaries for the position range between $53,900 and $94,200.</p>
<p>The job posting from the IRS occurs as the agency works to double its headcount over the next decade as a result of the $80 billion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irs-has-not-yet-finalized-how-middle-class-will-be-affected-by-80-billion-windfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">windfall</a> allocated through the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRS will hire for the position, in which staff members must work at least 50 hours each week and be available at all hours of the day, through the end of the year.</p>
<p>Biden administration officials have claimed over the past several months that the increased funds will enable IRS staff to more easily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-a-strong-irs-is-critical-to-the-economic-success-of-this-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assist</a> individuals and businesses attempting to properly file their taxes. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration nevertheless revealed in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irs-has-not-yet-finalized-how-middle-class-will-be-affected-by-80-billion-windfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the agency’s budget for enforcement activities will increase 69% over the next decade while the budget for taxpayer services will increase 9%.</p>
<p>House Republicans successfully <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-republican-house-votes-to-repeal-the-democrats-army-of-87000-irs-agents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> at the outset of the new Congress to nix the $80 billion allocation, although the repeal is unlikely to pass in the evenly divided Senate and would almost certainly be vetoed by President Joe Biden.</p>
<p>Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has vowed that the new resources will not be utilized to increase audit rates for households earning less than $400,000 per year “relative to historical levels.” She <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-vows-irs-audits-wont-rise-for-middle-income-americans-but-theres-a-catch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed</a> to clarify that “historical levels” of enforcement were far higher as recently as one decade ago: audit rates for Americans earning between $25,000 and $200,000 decreased 76% between 2010 and 2019, according to <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104960.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Government Accountability Office.</p>
<p>The possibility of increased audits for middle-income households also comes as total tax refunds for households are slated to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/happy-tax-day-americans-are-receiving-much-lower-tax-refunds-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decrease</a> from $222 billion last year to $199 billion this year. Parents are no longer able to receive the advance child tax credit, an advance on the child tax credits formerly enacted by the American Rescue Plan, while taxpayers who did not receive stimulus checks will no longer be able to claim a recovery rebate credit.</p>
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<p>The federal budget proposal released by the White House last month would likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-this-a-joke-bidens-budget-increases-irs-funding-by-43-billion-only-months-after-80-billion-windfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">add</a> another $43 billion windfall to the IRS. Members of the House Freedom Caucus, a bloc of conservative Republicans, initially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-freedom-caucus-chairman-responds-as-white-house-lobs-spurious-claims-at-spending-cut-proposal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> to consider voting on raising the debt ceiling contingent upon the repeal of the $80 billion allocation provided to the agency last year.</p>


Officer with Gun

IRS Seeks To Hire Agents With Guns In All 50 States

IRS Wants To Hire Hundreds Of Agents With Firearms In Every State

Economy

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Law Enforcement

<p>White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to answer a question on Wednesday over whether President Joe Biden&#8217;s proposed ban on some semi-automatic long guns will lead to the confiscation of millions of Americans&#8217; guns.</p>
<p>The question comes after a transgender shooter murdered six people, including three children, at a Christian school in Nashville this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;Does the president support not just banning the sale and the manufacture of semi-automatic weapons, but further than that, confiscation?&#8221; a reporter asked Jean-Pierre.</p>
<p>&#8220;Let me just be very clear, what we&#8217;re talking about, AR-15s, this assault weapons ban, they are weapons of war,&#8221; Jean-Pierre asserted.</p>
<p>The AR-15 is the civilian version of the M-4 rifle that the U.S. military uses and is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-army-is-officially-ditching-the-m4-rifle-for-something-much-more-powerful">starting</a> to phase out because it is not powerful enough to fight wars.</p>
<p>&#8220;As you know, we all know how government works,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;There&#8217;s only so much that he can do. And so now it&#8217;s time for Congress to do the work. And he&#8217;s happy to sign, once that happens, he&#8217;s happy to sign that legislation that says, ‘OK, we&#8217;re going to remove assault weapons – we&#8217;re going have an assault weapons ban.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Karine Jean-Pierre is asked if Biden supports gun confiscation — but she won&#39;t say. <a href="https://t.co/Xh0epIXk4l">pic.twitter.com/Xh0epIXk4l</a></p>
<p>&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1641145833839116291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The same reporter asked Jean-Pierre about Republican lawmakers who noted that there are literally tens of millions of these weapons in homes across in the U.S., making them impossible to ban.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s unacceptable,&#8221; Jean-Pierre snapped. &#8220;That&#8217;s our response. It&#8217;s unacceptable that Republicans are saying that there&#8217;s nothing that we can do.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jean-Pierre claimed that the reason that no assault weapons ban is in place is not because of Democratic politicians and that &#8220;Republicans in Congress need to look in the mirror.&#8221;</p>
<p>Democrats had control of the White House, Senate, and House during Biden&#8217;s first two years in office as well as under former President Barack Obama and yet they never passed an assault weapons ban.</p>


Karine Jean Pierre

Karine Jean-Pierre Dodges On Whether Biden’s Proposed Gun Ban Will Lead To Confiscation

Executive

Gun Laws

Joe Biden

Karine Jean-Pierre

<p>The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) absolutely roasted a traveler who apparently tried to sneak a handgun through security by hiding it inside a raw chicken.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/handgun-found-raw-chicken-luggage-airport-tsa-says-rcna56361?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TSA</a> shared a pun-riddled post on Instagram on Monday — including several photos of both the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/new-york-governor-signs-expansive-new-legislation-limiting-where-people-can-carry-guns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contraband</a> and the uncooked bird — warning travelers that agents would always be on the lookout for such &#8220;half-baked&#8221; shenanigans.</p>
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<p>&#8220;There’s a personal fowl here,&#8221; the caption began.</p>
<p>&#8220;The plot chickens as we barrel our way closer to Thanksgiving. For us, it’s a time to be thankful that our officers are always working around the cluck to keep you safe. Take for instance this &#8216;hen you believe it?&#8217; find at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport,&#8221; the caption continued. &#8220;We hate to beak it to you here, but stuffing a firearm in your holiday bird for travel is just a baste of time. This idea wasn’t even half-baked; it was raw, greasy, and obviously unsupervised. The only roast happening here is this poor packing choice!&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Feather you like it or not, there are rules for traveling with guns and ammunition. So, don’t wing it; roost over the proper packaging info through the link in our bio,&#8221; the message concluded.</p>
<p>According to the TSA, the raw chicken was <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/fresh-meat-and-seafood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal to carry</a> — as are other fresh meats and foods, provided they do not contain liquids — as long as it was packed in ice. The handgun — provided it was unloaded — was also <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal to fly with</a>, but only if it was checked baggage and it should have been locked in a hard-sided container.</p>
<p>Additionally, according to the TSA website, &#8220;Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.&#8221;</p>
<p>Even replica and toy firearms are only permitted in checked baggage — but rifle scopes are permitted to be carried in checked bags.</p>
<p>The TSA&#8217;s Instagram account is well-known for its pun-filled posts about all things travel-related. Another recent post poked fun at someone who left false teeth behind after a flight.</p>
<p>&#8220;Are you having hard fillings about an item left at the airport? Well, brace yourself, as you might be enamored with these next bites of information. If you forgot an item on the plane, you should chews to reach out to your airline directly. If you’ve misplaced your item outside of security, the tooth fairy can’t help you, but airport lost and found can,&#8221; the post read. &#8220;You know that we won’t ever drill you with unwanted airport wisdom. So, best to brush up on your lost &amp; found contacts through the link in our bio. Paste your airport code in the search function and molar over the return information.&#8221;</p>
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Travelers At Detroit Metro Airport As TSA Experiences Staff Shortages

‘Personal Fowl’: TSA Absolutely Roasts Traveler For Hiding A Handgun In Raw Chicken

TSA Absolutely Roasts Traveler For Hiding A Handgun In Raw Chicken

Air Travel

General

<p>An Ohio law allowing teachers to carry guns in the classroom is now in effect.</p>
<p>House Bill 99, the legislation that permits teachers and staff to carry firearms on campus after 24 hours of training and eight annual training hours, was signed in June and became law on Monday.</p>
<p>“My office worked with the General Assembly to remove hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety and to ensure training requirements were specific to a school environment and contained significant scenario-based training,&#8221; Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a June <a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/Governor-DeWine-Issues-Statements-on-Bills-Passed-by-Ohio-General-Assembly-06022022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> regarding the law&#8217;s signing.</p>
<p>&#8220;House Bill 99 accomplishes these goals, and I thank the General Assembly for passing this bill to protect Ohio children and teachers,” he added.</p>
<p>Local school boards retain the authority to determine whether teachers in their district can possess a firearm on school campuses.</p>
<p>Despite the new law designed to increase school safety, several school districts across the state quickly responded by banning the practice on their campuses. Akron Public Schools and Beachwood City Schools were among those to oppose the new law.</p>
<p class="header | article-header w-100">&#8220;We, therefore, stand united in calling for common-sense solutions to keep schools safe and opposing arming school staff,&#8221; the Akron Public School board <a href="https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/06/29/akron-public-schools-will-not-allow-armed-teachers-following-passage-ohio-house-bill-99/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a>. &#8220;We support the board’s resolution and policy changes aimed at keeping our schools safe by refusing to use the option that this new law offers. By doing so, we are keeping our focus on providing the highest quality education to all of our scholars.”</p>
<p>The Cleveland Municipal School Board <a href="https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/06/15/cleveland-school-board-votes-ban-teachers-carrying-guns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to oppose the new law. Cincinnati-area schools have also <a href="https://www.wlwt.com/article/ohio-law-school-staff-armed-required-training-house-bill-99/41168235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they will not be allowing armed teachers.</p>
<p>Despite the school districts that have opted out, the legislation seeks to offer more options for local schools to protect students, teachers, and staff following a rise in school shootings.</p>
<p>Several school safety reforms have been proposed nationwide following a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 students and two teachers in May at Robb Elementary School.</p>
<p>In Ohio, the legislation follows a tragic <a href="https://apnews.com/article/24105c7ab6af41d79b42c082a5e87f84" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016 shooting</a> during which a 14-year-old student opened fire on fellow students in a school cafeteria.</p>


Bodyguard with gun on the front of the door.

Ohio Teachers Can Now Carry Guns In Classrooms

Ohio

Schools

Teachers

<p>The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/irs">IRS</a> is about to go on an 87,000-employee hiring spree and many of those new tax collectors will be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/guns">packing heat</a> while they hunt for money.</p>
<p>The agency just got an $80 billion cut of President Biden’s <a href="https://time.com/6204537/inflation-reduction-act-whats-in-it/">Inflation Reduction Act</a>, which it will use to roughly <a href="https://time.com/6204928/irs-87000-agents-factcheck-biden/">double its ranks</a> by 2031. More than half will go to &#8220;enforcement-related&#8221; efforts, which includes hiring special agents, who the agency&#8217;s job description <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/irs-seeks-armed-accountants-ready-for-deadly-force">says</a> will “carry a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary.”</p>
<p>“As a Special Agent you will combine your accounting skills with law enforcement skills to investigate financial crimes,&#8221; the description states. &#8220;Special Agents are duly sworn law enforcement officers who are trained to ‘follow the money.'&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to carrying guns and badges, investigators in the IRS Criminal Investigation branch, who have carried firearms and used special equipment for years, will be outfitted with all the trappings of police officers. Other <a href="https://www.irs.gov/irm/part9/irm_09-011-003">investigative equipment</a> at their disposal includes fleet and surveillance vehicles, radio communication equipment, body armor, electronic surveillance equipment, audio and video equipment, cameras and lenses, night vision equipment, optical equipment, funds for confidential informants, and something called &#8220;padded training suits.&#8221; The IRS <a href="https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/government-verify/internal-revenue-service-did-buy-nearly-700k-in-ammunition/536-0ce9f538-a372-4c26-8013-1ab4e571578c#:~:text=On%20July%201%2C%20Congressman%20Matt,of%20dollars%20worth%20of%20ammunition.">bought $700,000 in ammunition</a> earlier this year.</p>
<p>The new hires won&#8217;t be picked on their merits alone, according to the agency.</p>
<p>“Criminal Investigation Special Agents are part of a diverse workforce that mirrors the taxpaying public we serve,” the IRS vowed.</p>
<p>IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told the Senate in an August 4 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/commissioners-letter-to-the-senate.pdf">letter</a> that the agency&#8217;s massive expansion should not scare the middle class.</p>
<p>“These resources are absolutely not about increasing audit scrutiny on small businesses or middle-income Americans,&#8221; Rettig wrote. &#8220;As we&#8217;ve been planning, our investment of these enforcement resources is designed around the Department of the Treasury&#8217;s directive that audit rates will not rise relative to recent years for households making under $400,000.”</p>
<p>Observers are skeptical.</p>
<p>Nonpartisan watchdog Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that as much as <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/03/why-irs-80b-expansion-is-a-nightmare-for-small-business/">90% of the estimated $200 billion</a> in additional funds the IRS will collect as a result of beefing up its ranks <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/31/senate-gop-argues-data-shows-schumer-manchin-deal-raises-taxes-on-earners-under-400k/">will come from small businesses.</a></p>
<p>“The IRS will have to target small and medium businesses because they won’t fight back,&#8221; Joe Hinchman, executive vice president at National Taxpayers Union Foundation, told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/10/irs-audits-will-absolutely-not-target-middle-income-americans/">New York Post</a>. &#8220;We’ve seen this play out before … the IRS says ‘We’re going after the rich’ but when you’re trying to raise that much money, the rich can only get you so far.”</p>
<p>“The approach here is to double the IRS workforce, take the leash off, and see how much they can collect,” Hinchman added.</p>
<p>Rettig&#8217;s letter to lawmakers about the aggressive growth plan included a potentially ominous sentence, at least for anyone who has ever been audited.</p>
<p>“I cannot be forceful enough in emphasizing that these resources will be transformative for the agency and for American taxpayers,” Rettig wrote.</p>


Full Frame Shot Of Objects On Table

Guns, Body Armor, Spy Gear: Here’s What Biden’s Beefed-Up IRS Investigation Unit Will Pack

Guns, Body Armor, Spy Gear: Here's What Biden's Beefed-Up IRS Investigation Unit Will Pack

Inflation Reduction Act

<p>New York Times White House correspondent Michael Shear asked whether President Joe Biden might move to &#8220;claw back&#8221; a pandemic-related business loan obtained by gun manufacturer Daniel Defense.</p>
<p>Shear claimed that the 18-year-old shooter who barricaded himself inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas — killing 19 students and two adults before law enforcement officers killed him — had used a firearm made by Daniel Defense. He then asked whether the White House would consider pulling back the $3 million PPP loan in light of the fact that their product had been used to perpetrate a mass shooting.</p>
<p><strong>WATCH:</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/shearm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shearm</a> asks whether the White House plans to &quot;claw back&quot; the PPP loan obtained (legally) by the company that made the firearm used by Uvalde shooter.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@presssec</a> asks for the name of the company. <a href="https://t.co/gBm6ThIfBb">pic.twitter.com/gBm6ThIfBb</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAKruta/status/1529929289231220739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;First, apparently the company that sold the shooter his rifles received a $3 million PPP loan under the last administration,&#8221; Shear began. &#8220;Do you know if there&#8217;s any effort by this administration to claw that money back?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;So this is the first I&#8217;m hearing about this, so I would have to go back to the team and look into it,&#8221; Jean-Pierre replied. &#8220;Do you know the name of the company?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The company is Daniel Defense, D-a-n-i-e-l Defense, apparently they received a $3.1 million PPP loan right at the beginning,&#8221; Shear continued. &#8220;My colleagues have been writing about it apparently today, but if &#8230; assuming that is confirmed, would the president do you think support the idea of trying to claw that money back?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I — honestly, Michael, I need to check with the team and make sure that is actually factual, but I need to check with the team,&#8221; Jean-Pierre said again.</p>
<p>Daniel Defense, located in Savannah, Georgia, was founded in 2001 and is one of the largest private gun manufacturers in the United States — thanks to millions in government contracts for weapons components that are used by the U.S. military.</p>
<p>Since the Uvalde shooter bragged about <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/uvalde-gun-daniel-defense-pulls-out-nra-event-houston">purchasing his firearm from Daniel Defense</a>, the company has faced a barrage of attacks on social media — many critical of a photo posted by the company showing a young boy holding a rifle across his lap. &#8220;Train up a child in the way he should go,&#8221; the caption reads. &#8220;And when he is old, he will not depart from it.&#8221;</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/Gaber205/status/1529482499897929728</p>
<p>In the days since the shooting, Daniel Defense has made its official Twitter account private and the company has <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2022/05/25/guns-used-uvalde-shooting-prompt-outcry-could-lead-lawsuits/9929998002/">reportedly been removed</a> from the list of vendors scheduled to appear at Friday&#8217;s scheduled annual meeting of the National Rifle Association (NRA).</p>
<p>Steve Reed, the company&#8217;s vice president of marketing, issued a statement on the tragedy. &#8220;We are deeply saddened by the tragic events in Texas this week. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and community devastated by this evil act,&#8221; he said, adding that the company would cooperate with federal, state, and local law enforcement.</p>


Media Briefing Held By Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre At The White House

NYT Reporter Asks If White House Will ‘Claw Back’ COVID Relief Loan From Gun Manufacturer After Uvalde Shooting

COVID-19

New York Times

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

School Shooting

Uvalde

White House

<p>Arizona banks may soon be barred from discriminating against businesses in the firearms industry.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Under a new bill, </span><a href="https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/bills/HB2473H.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HB2473,</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> banks would be prohibited from receiving government contracts if they don&#8217;t pledge to avoid discriminating against those in the firearms industry. The legislation would not impact existing contracts. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Businesses can do what they like, but these are the ones speaking are federally chartered banks. We have to make this right for the people,” State Rep. Frank Carroll told The Daily Wire. “[These banks] are saying they have a right to make political decisions about banking. What is that to the people that need banking services?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During a committee hearing last month, Ruger Firearms VPO Tim Lowney said their decades-long relationship with Bank of America was cut abruptly cut short. The bank had informed Lowney they would no longer do business with his company because they’re in the firearms industry. Ruger has over 400 employees in Arizona. </span></p>
<p>Lowney said Ruger faced similar problems at other banks, and that firearms dealers are also suffering.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arizona Bankers Association (ABA) spokesman Jay Kaprosy argued that there weren’t any circumstances in which a business was entirely unable to obtain banking due to their relation in the firearms industry. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have searched high and low trying to find circumstances in which there is a firearms business or a rampant set of firearms businesses that are going without a bank [or] banking relationship. We’ve been unable to find any,” said Kaprosy. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has been engaged in similar legislation across the country, in Congress and in states like Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Kansas. NSSF Public Affairs Director Mark Oliva told The Daily Wire that these bills ensure that people’s right to bear arms truly remains viable: if banks stop those in the firearm industry from doing business, then people may not be able to obtain those firearms.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You are born with your inherent right to exercise your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. That right doesn&#8217;t exist unless you have the ability to go down to a gun counter and buy a gun,&#8221; said Oliva. &#8220;Unless you have the right to go down and lawfully obtain a firearm, that right is on paper only.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Major banks with policies limiting or outright prohibiting business with those in the firearms industry include CitiGroup, which, for example, turns away those who sell firearms to individuals under 21 or who haven’t passed a background check, as well as those who sell bump stocks or high-capacity magazines. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These groups are trying to institute laws that are going well beyond what’s prescribed in federal and state laws to institute their own gun agenda through their own corporate largesse,” said Oliva. “They’re unaccountable to the American public. This is why we elect leaders, because they can represent us on these issues. If we disagree with them, we have the ability to vote them out. We don&#8217;t have that ability with the corporate boardrooms.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even speaking in favor of non-discrimination legislation may come at a cost. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NSSF told The Daily Wire how Brandon Maddox, founder of a suppressor manufacturer and distributor Silencer Central, had his service terminated with Capital One earlier this year after he testified in favor of similar legislation in South Dakota. Up until Capital One turned him away, Maddox was required to use a personal credit card for his business because the bank’s policies prevented him from getting a corporate card. Maddox applied for a corporate card by listing as a sporting goods business before </span><a href="https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/south-dakota/bill-to-penalize-banks-over-gun-policies-fails-in-sd-senate-committee"><span style="font-weight: 400;">testifying</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in favor of the proposed non-discrimination legislation. Almost immediately, Capital One denied his application for a corporate card and informed him that they terminated his private card service.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Banking policies barring business with those in the firearms industry have been underway for years, largely in response to mass and school shootings. In 2018, national headlines </span><a href="https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2018/06/24/gun-industry-sees-banks-as-new-threat-to-second-amendment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reflected</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> a major culmination of banks’ efforts, noting one example of how payment processing services Stripe and Intuit refused to do business with a small handgun company in Georgia.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That kind of behavior may come to a halt in Arizona soon with HB2473. It passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee at the end of March, and awaits scheduling for a final vote on the Senate floor. </span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Corinne Murdock is a reporter for The Daily Wire and AZ Free News. Have something you think the mainstream media won’t cover? Send tips to </span></i><a href="mailto:corinnejournalist@gmail.com"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">corinnejournalist@gmail.com</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>


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