ATF Denies Being an ‘Agency’ to Avoid FOIA Compliance Requirements

A legal response filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives claims a Freedom of Information Act-related complaint improperly targets them. “The ATF is not an ‘agency’ within the meaning of the F.O.I.A., 5 U.S.C. § 552 (f) (1), and is, therefore, not a proper party defendant,” the response claims . . .

The complaint, filed June 23 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks an order to compel the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request filed in March and ignored in violation of federal law. The FOIA sought copies of policies and rulings relied on in enforcement and determination actions.

The complaint was filed by Tucson attorney David T. Hardy. Plaintiffs include this correspondent, firearms designer and president of Historic Arms, LLC, Len Savage, and the FFL Defense Research Center. The information, as noted in the announcement of the lawsuit, is being sought to ensure consistency in rulings, policies and compliance enforcement.

“Ok, I’ll bite,” Savage responded upon learning of the government’s defense argument. “If, as they claim, they are not an agency under Title 5 FOIA, then why do they have a disclosure division? How is an FFL supposed to comply with ATF policy that is kept secret? Perhaps that’s the point, to not be able to comply?”

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/08/david-codrea/atf-denies-being-an-agency-to-avoid-foia-compliance-requirements/

Ferguson Protesters Chant ‘We’re Ready for War’

During Sunday night’s protest on the anniversary of the shooting death of African-American man Michael Brown, Ferguson protesters chanted that they were “ready for war.”

Watch, via Twitter:

--video at link--

The above video was tweeted out at 10:47 PM Central Time, which means the chant occurred before protesters exchanged gunfire with police officers shortly after 11. CNN also reports that some protesters were chanting “We’re ready for what? We’re ready for war,” during the protests.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-ferguson-protesters-chant-were-ready-for-war/

Deacons for Defense is a 2003 American television drama film directed by Bill Duke. The television film stars; Forest Whitaker, Christopher Britton, Ossie Davis, Jonathan Silverman, Adam Weiner, and Marcus Johnson.

It is loosely based on the true story of the Deacons for Defense and Justice, an African-American militia that was formed in 1964 to protect activists working with the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE), as well as others working with the civil rights movement.

Plot

In 1965 Louisiana, war veteran Marcus (Forest Whitaker) works in the town's mill for meager wages, and must endure the ongoing humiliation meted out by his white supervisors. Encouraged by an idealistic white Northerner (Jonathan Silverman), his daughter becomes a civil rights activist. When his daughter is abused at a nonviolent demonstration, Marcus is pushed too far. Marcus organizes the Deacons for Defense and Justice, an all-black defense group dedicated to patrolling the black section of town and protecting its residents from the aspects of "white backlash".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deacons_for_Defense_%28film%29

No. 2 Senate Republican proposing gun background check bill

...

"Gaps in existing law or inadequate resources prevent our communities from taking proactive steps to prevent them from becoming violent," Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a written statement.

Jennifer Baker, spokeswoman for NRA legislative affairs, said the bill took "meaningful steps toward fixing the system and making our communities safer."

...

Among those barred from buying guns are people legally determined to be "mentally defective" and those who have been committed to mental institutions. But states are not required to send those records to the background check system, which is run by the FBI, and its database is spotty.

Cornyn's bill would increase grants under the government's main law enforcement program by up to 5 percent for states that send the federal system at least 90 percent of their records on people with serious mental problems. States providing less data could see their grants from a broad range of justice programs penalized by the same amounts, at the attorney general's discretion.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/05/no-2-senate-republican-proposing-gun-background-check-bill/

Ronda Rousey defeats Bethe Correia via knockout in 34 seconds at UFC 190

Ronda Rousey promised to punish her trash-talking opponent Bethe Correia on the Brazilian’s home turf on Saturday and, boy, did she ever. It took the 28-year-old just 34 seconds at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro to deliver a knockout punch to rack up another win in her undefeated record and retain the UFC women’s bantamweight championship.

“I guess she can’t really say things about my hands anymore, huh,” Rousey said after her win, which she dedicated to WWE legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who died suddenly on Friday.

Contrary to past fights, when she’s been cordial to her opponents, Rousey showed no respect for Correia, either at the beginning of the fight or at the end. The two fighters did not touch gloves before the bell and Rousey certainly didn’t congratulate her on her effort.

Rousey may have had good reason. In May, Correia trash-talked Rousey with allusions to Rousey’s father’s suicide — a taunt Correia apologized for but one that Rousey refused to accept. Correia also taunted the star after defeating two of Rousey’s friends in the Octagon, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/08/01/ufc-190-live-results-recaps-and-highlights/?tid=trending_strip_4

These 20 schools are responsible for a fifth of all graduate school debt

Getting an advanced degree doesn’t come cheap, which is why graduate students carry nearly half of all student debt. But it turns out that a handful of schools are responsible for a large share of that money.

A new study from the Center for American Progress (CAP) found that 20 universities received one-fifth, or $6.5 billion, of the total amount of loans the government gave graduate students in the 2013-2014 academic year. Those schools, however, only educate 12 percent of all graduate students.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2015/07/09/these-20-schools-are-responsible-for-a-fifth-of-all-graduate-school-debt/