Oh my goodness, here we go again! Local government, bowing to the big-money gun manufacturing lobby, is wasting time again recognizing the second amendment to the United States Constitution, when in reality, they are shirking their duty to abide by the Constitution and serve the people in a time of crisis.

Floyd County Commissioner Tim Kamer is the latest locally elected politician to act as a puppet on a string to gun corporation-induced hysteria. In the latest resolution handed to the commissioners, the gun lobby wants them to kneel before the thrown of corporate profits and squeal uncle, stating their inability to supersede existing laws and hierarchy. Meanwhile, there is a pandemic that continues to spiral out of control, an economic collapse that must be addressed, and protests in the streets with root causes aggravated by loose gun laws.

I am always puzzled how these futile, thinly veiled loyalty tests of the NRA are presented as support for the constitution. Question: On the first day of service for an elected official, what does every person have to do? Answer: They have to swear to uphold the Constitution. I would suggest that if they were in their job for a while, and suddenly realized that the Second Amendment is part of the Constitution and thought everyone else would be surprised of that fact as well, that maybe they should have read the Constitution before taking official actions.

Here is another surprise for some of those officials. Amendment X of the United States Constitution states that The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People. This means that you, our dear elected leaders, have a right and a duty to pass ordinances to protect us, We the People.

So here is my suggestion for the alternative, sane universe. One of our major crises at the moment is in policing. Police departments have been militarized to deal with a flood of cheap guns in North America promulgated and encouraged by big gun corporations. When police officers and those who interact with them are all fearing for their lives with each transaction, the outcome can be predicted. Part of the solution to police reform must include sensible gun control legislation. A Quinnipiac poll in May of this year shows that 61 percent of Americans support more restrictions on guns like assault weapon bans, closing gun show loopholes, red flag laws, and common sense laws that prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. When asked only about background checks, 94 percent of the people support them. Thats We the People who support responsible action.

Consequently, I am dumbfounded that our local officials are being duped into tying their own hands.

Therefore We the People are forming our own group called 10A. We are going to write an ordinance that the commissioners can pass citing their support for a higher authority, the People of Floyd County, Indiana. In addition it will require them to read the United States Constitution in its entirety. They only have to get through the Bill of Rights to realize that they have a duty, that they swore to uphold on day one of their occupation of office, to serve the People above profits and their own political benefit.

Most sincerely,

Randall T. Randy Stumler, Floyds Knobs

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LETTER: Show loyalty to people, not NRA | Opinion - Evening News and Tribune

Some places around the country, such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles, are sanctuary cities for illegal aliens.

But the Kenai Peninsula Borough is now a sanctuary for gun owners. The Assembly on Tuesday approved an ordinance that restates what should be obvious: The right to bear arms is constitutionally protected and the borough opposes any legislation that restricts that right.

The ordinance explicitly declares the borough a Second Amendment Sanctuary a belts-and-suspenders approach to individual gun rights.

The ordinance was proposed by Kenai Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce, along with Assembly members Kenn Carpenter, Jesse Bjorkman and Norm Blakeley. Although Assembly member Kelly Cooper tried to water it down by making it merely a resolution, it passed intact as an ordinance, with the force of law.

The Second Amendment is essential to the people of this Borough, and it is important to me as well, Pierce said. As long as I am your mayor, I will protect your right to keep and bear arms. I believe in this so much that I put together an ordinance to engrain this right into our Borough.

Alaska as a state has been considered a Second Amendment Sanctuary since Gov. Sean Parnell signed the Alaska Firearms Freedom Act into law on July 9, 2010. HB 186 declared that certain firearms and accessories are exempt from federal regulation in Alaska.

In 2013, Parnell signed HB 69 into law, which expanded rights made clear under HB 186.

But anti-gun lawmakers such as Rep. Geran Tarr of Anchorage have tried to create red flag laws that would allow the government to enact protective orders and take firearms away from people whom officials deem to be a threat.

Nationally, gun sales are at record levels, along with background checks. This may be in part because of the Black Lives Matter movement to defund police, and in part because of associated lawlessness in cities across America.

Last June, the gun-rights stronghold of Alabama saw 42,898 firearms sales, while this June the number was nearly 140,000.

Alaska firearm sales went from 5,557 in June of 2019 to over 9,060 in June of 2020, a 63 percent increase.

Compare historic FBI background check data here.

These results are consistent across the country. While gun sales are up in every state, ammunition inventories are running low for many caliber.

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Kenai Borough ordinance reinforces gun rights - Must Read Alaska

Hobble Creek Wranglers target love of firearms and Old West

PROVO, Utah (AP) Its a hot, summer afternoon, and a posse of cowboys and cowgirls with aliases such as Lonesome Hart, Tamarack, Anita Gunn and Colt Colton are gathering at the mouth of Hobble Creek Canyon in Springville. Dressed in Old West attire, with single-action six-shooters, rifles and shotguns in hand, theyve come to see who has the keenest eye and fastest trigger finger of the bunch on this side of the Wasatch.

No, this isnt a rerun of some old Western movie, this is a modern-day club shoot for the Hobble Creek Wranglers , Utah Countys only Cowboy Action Shooting Club.

Of all of the shooting sports Ive done, this is by far the most fun, said Springville resident Bob Marshall, who is the groups president.

Cowboy Action Shooting is a sport that incorporates firearms and costumes from the Old West (typically the period from 1860-1900) and aims to bring people together through a mutual love of firearms and preserving the history of the Old West. Cowboy Action Shooting is governed by the Single Action Shooting Society, or SASS, an international organization founded in 1987.

I think its the hardest shooting sport and the most fun because you dont just master one gun, you have to use four of them in every stage, explained Marshall. Its the best people that Ive ever shot around.

In Cowboy Action Shooting, each shooting sequence is called a scenario, where participants use two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun to hit a series of metal targets in a certain order as fast as possible.

The trick to doing this, at least for me, is counting, explained Michael Snelson, a Springville resident and also the secretary and treasurer of the group. Some people look at the shapes of the targets and they do it by shape, some people count by how many shots have to go on each target. One of the most used scenarios is called a Nevada sweep. There will be four targets set up, well start on target one, sweep the four targets, and then come back and sweep them again.

Each scenario begins with a spotter hitting a timer, and as soon as the scenario begins, shooters pull out their first pistol from their holster and shoot five rounds into the targets, then they pull out their next pistol and shoot five more rounds. Upon shooting all the pistol rounds, the shooter then moves a few feet to the next selection of targets where a rifle is sitting on a table. The shooter fires on the targets until the rifle is empty, then heads to a central table where a shotgun is waiting. The shooter shoots two rounds, loads two more, and then time is called.

For a fast shooter, the whole sequence is usually completed in about a dozen seconds.

Its challenging; it is not easy to go out and do this, said Karen Doty, 79, a resident of Hemet, California, who stopped by the Hobble Creek Wranglers June shoot with her husband, Ron Doty, 82, while in the county visiting family and attending a baby blessing. The two are graduates of Brigham Young University, and go by the aliases Spokane and Colt Colton, respectively.

For Cowboy Action Shooting, its not only about shooting like a cowboy, but also dressing and playing the part, too.

In addition to only using guns designed before 1900, all members of the Single Action Shooting Society are required to make an effort to dress like a character from the Old West period. Their choice of who to role play is up to them. Along with the costumes, every shooter also has a unique alias.

For many, their alias says something about themselves, or their familys history. For others, its an homage to their favorite Old West gunslinger, or even just some silly wordplay or a name that simply sounded cool.

For Karen Spokane Doty, her alias pays tribute to her hometown of Spokane, Washington. I dress like an old schoolmarm from prior to 1900, said Karen with a smile, gesturing to her long, black dress, black vest with a long-sleeved white button-up underneath and a black, flat-brimmed hat atop her head all of which are made from heavy, durable materials.

You kind of come here in a make-believe state, and it kind of stays through the day while youre shooting, said president Bob Marshall, who goes by the alias Hobble Creek Marshal because of his last name, and the fact that he lives in the mouth of Hobble Creek Canyon.

Though the cowboy and cowgirl costumes are a bit of role playing, the camaraderie between shooters is quite real. Several shooters explained that its the people that keep them coming back the second Saturday of each month from March through November for the clubs shoots. Be it some good-natured horseplay or a rivalry, the people of Cowboy Action Shooting keep each shoot fresh and fun.

The second time I shot in the state championship shoot, I won it, said Marshall. The next year, there was a guy that was kind of my nemesis at the time. The day before the shoot I was having problems with my rifle, and he came over and said, Ive got this extra rifle and Id rather you shoot this because if I beat you I want it to be because I outshot you, not because you had problems with a rifle. I didnt shoot good anyway, but thats not the point, he said, with a laugh. Thats the kind of people the sports made up with.

Winter Range is the name of the Single Action Shooting Societys national championship, and End of Trail is the name of the groups international championship. Winners dont win any cash prizes, but receive cowboy gear along with trophy-like belt buckles, and of course, bragging rights. Utahs SASS state title is also an annual contest, which cycles to different shooting ranges in the state. According to Michael Snelsons last count, there are 16 clubs in Utah, all holding their club shoots on varying days of the month. If we wanted to, we could shoot every week, said Snelson.

Like any shooting sport, gun safety is as integral a part of Cowboy Action Shooting as any of its theatrics.

There are a lot of rules with Cowboy Action Shooting to make sure we stay safe and people dont get shot, said Snelson. There has hardly ever been anyone since the 1980s injured in Cowboy Action Shooting. Everybody understands the safety rules, and theyre watching out for infractions.

For example, guns point into earthen berms when loading and unloading, rifles and shotguns are carried uncocked, vertically with the barrel up, when on range, guns cannot be pointed any wider than 170 degrees from downrange, and only five rounds are loaded into six-shooting pistols so if the gun did fire accidentally, theres an empty chamber up first. Along with missing targets, safety infractions also add time to lower a shooters score. If the safety infraction is egregious enough like dropping a loaded gun the shooter is disqualified from the shoot for the day.

Ive been a shooting cowboy with this club for 14 years, and Ive traveled around to other places, but Ive never seen anybody hurt, Snelson said.

Though Snelson admitted that many of the clubs shooters are older men primarily because of the high cost of buying four firearms, ammo and an outfit to be a regular with the club Cowboy Action Shooting values diversity in its shooters and their skills.

The beauty of this game is that theres something for everyone, said Kirk Ekins, who goes by the alias Rusty Razor, due to his aversion to shaving his long, thick beard. Ekins, and his wife, Lisa, are both Utah state champs in Cowboy Action Shooting. Im pretty competitive and I do fairly well, he said. Theres one shooter where hell shoot a stage in 80 seconds and Ill shoot it in 20 seconds, and he tells me he had four times more fun. Its whatever you want to be. There are people who just love the costumes. Weve got wives that show up for banquet that never shoot a gun, but they love to dress up in Victorian gowns, and then theres the collector that likes his old Colts and original guns. You can be competitive, you can just cheer for the crowd, whatever; theres something for everyone in this game.

However, one common thread among shooters is an appreciation for the Second Amendment. We love our country, and this is one thing that we do to show that support, Snelson said.

We really wish that people who would like to see the Second Amendment not be what it is today, we would like to get them out to the range and let them try this so they can get a feel for it, explained Snelson. For people that havent done it or dont like the Second Amendment, wed like to have them shoot with us and see what its all about. Weve had people come up who think they were afraid of guns because of what theyve seen, and we actually get a gun in their hand and they shoot, and they have a great time doing it.

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Hobble Creek Wranglers target love of firearms and Old West - Midland Daily News

Much has been said of late about protests, as they have sprung up all over the country. Perhaps the most disturbing of all the commentary has been the idea that protest is somehow unpatriotic or illegal. This could not be further from the truth. The people who hold in such high regard the Second Amendment right to bear arms, totally overlook the First Amendment Freedom of Assembly and Petition. The founding fathers felt that it was so important they stated that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This amendment means that people have a right to gather in the public square and complain about the government. Somehow the president has persisted in labeling all protest he doesnt like as leftist riots by unpatriotic looters and thugs. This is not only unfair, it misses the point entirely. Marching, waving flags or signs, and making speeches have been widely accepted as constitutional First Amendment rights, even though we may not like or agree with the messages. This administration allows all manner of behaviors by people who agree with his right white American agenda but considers even the most passive protest by people of color dangerous.

There is a difference between exercising the freedom to protest and civil or criminal acts of vandalism. One does not equal the other. In any large gathering, there may be people who act out following their own agenda, maybe even using the protest to cover their own criminal actions. Often, they want to discredit the legitimate message of the protesters and may have been sent by opposing groups for that purpose. People protesting the ongoing and systematic racism and brutality by the police are angry, and it is a righteous anger born of centuries of mistreatment and abuse. Why are angry, gun-toting white people seen as patriots exercising their free speech, while unarmed shouting black people are seen as violent? Perhaps it says more about our guilt for centuries of treating them like livestock or imbeciles in order to protect our fragile sense of superiority.

We tried to enslave the native people and failing that, we tried to destroy them with disease and wars. We pushed them onto reservations, took their children away to whiten them, and dismantled their culture. We brought Chinese people to America to build the railroads and when we were done with them threw them out or killed them. We tore apart Black families for our own purposes and kept them in chains so they could neither fight nor flee. When the slaves were finally freed we still kept them in their place with Jim Crow laws and segregation, out of fear, because we knew in our hearts none of it was justifiable. After the nearly century and a half that black men have had the right to vote, we are still actively trying to keep them away from the polls in numerous states. It is a curious thing that the same people who cheered when Iraqis turned out in such large numbers to vote for their new democracy, dont want whole segments of American citizens to vote at all.

For 400 years white people have seen Native Americans, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics and anyone different as not American, regardless of their citizenship. But they are citizens, and they have as much right to speak, assemble, vote, be angry, and even carry weapons, as any other law-abiding citizen. Yet somehow they have not been treated equally under the law. Its well past the time we came to terms with our bigoted racist past and accepted that.

Susan Chichetto lives in Bath.

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Guest column: It's time to come to terms with our racist past - Press Herald

Protesters march to the monument to Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. Protesters gathered in Richmond over the Fourth of July weekend, including white nationalists and Black armed groups. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Protesters march to the monument to Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. Protesters gathered in Richmond over the Fourth of July weekend, including white nationalists and Black armed groups.

Robert E. Lee's days are numbered.

A landmark statue of the Confederate general installed 130 years ago in Richmond, Va., is at the center of a campaign to remove monuments that glorify the losing side of the Civil War. There's a legal battle over whether to remove the Lee statue, but few here expect his monument to survive the re-energized anti-racism movement sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

So, until the day a crane shows up to haul off the general, Black protesters and their supporters are camped out at the site, which has become a place of pilgrimage. Over the Fourth of July weekend, there were songs and speeches and families coming to take photos. Their backdrop was a Confederate hero whose legacy is challenged in graffiti on the pedestal that holds him up.

A man holds a child at the monument of Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. There's a legal battle over removing the Lee statue, but few here expect it to survive the re-energized anti-racism movement sparked by the killing of George Floyd. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

A man holds a child at the monument of Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. There's a legal battle over removing the Lee statue, but few here expect it to survive the re-energized anti-racism movement sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

Near the top, someone had scrawled, "Proverbs 29:16." The biblical verse reads: "When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall."

Black protesters said taking down statues is symbolic; the bigger fight against institutionalized white supremacy is longer, open-ended.

The lingering opposition to that cause also was on display this weekend, outside the Virginia State Capitol at a gathering of heavily armed white men some prepping for a second Civil War, some calling for a white ethnostate. Their speeches were essentially the overtly racist version of President Trump's divisive lament at Mount Rushmore National Memorial Friday about lost heritage and fallen statues. One white nationalist screamed at the crowd to rise up in retaliation: "Removing monuments says, 'I conquered this land!' "

One holiday, two visions of the future for Richmond, and for America. Extremism analysts warn that polarization is reaching dangerous levels. Fringe ideas are creeping into the mainstream, rhetoric is hardening and low-level clashes are occurring at demonstrations across the country. In Richmond, protesters said, statue removal is a crucial battle, but not the war.

Aurora Higgs, an LGBTQ activist and Black trans woman, speaks during a demonstration at the Lee monument. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Aurora Higgs, an LGBTQ activist and Black trans woman, speaks during a demonstration at the Lee monument.

"Previous Fourths of July, we've celebrated all the great things about the U.S., but we haven't acknowledged some of our horrible histories, and once we do acknowledge those, we can start healing," said Aurora Higgs, a Black trans woman who was at the Lee statue for a march with other LGBTQ activists.

As Higgs spoke, a DJ played an upbeat song by the artist Lizzo. Protesters bumped elbows in pandemic-era greeting. Underneath a scorching sun, artists and students lounged on the cool stone of the pedestal. The mood was festive, the mission serious. Higgs gestured to the statue of Lee on his horse and said, "This is the one we're waiting to see come down."

"It's not necessarily the statue. It's everything it symbolizes, the outdated thinking that violates and dehumanizes people," she said. "This is the last frontier and, as far as I'm concerned, it's a war we're going to win."

Armed Black protesters

Armed protester and poet who goes by the pen name Ray Rosetta attends a demonstration at the Lee monument. Rosetta has teamed up with other local Black gun owners, many of whom are also now doing stints to safeguard the protest site at the Lee statue. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Armed protester and poet who goes by the pen name Ray Rosetta attends a demonstration at the Lee monument. Rosetta has teamed up with other local Black gun owners, many of whom are also now doing stints to safeguard the protest site at the Lee statue.

Trump and right-wing commentators frequently depict Black Lives Matter protesters as armed and dangerous. Some armed leftists and Black gun groups have patrolled protest sites, but they're a tiny fraction of the largely unarmed movement.

In recent days, however, Black gun owners have become more assertive at demonstrations across the country. Scenes of dozens of rifle-carrying, Black protesters marching in formation in Georgia went viral over the weekend; the evocation of the Black Panther Party was unmistakable.

In Richmond, too, Black gun clubs have come together to safeguard the protest site. They call themselves a deterrent a defensive, not offensive, presence. Still, they're not universally welcomed, though many in the anti-gun camp have grudgingly come to accept them after reports of attacks on protest camps by far-right extremists.

Among the small armed contingent at the Lee statue was a poet who goes by the pen name Ray Rosetta. He says he grew up in New Jersey and never considered gun ownership until moving to Richmond. Six years ago, he said, he bought his first gun and joined the NRA. Rosetta recalled his membership card arriving with "a cool gun bag" and some literature with language that made him rethink joining. He let his NRA membership lapse.

Ray Rosetta is a reluctant gunman for the movement. He said he still believes the pen is mightier; he'd rather be writing his poems. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Ray Rosetta is a reluctant gunman for the movement. He said he still believes the pen is mightier; he'd rather be writing his poems.

"One and done," he said with a laugh.

Instead, Rosetta teamed up with other local Black gun owners, many of whom are also now doing stints at the Lee statue site. He said he's thinking about starting a chapter of the Huey P. Newton Gun Club a national movement named after a co-founder of the Black Panthers. Rosetta sat under the shade of a tent at the Lee statue site, his semiautomatic rifle at his feet. "That's my baby," he said.

But Rosetta is a reluctant gunman for the movement. He said he still believes the pen is mightier; he'd rather be writing his poems, meditations on life and the women he calls his muses. He's also been moved by what he's seen in the protests. He recited one of his new verses:

"Little Black boys can't dream/Too busy livin' nightmares."

Black armed protesters attend a demonstration at the monument to Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Some armed leftists and Black gun groups have patrolled protest sites, but they're a tiny fraction of the largely unarmed movement. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Black armed protesters attend a demonstration at the monument to Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Some armed leftists and Black gun groups have patrolled protest sites, but they're a tiny fraction of the largely unarmed movement.

Rosetta laughed. "Sometimes I like to keep mine short."

As the interview was winding down, a couple of volunteers from the protesters' bike patrol approached Rosetta with a plastic bag. Inside were two loaded magazines for a semi-automatic rifle, along with a military-style coin showing Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. The volunteers told Rosetta they'd found the items in trash near the protest site and worried that someone had stashed them there for an attack.

Rosetta didn't know what to make of the items. Were they part of a bigger cache? Did they fall out of someone's bag? None of the possibilities was reassuring. He said agitators have shown up to cause trouble. Others drive by and yell slurs out the window. Rosetta said he believes guns on the premises is staving off a more brazen retaliation against the protests.

Rosetta said he would add the items to an art exhibit he's creating with found objects from protests. It will be called, "Domestic Warfare." He said the ammo is a reminder of why he keeps a pen in one hand, a rifle in the other.

Members of the Boogaloo movement carry semi-automatic firearms during a gun rights rally in Richmond, Va., on Saturday. The Hawaiian shirt-wearing so-called "boogaloo boys" are part of an amorphous movement of disenchanted, mostly white men who think another Civil War is inevitable, even necessary, to correct an overreaching federal government and other societal ills. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Members of the Boogaloo movement carry semi-automatic firearms during a gun rights rally in Richmond, Va., on Saturday. The Hawaiian shirt-wearing so-called "boogaloo boys" are part of an amorphous movement of disenchanted, mostly white men who think another Civil War is inevitable, even necessary, to correct an overreaching federal government and other societal ills.

"A lot of people don't believe this is happening," he said. "It's scary. This is happening."

Boogaloo showdown

Early in the morning on the fourth, it looked like a heavily armed luau was about to take place in front of the State Capitol in Richmond.

Event organizer Mike Dunn, 19, expresses his opposition to an order from law enforcement to move during a gun rights rally put on by members of the Boogaloo movement. "We're willing to do what it takes," he said, to safeguard Second Amendment and other constitutional rights he believes are under attack. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Event organizer Mike Dunn, 19, expresses his opposition to an order from law enforcement to move during a gun rights rally put on by members of the Boogaloo movement. "We're willing to do what it takes," he said, to safeguard Second Amendment and other constitutional rights he believes are under attack.

The Hawaiian shirt-wearing so-called "Boogaloo boys" were starting to arrive, part of an amorphous movement of disenchanted, mostly white men who think another Civil War is inevitable, even necessary, to correct what they consider an overreaching federal government and other societal ills. There's no leader and no cohesion on ideology or goals, no blueprint for what comes after the apocalyptic fight.

In Richmond, the Boogaloo boys were loosely organized by a baby-faced 19-year-old named Mike Dunn, who wore a cherry-red Hawaiian shirt and cowboy boots. A Confederate flag was visible on the back of his belt. In these circles, he's known as "Virginia Knight," part of a year-old network of militias across the state. Dunn said his activism cost him his job with the Virginia Department of Corrections.

"To me, it means we want change, and we're willing to do what we need to do to get that change," Dunn said, offering his definition of the Boogaloo movement.

White nationalists wearing white blazers and skull masks arrive at the protest in Richmond, Va. Some were sporting the insignia and other markers of white supremacist groups. Hannah Allam/NPR hide caption

White nationalists wearing white blazers and skull masks arrive at the protest in Richmond, Va. Some were sporting the insignia and other markers of white supremacist groups.

"We're willing to do what it takes," he said, to safeguard Second Amendment and other constitutional rights he believes are under attack. When told that his words might sound chilling to some people, Dunn shrugged. "It is what it is."

Among the dozens of men in Hawaiian shirts and tactical gear, another kind of demonstrator started to arrive, in skull masks paired with white blazers. They were white nationalists, sporting the insignia and other markers of hate groups.

Armed Black protesters and members of the Boogaloo movement attend a gun rights rally put on by members of the Boogaloo movement in Richmond, Va., on Saturday. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Armed Black protesters and members of the Boogaloo movement attend a gun rights rally put on by members of the Boogaloo movement in Richmond, Va., on Saturday.

Dunn and the Boogaloo crew regarded them with suspicion, but greeted them and arranged for the white nationalists to have a turn speaking before the crowd. They all mingled politely for a while, waiting for speeches to begin at 10 a.m.

Then, from around a corner, a group of armed Black protesters showed up, many of the same who patrol the Lee site. The gun-toting Black group stood across the street from the gun-toting white group. Dunn made a beeline to introduce himself: "Thank you all for coming out, make yourselves at home." He told the Black group that they might have differences but that they would all stand together for the Second Amendment.

A military veteran who goes by "Pops" represented the Black group. He had a question.

"Who's going to regulate if anything jumps off?" he asked.

A white nationalist wearing a T-shirt with the Rise Above Movement logo attends the gun rights rally on Saturday. Rise Above Movement is a white supremacist group based in Southern California. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

A white nationalist wearing a T-shirt with the Rise Above Movement logo attends the gun rights rally on Saturday. Rise Above Movement is a white supremacist group based in Southern California.

"We just hope it doesn't," Dunn said.

Dunn led the Black group across the street to merge with the bigger group. There were murmurs of disapproval among the white nationalists, but the Boogaloo boys welcomed the Black protesters, each side checking out and complimenting the others' weaponry. The police herded them all down the street, out of the shade, leaving them to swelter in their heavy flak vests.

Armed Black protesters exchange words with a far-right activist during a gun rights rally put on by members of the Boogaloo movement in Richmond, Va. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Armed Black protesters exchange words with a far-right activist during a gun rights rally put on by members of the Boogaloo movement in Richmond, Va.

At one point, a guy in a Hawaiian shirt and tactical gear wished everyone a happy Fourth of July and led the crowd the white nationalists, the Boogaloo boys, the Black gun group in a surreal rendition of "America The Beautiful." But the harmony was fleeting. The second the white nationalists took the mic to spew about white genocide, the crowd divided sharply between those who were fine with that rhetoric and those who weren't.

Dunn and most of the Hawaiian shirts rejected the separatist message. They stormed off, enraged by "Nazi wing-nuts" hijacking their rally. They joined the Black protesters in chants to drown out the white supremacists who were peddling a plan for the "peaceful Balkanization" of the country.

Dunn looked dismayed, out of his depth, a teenager who handed hate a bullhorn and came to regret it. Much of the crowd seemed to lose interest in Dunn's message of unity. For some, the time for talk was over. The melting pot had failed. Monuments, streets, patriots were under attack. It was time for Plan B.

"It's time!" a white nationalist speaker said.

"It's time!" the crowd answered.

Protesters gather near the Virginia State Capitol during Saturday's gun rights rally. Jim Urquhart for NPR hide caption

Protesters gather near the Virginia State Capitol during Saturday's gun rights rally.

"It's time for all good men, and good men alone, to come to the aid of their country, of their people, of their civilization!"

The speaker's words grew muffled as Dunn's Boogaloo camp began a chant: "White supremacy sucks! White supremacy sucks!"

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Richmond Rally Turns Into Showdown On Race - NPR

The FPC argues that courts should treat the Second Amendment with the same respect as other fundamental rights. IMG iStock-93456039

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and Firearms Policy Foundation (FPF) announced the filing of an important amicus brief in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals case,Drummond v. Township of Robinson. The brief, joined by the Madison Society Foundation, is available online atFPCLegal.org.

The Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club (GPGC) started offering firearms sales and training on rural land outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania over 50 years ago. For many of those decades, Robinson Township has resolved to shut the club down. In the 1990s, Robinson Township brought a nuisance action against GPGC, but the court determined that GPGC was not a nuisance. Then, Robinson Township brought a licensing action against GPGC but failed in court again. Now, Robinson Township has enacted an ordinance forbidding GPGC from operating for-profit, or from allowing center-fire rifle shooting on the propertybut only if it is operating as a gun club. The clubs owner, William Drummond, brought this action, alleging that the new ordinance violates the Second Amendment.

Too often people are bullied for engaging in constitutionally protected activity, so we filed this brief to explain why the court should step in and protect the exercise of Second Amendment rights, said FPC Director of Research and brief author, Joseph Greenlee. We are happy to help Mr. Drummond defend his rights and the rights of his clients against Robinson Townships relentless efforts to forcibly close his gun club.

Were hopeful that GPGC can soon get back to providing the public with goods and training protected by the Constitution, as it has for several decades, Greenlee concluded.

Background

Firearms Policy Coalition (www.firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)4 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPCs mission is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially the fundamental, individual Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, advance individual liberty, and restore freedom. Gun owners and Second Amendment supporters can join the FPC Grassroots Army at JoinFPC.org.

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FPC: Courts Must Treat 2A as Real Right, Not Second-Class - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

Former Democractic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will make a virtual appearance at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor this month as one of the guest speakers at the schools annual Champlain Institute.

Clinton is expected to address the online gathering live at 5 p.m. Monday, July 27. She is one of 19 speakers, some of whom will appear together, scheduled to address the Institute, which is being held entirely online this year from July 27-31 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The focus of this years institute will be on the upcoming national elections on Nov. 3, including a focus on U.S. diplomacy, climate change, income inequality, national security, the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court.

Clinton served as First Lady when her husband, President Bill Clinton, served in the White House from 1993 through 2001, before serving as a U.S. senator from New York and as Secretary of State in President Barack Obamas administration.

Other speakers include former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, federal appeals Judge Douglas Ginsburg, native Somali journalist (and now Mainer) Abdi Nor Iftin, New York Times Assistant Managing Editor Sam Sifton, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frances FitzGerald and writer Roxana Robinson, among others.

The talks are free and accessible to the public, but advance registration is required and can be done online. More information about the 2020 institute is available on COAs website.

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Hillary Clinton to give online talk as part of Bar Harbor college's summer institute - Bangor Daily News

The Supreme Court said the Trump administration repealed the DACA program incorrectly last time, and gave the White House a road map for a do-over. | Win McNamee/Getty Images

THE BUZZ IN THE WHITE HOUSE is that, at some point over the next week or so, there is a plan in place to resubmit paperwork to do away with DACA. Remember: The Supreme Court said the administration repealed it incorrectly last time, and gave the White House a road map for a do-over.

OF COURSE, this will elicit head slaps from many corners of the Republican Party, but it follows in line with the TRUMP ADMINISTRATIONS consistent political belief that they are somehow at risk of losing their base.

-- NEW THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS has sent the president a letter urging him to fully maintain the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program until Congress passes legislation that would enable Dreamers people who have lived in America since they were children and built their lives here to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship, if they meet certain criteria. Full letter, led by Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fischer

TAKE THREE!! TRY TO PUT THIS ON A BUMPER STICKER! SEAN HANNITY had President DONALD TRUMP on his show Thursday night, and again tried to get him to lay out his second-term agenda. REMEMBER: HANNITY has asked the president before, and so did ERIC BOLLING. Both times, the answer was panned as jumbled and underwhelming.

HANNITY: I asked you a question in Wisconsin and you got criticized for the answer. I want to ask you again. You are now asking America in 117 days to give you a second term as president of the United States. Lets -- what is your second-term agenda?

TRUMP: First of all, I didnt know it was criticized for that answer because its a simple question. First of all, were going to defeat the invisible enemy, and we are well on our way. And again, I told you, the mortality rate is tenfold down. Were going to rebuild the economy, were going to bring back jobs from all of these foreign lands that have stolen our jobs on horrible trade deals. We are going to continue to make great trade deals.

Were going to finish rebuilding our wall. Were going to finish, were going to have that -- its going to be almost complete by the end of this year, shortly thereafter its finished. Its made a tremendous difference. You see, were doing record numbers on the border. Very few people are able to get through. Were rebuilding with our military. Weve rebuilt the military. $2.5 trillion. We are fixing up the VA for our vets. The job weve done there, between choice and accountability.

We have choice, where they go out and get a doctor. If they are sick, they dont have to wait for five weeks, six weeks, two weeks. So we are doing great with the vets, and the vets are loving Trump. We are protecting our Second Amendment, so. We need more judges and more justices. You see that now with the Supreme Court more than ever. And the next president, Ive had two, the next president is going to be able to pick two or three or one or whatever, but a lot of justices. And that means everything, whether its for life or other things, I mean it means so much.

But protecting the Second Amendment, getting more judges. All of the things that weve done, nobodys done what this administration has done in the first three and a half years. Nobodys even come close. When you look at everything that were doing. Now what were doing is working on lowering drug prices and knocking out special interests, because its not easy. Were fighting for choice. We did it for the veterans and now we are doing it for school too. One choice in school so a parent can take their child to a school of their choice, and thats happening -- very good, very, very well.

And we have many things we are doing and many things that we have already completed, and you cant do more than what weve done. I think weve set records. We actually set a record on judges. We are going to be, by the time of the end of this year, we will be up to almost 300 federal judges, and thats a record. Thats incredible, including D.C.

-- BIDEN LAYS OUT HIS AGENDA: Biden releases U.S.-centered economic plan, challenging Trumps America First agenda, by WaPos Sean Sullivan and Jeff Stein

Good Friday morning.

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THE FOLKS AT THE RNC ARE QUITE SENSITIVE to the notion that their convention this summer in Jacksonville, Fla., may be in trouble. But all publicly available evidence would suggest that, in fact, it is in trouble, and to think otherwise would be burying your head in the sand.

ABOUT A HALF DOZEN SENATE REPUBLICANS have suggested they wont go, and even more have cast doubt on the convention or said that they havent made their mind up. RNC-ALIGNED REPUBLICANS say its two months away, and its too early to make any determinations about the prospect of a large-scale gathering in hard-hit Florida. There are reports of efforts to study holding it outdoors. In August. In Florida.

ON THURSDAY, THE RNC and TRUMP were dealt another blow. APPEARING IN KENTUCKY, Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL was asked if he would be attending the convention in Jacksonville this summer. He said he didnt have any idea whether the event would even be happening.

-- MCCONNELL: Well, I think the convention is a challenging situation. And a number of my colleagues have announced that theyre not going to attend, and well have to wait and see how things look in late August and determine whether or not you can safely convene that many people. The clip

AND THEN THERES THIS GREAT ANNIE KARNI and PATRICIA MAZZEI story on A15 of the NYT today, which suggests the Republican governor of Florida is trying to sabotage the convention because of a beef he has with a consultant!

-- NYT: DeSantis Is Said to Quietly Hinder Fund-Raising for Trump Convention: [Gov. Ron] DeSantis, a Republican, has directed his top fund-raiser, Heather Barker, to tell donors not to give to the convention because of a personal dispute between the governor and Susie Wiles, his former campaign manager who is serving as an informal adviser to the convention planners, according to multiple people familiar with his actions.

Ms. Wiles is a veteran Republican operative who led Mr. Trumps Florida team in 2016 and who ran Mr. DeSantiss 2018 campaign for governor. Mr. DeSantiss relationship with Ms. Wiles soured over his suspicion that she had leaked embarrassing information.

NEW THE WHITE HOUSE is launching a rapid-response Twitter account to try to drive messages and make announcements. @WHRapidResponse is now live, and will be manned by the White House communications shop, under the direction of KAYLEIGH MCENANY and ALYSSA FARAH.

-- FIRST TWEET: @WHRapidResponse at 12:01 a.m.: Follow @WHRapidResponse as we cut through the bias and provide real-time updates on the historic accomplishments of President @realDonaldTrumps administration!

MERIDITH MCGRAW: The White Houses new briefing strategy: Short, with lots of commentary: The White Houses ever-mutating press conferences have found a new form. Theyre short, with frequent prepared commentary and press critiques.

Its a format that has taken shape under new White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who took over her role in April. McEnany initially chose to resurrect the concept of semi-regular briefings in the White Houses press room which had sat unused for over a year under her predecessors. But her briefings, often announced at the last minute, have since clocked in, on average, 25 minutes. And on occasion, they have been scheduled right before President Donald Trumps official events, giving McEnany a pre-planned stopping point.

The strategy has extended to President Donald Trump himself. The president has, in recent weeks, cut back his own free-for-all press conferences from early 2020 taking questions just five times in June from a group of reporters. Instead, Trump has been gathering reporters for a self-described press conference or news conference, only to make long speeches straight into the TV camera before walking off without taking any questions.

For the White House, the tactic has given the administration the opportunity to use the cameras in the room to project its message, surrounded by reporters who arent able to ask many follow-up questions. And it has changed how the White House has conveyed information during two ongoing crises the coronavirus pandemic and the protests against police brutality and racial injustice. POLITICO

TRUMPS FRONTS: NYT, banner headline: PRESIDENT IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW, JUSTICES DECIDE The NYT also fronted a Shane Goldmacher/Jim Tankersley story with this headline: Biden Puts Economy at the Center of His Attack WSJ N.Y. POST

CANDACE OWENS RAISING MONEY FOR HERSELF! OWENS -- a conservative activist -- is sending text message solicitations to raise money for herself, through an LLC called Candace Owens LLC. The solicitation says: Hi its Candace Owens. The Black Lives Matter movement is getting more power by the day and we must stop them. Stand with me. That directs to this page, which raises money for the LLC. Paid for by Candace Owens LLC and not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee, the page reads.

-- WHAT MAKES THIS UNIQUE is it looks like a campaign advertisement, but its not. Its directing money not to a campaign committee, but rather to a corporation.

SCOOP A NEW WHISTLEBLOWER BETSY WOODRUFF SWAN: A top terrorism fighters dire warning

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CORONAVIRUS RAGING

-- NYT: U.S. Hits Another Record for New Coronavirus Cases: Officials across the United States reported more than 59,880 cases on Thursday, setting a single-day record for the sixth time in 10 days, according to a New York Times database. The surge has been driven largely by states in the South and the West that were among the first to ease restrictions established during the viruss initial wave in the spring. At least six states set single-day case records on Thursday: Alabama, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Oregon and Texas.

The numbers were especially striking in Texas, which set a record for the fourth consecutive day with more than 10,900 cases. Nearly one in 10 of them were in Hidalgo County, which consists of over a thousand square miles of scrub and urban sprawl on the Mexico border.

-- WAPO: CDC feels pressure from Trump as rift grows over coronavirus response, by Lena Sun and Josh Dawsey: The June 28 email to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was ominous: A senior adviser to a top Health and Human Services Department official accused the CDC of undermining the President by putting out a report about the potential risks of the coronavirus to pregnant women.

The adviser, Paul Alexander, criticized the agencys methods and said its warning to pregnant women reads in a way to frighten women as if the President and his administration cant fix this and it is getting worse.

As the country enters a frightening phase of the pandemic with new daily cases surpassing 57,000 on Thursday, the CDC, the nations top public health agency, is coming under intense pressure from President Trump and his allies, who are downplaying the dangers in a bid to revive the economy ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election. In a White House guided by the presidents instincts, rather than by evidence-based policy, the CDC finds itself forced constantly to backtrack or sidelined from pivotal decisions.

-- LAT: Coronavirus hospitalizations jump 97% in Orange County in less than a month, by Hannah Fry: The number of patients hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections reached new heights Thursday in Orange County jumping 97% over the past three weeks an indicator that health experts say makes it clear the virus is spreading more rapidly in the region.

County health officials on Thursday reported that 691 patients were being hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections. Seven days earlier, 556 people were hospitalized. A week prior there were 437 people in hospitals, and a week before that there were 351. The spike has prompted hospitals countywide to begin to prepare for a surge of sick patients, said Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau.

-- NPR: Bolivian President Tests Positive For Coronavirus

MARC CAPUTO: Trump advisers fracture over Roger Stone pardon: Roger Stone is headed to prison next week unless Donald Trump intervenes. And a chorus of outside allies is pressing the president to do just that over the wishes of White House and campaign aides who dont like Stone and think Trump has nothing to gain by helping him.

Both camps expect Trump will at least split the difference by commuting Stones sentence, according to interviews with nine sources familiar with the discussions. A commutation would keep Stone from behind bars without wiping his record clean.

KNOWING ELISSA SLOTKIN TIM ALBERTA: Elissa Slotkins Reluctant War with Donald Trump: She cannot hope to win reelection this fall without persuading a significant number of voters in Michigans 8th Congressional District to split their tickets four more years for Trump, two more years for her and every feud with the White House is equivalent to a few more straight-party ballots being punched.

Whether Slotkin can have it both ways, speaking her mind about the president and winning over some of his supporters, may well determine not only her fate but the fate of Democrats in swing districts and battleground states across the country.

Slotkin didnt want it to be this way. She envisioned another hyperlocal campaign, like the one she ran in 2018, building consensus around kitchen-table issues and eluding perceptions of partisanship. But if her first two years in Congress taught her anything, its that sooner or later, everyone has to pick a side. There is no middle ground when it comes to Donald Trump.

Hes forcing my hand, Slotkin tells me a day after the tweetstorm, resignation dripping from her voice. Hes doing things and saying things that call upon me to think about my fundamental oath of office.

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This is big private equity invested in 4,841 American companies last year alone. See where your community ranks.

TRUMPS FRIDAY -- The president will depart the White House at 9:30 a.m. en route to Miami. He will head to U.S. Southern Command in Doral, where hell receive a briefing on enhanced counternarcotics operations at 12:35 p.m. and deliver remarks. Afterward, he will head to Iglesia Doral Jesus Worship Center for a roundtable on supporting Venezuelans.

TRUMP will leave at 3:20 p.m. and fly to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for an event at a private residence in Hillsboro Beach, Fla. He will depart at 6:35 p.m. and return to Washington, arriving back at the White House at 9:45 p.m.

TV TONIGHT -- PBS Washington Week with Bob Costa: Yamiche Alcindor, Cleve Wootson Jr., Eamon Javers and Paula Reid Joan Biskupic.

SUNDAY SO FAR

Gray TV

Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren: President Donald Trump.

NBC

Meet the Press: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Panel: Anna Palmer, Kristen Welker and George Will.

ABC

This Week: Panel: Chris Christie, Rahm Emanuel, Amanda Carpenter and Zerlina Maxwell.

CBS

Face the Nation: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Terry Shaw Scott Gottlieb Tom Wyatt New battleground tracker for Texas, Florida and Arizona.

FOX

Fox News Sunday: Thomas Inglesby. Panel: Karl Rove, Jane Harman and Josh Holmes. Power Player: Vanilla Beane.

Sinclair

America This Week With Eric Bolling: Horace Lorenzo Anderson Sr. HUD Secretary Ben Carson Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas). Panel: Ameshia Cross and Sebastian Gorka.

PHOTO DU JOUR: Police in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday carry the alleged body of Mayor Park Won-soon, who was reportedly found dead after leaving a will-like message for his daughter. A sexual harassment legal complaint involving him was reported to have been filed Wednesday. | Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

ERIK PRINCE STILL PUSHING ON AFGHANISTAN DAILY WIRE: Top Security Expert Points To History To Show How Trump Can Successfully End The War In Afghanistan

JOSH GERSTEIN: Trump poised to run out political clock on emoluments suits: A key lawsuit over spending by foreign entities at President Donald Trumps businesses appears likely to remain on hold until the fall, effectively blocking what appeared to be the best vehicle for the presidents critics to demand details of such spending in advance of the November election.

A federal appeals court Thursday extended a stay on fact-finding in the lawsuit so the Justice Department can ask the Supreme Court to order dismissal of the suit, filed in 2017 by the State of Maryland and the Washington, D.C., government.

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VALLEY TALK LEAH NYLEN: California investigating Google for potential antitrust violations: California has opened its own antitrust probe into Google, intensifying the pressure on the search giant already in the middle of investigations by the Justice Department and a host of other states, according to three people with knowledge of the inquiry.

The move by California's attorney general comes as Google has come under increasing scrutiny from both Congress and foreign regulators for its market conduct and acquisitions that have turned it into the world's top search engine and the most profitable online advertising company.

In September, attorneys general from 48 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia announced an antitrust investigation into Google focused on the companys dominance of the advertising technology market. Over the past 10 months, that investigation led by Texas has expanded into other aspects of the companys business, including its conduct in the search market.

California which houses Googles headquarters in Mountain View was the most notable holdout in the multi-state group, and Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra has repeatedly declined to answer questions about why the state wasnt a participant. The California antitrust probe is a separate investigation from the multi-state effort, two of the individuals said. All of the individuals spoke on condition of anonymity to talk openly about a confidential probe. Alabama is now the only state that is not investigating the company. POLITICO

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Private equity invests in every state in America learn about our positive impact here.

ON THE BORDER -- Arrests at U.S. Border With Mexico Jumped 40% in June, by WSJs Michelle Hackman: The number of migrants arrested at the southern border jumped by 40% in June from the prior month, according to figures released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The jump in numbers came at a time when the Trump administration is immediately turning back most migrants at the border for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. Arrests of migrants surged to 30,300 last month, including about 27,000 people who were turned back under the new policy.

MEDIAWATCH -- Trump Appointee Might Not Extend Visas for Foreign Journalists at V.O.A., by NYTs Pranshu Verma and Edward Wong: As many as 100 foreign citizens working in the United States as journalists for the Voice of America, a government-funded news outlet, might not have their visas extended once they expire, according to people familiar with the planning.

Michael Pack, the new chief executive for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, has indicated he may not approve extensions for any journalist holding a J-1 visa, which allows foreign citizens to temporarily work in the United States in ways that promote cultural exchanges.

The decision could be a blow to the news-gathering and global-broadcasting abilities of the V.O.A., which operates independently but is funded by the government. Foreign journalists on the specialty visa are often recruited to work there because they are able to translate American news reports into difficult languages like Swahili or Mandarin and can do reporting using those languages. NYT

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [emailprotected].

TRANSITIONS -- Gina Reis is now video director for Mark Kellys Senate campaign in Arizona. She previously was a video producer/editor for Pete Buttigiegs campaign. Mikka Kei Macdonald is joining Community Change as a senior digital organizer. She previously was associate director for campaigns at the Hub Project.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Eduardo Lerma, COS for Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), and Johanna Lerma, a registered nurse at MedStar Georgetown Hospital, welcomed Noemi Soledad Lerma early Thursday morning. Pic

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Kyle Griffin, senior producer for MSNBCs The Last Word. What hes been reading: Im reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Its not for the faint of heart. Its about a fictional flu pandemic. Im a glutton for punishment when it comes to extracurriculars, but its interesting to compare the book to our real-world experiences. Her writing is clear and vivid -- she knows how to paint a bleak picture. And as a TV news writer, Im a sucker for the teases she writes at the end of each chapter. Playbook Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: CDC Director Robert Redfield is 69 Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is 44 Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) is 64 ... Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) is 4-0 ... Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) is 65 ... State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus (h/t Katie Martin) Megan Ortagus (h/ts Sam Vinograd) Sam Stein of The Daily Beast and MSNBC Sarah Boxer Alex Angelson of Michael Best Strategies Ben Napier is 3-0 Katie Pavlich is 32 POLITICOs Chris Cadelago, Matt Daily, Catherine Boudreau, John Appezzato and Ashley Afranie-Sakyi Melanie Seitz David Dinkins is 93 Julianna Smoot, co-founder of WaterWorks (h/t Jon Haber) Rena Shapiro, head of politics and public affairs at a4 Media Sam Harper, VP of comms at SoundExchange Eli Yokley, Morning Consult political reporter Quibis Shawna Thomas Karen Hinton

Kenny Day (h/t Tim Burger) former Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.), now chair of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, is 63 former Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) is 62 (h/t Mitchell Rivard) former Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) is 78 Hazel Rosenblum-Sellers, who just accepted a job at NEWCO Strategies, is 23 (h/t Claire Goldberg) Emil Caillaux Rob Bogart White & Cases Keir Whitson is 51 Kayla Maree Sanders Remley Johnson is 29 ... WSJs Heather Haddon ... Phillip Hedayatnia ... Jamie Lockhart ... Peter Bondi Barbara Goldberg Goldman is 71 Christine Turner ... Caroline Ciccone ... CUNY Board Chairman Bill Thompson ... Ian Rivera ... Amanda Woloshen Glass ... Kevin Call ... Bill Roberts ... Sarah Hodgkins ... Caroline Gransee ... Clay Haynes ... Chris Terris ... Finlay Lewis is 82 ... Elie Jacobs ... Monty Warner ... Elizabeth Bartz ... Chuck Lewis ... Jeff Mitchell

A message from the American Investment Council:

The numbers are in. The American Investment Council released its annual Top States and Districts Report, which ranks the countrys top twenty states and Congressional districts in total private equity capital and the number of companies receiving investment in 2019.

Private equity invested over $700 billion last year in diverse communities and industries across the country, helping to rescue, build, or grow 4,841 businesses. Private equity firms provided capital to a broad range of industries, from financial services and healthcare to technology and consumer businesses.

Drew Maloney, President and CEO of The American Investment Council, released the following statement:

Our 2019 Top States and Districts Report underscores how private equity is unlocking critical capital in every state and Congressional district across the United States. The figures in this report are more than just numbers. They represent jobs, economic security, and well-being for millions of Americans.

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POLITICO Playbook: White House weighing another swing at DACA - Politico

Here's what to know about the primary runoff in Texas. Wochit

One of the most competitive congressional races in the country is in El Paso's backyard.

The race for outgoing U.S. Rep. Will Hurd'sseat is in full swing, and on July 14 Republican voters in the district will decide who should represent their party on the November General Election ballot.

Republicans Tony Gonzalesand Raul Reyes are in a runoff for a district that spans much of the Texas-Mexico border and includes part of El Paso. Early voting in the race is ongoing and ends July 10.

The runoff election day is Tuesday, July 14.

Republicans Tony Gonzales (left) and Raul Reyes (right) are in a runoff for Congressional District 23.(Photo: Contributed)

Hurd, R-Helotes, announced last year that he wouldn't seek reelection to the House seat he won by a narrow margin in 2018.

That opened the doors for a crowded primaryin March. Gonzales, a Navy veteran, and Reyes, anAir Force veteran, garnered the most votes in the pool of nine candidates.

Gonzales received28.11% of the votes district wide, followed by Reyes who received 23.31%. In El Paso County, Reyes received37.97% of the votes and Gonzales 28.48%.

Congressional District 23 has flipped between being represented by Republicans and Democrats in the past. It's been held by a Republicansince Hurd took office in 2015, but Democrats are working to flip it.

Hurd, who has crossed party lines and criticizedPresident Donald Trump in the past, won his reelection for a two-year term in 2018 by less than 1,000 votes.

His opponent, Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones, a former Air Force intelligence officer, won the Democratic primary in 2020 and is on the November ballot.

Gina Ortiz Jones(Photo: Courtesy of the Gina Ortiz Jones campaign)

"This is one of themost competitive districts in the country, so all eyes are going to be on it," said Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor. "It is a district which has been purple ... Republicans have been successful in part because Will Hurd was a popular figure in the area."

Hurd receivedattention in 2017for a"bipartisan road trip"with then U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso. O'Rourke left Congress after his failed bid to upset U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.

President Donald Trump chimed in on Twitter July 3 in the race for Texas 23rd Congressional District, announcing his endorsement of Gonzales.

Tony Gonzales will be a GREAT Congressman for Texas!, Trump wrote on Twitter. A Navy veteran, he is Strong on the Economy, Life and the Second Amendment. We need him to defeat the Radical Left in November. Tony has my Complete and Total Endorsement!

Gonzales, who has also been endorsedby Hurd, retweeted the post, thanking the president for his support.

Lets win in November! he said in the tweet.

Trump's endorsement comes just days after Sen. Cruz, R-Texas, announced his support for Reyes in the election. In an advertisement, Cruz casts Reyes as one of the "conservative warriors" needed in the House.

"President Trump needs more congressmen like Col. Reyes," Cruz says in the advertisement. "Leaders who won't surrender our border, our sovereignty, our way of life."

Jones predicted that Trump's endorsement would get Gonzalesthrough to November in a Friday tweet.

"Well, meet my likely opponent," Jones said in the tweet. "I'm a proud first-gen American, daughter of a single mom, and Iraq and Air Force veteran. And unlike him, I'm running in #TX23 to fight for affordable health care, good jobs, and an economy that works for everyone."

TheDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee maintained that while the endorsement may help Gonzales in July, it could hurt him in November. In 2016, the district went for Clinton by just over 3 percentage points,though Hurd was elected in the congressional race.

With this toxic endorsement in a pro-Clinton and pro-Biden district, Tony Gonzales is now the overwhelming favorite to win on July 14 and lose on November 3,"DCCCspokesman Avery Jaffe said in the statement.

Reyes paints Gonzales as the establishment candidate who would be a "continuum of the legacy of Will Hurd."

Reyes' key policy issues include the Second Amendment and border security. He's for "zero red flag laws and no more infringement on the Second Amendment" and his an advocate for the construction of a border wall. He also wants to "bring jobs to district 23," including El Paso.

"We would be a powerhouse in Congress, fighting for the people, to get things really done," Reyes said.

Gonzales maintained he'sthe candidatewho can bring togethermembers of the RepublicanParty. He pointed to endorsements from Hurd, U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, and Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, asexamples.

Economic growth, advocating for veterans healthcare and helping veterans transition into the workforce are areas of interest for Gonzales. Border security is also a focus of his campaign, citing a need for resources to keep communities safe, "whether that's added technology" or "resources to DHS, ICE, Border Patrol and elsewhere."

"The biggest thing that distinguishes me from Reyes, is I can unite the party," Gonzales said.

Eleanor Dearmanmay be reached at361-244-0047;edearman@elpasotimes.com; @EllyDearman on Twitter.

Read or Share this story: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/08/texas-election-republicans-runoff-replace-will-hurd-district-23/5383216002/

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Texas Election: What to know about the congressional race to replace U.S. Rep. Will Hurd - El Paso Times