Attorney says sale of rifle to 345 Park Avenue shooter was legal
Via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, attorney Chris Rasmussen issued multiple statements in support of Rick Ackley, who sold the AR-15-style rifle to Shane Tamura.
'Rick Ackley administered the transfer of the firearm used in the tragedy in New York lawfully complying with Nevada and Federal gun laws on October 2, 2024,' Rasmussen said in a statement issued to ESPN.
In a separate statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rasmussen said Ackley 'legally sold a firearm to the suspect in the New York shooting and is not a suspect or considered to have any nefarious involvement.'
Separate and apart from the question of whether the sale was legal is the question of whether it should be. Does the Second Amendment guarantee access to weapons that can outgun a police officer?
Should the background checks for that type of gun be far more stringent?
There are fair and appropriate questions to ask, as part of a broader conversation about how to eradicate the tangible risk that everyone necessarily assumes when leaving their home and going to a public place.
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Trump wields funding card in fight with DC
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Yahoo
17 hours ago
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Trump's answer to numbers he doesn't like: Change them or throw them away
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The Trump administration has also discontinued dozens of climate databases and government-funded studies, including efforts to quantify the damage caused by natural disasters and to understand how the heaviest rainfall will intensify as the planet warms. Officials have removed key climate data and reports from the internet. The administration took down the website of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which shared congressionally mandated reports about climate change impacts across the country. And it deleted a repository for research and forecasts, though it said such information would continue to be posted on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. Trump's budget proposal for NOAA would eliminate nearly all of the agency's labs focused on climate, weather and oceans - institutions whose studies are key to weather and climate forecasting and improving our understanding of everything from summer thunderstorms to the El Niño climate pattern. Businesses rely on this data to inform plans for tourism, fisheries and shipping. The changes reflect the administration's commitment to 'eliminating bias and producing Gold Standard Science research driven by verifiable data,' Rogers said in a statement. As the Trump administration attempts to shutter the Education Department, its ability to publish accurate and timely data was thrown into question after deep cuts to the department's staff. Virtually the entire staff of the National Center for Education Statistics was laid off, and while much of the work is done by contractors, researchers worry that there are no longer enough government workers to check and disseminate collected data. The center's work is critical to researchers, policymakers and journalists, with a wide range of data including the demographics of students and schools, courses offered, crime on campuses, and school spending. Already, the Education Department missed its June deadline to publish the annual Condition of Education report, the authoritative source for education data from preschool through university. The agency has continued to publish some data tables but far fewer than in past years. The Trump administration has also called for more information about the consideration of applicants' race in college admissions. 'Greater transparency is essential to exposing unlawful practices and ultimately ridding society of shameful, dangerous racial hierarchies,' Trump said in a memorandum issued last week, as he ordered the Education Department to begin collecting detailed data from all colleges that receive federal financial aid. That includes grades and test scores for both applicants and students, broken down by race. The White House has argued that a lack of data has hindered enforcement of a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that the use of race-conscious admissions is unconstitutional. 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West Virginia sends hundreds of National Guard members to Washington at Trump team's request
Advertisement A protest against Trump's intervention drew scores to Dupont Circle on Saturday afternoon before a march to the White House, about 1.5 miles away. Demonstrators assembled behind a banner that said 'No fascist takeover of D.C.,' and some in the crowd held signs that said 'No military occupation.' Trump was at his Virginia golf club after Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Gov. Patrick Morrisey, announced Saturday that he was sending a contingent of 300 to 400 members. 'West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital,' Morrisey said. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey spoke at the state capitol in Charleston, in January. Chris Jackson/Associated Press Morgan Taylor, one of the organizers who coordinated Saturday's protest, said they were hoping to spark enough backlash to Trump's actions that the administration would be forced to pull back on its crime and immigration agenda. Advertisement 'It's hot, but I'm glad to be here. It's good to see all these people out here,' she said. 'I can't believe that this is happening in this country at this time.' Fueling the protests were concerns about Trump overreach and that he had used crime as a pretext to impose his will on Washington. John Finnigan, 55. was taking an afternoon bike ride when he ran into the protest in downtown Washington. The real estate construction manager who has lived in the capital for 27 years said that Trump's moves were 'ridiculous' because 'crime is at a 30-year-low here.' 'Hopefully some of the mayors and some of the residents will get out in front of it and try and make it harder for it to happen in other cities,' Finnigan said. Jamie Dickstein, a 24-year-old teacher, said she was 'very uncomfortable and worried' for the safety or her students given the 'unmarked officers of all types' now roaming Washington and detaining people. Dickstein said she turned out to the protest with friends and relatives to 'prevent a continuous domino effect going forward with other cities.' Activists carried signs during a protest against President Trump's federal takeover of policing of the District of Columbia, on Saturday. Alex Brandon/Associated Press The West Virginia activation suggests the administration sees the need for additional manpower, after the president personally played down the need for Washington to hire more police officers. Maj. Gen. James Seward, West Virginia's adjutant general, said in a statement that members of the state's National Guard 'stand ready to support our partners in the National Capital Region' and that the Guard's 'unique capabilities and preparedness make it an invaluable partner in this important undertaking.' Advertisement Federal agents have appeared in some of the city's most highly trafficked neighborhoods, garnering a mix of praise, pushback and alarm from local residents and leaders across the country. City leaders, who are obliged to cooperate with the president's order under the federal laws that direct the district's local governance, have sought to work with the administration, though they have bristled at the scope of the president's takeover. On Friday, the administration District officials say they are evaluating how to best comply. District of Columbia National Guard soldiers posed for photos with people outside Union Station, on Saturday. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press In his order on Monday, Trump declared an emergency due to the 'city government's failure to maintain public order.' He said that impeded the 'federal government's ability to operate efficiently to address the nation's broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence.' In a letter to city residents, Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, wrote that 'our limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now.' She added that if Washingtonians stick together, 'we will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy — even when we don't have full access to it.' Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.
