#background-checks

#background-checks

(Stephen Lam / San Francisco Chronicle)

In 2020, over the course of numerous investigations, the Los Angeles Police Department recovered more than 700 "ghost guns" - weapons often having no serial number and available without the need of a background check thanks to Nevada-based company Polymer80, according to the Los Angeles city attorney's office.

The fighters who have claimed responsibility for a rare assault just over the Ukrainian border in Russia's Belgorod region are members of a volunteer unit made up of Russian citizens who have been fighting with Ukraine's forces against their own country.The Free Russia Legion, as the volunteer unit is called, was created last August to provide a way for Russians opposed to the Kremlin's war in Ukraine to take up arms and fight alongside Ukrainians.

A judge in Virginia has struck down federal laws blocking handgun sales to buyers over 18 and under 21, in a ruling that might augur the rollback of regulation prompted by the Supreme Court's sweeping expansion of gun rights last year.Judge Robert E. Payne of Federal District Court in Richmond, Va., ruled on Wednesday that statutes and regulations put in place over the past few decades to enforce age requirements on sales of handguns, like the semiautomatic Glock-style pistols, by federally licensed weapons dealers were not consistent with our nation's history and tradition and therefore could not stand.

A federal judge said Wednesday that federal prohibitions on licensed dealers selling handguns to 18- to 20-year-olds are unconstitutional, in what is the latest legal volley over age-based firearm regulations a court fight that has escalated since the Supreme Court's major Second Amendment ruling last year.

A Home Office plan to house more than 500 people seeking asylum on a giant barge in Dorset is facing serious reservations from the local police commissioner and council leader, both of whom are Conservatives.Councillors have told the Guardian that the department has failed to adequately respond to dozens of detailed questions about plans to place a barge containing 506 male asylum seekers in Portland Port from next month.

A group of senior school leaders is calling on teachers to donate 1 each to launch a legal challenge against Ofsted, pledging to hold the inspectorate to account for ending careers and causing a mental health crisis.The vice-president of the Conservative education society, John Bald, a former Ofsted inspector, is fronting a crowdfunding page for the group, which is called Fair Judgement.

There is deeply troubling evidence of bullying, harassment and discrimination in fire and rescue services across England, with inspectors warning that what has been uncovered may just be the tip of the iceberg.Staff recalled racist, sexist and homophobic comments and behaviours which had gone unchallenged or been dismissed as banter, according to a report from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) The report, which makes 35 recommendations, focuses on the values and culture of all 44 fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England and draws on the evidence collected through its inspections since 2018.

With Superintendent David Brown's exit from the Chicago Police Department taking effect Thursday, the new community-led body responsible for finding candidates to replace him laid out their priorities and the search timeline at a Wednesday press conference.Members of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability also sent a clear message about its own autonomy from the future mayor.

The attempted kidnapping of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - in which a delusional, hammer-wielding assailant broke into her home and left her husband, Paul, severely wounded - was a heinous and despicable act that reflects an increasingly toxic US political culture.But it reflects something else, too: a nation that leads the developed world in murder.

President Joe Biden slammed Republicans on Tuesday after several of them called for the defunding of the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies.Biden delivered a speech in Monterey Park, California, where in January a gunman killed 11 people.The president issued an executive order seeking to bolster background checks on firearms buyers and directed relevant federal departments to ensure they are enforcing gun legislation Biden signed into law last year.

President Joe Biden visited the Mexico-Texas border Jan. 8 and expanded an immigration program that will give more migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela the chance to enter the U.S. legally.Biden said that he was taking action because congressional Republicans have refused to consider his proposal for extra funding for additional asylum officers and immigration judges.

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day-but your help is essential.If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us.Thanks for your support!Good morning, Portland!It's set to be a gloomy yet dry day in P-town and I know you may be feeling a little groggy, BUT SUNSET IS AT 7:15 PM NOW! Let's jump into the news.

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day-but your help is essential.If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us.Thanks for your support!GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND!Heyyyyyyy... you're doing holiday shopping right now, right?

If you're an associate entering the lateral market, I have good news and bad news.The good news?Despite all the talk of recession, the lateral market remains open for business.The bad news?The days of minimal scrutiny and massive sign-on bonuses are behind us.For associates whose conception of the lateral market was forged in the chaotic, unprecedented period from late 2020 through mid-2022, a reality check is in order.

The Las Vegas Athletics?Not so fast.After MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told Sirius XM Radio that a long-sought new ballpark in Oakland "doesn't look like it's going to happen," he told The Times that the A's moving to Las Vegas is neither imminent nor guaranteed."They have two options available," Manfred said before Game 2 of the World Series Saturday.

Vermilion founder Rohini Dey has found a new purpose with Let's Talk Womxn, bringing together entrepreneurs from 13 different cities all over the country to discuss best practices for women and working mothers in the restaurant world.Later this month, the group will tackle restaurant surcharges and how to implement them properly so customers and employees can better understand their purpose.

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down a request from firearms dealers in New York to block parts of recent state laws that they said violated their Second Amendment rights.The court's brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, which is typical when the justices act on emergency applications.