Hundreds of bodega workers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">New York City</a> are applying for concealed-carry gun permits as the city struggles with ongoing violent theft.
The United Bodegas of America, the union representing bodega workers, announced Sunday that it has helped at least 230 bodega owners apply for firearm licenses.
Bodegas, the city&#8217;s small convenience stores, are often located in high-crime neighborhoods, making them a frequent target for criminals, in some cases armed ones.
After the pandemic, the bodega union said it formed a &#8220;secret society of gun owners&#8221; for bodega employees in New York City to obtain concealed-carry licenses. The list of which store owners are armed will remain a secret, the union said.
&#8220;Anyone that&#8217;s out there looking to rob us, hurt us, kill us – beware,&#8221; said union spokesman Fernando Mateo. &#8220;You may be walking into the wrong bodega because now we have the same firepower you have.&#8221;
The union connects store owners with concealed-carry classes required by the state to obtain a permit. Instructors like Johnny Nunez, a retired NYPD sergeant and former New York City police academy instructor, teach the courses.
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The gun ownership movement comes in the wake of several high-profile deadly crimes in bodegas over the last few years.
Back in 2018, a 15-year-old boy <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/lesandro-junior-feliz-guzman-murder-five-sentenced-after-2018-killing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entered</a> a Bronx bodega before he was dragged out and stabbed to death by Trinitarios gang members.
In March, a double shooting at a Bronx bodega left one man dead. Just weeks before that, a deli worker on the Upper East Side was <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/bronx-bodega-shooting-wakefield" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot</a> and killed by an armed robber with a criminal record.
In October, a man <a href="https://brooklyn.news12.com/bodega-workers-call-for-more-safety-measures-in-response-to-mount-hope-fatal-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot</a> another man in the stomach and chased him into a bodega before police arrived. The victim ultimately died.
Bodegas are not the only retail stores packing heat in New York.
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About a quarter of the National Supermarket Association&#8217;s members in the city are now carrying guns as well, compared to only 10% before the pandemic, the group <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/02/metro/nyc-bodega-owners-grocers-arming-themselves-with-guns-amid-violent-thefts-plaguing-big-apple/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Robberies, assaults, burglaries, and grand larceny are all up double-digit percentages from two years ago in New York City, although they are down this year from last year, <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs-en-us-city.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NYPD data.
Shootings are down significantly after <a href="https://www.thecity.nyc/2020/12/21/why-are-shootings-up-in-new-york-city-in-2020-nypd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spiking</a> in 2020, after which the bodega union began its push for gun licenses.
Retail theft has also risen dramatically. From 2021 to 2022, shoplifting complaints jumped 44%, the mayor&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/340-23/mayor-adams-plan-combat-retail-theft-new-york-city#/0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> earlier this year.
More than 300 repeat offenders committed 30% of last year&#8217;s retail thefts, which totaled more than 22,000 incidents, Mayor Eric Adams (D) said in May when he launched a task force to combat the issue.
The bodega union&#8217;s president, Radhames Rodriguez, 60, owns several bodegas in the Bronx and said he obtained his concealed-carry license two months ago and bought a 9mm Smith &amp; Wesson pistol.
Rodriguez said that in the 1980s, he had a “premises” gun permit, but he let his license lapse as the city became less dangerous in recent decades.
Now, however, “it started looking like in the ‘80s, the ‘90s,” Rodriguez <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/02/metro/nyc-bodega-owners-grocers-arming-themselves-with-guns-amid-violent-thefts-plaguing-big-apple/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post. “That’s why I applied, and this is why I have it.”
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Powerball Jackpot Grows To Over 700 Million

Hundreds Of NYC Bodega Workers Applying For Gun Permits Amid Violent Thefts

Crime

Gun Rights

Guns

New York

New York City

U.S.

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s administration</a> has reportedly delayed sending thousands of M-16 rifles to Israel because it is angered that Itamar Ben Gvir, the Minister of National Security of Israel, has turned the distribution of the weapons to Israeli citizens into events that generate significant media attention.
Ben Gvir, a right-wing nationalist, has been distributing weapons to civilian security squads in towns following Hamas&#8217; unprecedented terrorist attack on October 7 when thousands of terrorists stormed into Israel and massacred entire towns of unarmed civilians.
The Biden administration was reportedly furious that Ben Gvir posted photographs on his social media accounts of the weapons being distributed to Israeli civilians, The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-said-to-delay-shipment-of-weapons-for-security-squads-due-to-ben-gvirs-conduct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Apparently wanting to show the world that Israel is arming its citizens to stop Islamic terrorist attacks is offensive to the Biden administration.
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השר לביטחון לאומי איתמר בן גביר בחלוקת עשרות נשקים למתנדבים חרדים בכיתת הכוננות בעיר אלעד. <a href="https://t.co/1Skmb64JBA">pic.twitter.com/1Skmb64JBA</a>
&mdash; ישי כהן (@ishaycoen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ishaycoen/status/1713943118024954333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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חוזר כעת מחלוקת נשק ברמלה, בשבוע האחרון חילקנו אלפי נשקים בדרום ובצפון. מכאן אני ממשיך לחלוקת נשק בערים נוספות, וזה בנוסף לעשרות הקלות משמעותיות וכניסת מאות אלפי אזרחי ישראל למעגל הזכאים לנשק. אני קורא לכל מי שזכאי &#8211; נשק מציל חיים. לכו ת ת ח מ ש ו! <a href="https://t.co/IBszPZGjQF">pic.twitter.com/IBszPZGjQF</a>
&mdash; איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) <a href="https://twitter.com/itamarbengvir/status/1713884024249180617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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בהצלחה למתנדבים בכיתות הכוננות החדשות של משטרת ישראל בעיר אילת. ממשיכים לחמש את ישראל. <a href="https://t.co/SdeIGT7O3P">pic.twitter.com/SdeIGT7O3P</a>
&mdash; איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) <a href="https://twitter.com/itamarbengvir/status/1724836883706843470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The administration also was apparently worried that Ben Gvir could arm Israeli citizens living in Judea and Samaria as Islamic terror attacks have been rapidly escalating in the area.
The U.S. is now reportedly demanding that the weapons be distributed by the IDF or police and that they cannot be distributed to individuals beyond the Green Line.
Israel is also reportedly concerned that a larger shipment of 15,000 rifles ordered from the U.S. could also be placed on hold. Approximately 7,000 rifles have been distributed thus far since October 7.
The news comes as Hamas terrorist leaders have continued to threaten a repeat of the October 7 attacks and to incite Muslims to launch attacks against Israel from Judea and Samaria.
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&#8220;Telegram channels identified with Hamas&#8217; student organization, the Islamic Bloc, and especially with its branches in the West Bank, are especially active in spreading threats and incitement of this kind,&#8221; the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) <a href="https://www.memri.org/reports/hamas-threatens-repeat-october-7-attack-or-west-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. &#8220;In a November 16 post on its Telegram channel, for example, the Islamic Bloc urged the people of the West Bank to emulate the October 7 attack by storming Israeli localities within their reach. Other posts on this channel likewise incite terrorism and provide operational advice on carrying out effective attacks.&#8221;

MEXICO-VIOLENCE-MICHOACAN-SELF PROTECTION

Biden Delays Shipment Of 4,500 M-16 Rifles To Israel Because Of Right-Wing Israeli Politician: Report

Biden Administration

Global Politics

Israel

World

Newly-released outtakes from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alec-baldwin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alec Baldwin&#8217;s</a> film &#8220;Rust&#8221; show that even when he believed the firearm was loaded with blanks, the actor warned cinematographer Halyna Hutchins to get out of the line of fire.
According to a <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/11/16/alec-baldwin-fires-prop-gun-rust-set-halyna-hutchins-new-footage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published on Thursday by entertainment site TMZ, Baldwin could be seen in the video clearly telling Hutchins and others to get out of the line of fire — even though he believed he was using a gun that was not loaded with live ammunition at the time.
NBC News showed some of the footage during Thursday morning&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;Today,&#8221; which showed Baldwin filming several scenes in the days before the tragic shooting that killed Hutchins on set.
WATCH:
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A series of videos exclusively obtained by <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCNews</a> gives a never-before-seen glimpse of Alec Baldwin handling at least one prop gun and interacting with crew members while he was filming scenes for “Rust.” <a href="https://twitter.com/ChloeMelas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChloeMelas</a> reports. <a href="https://t.co/FrnjmlDzd8">pic.twitter.com/FrnjmlDzd8</a>
&mdash; TODAY (@TODAYshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1725141760513364060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A female voice can be heard just before the one-minute mark saying, &#8220;Everyone doesn&#8217;t need to be right here in the path of the gun. Could you please move?&#8221;
&#8220;I just want to be over him a little bit, so I can see &#8230;&#8221; another said of Baldwin.
&#8220;Now, wait a second,&#8221; Baldwin objected. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to shoot right. Do you want to go on the other side of the camera? I don&#8217;t want to shoot toward you &#8230; I want to shoot close to you.&#8221;
The outtakes, reportedly filmed just days before Hutchins was killed, come as the Santa Fe District Attorney&#8217;s office weighs the possibility of bringing new charges against the actor. Baldwin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alec-baldwin-charged-with-involuntary-manslaughter-over-2021-rust-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was charged</a> with involuntary manslaughter, but the initial charges against him were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charges-dropped-against-alec-baldwin-in-fatal-rust-shooting-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later dropped</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-friday-gift-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE</a>
The film has since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rust-will-resume-production-in-2023-with-alec-baldwin-in-lead-despite-involuntary-manslaughter-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned to production</a>, with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65334707#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">director Joel Souza</a> — who was also shot with the bullet that killed Hutchins — still at the helm and Bianca Cline taking on the role of cinematographer. Pursuant to a lawsuit, which Baldwin settled, Hutchins&#8217; husband Matthew was also brought on as an executive producer on the project.

Alec Baldwin

‘I Don’t Want To Shoot Toward You’: New ‘Rust’ Outtakes Show Alec Baldwin Wanted Hutchins To Stand Clear

'I Don't Want To Shoot Toward You': New 'Rust' Outtakes Show Alec Baldwin Wanted Hutchins To Stand Clear

Celebrities

Hollywood

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a Biden administration ATF rule that sought to regulate guns without serial numbers and redefine the term “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firearm</a>.”
The court on Thursday said that the ATF had no legal authority to put forth a rule that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/27/us/politics/ghost-guns-atf-rule.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would require</a> gun vendors to treat firearm parts like pistol grips and firing mechanisms as fully completed firearms, meaning they would need to have serial numbers. The rule, which was first rolled out in April 2022, was intended for the ATF to be able track homemade guns.
Judges at the Fifth Circuit unanimously said the ATF had usurped legislative authority and that the ATF was trying to take broader regulatory authority than it actually had.
“Where an executive agency in what is, for all intents and purposes, ‘law making,’ the legislature is deprived of its final function under our Constitution, and our citizens are robbed of their right to fair representation in government. This is especially true when the executive rule-turned-law criminalizes conduct without the say of the people who are subject to its penalties,” Judge Kurt Engelhardt <a href="https://aboutblaw.com/bbpJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
“ATF, in promulgating its Final Rule, attempted to take on the mantle of Congress to ‘do something’ with respect to gun control,” Engelhardt added. “But it is not the province of an executive agency to write laws for our nation. That vital duty, for better or for worse, lies solely with the legislature.”
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The rule had been allowed to stay in place by the Supreme Court during lower court adjudication. The Department of Justice will likely appeal the Fifth Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court.
Judge Andrew Oldham was critical of the ATF’s new rule, saying that it would allow a broad swath of regulations not explicitly spelled out in the rule.
“The Final Rule is limitless. It purports to regulate any piece of metal or plastic that has been machined beyond its primordial state for fear that it might one day be turned into a gun, a gun frame, or a gun receiver,” he wrote. “And it doesn’t stop regulating the metal or plastic until it’s melted back down to ooze.”

US-NEWS-SCOTUS-GHOST-GUNS-NY

Appeals Court Rules Against ‘Limitless’ Biden ATF Rule Changing The Definition Of Firearm

Appeals Court Rules Against 'Limitless' Biden ATF Rule Changing The Definition Of Firearm

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

Courts

Ghost Guns

Gun Control

Supreme Court

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> on Friday agreed to take up a challenge to a ban on bump stocks put in place by former President Donald Trump after a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017.
The Biden administration asked the high court to uphold the Trump-era policy. Gun rights supporters also requested the court take up the issue and strike the ban down, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-review-trump-era-ban-gun-bump-stocks-rcna121466" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
The ban has been litigated in lower courts for years. Federal courts have reached differing conclusions on the issue, which is whether the Trump administration had the authority under the National Firearms Act of 1934 and Gun Control Act of 1968 to ban bump stocks.
The United States has long banned machine guns, which are capable of firing multiple rounds per each time the trigger is pulled. A bump stock is a device that can be attached to a semi-automatic firearm and reduce the length of time between trigger pulls by harnessing the gun’s energy from recoil.
Officials estimate over half a million bump stocks were sold in the United States before the Trump administration ordered them turned over to authorities, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4292410-supreme-court-trump-era-bump-stock-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
The case hinges on the boundaries of executive authority outlined in federal gun laws.
“The interpretive rule did not alter or enlarge the scope of the statutory prohibition on possessing or transferring new machineguns,” the Justice Department said in a court filing, according to The Hill. “The rule instead merely served to inform the public of ATF’s considered view that bump stocks are ‘machineguns’ as Congress defined that term.”
But gun rights proponents disagree. Gun shop owner and firearms instructor Michael Cargill is one of the challengers to the Trump-era reinterpretation of the law. Cargill’s legal team says that use of a bump stock does not fundamentally change the weapon into an automatic firearm.
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“A weapon is not a machine gun if something more is required of the shooter than a single function of the trigger to produce more than one shot,” Cargill’s Supreme Court <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-976/268622/20230607180529147_22-976%20Garland%20v%20Cargill%20Brief%20in%20Opp.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brief</a> said.
“The plain meaning of that sentence is that a weapon is not a ‘machinegun’ if something more is required of the shooter than a single function of the trigger to produce more than one shot. And, as the Final Rule concedes, the shooter must do considerably more than pull the trigger once if he wishes the weapon to fire multiple shots,” the brief says.

U.S. Supreme Court

Supreme Court Agrees To Take Up Challenge To Trump-Era Bump Stock Ban

Donald Trump

Second Amendment

Washington D.C.

Law enforcement officials in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine</a> found the 40-year-old man suspected of murdering at least 18 people at two locations on Wednesday night after a near 48-hour period of searching.
&#8220;[The suspect] has been found dead, @SenAngusKing tells me,&#8221; said reporter Michael Shepherd with the Bangor Daily News.
He added, &#8220;He was found dead in Lisbon near a recycling center where he used to work in the same clothes he had on during the shootings on Wednesday.&#8221;
NBC News, ABC News, and others also quickly confirmed the news with senior law enforcement officials.
The suspect apparently took his own life with a firearm; authorities previously found in his home what they believed to be a suicide note.
The suspect was initially referred to by police as a &#8220;person of interest&#8221; as they began a manhunt for the 40-year-old trained firearms expert, who they said was &#8220;armed and dangerous.&#8221; During a press conference Thursday morning, police <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/lewiston-maine-shootings-active-shooter-10-25-23/h_aa8d8c0ca96766b3a8ccf441ed272659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named</a> him as the suspect in the shootings.
Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills said that at least 18 people have been confirmed dead after the shootings when the suspect allegedly fired upon groups of people in two different locations. Police <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maine-lewiston-active-shooter-police/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to reports of a shooting at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley 10 minutes away. Eight victims were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/lewiston-maine-shooting-manhunt-gunman-police-live-rcna122270" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> dead at the bar and grille, and another seven were found dead at the bowling alley. Another three people were pronounced dead at area hospitals.
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The Daily Wire briefly named the suspect and showed his photograph since he was considered dangerous and on the run from authorities. Now that he is no longer a threat, The Daily Wire will no longer use his name or show his photo due to company policy about depriving mass shooters of the notoriety that they often seek. The Daily Wire is also removing the suspect&#8217;s name and image from previously published reports.
Zach Jewel contributed to this report.

18 Dead After Mass Shooter Goes On A Rampage In Maine

Police Find Suspect Accused Of Maine Mass Shooting: Report

Maine

Mass Shooting

At least 18 people were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly murdered</a> on Wednesday night and more than a dozen were wounded when a man went on a shooting spree in Maine.
The shootings appears to have happened at multiple locations in Lewiston, including Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, previously known as Sparetime Recreation, and Schemengees Bar &amp; Grille Restaurant.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) posted a photo of the alleged suspect and encouraged anyone who sees the individual to immediately contact law enforcement.
Maine State Police said in a post that there was an active shooter in the city and encouraged everyone to shelter in place.
&#8220;Please stay inside your home with the doors locked,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Law enforcement is currently investigating at two locations right now. Again please stay off the streets and allow law enforcement to diffuse the situation. If you see any suspicious activity or individuals please call 911. Updates to follow.&#8221;
The nearby city of Auburn also &#8220;strongly&#8221; urged residents to shelter in place because of the shooting in Lewiston.
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**ALERT: There is an active shooter incident in progress in the City of Lewiston. ALL Auburn &amp; Lewiston residents are strongly urged to shelter in place, lock all doors &amp; report suspicious individuals and activities to 9-1-1. Most businesses in the area have closed/are closing.**
&mdash; City of Auburn, Maine (@AuburnMaineGov) <a href="https://twitter.com/AuburnMaineGov/status/1717336784747495549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Maine Governor Janet Mills said that she was &#8220;aware of and have been briefed on the active shooter situation in Lewiston.&#8221;
&#8220;I urge all people in the area to follow the direction of State and local enforcement,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I will to continue to monitor the situation and remain in close contact with public safety officials.&#8221;
The White House said that President Joe Biden was aware of the shooting and was following updates.
The Daily Wire has a policy of not naming mass shooters to deprive them of undeserved notoriety but will temporarily provide names and images of suspects on the run or persons of interest to assist law enforcement in their apprehension.
This report has been updated to include the most accurate current information from officials.

Generic police lights and crime scene tape

18+ Dead, 13+ Injured In Mass Shooting

16+ Dead, 13+ Injured In Mass Shooting

The NYPD arrested a Republican city councilwoman early Friday morning after she was allegedly spotted with a handgun in her pants at a pro-Palestinian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel">protest</a>.
New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, 39, was taken into custody around 3 a.m. after Thursday&#8217;s pro-Palestinian demonstration at Brooklyn College.
Earlier at the protest, Vernikov recorded and posted a video of herself standing near the protesters.
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At <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynCollege?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrooklynCollege</a> rally this afternoon with <a href="https://twitter.com/CMFarahLouis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CMFarahLouis</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/KalmanYeger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KalmanYeger</a>. If you’re standing w/ the protestors, yelling “GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA” &amp; “FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE” while innocent women and babies are being raped, massacred and beheaded, you’re… <a href="https://t.co/7ESRAGrjtb">pic.twitter.com/7ESRAGrjtb</a>
&mdash; Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) <a href="https://twitter.com/InnaVernikov/status/1712565826706931955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I&#8217;m here at the pro-Hamas rally in Brooklyn College. There is a ton of police, and we made sure that Jewish students feel safe today,&#8221; she said in the video, which was posted to X.
In the background, the pro-Palestinian protesters could be heard chanting, &#8220;Free, free Palestine!&#8221;
&#8220;This is what they&#8217;re doing, protesting, supporting Hamas, asking to globalize the intifada, to bring the terror that the people of Israel are experiencing now, to bring it here to New York City,&#8221; Vernikov said.
&#8220;If you are here today standing with these people, you are nothing short of a terrorist without the bombs,&#8221; she added.
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Vernikov was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, police said.
&#8220;The Councilwoman was at the location observing a pro-Palestine protest which was taking place, and in the course of doing so, the Councilwoman was observed with the butt-end of a firearm (handgun) protruding from the front portion of her pants,&#8221; the NYPD <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/nyc-lawmaker-inna-vernikov-arrested-allegedly-bringing-gun-brooklyn-college-pro-palestinian-rally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.
&#8220;This image was disseminated on social media, per photos taken at the scene by various individuals,&#8221; the NYPD said.
Vernikov, a Ukrainian-born lawyer who <a href="https://abc7ny.com/councilmember-gun-rally-inna-vernikov/13907856/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">represents</a> southern Brooklyn, later turned herself in to police. She surrendered both her licensed gun and her permit license, the NYPD said.
&#8220;At no point in time was anyone menaced or injured as a result of her possessing the firearm at the earlier protest,&#8221; the NYPD added.
Under New York state law, it is <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nyc-lawmaker-arrested-after-bringing-gun-protest-brooklyn-103960530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal</a> to bring a gun to a protest, even for licensed gun owners.
Both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests have broken out in cities across the country, including in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta.
The demonstrations are sparked by last weekend’s terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas, which killed <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip/card/latest-death-toll-in-israel-and-gaza-eoVPFI8WcXN0mzIR73pY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about</a> 1,300 people, including at least 27 Americans.
The NYPD ramped up security ahead of dueling protests across the city.
Within hours after Hamas’ attacks on Israel began, disturbing, graphic videos circulated showing murdered Israeli civilians, as well as Hamas soldiers with hostages, including children, the elderly, and bloodied women who appear to have been sexually assaulted.
Israel is now waging a massive counteroffensive, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians-death-toll-ground-offensive-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launching</a> hundreds of airstrikes in Hamas-controlled territory, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-tells-gaza-residents-stay-home-israel-ground-offensive-looms-2023-10-13/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mobilizing</a> 300,000 reservists, and putting tanks near the Gaza border.

US-NEWS-ISRAEL-HAMAS-NY-PROTEST-GUN-NY

NYC Republican Councilwoman Arrested For Allegedly Bringing Licensed Handgun To Pro-Palestinian Protest

General

Hamas

Palestinians

One person was shot and injured Thursday in northern New Mexico at a protest over a statue of a Spanish conquistador.
A man was rushed to the hospital after gunfire broke out in the city of Española at a protest against installing a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate. Española is about 25 miles north of Santa Fe.
Authorities took the suspected shooter, Ryan Martinez, 23, into custody and said they are not looking for any other suspects in connection with the shooting.
The shooting <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/juan-de-onate-shooting-new-mexico-statue-spanish-conquistador-espanola/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">happened</a> just before 12:30 p.m. local time outside the county&#8217;s offices, Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield said.
The suspect had <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/29/protest-in-new-mexico-over-statue-of-spanish-conquistador-juan-de-onate-leaves-one-shot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> been told to leave by police after getting into a verbal altercation with protesters and using obscene language.
In cell phone video footage of the moments leading up to the shooting, the suspect is seen returning to the protest and jumping over a short wall as several protesters try to grab him.
“Hey, hey, hey. Let him go!” one person shouts.
The suspect breaks free and jumps over the wall one more time, then pulls out a handgun and fires one shot into the group of people.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/ABQJournal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABQJournal</a> photographer <a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMoore8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EddieMoore8</a> captures this photo of the shooter at the rally against a Juan de Oñate statue in northern New Mexico. Here&#39;s what we know: <a href="https://t.co/CZra8YWLtR">https://t.co/CZra8YWLtR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/breakingnews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#breakingnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/newmexico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#newmexico</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shooting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#shooting</a> <a href="https://t.co/qZhles3MW8">pic.twitter.com/qZhles3MW8</a>
&mdash; Lucas Peerman (@LucasPeerman) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasPeerman/status/1707470303528436010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: New video shows the moments leading up the shooting at the Juan de Oñate statue protest outside the Rio Arribia County building. <a href="https://twitter.com/KOB4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KOB4</a> <a href="https://t.co/6aCoJLpBlF">pic.twitter.com/6aCoJLpBlF</a>
&mdash; Ryan Laughlin (@RyanLaughlinKOB) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanLaughlinKOB/status/1707515074833703059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIDEO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIDEO</a> shows what led to shooting at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnateStatue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnateStatue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/protest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#protest</a> in Rio Arriba County. Go to :30 mark. One suspect in custody &#8211; no update on victim&#39;s condition. <a href="https://twitter.com/KOB4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KOB4</a> <a href="https://t.co/ywngiFWhWX">pic.twitter.com/ywngiFWhWX</a>
&mdash; Tessa Mentus (@TessaMentus) <a href="https://twitter.com/TessaMentus/status/1707508735512383614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Afterwards, the suspect can be seen in the video running away across a parking lot as several people chase him. Screaming can be heard in the background.
The victim was shot in the upper torso, and his condition was unknown as of Thursday, the sheriff&#8217;s spokesperson said.
&#8220;Once again, the saddest part about this is we have another incident of gun violence,&#8221; Merrifield <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/29/protest-in-new-mexico-over-statue-of-spanish-conquistador-juan-de-onate-leaves-one-shot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a news briefing on the incident.
The previous day, county officials had postponed installing the statue over concerns it would cause backlash that could lead to safety concerns, but protesters still showed up. Merrifield said he had written to county commissioners last week warning them about his safety concerns with erecting the statue outside the county building.
&#8220;I&#8217;m very grateful for that, and they made the decision to not do it, with all the safety concerns that have risen from this,&#8221; the sheriff <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/juan-de-onate-shooting-new-mexico-statue-spanish-conquistador-espanola/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The New Mexico State Police is heading the investigation into the shooting.
Oñate is a controversial figure in New Mexico&#8217;s history. He is known for founding early Spanish settlements in the late 1500s, but he is also <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180925220604/http://www.pbs.org/pov/lastconquistador/background/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notorious</a> for the Acoma Massacre, Oñate&#8217;s brutal retaliation against the men, women, and children of a Native American tribe that had killed 13 Spaniards including Oñate&#8217;s nephew. He was later <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180925220604/http://www.pbs.org/pov/lastconquistador/background/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of excessive cruelty to both natives and colonists.
In 1997, protesters <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/30/us/statue-foot-new-mexico.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sawed off</a> the right foot on a bronze statue of Oñate in New Mexico, a reference to Oñate&#8217;s order that Acoma men have their right foot amputated. In June, 2020, a similar incident occurred in Albuquerque when a man <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/protester-shot-new-mexico-conquistador-juan-de-onate-statue-albuquerque/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was shot</a> as protesters tried to tear down a bronze statue of Oñate outside the Albuquerque Museum. After that shooting, the city said the statue would be removed until officials figure out next steps.
In recent years, statues of other historical figures with a range of legacies have been targeted with vandalism including Christopher <a href="https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/10/christopher-columbus-memorial-vandalized-with-genocider-spray-paint.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Columbus</a>, Confederate general Robert E. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/12/876124924/in-richmond-va-protestors-transform-a-confederate-statue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee</a>, and Saint Junipero <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/protest-over-das-decision-to-reduce-charges-in-junipero-serra-statue-vandalism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serra</a>.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, scenics

One Shot At New Mexico Protest Over Statue Of Spanish Conquistador

New Mexico

Woke Culture

Wokeness

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> law banning possession and sale of gun magazines holding more than 10 rounds was blocked by a federal judge who said the law was unconstitutional in a decision released on Friday.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California Roger Benitez wrote in a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.casd.533515/gov.uscourts.casd.533515.149.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">71-page ruling</a> that law-abiding citizens had constitutional rights to own magazines of greater than 10 rounds, and that there was no historic legal precedent giving California the right to pass such a law.
“Removable firearm magazines of all sizes are necessary components of semiautomatic firearms. Therefore, magazines come within the text of the constitutional declaration that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” Benitez wrote. “Because millions of removable firearm magazines able to hold between 10 and 30 rounds are commonly owned by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes, including self-defense, and because they are reasonably related to service in the militia, the magazines are presumptively within the protection of the Second Amendment.”
The judge said that California did not justify “its sweeping ban and dispossession mandate,” which was first passed via ballot initiative back in 2016.
“One government solution to a few mad men with guns is a law that makes into criminals responsible, law-abiding people wanting larger magazines simply to protect themselves. The history and tradition of the Second Amendment clearly supports state laws against the use or misuse of firearms with unlawful intent, but not the disarmament of the law-abiding citizen,” he wrote.
“The adoption of the Second Amendment was a freedom calculus decided long ago by our first citizens who cherished individual freedom with its risks more than the subservient security of a British ruler or the smothering safety of domestic lawmakers. The freedom they fought for was worth fighting for then, and that freedom is entitled to be preserved still,” the judge added.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1705383651159298416" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decried</a> the ruling, referring to Benitez as a “right-wing zealot with no regard to human life.”
“Wake up, America. Our gun safety laws will continue to be thrown out by NRA-owned federal judges until we pass a Constitutional Amendment to protect our kids and end the gun violence epidemic in America,” Newsom posted to X.
Benitez’s order won’t take effect for 10 days as California Attorney General Rob Bonta moves to get a stay on the ruling.

US-WEAPONRY-ARMS-GUN SHOW

California Law Capping Magazine Capacity Struck Down By Federal Judge

California

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> is reportedly creating the first-ever federal office of gun violence prevention, a step pushed by gun control activists.
Biden is set to make the announcement on Friday, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/19/biden-creates-gun-violence-prevention-office/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>. The president plans to leverage the new office, which will employ gun control activists in key roles, against Congress to push legislation on restricting firearms.
White House staff secretary Stefanie Feldman, a longtime Biden aide who has specialized in gun control research and legislation, will oversee the office’s work and be its liaison to the White House, the report said. Two senior members of gun control groups – the Community Justice Action Fund’s executive director, Greg Jackson, and Everytown for Gun Safety’s senior director for federal government affairs, Rob Wilcox – are expected to hold positions in the office, according to the Post.
Gun control groups are championing the report ahead of the office’s expected reveal in the White House Rose Garden on Friday afternoon.
“A White House office of gun violence prevention would build on the already tremendous record of President Biden and Vice President Harris on gun safety,” Peter Ambler, the executive director of a gun control group called Giffords, told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/19/biden-office-gun-violence-prevention-00116966" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>. “This has been a top priority of ours for years, and it would provide an important center of gravity for leadership across the administration as the President and Vice President implement the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and continue to push Congress to pass legislation to save lives. The hiring of Greg and Rob would show how seriously this administration takes its responsibility to address this crisis.”
Biden’s push for gun restrictions, such as a crackdown on “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines, has so far failed to gain enough traction to pass through Congress. The issue was a prominent agenda item in his presidential campaign at a time when he aligned himself with former U.S. representative and failed Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.
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Biden has also called for reforms that would mandate background checks across all gun purchases and strip immunity from gun manufacturers that “knowingly put weapons of war on our streets.” In February, he <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/14/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-five-years-since-parkland/#:~:text=I%20once%20again%20call%20on,of%20war%20on%20our%20streets." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pitched</a> the proposals as “commonsense gun law reforms.”
Despite his failure to move the reforms through Congress, the president’s administration has taken steps to crack down on gun sellers by reinterpreting federal statutes governing Federal Firearms Licenses.
Critics have panned the Biden administration’s stance toward gun sellers.
“This latest action by the Biden administration is yet another step in their campaign to attack law-abiding gun owners,” NRA Institute for Legislative Action executive director Randy Kozuch told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nra-biden-admins-proposal-firearms-background-checks-attack-law-abiding-gun-owners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> in September. “The Bipartisan ‘Safer Communities’ Act’s passage is now a pretext to require government permission before exercising a constitutional right.”
“It’s a stark reminder to legislators: give gun controllers any legislative tool, no matter how benign, and they’ll use it to shred the Second Amendment,” he said. “The Biden Administration will clearly use all the tools at their disposal to interfere with our freedoms while doing nothing to stop the violent criminals responsible for America’s recent crime surge.”

Joe Biden

Biden To Announce Office Of Gun Violence Prevention Staffed By Gun Control Activists: Report

Executive

Gun Violence

Politics

President Joe Biden&#8217;s son, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a>, will reportedly plead not guilty to federal gun charges, his lawyers said in a new court filing this week.
Hunter Biden&#8217;s legal team requested in the Tuesday letter to the Court that he be allowed to make his initial appearance in court via a video call.
&#8220;We write on behalf of our client, Robert Hunter Biden, in response to the Court’s Order issued on September 18, 2023, related to Mr. Biden’s initial appearance,&#8221; Biden attorney Abbe Lowell wrote in a letter to U.S. Magistrate Judge from the District of Delaware Christopher Burke. &#8220;We respectfully request that the Court hold Mr. Biden’s initial appearance in this matter by video conference.&#8221;
&#8220;Mr. Biden also will enter a plea of not guilty, and there is no reason why he cannot utter those two words by video conference,&#8221; Lowell continued. &#8220;In short, Mr. Biden is satisfied that his constitutional rights will be met by conducting his initial appearance by video conference.&#8221;
Lowell also argued that a video conference should be allowed because Hunter Biden&#8217;s Secret Service protection would mean that &#8220;numerous agents and vehicles are required for what would have to be a two-day event (for a proceeding that may be very short in duration).&#8221;
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Special counsel David Weiss filed charges against Hunter Biden this month son after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a plea deal that fell apart last month. The agreement fell apart after U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the limits of Hunter’s immunity under the deal.
The indictment charges the president’s son with three crimes related to false statements made on a federal application to purchase a firearm. The charges relate to a time when, in October 2018, Hunter claimed he was clean of drugs to purchase a handgun. He later wrote in his memoir that he was addicted to crack cocaine at the time.
Two of the counts carry max sentences of 10 years in prison, while the third carries a max sentence of 5 years, according to NBC News. The stiff sentences are a sharp contrast to the agreement worked out under the failed plea deal. The plea agreement would have freed Hunter from jail time and instead put him in a diversion program that, if completed successfully, would have wiped the gun charges from his record.
Hunter, “knowing that he was an unlawful user of and addicted to any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance … did knowingly possess a firearm, that is, a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver,” the indictment says.
This is a developing news story; refresh the page for updates.

Hunter Biden leaves Delaware court

Hunter Biden To Plead Not Guilty To Federal Gun Charges: Report

Hunter Biden

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