US Department of State Feb 2, 2012
Black History Month 2012: Astrid Dorelien
Astrid Dorelien is a 2010 Presidential Management Fellow in the Office of the Haiti Special Coordinator (S/HSC). As a foreign affairs officer in S/HSC, Astrid is the principal point of contact for health, labor, and economic affairs. She also works closely with the Deputy Coordinator for Assistance to oversee the U.S. Government's food and economic security programs in Haiti. Astrid came to the State Department from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in August 2011, where she worked in the Office of Healthcare Programs and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. Astrid brings with her to the State ...read the full article


Washington Post Feb 2, 2012
Va. House passes repeal of 18-year-old one-gun-a-month bill, Senate prepares to follow suit
Va. House passes repeal of 18-year-old one-gun-a-month bill, Senate prepares to follow suit By Associated Press, Published: February 1 RICHMOND, Va. -- A law Virginia passed a generation ago to end the states' reputation as a haven for gun runners is on the verge of being repealed. On a largely party-line vote, the House passed Wednesday with a 66-32 vote the measure to end the law that limits handgun purchases to one a month. Only two Democrats -- Portsmouth's Johnny Joannou and Washington County's Joe Johnson -- siding with the GOP majority. A Republican, David Albo of Fairfax, voted with Democrats to oppose it. A ...read the full article


Feb 2, 2012
Cop Shooter's Gun Could Have Been Bought For As Little As $30
​The revolver used in the shooting of Police Officer Kevin Brennan has a controversial history, and a reputation as a poorly made street gun that was likely passed from hand to hand over a period of many years and may have been used in other crimes before it got to would-be killer Luis Soto. The RG 40, a .38-caliber revolver with a two inch barrel, and its brethren are cheap, easy to use knockoffs of a standard Colt design. Critics say the weapon have no useful purpose other than to kill people at close range. Firearms experts say the company which distributed ...read the full article


Village Voice Feb 2, 2012
Cop Shooter's Gun Could Have Been Bought For As Little As $30
​The revolver used in the shooting of Police Officer Kevin Brennan has a controversial history, and a reputation as a poorly made street gun that was likely passed from hand to hand over a period of many years and may have been used in other crimes before it got to would-be killer Luis Soto. The RG 40, a .38-caliber revolver with a two inch barrel, and its brethren are cheap, easy to use knockoffs of a standard Colt design. Critics say the weapon have no useful purpose other than to kill people at close range. Firearms experts say the company which distributed ...read the full article


Los Angeles Times Feb 1, 2012
'Soul Train' creator Don Cornelius dead in apparent suicide
"Soul Train" creator Don Cornelius was found dead at his Sherman Oaks on home Wednesday morning. Law enforcement sources said police arrived at Cornelius' home around 4 a.m. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing. The sources said there was no sign of foul play, but the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating. In a 2010 interview with The Times, he said he was excited about a movie project he was developing about "Soul Train." "We've been in discussions with several people about getting a movie off the ...read the full article


Daily Sundial Feb 1, 2012
California outlaws open carry of unloaded handguns
Gov. Jerry Brown has outlawed openly carrying unloaded handguns despite heavy resistance from gun enthusiasts. Though it was already illegal to openly carry loaded handguns, AB 144 expands California's firearm regulations by nixing people from openly carrying an unloaded handgun outside of a person's home or vehicle. AB 144 was approved on October 13, 2011 and became law Jan. 1. Violators could face up to one year in prison and/or a fine of $1,000. The bill does exempt hunting and shooting events and does not apply to those who are given permits to carry concealed weapons by local law enforcement. Bejan Hejazi, a CSUN ...read the full article


NBC New York Feb 1, 2012
Analysis: NYC, Boston Mayors Agree: We Need Federal Gun Control
Even as the Giants and the Patriots face off in the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, the mayors of their two cities have joined together in a tv commercial urging stricter federal gun control. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, founders of a group called Mayors Against Illegal Guns, recorded a commercial at a table laden with bowls of popcorn and Giants and Patriots caps. Words from Bloomberg on Twitter make the purpose clear: "We disagree on who'll win the #Superbowl, but @Mayor ...read the full article


New York Times Jan 31, 2012
Report by House Democrats Absolves Administration in Gun Trafficking Case
Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday are expected to publish a report on the disputed gun trafficking investigation called Operation Fast and Furious, concluding that agents in Arizona -- not Obama administration officials -- were responsible for the tactics used in the inquiry and for providing misleading information relayed to Congress. In an 89-page report, titled "Fatally Flawed: Five Years of Gun-walking in Arizona," the Democratic staff portrays Fast and Furious as the fourth investigation, dating back to 2006, in which Arizona-based agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employed the tactic ...read the full article


Public News Service Jan 31, 2012
Proposed AZ Monument Shooting Ban Stirs Controversy
Recreational target shooting would be prohibited on the Sonoran Desert National Monument, southwest of Phoenix, under the preferred alternative of a draft 20-year management plan drawn up by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The proposal has generated some controversy. On one side of the issue, The Wilderness Society has given the plan an award, partly because of the proposed shooting ban. Thom Hulen, president of the group Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument, says shooters have hauled tons of junk into the monument to use for target practice. "There are irresponsible shooters who bring trash out to shoot. And they would ...read the full article


WJLA TV 7 News Jan 31, 2012
Carry and conceal for Virginia professors up for Senate debate
The Virginia State House is considering a bill that would allow college professors to carry guns on campus. Manassas Republican Delegate Bob Marshall believes the law would prevent violence but opponents worry such a law would backfire. "Virginia needs to protect its students on campus and police cannot be there at all times," said Marshall. After the Virginia Tech massacre, Marshall says a professor at George Mason University asked him to support allowing concealed weapons on campus. "Just throwing our hands in the air and saying we're just going to shoot our way out of the problem, that we're going to allow professors to ...read the full article