Lisa Campbell becomes the first woman to head the Canadian Space Agency – CBC.ca

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For the first time ever andas Canada workstorepositionitself in thecrowded global space race the federal government has taskeda woman tolead the Canadian Space Agency.

The Government of Canada announced today that Lisa Campbellwill replace Sylvain Laporteas president of the CSA. The news release announcing her appointment noted thatnew appointments to key agencies and departments "respectthe principle of diversity."

"One thing I have learned through my career is you'vegot to dream big and you've got toreach for your own stars. So I tried to do that throughout my career," Campbell toldCBC News."I am humbled and honoured by this opportunity."

Campbell takes over theCSA as Canada charts a new course in space exploration, in part througha partnership with the international community on a new lunar program.

Canada is working with other countries to build a space station intended toorbit the moon the Lunar Gateway project. The station is being billedas botha laboratory and, as the CSA puts it,"a stepping stone" for future missions to Mars. One of Canada's contributions to the U.S.-led mission will be an artificial intelligence-based robotic system, the Canadarm3.

In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed $2.05 billion over 24 years toward Canada's space program and $150 million over five years toward the Lunar Gateway.

Campbell comes to the CSA from a stint asassociate deputy minister for Veterans Affairs Canadaand, before that,as an assistantdeputy minister of defence and marine procurement.

Watch | Campbell excited by timing of her appointment

"Lisa Campbell has worked tirelessly in the service of Canadians throughout her career and has the experience and abilities to move the Agency forward on future explorations," saidInnovation, Science and IndustryMinisterNavdeep Bainsin the news release.

Watch | CBC News: Canada joins Lunar Gateway moon mission (2019)

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Lisa Campbell becomes the first woman to head the Canadian Space Agency - CBC.ca

Will Elon Musks Neuralink Wipe Disability Off The Face Of The Earth? – Forbes

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03 September 2020, Brandenburg, Grnheide: Elon Musk, head of Tesla, stands on the construction site ... [+] of the Tesla Gigafactory. In Grnheide near Berlin. Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB (Photo by Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images)

At the end of August, via a live webcast, Elon Musk updated the world on the progress of Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company he founded back in 2016.

Maverick technologist Musk, who is also CEO of cutting-edge electric automobile manufacturer Tesla and space exploration company SpaceX, outlined a bold vision for the future of humanity.

Musks world of tomorrow is one in which cybernetically augmented super-humans are, not just able to overcome the scourge of disease and disability, but wholly transcend their physical form via direct integration with machines and technology.

To use Musks own words, Neuralinks implantable device is like a Fitbit in your skull. Comprised of super-thin threads that carry electrodes, the technology is intended to facilitate high throughput communication to external computers and, potentially, secondary links placed elsewhere in the body.

Neuralink brain implant for connecting humans and machines

Neuralink is certainly no gimmick either. The company already employs over 100 people and is looking to rapidly expand its workforce.

Musk has also sunk $100 million of his own capital into the venture. He additionally revealed that, this past July, Neuralink received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which can assist in expediting the regulatory process.

Disabled people are likely to have had their attention piqued by Musk reiterating that, in the first instance, Neuralink would be looking to solve important brain and spine problems.

In fact, throughout the presentation, several chronic and life-limiting conditions were cited as being potentially treatable by Neuralink ranging from blindness, spinal cord injuries, memory loss, brain damage and even depression.

The companys first round of clinical trials will focus on patients with spinal cord injuries.

For disabled people watching on, this may sound like a compelling narrative, or, at the very least, something fresh and innovative in comparison to the dry mathematical data and medical jargon filling the professional journals.

Musks multi-billionaire status and media persona as a star-gazing pioneer pushing the boundaries of science certainly plays into this.

What is perhaps more tantalizing is that it is abundantly clear that Musks ambitions for Neuralink go well beyond just helping disabled people.

Elon Musk has gone on the record multiple times to convey his concerns on the threat to humanity posed by artificial intelligence.

He sees a future in which AI outpaces human beings and can no longer be held in check and has described the technology as being a greater threat to human survival than that posed by nuclear weapons.

Neuralink is, in essence, borne of Musks transhumanist ambition to maintain the whip hand over super-intelligent machines and AI.

On a species level, its important to figure out how we coexist with advanced AI, achieving some AI symbiosis, Musk said during the presentation, such that the future of the world is controlled by the combined will of the people of the earth. That might be the most important thing that a device like this achieves.

Notwithstanding the imminent rise of the cyborgs, there are, naturally, more short-term commercial opportunities ripe for exploitation.

Ultimately, who wouldnt want to be able to stream music directly into their head, or control immersive virtual video games purely by the power of their thoughts?

Futuristic woman with pink goggles and glowing interactive tattoos crouches on floor

It is this meshing of the technology with wider commercial, or indeed, existential applications, that makes it utterly compelling for those living with physical impairments.

After all, neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons and motor neuron disease are all so very niche.

Yes, they all involve the brain but their causes and mechanisms of action are unique and different. Research for these conditions is, therefore, highly specialized and undertaken at a slow pace within academic silos, all competing with each other for scarce resources.

Any new technology, particularly one propelled by wider, mass-market ambitions and finance, instantly becomes an extremely seductive proposition.

It should, at this stage, be noted that research on BMIs (brain-machine Interfaces) dates back to the 1970s. Early demonstrations involved patients with external electrodes moving an on-screen cursor. More recently, BMIs have been deployed by researchers to actuate the movement of mechanical arms, small vehicles and even wheelchairs.

With respect to its reception from the neuroscience community, Neurolink has, so far, received mixed reviews.

The companys major breakthrough appears to relate to the number of electrodes engaged (10x more than any other device) allowing for unprecedented levels of data and throughput.

According to University of Toronto neuroscience research fellow Graeme Moffat, Neuralink's hardware is "order of magnitude leaps" beyond any competitor in relation to size, portability, power consumption and wireless capabilities.

Ralph Adolphs, Bren Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology at California Institute of Technology describedNeuralink's announcement as "tremendously exciting" and "a huge technical achievement."

Neuralink has also innovated in the development of a surgical robot to implement the insertion of tiny wires comprising the width of a human hair. The long-term aim is for the surgery to be carried out as a non-invasive day procedure, much like LASIK eye surgery is undertaken today.

Some scientists have poured scorn on Neuralinks theoretical underpinning, particularly in relation to emulating higher-level brain functions, such as recording thoughts or memories.

According to Loren Frank, a neuroscientist at UCSF and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the simplistic conflation of thoughts and memories with the electrical emissions that occur alongside them, represents a failure of knowledge of biology.

After all, a consistent theory of human consciousness is not yet within the domain of scientific consensus.

Andrew Jackson, Professor of Neural Interfaces at Newcastle University, summarized Musks presentation and Neuralinks progress to date as solid engineering but mediocre neuroscience.

Nevertheless, those interested in Neuralink for its medical applications should not be disheartened.

Mediating motor functions, though replete with significant challenges, is certainly not as tough an ask as deciphering thoughts and memories.

It is the former that people with disabilities will be most interested in and Steven Chase of Carnegie Mellons Neuroscience Institute confirmed, The biggest thing these patients want is independence; this technology has the potential to offer them that.

So, while hope exists that a mainstream device for controlling electrical signals in the brain could indeed represent a new treatment frontier and modality for debilitating neurological conditions, less certainty prevails over the timeline.

This is, after all, the same Elon Musk who predicted there would be one million fully autonomous vehicles on the road by the end of 2020.

People living with long-term health conditions know, perhaps more so than any other segment of society, that the road to meaningful medical advancement is often a long and winding one.

Research is fragmented for no reason other than it is innately complex. The mechanism of action of a single drug, gene, or protein for a specific disease can represent one research teams lifes work.

At the same time, even for those living with the most complex of disabilities, notions of there one day being a cure or a fix remain the ultimate tantalizing taboo.

Weve all been brought up to believe that technology gets better, that doctors eventually learn to fix what was once unfixable.

The question is less one of whether it will happen, and more one of when, and which generation will be alive to benefit.

Ultimately, Generation Fixed may not have been born yet but those of us who are around today may be witnessing the emergence of a technology that will, one day, make disability elimination a reality and not just science fiction.

However, conquering the secret frontier of the human brain is likely to be a mission that Musk might well reflect, when he himself is old and frail, proved more of a challenge than even venturing forth into the stars and outer space.

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Will Elon Musks Neuralink Wipe Disability Off The Face Of The Earth? - Forbes

Space Race victory for UK: Britain leads the way with prestigious ‘Exploration Award’ – Daily Express

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At the same time, the company is positive the eco-friendly fuel will reduce Skyrora's carbon footprint, as well as that of the aviation industry.

Volodymyr Levykin, CEO of Skyrora said: "This came as a great surprise during our short visit to Iceland and Im delighted that in addition to our successful rocket launch, Skyrora also received the prestigious Leif Erikson Lunar Prize award in Iceland, the worlds second-most highly performing country in environmental issues.

"Global climate change is extremely important for everybody at Skyrora and we see it as our mission and duty to be as environmentally conscious as possible.

"Receiving the Leif Erikson award during our seven-day trip to Iceland goes to show how much potential Ecosene has, not only for the company but for the future of the global space industry."

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Space Race victory for UK: Britain leads the way with prestigious 'Exploration Award' - Daily Express

Extraterrestrial Hunters Figure Out a Way to Expand Their Search for Signals by a Factor of 200 – Universe Today

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In 2015, Russian-American billionaire Yuri Milner established Breakthrough Initiatives, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing space exploration. Central to this effort is Breakthrough Listen, a ten-year international research program dedicated to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and the largest and most sophisticated effort to find intelligent life beyond Earth to date.

In the past five years, the project has made two major data releases (in the June of 2019 and February of 2020) and announced that it found no signs of alien transmissions from the 1,327 nearest star systems. But thanks to an analytical breakthrough recently proposed by researchers from the University of Manchester, it looks as though Breakthrough Listens search efforts could be expanded by a factor of more than 200!

The research was conducted by Bart S. Wlodarczyk-Sroka, a postgraduate student at the University of Manchesters Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics; Michael Garrett, a professor of radio astronomy at Leiden University; and A. P. V. Siemion, the director of the UC Berkeley SETI Research Center. Their results were published in the Sept. 1st issue of The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Their team began by using data from the ESAs Gaiaspacecraft, which has spent nearly seven years cataloging the positions, distances, and motions of over 1 billion stars and astronomical objects. From this data, they selected additional stars that fell within Breakthrough Listens field of view, extending its reach to include stars that are up to 33,000 light-years away from Earth.

This expanded the projects original sample by a factor of over 217, from 1,327 nearby stars to 288,315! From this vastly larger analytical sample, the research team was able to place new constraints on the potential number of extraterrestrial radio transmitters within 33,000 light-years what SETI researchers refer to as Continuous Waveform Transmitter Rate Figures of Merit (CWTFM).

Ultimately, they found that withing 50 parsecs (163 light-years) of Earth, roughly 0.066% of stellar systems had the potential of hosting an advanced civilization capable of communicating with advanced radio technology. Within 200 parsecs (652 light-years), that number dropped to about 0.04%, reaching steadily lower the farther out they looked. As Wlodarczyk-Sroka explained in a University of Manchester press release:

Our results help to put meaningful limits on the prevalence of transmitters comparable to what we ourselves can build using twenty first century technology. We now know that fewer than one in 1600 stars closer than about 330 light years host transmitters just a few times more powerful than the strongest radar we have here on Earth. Inhabited worlds with much more powerful transmitters than we can currently produce must be rarer still.

This reanalysis of existing data represents a new milestone in the history of SETI. In addition to improving the constraints on nearby stars, this study also provides the first limits for more distant stars. Naturally, they stressed that any civilizations inhabiting the outer limits of the galaxy would need even more powerful radio transmitters to be detectable.

Another important takeaway from this study is the way it considered objects that lie within the range of a telescopes field of view rather than just the target object which is something that SETI researchers dont usually take into account. According to Garret, this that has all changed thanks to the Gaia mission:

Knowing the locations and distances to these additional sources, greatly improves our ability to constrain the prevalence of extraterrestrial intelligence in our own galaxy and beyond. We expect future SETI surveys to also make good use of this approach.

Thanks to these efforts, SETI researchers now have the best limits ever produced on the prevalence of artificial radio signals in our galaxy. Granted, these results cannot place constraints on the prevalence of life itself within our local area of the galaxy. They do, however, help in narrowing the search for what is considered to be the most likely evidence of technological activity (aka. technosignatures).

In another development, Breakthrough Listen announced last year that it was teaming up with scientists from NASAs Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. As per their agreement, Breakthrough Listen would be dedicating observation time with its telescopes to conduct follow-up surveys of the many new exoplanets TESS has confirmed to search for technosignatures.

More recently, Breakthrough Listen announced the release of their Exotica catalog, a diverse list of objects that create or are typically found in extreme environments. This catalog is now available to any and all amateur SETI researchers or citizen scientists who wish to look for signs of alien activity in what are considered to be the less-likely locales for life.

With next-generation telescopes like the James Webb and Roman Space Telescope taking to space in the next few years, astronomers anticipate another explosion in the number of exoplanets that are available for study. With ground-based observatories like the ESOs Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) also becoming operational, they also anticipate being able to characterize exoplanet atmospheres like never before.

Combined with improved estimates on their likelihood and a wider assortment of technosignatures to work with, the search for intelligence is drawing closer and closer to resolving Fermis Paradox!

Further Reading: University of Manchester, MNRAS

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Extraterrestrial Hunters Figure Out a Way to Expand Their Search for Signals by a Factor of 200 - Universe Today

Latest Trends in Deep Space Exploration and Technology Market 2020, In-depth Analysis Considering Impact of Covid -19 on Share, Size and Future…

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The Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyMarket 2020 report includes the market strategy, market orientation, expert opinion and knowledgeable information. The Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyIndustry Report is an in-depth study analyzing the current state of the Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyMarket. It provides a brief overview of the market focusing on definitions, classifications, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, market segmentation, end-use applications and industry chain analysis. The study on Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyMarket provides analysis of market covering the industry trends, recent developments in the market and competitive landscape.

Get The Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.reportsandmarkets.com/sample-request/global-deep-space-exploration-and-technology-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026?utm_source=themarketchronicles&utm_medium=15

Market Dynamics

The report devised on global Deep Space Exploration and Technologymarketincludes a section focused solely on the dynamics that are impacting the growth of the global Deep Space Exploration and Technologymarket over the forecast period of 2020to 2026. These market dynamics include both, market drivers that are promoting the growth of the market, along with market restraints that are poised to challenge and slow down such growth. This study aims at providing insight into the market landscape and factors that pose a heavy influence in the functioning of the same.

It takes into account the CAGR, value, volume, revenue, production, consumption, sales, manufacturing cost, prices, and other key factors related to the global Deep Space Exploration and Technologymarket. All findings and data on the global Deep Space Exploration and Technologymarket provided in the report are calculated, gathered, and verified using advanced and reliable primary and secondary research sources. The regional analysis offered in the report will help you to identify key opportunities of the global Deep Space Exploration and Technologymarket available in different regions and countries.

Major Companies Includedin the global Deep Space Exploration and Technologymarket coveredAirbus S.A.S, Astrobotic, Axiom Space, Bradford, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Masten Space Systems, MAXAR Technologies Inc., Nanoracks LLC, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Planetary Resources, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), and Thales Group

Research Methodology

The research methodology adopted for this report includes market research tools such as Porters Five Forces Model and an in-depth SWOT analysis to analyse this market during the projected assessment period, based on historical market research data, and enable the target audience for this study, to make better and more informed decisions with regard to this market.

Market Segmentation

The global Deep Space Exploration and Technologymarkethas been segmented and analyzed on the basis of various aspects including type, component, applications, end-users, and region, among many others. This segmentation has aided researchers to evaluate the relationship between specific segmental growth and market growth. The detailed regional analysis has been conducted for North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The study objectives of this report are:To study and forecast the market size of Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyMarket in global Industry.To analyze the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for top players.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, end use and region.To analyze and compare the market status and forecast among global major regions.To analyze the global key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

To Browse the Full Report https://www.reportsandmarkets.com/reports/global-deep-space-exploration-and-technology-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026?utm_source=themarketchronicles&utm_medium=15

Major Points in Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Introduction

Definition

Scope of the Study

Research Objective

Market Structure

Assumptions And Limitations

Research Methodology

Market Dynamics

Overview

Drivers

Restraints

Opportunities

Market Factor

Analysis

Porters Five Forces Model

Value Chain Analysis

Investment Opportunities

Price Analysis

Global Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyMarket, By Product

Global Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyMarket, By End Users

Global Deep Space Exploration and TechnologyMarket, By Region

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles

Appendix

About us

Market research is the new buzzword in the market, which helps in understanding the market potential of any product in the market. This helps in understanding the market players and the growth forecast of the products and so the company. This is where market research companies come into the picture. Reports And Markets is not just another company in this domain but is a part of a veteran group called Algoro Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. It offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for a wide range of sectors both for the government and private agencies all across the world.

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Latest Trends in Deep Space Exploration and Technology Market 2020, In-depth Analysis Considering Impact of Covid -19 on Share, Size and Future...

Letter: Libertarianism is the peaceful way out | Letters To The Editor – Eagle-Tribune

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To the editor:

Its been 36 years since a Republican candidate for president won Massachusetts. This year the incumbent will not win this state. Joe Biden will but without my vote.

I will cast mine for the other "Jo" -- Jo Jorgensen and her running mate, Jeremy "Spike" Cohen, and hope you will too.

In the 21st century it is easy to find her website and videos of her and Cohen's media appearances. They set out a bold, practical, Libertarian vision for Americas future to address the awful legacy left by generations of Republican and Democrat politicians.

It is a legacy of national debt too large to comprehend; endless wars; skyrocketing health care costs; the worlds leading incarceration rate (even higher among racial minorities and the poor); a broken retirement system that soon will be unable to pay promised benefits; an endless immigration crisis; cronyism; and a truly uncivil political discourse.

Libertarianism is the classic liberalism of John and Abigail Adams. Condemned by partisans on the left and right as preventing their party from seizing state power to crush the enemy, it remains the only peaceful way out.

Steven Epstein

Georgetown

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Letter: Libertarianism is the peaceful way out | Letters To The Editor - Eagle-Tribune

ELECTION 2020: Campaigns in Martinsville area have to go viral after pandemic takes away door-to-door – Martinsville Bulletin

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Also, Jim McKelvey of Franklin County will bring his bus, which is covered in a Trump-Pence wrap to support the president's re-election effort.

The headliner of their campaigning is of course the presidential race between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. And the Libertarian Party candidate, Jo Jorgensen, has qualified for the ballot in Virginia, too.

The 5th Congressional District, which serves an eastern sliver of Henry County and currently is a seat held by Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Charlottesville), is race between Republican Bob Good and Democrat Cameron Webb.

The 9th Congressional District incumbent, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem), who represents Martinsville and western Henry County and Patrick County, is unopposed.

At the GOP headquarters, we have as many as 30 people come in and out of there on any given day, Phillips said. Obviously, theyre not all in there at any given time, and those people are wearing masks.

We register voters that way, give out campaign literature that way, distribute signage, he said.

Some residents have given the Republicans space to put up 8-by-4-foot and 4-by-4 signs in high traffic areas, he said.

Henry County is covered by the 9th and 5th Congressional Districts, he said, and in addition to the center in Collinsville, calls to fifth-district voters are made out of a victory center in Danville.

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ELECTION 2020: Campaigns in Martinsville area have to go viral after pandemic takes away door-to-door - Martinsville Bulletin

One of Trump’s biggest detractors is as conservative as they come – Public Opinion

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Bill Gindlesperger, Columnist Published 7:00 a.m. ET Sept. 2, 2020

Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway leaves position to focus on family, and her husband will also be stepping away from the Lincoln Project. USA TODAY

So who is George Conway, and why should you care?

George Conway is a 57-year-old American attorney and ultra-conservative Republican. Not a RINO (Republican in name only). He is dyed in the wool.

Conway knows Donald Trump. He was on the shortlist for appointment to U.S. solicitor general. He was also recruited for assistant attorney general heading Civil Division in U.S. Department of Justice.

Trump wanted him, because Conway is a star. Conway argued Morrison v. National Australia Bank before the U.S. Supreme Court. He won unanimously with the opinion authored by conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

Twenty years ago Conway dated conservative Fox News pundit Laura Ingraham. Then he saw Kellyanne Fitzpatrick on the cover of a society magazine and was stunned. He called another friend, Ann Coulter, for an introduction.

Bill Gindlesperger(Photo: Bill Gindlesperger)

More: Social Security issue shows that Trump's words mean nothing

More: Political trial balloons are soaring all around, testing the atmosphere for Trump

George and Kellyanne were married in 2001, and Kellyanne Fitzgerald became Kellyanne Conway. Today they have four children and live in Washington, DC.

Kellyanne turned out to be no slouch. She is a pollster, political consultant and pundit. She worked as campaign manager and strategist in the Republican Party and was CEO of The Polling Company / Woman Trend. She became Trump's campaign manager when he ran for president.

Up until recently Kellyanne was Trumps counselor and spokesperson. She appeared regularly on Fox News. Thats why you may recognize the Conway name.

Meanwhile George Conway and Neal Katyal, another high-powered lawyer, wrote an op-ed in New York Times challenging the constitutionality of Trump's appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general after Trump fired conservative Jeff Sessions. Conway and Katyal argued Trump was overriding explicit wording in the Constitution.

George Conway sought support from members of the ultra-conservative and libertarian Federalist Society. Members were influential in selecting candidates for Trump to appoint to federal courts. They concluded Trump was betraying well-established legal norms and conservative values.

None of this went down well with Trump.

With Trump suffering from narcissism to the detriment of the country and its Constitution,George Conway founded the Lincoln Project.

This conservative Super PAC wants to Defeat President Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box. In fact the Lincoln Project is dedicated to "persuading enough disaffected conservatives, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in swing states and districts to help ensure a victory in the Electoral College, and congressional majorities that dont enable or abet Mr. Trumps violations of the Constitution".

Contrary to what Trump has tweeted, the Lincoln Project is hard right, conservative, libertarian, rule-of-law, and Constitution-based.

Trump has called George Conway a "stone cold LOSER & husband from hell".

Trump has publicly called George Conway Moonface. This racial slur is based on George Conway being half Filipino. His mother was a well-respected organic chemist from the Philippines.

George Conway grew up near Boston, graduated from Harvard College magna cum laude, and obtained a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. Thats where he was editor of Yale Law Journal and president of Yale Law Schools chapter of the ultra-conservative Federalist Society.

More: Trump is pulling the ultimate con on the American people

More: Political posturing will not change the facts about COVID-19

Several weeks ago, conservative Republican George Conway made a statement regarding COVID-19 and Trumps responsibility to the American people. Here it is:

"For Trump supporters, let me make one thing VERY clear!

For the record NO ONE is blaming the President for the virus. Let me repeat. Coronavirus is not Trumps fault.

Heres a detailed list of what we are blaming him for:

* Trump declined to use the World Health Organizations test like other nations. Back in January, over a month before the first Covid-19 case, the Chinese posted a new mysterious virus and within a week, Berlin virologists had produced the first diagnostic test. By the end of February, the WHO had shipped out tests to 60 countries. Oh, but not our government. We declined the test even as a temporary bridge until the CDC could create its own test. The question is why? We dont know but what to look for is which pharmaceutical company eventually manufactures the test and who owns the stock. Keep tuned.

* In 2018 Trump fired Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossart, whose job was to coordinate a response to global pandemics. He was not replaced.

* In 2018 Dr. Luciana Borio, the NSC director for medical and bio-defense preparedness left the job. Trump did not replace Dr. Borio.

* In 2019 the NSCs Senior Director for Global Health Security and bio-defense, Tim Ziemer, left the position and Trump did not replace the Rear Admiral.

* Trump shut down the entire Global Health Security and Bio-defense agency. Yes, he did.

* Amid the explosive worldwide outbreak of the virus Trump proposed a 19% cut to the budget of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention plus a 10% cut to Public Health Services and a 7% cut to Global Health Services. Those happen to be the organizations that respond to public health threats.

* In 2018, at Trumps direction, the CDC stopped funding epidemic prevention activities in 39 out of 49 countries including China.

* Trump didnt appoint a doctor to oversee the US response to the pandemic. He appointed Mike Pence.

* Trump has on multiple occasions sowed doubt about the severity of the virus even using the word hoax at events and rallies. He even did it at an event where the virus was being spread. Trump has put out zero useful information concerning the health risks of the virus.

* Trump pretended the virus had been contained.

* Trump left a cruise ship at sea for days, denying them proper hospital care, rather than increase his numbers in America.

Repeat. We do not blame Trump for the virus. We blame him for gutting the nations preparations to deal with it. We blame him for bungling testing and allowing it to spread uninhibited. We blame him for wasting taxpayer money on applause lines at his rallies (like The Wall). We blame him for putting his own political life over American human life. I hope this clears things up."

This is not a liberal speaking. These are the words of George Conway and members of the ultra-conservative libertarian Federalist Society.

Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Shippensburg University trustee and founder of eLynxx Solutions that provides Print Buyers Software for procuring and managing direct mail, marketing, promo and print. He is a board member, campaign advisor, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com

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One of Trump's biggest detractors is as conservative as they come - Public Opinion

Hubble telescopes finds that Andromedas halo is already touching the Milky Way’s halo – Firstpost

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FP TrendingSep 02, 2020 12:44:31 IST

Andromeda galaxy or M31 is the nearest galaxy to our Milky Way. While it is 2.5 million light-years away from us, recent observations by NASAs Hubble telescope has revealed that the halo of Andromeda is already touching Milky Ways halo.

The halo of a galaxy or a galactic halo is the envelope of a galaxy that is mainly composed of gas and a few stars. These halos are a characteristic feature of most disc galaxies like the Andromeda and the Milky Way.

This illustration shows the location of the 43 quasars scientists used to probe Andromedas gaseous halo. These quasarsthe very distant, brilliant cores of active galaxies powered by black holesare scattered far behind the halo, allowing scientists to probe multiple regions. Looking through the immense halo at the quasars light, the team observed how this light is absorbed by the halo and how that absorption changes in different regions. By tracing the absorption of light coming from the background quasars, scientists are able to probe the halos material. Image Credits: NASA, ESA, and E. Wheatley (STScI)

In the recent study, scientists have managed to map the enormous halo of Andromeda and the results have revealed that the halo extends 1.3 million light-years from the galaxy. This is about halfway to the Milky Way, stated a report by NASA. The article also said that the extension is not linear and the halo has spread as far as two million light-years in certain directions. As the Milky Way has its own halo that spreads as far as one million light-years, Andromedas halo is already bumping into the halo of our own galaxy.

Samantha Berek of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, who was a co-investigator in the project explained that this reservoir of gas or the halo contains fuel for future star formation within the galaxy. According to Berek the fuel is also for outflows from events such as supernovae. Berek adds that it is full of clues regarding the evolution of the galaxy, and they are finally able to study it in great detail.

The mapping has also revealed the structure of the halo. According to the space agency, the nearly invisible halo has a layered structure with two main nested and distinct shells of gas. Scientists think the two-part structure might have been the result of a few supernova explosions within Andromedas main disk.

The entire study has been published in The Astrophysical Journal.

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Hubble telescopes finds that Andromedas halo is already touching the Milky Way's halo - Firstpost

ISRO’s AstroSat detects galaxy that is one of the earliest sources of UV-light in space – Firstpost

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tech2 News StaffSep 02, 2020 18:05:04 IST

An international team of astronomers detected extreme-Ultraviolet (UV) light originating from a galaxy called AUDFs01 that is 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth.

There arethree subdivisions of ultraviolet radiation: near-ultraviolet (NUV), middle ultraviolet (MUV), far-ultraviolet (FUV), and extreme ultraviolet (EUV).

The teamthat made this discovery includes scientists from India, Switzerland, France, The USA, Japan and The Netherlands and is being led by Dr Kanak Saha, Associate Professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.

Combined four-colour image of the AstroSat Uv Deep Field (AUDF). Red and green colours from HST while cyan and dark blue are from AstroSat. AUDFs01 is in the square box. Highlighted images in the boxes below are from HST and AstroSat. Image Credit: Kanak Saha (IUCAA)/ISRO

The galaxy AUDFs01 is located in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (XDF). The XDF was assembled by combining 10 years of photographs captured of a patch of sky at the centre of the original Hubble Ultra Deep Field by the Hubble Telescope.

Since EUV can only be observed from space, the team made use of the Indian Space Research Organisation's AstroSat to detect it pouring out of the galaxy.

AstroSat is India's first mission that focuses solely on astronomy and is a multi-wavelength satellite. At any given point, it has five X-ray and ultraviolet telescopes working in tandem. It was first launched in 2015 and is supposed to have a mission life of five years.

Using one of the six payloads onboard the satellite, the UVIT- the observation showed that the galaxy AUDFs01 is the first example of a galaxy with clumpy morphology and leaking ionizing radiation.

Dr Somak Raychaudhury, Director of IUCAA, said in a statement This is a very important clue to how the dark ages of the Universe ended and there was light in the Universe. We need to know when this started, but it has been very hard to find the earliest sources of light.

According to a report by The Print, after the team made this observation, they analysed the data for two years to ensure they had made no mistakes since the Hubble telescope had not been able to detect it. They wanted to be certain that the emission was indeed originating from the AUDFs01.

An artistic rendering of the AstroSat satellite. Image courtesy: ISRO

"AstroSat/UVIT was able to achieve this unique feat because the background noise in the UVIT detector is much less than the ones on Hubble Space Telescope, said Saha in a statement released by ISRO.

We knew it would be an uphill task to convince the international community that UVIT has recorded extreme-UV emission from this galaxy when more powerful HST has not," he added.

The results of this study have been published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

NASA's Public Affairs Officer Felicia Chou told ANI that said that "NASA congratulates the researchers on their exciting discovery" and the American space agency believes that this will further mankind's understanding.

She said, "Science is a collaborative effort around the world, and discoveries like these help further humankind's understanding of where we come from, where are we going, and are we alone."

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ISRO's AstroSat detects galaxy that is one of the earliest sources of UV-light in space - Firstpost

California and the Second Amendment – LA Daily News

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Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) that the Second Amendment restricts the actions of the states as well as the federal government, the constitutionality of state laws related to firearms has been less than certain.

It was only two years earlier that the Supreme Court had declared, with its ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right that does not depend on participation in a state militia. The McDonald case established that this is a fundamental right that applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, which bars the states from denying liberty to any person without due process of law.

Beyond that, the details are still to be worked out.

One such detail is the constitutionality of Californias ban on the possession of large capacity magazines (LCMs), those capable of holding more than ten rounds. In 2000, California banned the manufacture, importation and sale of LCMs, but state residents who acquired LCMs prior to 2000 were grandfathered and allowed to keep them.

That is, until voters approved Proposition 63 in 2016. That measure made it unlawful to possess an LCM after July 2017. The law was immediately challenged.

In mid-August, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the plaintiffs and struck down the ban. Judge Kenneth Lee wrote in the majority opinion, Even well-intentioned laws must pass constitutional muster. The ruling said Californias ban on possession of LCMs strikes at the core of the Second Amendmentthe right to armed self-defense.

Or does it?

One member of the three-judge panel dissented, writing that the majority opinion conflicted with an earlier case decided in the Ninth Circuit that upheld a similar law. And on Tuesday, a New Jersey law banning LCMs was upheld by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit asking for a rehearing by an 11-judge panel. But by fighting for Californias ban on the possession of LCMs, Becerra may be risking that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually hear the case and use it to strike down a broader range of state gun restrictions.

The dispute between the circuits, and between the judges, centers on the entirely subjective judgment of whether a law is a reasonable regulation or a severe burden on core Second Amendment rights. Since the McDonald case, the U.S. Supreme Court has passed up opportunities to hear cases that could more specifically define the boundaries of state regulation of firearms.

In 2017, justices declined the opportunity to hear Peruta v. California, in which the issue was the right of ordinary, law-abiding citizens to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense. Edward Peruta had been denied a concealed carry permit by the San Diego County sheriff on the grounds that self-defense was not sufficient good cause for the issuance of a permit.

If the current California case, Duncan v. Becerra, eventually reaches the justices, it could lead to a narrow ruling limited to the constitutionality of Californias 2016 ban on possession of property that was legally acquired years before. However, if the justices agree to hear the case, it could ultimately strengthen Second Amendment rights more generally, appropriately narrowing the scope of state power to limit a fundamental right.

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California and the Second Amendment - LA Daily News

Lin Wood Argues Kenosha Shooting Was Justified By Second Amendment? – Above the Law

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Fresh off his rousing success (or not) suing CNN and the Washington Post for grievously defaming Nicholas Sandmann, attorney Lin Wood has picked up (along with Pierce Bainbridge) another fine young man as a client: Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager charged Thursday with homicide, reckless endangerment, and possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 after shooting three people at protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday night.

Yesterday Wood released a bizarre statement describing Rittenhouse in absurdly glowing terms hes a lifeguard! a medic! civic minded and full of good will for his fellow man when hes not blowing giant bullet holes into them! and also previewing a bevy of strange defenses.

Kyle did nothing wrong, Wood wrote. He exercised his God-given, Constitutional, common law and statutory law right to self-defense.

As NBCs legal analyst, Danny Cevallos notes, the reference to Constitutional rights strongly implies that Wood intends to assert a Second Amendment defense to the charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18. The Supreme Court has held that the right to bear arms is not absolute, and federal courts have affirmed the legality of prohibiting gun sales to persons under the age of 21, much less 18.

So arguing that Wisconsins arrest of a 17-year-old for wandering the streets with a loaded AR-15 strapped to his body violates the Constitution, much less Gods law, is probably a stretch. And speaking of stretching, its not entirely clear how a kid crossing state lines to deputize himself as a law enforcement officer, police the streets after curfew holding a gun he barely knows how to use (according to the charging documents), and then fire lethal rounds into an unarmed man qualifies him as a member of the well regulated militia for the purpose of the Second Amendment.

Mr. Wood will no doubt explain that after he gets through patting himself on the back for securing a 25-day continuance on his clients extradition hearing to the dreaded third-world nation of Wisconsin.

Kyle now has the best legal representation in the country. With help from Nicholas Sandmann attorney L. Lin Wood, Pierce Bainbridge and multiple top-tier criminal defense lawyers in Wisconsin immediately offered representation to Kyle.

Today, his legal team was successful in working with the public defender to obtain a several-week continuance of his extradition hearing to September 25th. This at least partially slows down the rush to judgment by a government and media that is determined to assassinate his character and destroy his life.

Twenty-five whole days! Wisconsin! Second Amendment! And lest we forget, God himself.

Was Kyle Rittenhouses possession of a gun protected by the Second Amendment? [NBC]

Elizabeth Dyelives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.

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Lin Wood Argues Kenosha Shooting Was Justified By Second Amendment? - Above the Law

Sen. Clay Scofield: Doug Jones poses biggest threat to 2nd Amendment in Alabama’s history – Montgomery Advertiser

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Clay Scofield, Special to the Advertiser Published 6:10 p.m. CT Sept. 3, 2020

Clay Scofield (R), Marshall County, was elected in 2010 to the Alabama Senate representing District 9.(Photo: Contributed)

PortlandSeattleChicagoNew York City

Scenes of rioting, looting, lawlessness, and utter chaos in these once-great American cities have become commonplace on television news channels over the past several months.

Liberal Democrat mayors like Bill DeBlasio, Lori Lightfoot, and Ted Wheeler have ceded control to mob rule, and Alabamians are joining millions across the country in asking when the violence will be brought to an end.

At the same time, these leftist politicians and many in the Hollywood elite are working to take away your Second Amendment gun rights while they remain safely protected behind heavily-armed security details.

Because the violent protesters, looters, and rioters have no regard for human life or property, the ability to own a firearm if you choose is more important than ever before.

But when it comes to the issue of gun control, interim U.S. Senator Doug Jones chooses to stand with his fellow liberals like Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rather than with the Alabama citizens he swore an oath to serve.

Those of us who embrace gun ownership for home protection, hunting, sport shooting, and other reasons understand that Joness election to a full term poses perhaps the biggest threat to our rights in the history of our state, and there is ample evidence to prove that fact.

After receiving the National Rifle Associations lowest possible rating on the groups annual congressional scorecard, Jones attacked the NRA and accused it of holding extreme positions on firearms-related issues.

When members of the Alabama Legislature introduced a bill to provide certain public school teachers with law enforcement firearms training and certification as a deterrent against school shootings, Jones called the proposal the dumbest idea I have ever heard.

And Jones has greedily raked in thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from far-left gun control groups and committed activists who are opposed to firearms possession.

At the same time, his advertisements have included photos and videos of a flannel-clad Jones awkwardly carrying a shotgun while stomping through the woods in an attempt to portray him as an outdoor enthusiast.

Ask yourself what kind of true outdoorsman receives the NRAs lowest rating alongside the most strident, anti-gun fanatics in the U.S. Congress.

Similarly, Joness record of voting to confirm conservative federal judges who will interpret the Second Amendment as our founding fathers intended has fallen short time and again, and he has cast his lot, instead, with those who celebrate Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the patron saint justice who is worthy of worship.

He famously opposed the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh and supported Senate liberals like Kamala Harris as they subjected the judge and his family to unprecedented levels of falsehoods, conjecture, and character assassination.

In 2017, Jones also admitted to the Washington Post that he would have voted against Justice Neil Gorsuch had he been serving in the Senate at the time.

Coach Tommy Tuberville, on the other hand, will fight tooth and nail to protect the Second Amendment, and he will stand-in the breach against liberal Democrats who attempt to grab out guns.

Unlike Doug Jones, Tuberville is a true and dedicated sportsman, and guns have been a part of his life since his father, a World War II veteran who drove a tank across Europe with General George Patton, first introduced him to hunting. Since that time, he has hunted for quail in the Wiregrass, shot white-tailed deer in Jackson County, and stalked prey on the large tract of hunting land that he owns in East Alabama.

Tuberville understands that gun ownership is a time-honored tradition in Alabama, and it is one that most who live here hold dear. Whether you want to possess a firearm for hunting or to protect your family when an intruder comes kicking at your door, Tuberville will stand strong for your right

It has often been said that the 2020 election is the most important in our lifetime, and that is no overstatement.

We are not just choosing between Tommy Tuberville and Doug Jones, but also between two distinct directions our nation will take - pro-gun vs. anti-gun, pro-life vs. abortion, American excellence vs. globalism, law and order vs. mob rule, conservatism vs. liberalism, and the list goes on.

It is time for Alabamians to have a U.S. senator who represents our conservative values, not liberal New York and California values, when it comes to gun rights and other issues.

I urge all Alabamians to join me in voting for Coach Tommy Tuberville, a proven winner and staunch defender of the Second Amendment, in the November 3 general election.

Clay Scofield (R), Marshall County, was elected in 2010 to the Alabama Senate representing District 9, which includes Marshall County and a portion of Blount and Madison Counties.

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Sen. Clay Scofield: Doug Jones poses biggest threat to 2nd Amendment in Alabama's history - Montgomery Advertiser

Mike Judge: The hypocrisy of anti-Second Amendment veterans – The Union Leader

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SOME VETERANS in politics and media have taken it upon themselves to rescue Americans from the dangers of firearms, specifically the AR-15.

Their contention is that these are weapons of war and therefore unfit for civilian use. Pat Ryan, an Iraq War veteran who had run for Congress in New Yorks 19th district, ran a campaign ad in 2018 expressing his desire to get rid of assault rifles. In the wake of the Orlando shooting, Congressman Seth Moulton, a former Marine officer, stated on Twitter that I know assault rifles. I carried one in Iraq. They have no place on Americas streets.

As a Marine trained on the use of numerous military-grade weapons, Seth and others should know better.

The original definition of assault rifle from a 1970 Army Field Manual (FSTC-CW-07-03-70) has been re-purposed by the anti-gun movement to nebulously define firearms they believe civilians should not own. One of the four requirements for the field manuals definition of an assault rifle is a select-fire option (i.e. you can toggle settings between single shot and fully automatic or burst). The fact that the AR-15 currently sold to civilians in America only has a single fire option means it does not meet their definition of an assault rifle. And, just in case anyones wondering, the AR in AR-15 stands for Armalite Rifle not Assault Rifle.

But details like these dont matter to the gun control lobby, and the issue with these anti-gun veterans is that they believe they know better than the rest of us. They tout their combat experience with these weapons of war, demanding that we trust their message and heed their warning.

The irony is either they do not know what they are talking about, or, worse, they have suppressed that knowledge in order to appease the politics of the time. At its core, this issue is less about civilian ownership of AR-15s and more about the elitist mentality of any veteran who believes civilians are incapable or irresponsible when it comes to firearms.

As a Marine Corps officer, I carried the same M4 in Iraq that Seth Moulton did. During my time in Iraq, my Marines investigated an officer who had experienced a negligent discharge, where he almost accidentally shot and killed another Marine.

In Iraq, I also witnessed a court martial trial for one of my Marines who had threatened to shoot an NCO in his chain-of-command. Tragically, we also saw a Marine who used his rifle to take his own life.

Human error and human factors affect members of the military just as much as civilians. Should we prevent veterans from owning firearms because they have a higher-than-average rate of suicide compared to the rest of the U.S. population?

At the end of the day, if a person is responsible and knowledgeable about the firearms they own, what difference does it make if he/she is veteran or civilian?

Governor Chris Sununu has done a great job stemming the tide of anti-gun legislation coming through the New Hampshire Legislature. Unfortunately, anti-gun veterans threaten to tip the scales of the discussion in favor of more gun control because they claim to know better than the rest of us.

Most veterans I know do not want to outlaw AR-15s or limit civilian firearm ownership and it is time for the silent majority of pro-Second Amendment veterans to speak their minds, especially in an election year.

If we fail to do so, we are foregoing a responsibility to speak out against the same injustices we joined the military to defend against. And sadly, this issue extends beyond just the discussion of Second Amendment rights.

The I-know-better-than-the-average-civilian mentality has become the de facto stance of the corrupt and powerful in our government. Look no further than the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, where a handful of rogue officials sought to undo the will of the people.

Mike Judge lives in Mason.

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Mike Judge: The hypocrisy of anti-Second Amendment veterans - The Union Leader

How Trump is Championing the Second Amendment – America’s 1st Freedom

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President Trump has long been an advocate of our Second Amendment Rights, but the incumbent is stepping things up a notchmaking it a centerpiece of his 2020 campaign.

If the left gains power, they will confiscate your guns and appoint justices who will wipe away your Second Amendment and other constitutional freedoms, Trump said during his speech on the closing night of the Republican National Convention (RNC). We will defend your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. And if we don't win, your Second Amendment doesn't have a chance. I can tell you that. I have totally protected it.

Indeed, his championing of this constitutional right stands in stark contrast to the Biden-Harris ticket, which varies from the presidential contender's promoting further gun-control laws and non-viable smart-gun mandates, to allusions to buyback schemes and potential confiscation.

And just to make the distinction as explicit as possible, at a campaign event in PennsylvaniaBidens birthplacehours before his opponent took the podium to accept the Democratic nomination, Trump talked about mayhem that could spread under Bidens leadership, and then Trump again vowed to protect our right to keep and bear arms.

Andrew Pollack, whose daughter was murdered in Parkland after various levels of government failed to stop the killer again and again, also took to the stage on the opening night of the RNC. Pollack backed Trumps Second Amendment stance and blasted the Obama-Biden era policies that left his own child at the mercy of a murderer.

But hints that gun rights were going to be a glaring focal point of Trump's 2020 messaging emerged even before the nation was pulled into the unfamiliar terrain of a pandemic.

Trump has repeatedly pointed to Virginia as a prime example of what happens when liberal-progressives gain power. He has routinely cautioned supporters at rallies that what happens in one state does not always stay in one state.

At a campaign event in Iowa earlier this year, Trump spent a good portion of his speech on what happened in Virginia, where anti-gun extremists captured control of both houses of the legislature and, subsequently, pushed a spate of gun-control mandates.

In the state of Virginia they want to take your guns away, can you believe it? Trump said. I love Virginia. Of all states, they want to take your guns away. The Democrats. Not going to happen.

Similarly, in New Jersey a few weeks earlier, Trump offered the sobering forecast that Virginias sweeping gun bills were just the beginning if they gain power; he later echoed this point to a crowd in New Hampshire, and assured that he and his team would protect your Second Amendment.

Contrasting the anti-gun message of blaming law-biding gun owners for violent crime, President Trump has pointed to the lack of mental-health services and institutions across the country as being part of the problem, and he has insisted that there is a mental-illness problem that has to be dealt with.

The president has pointed to the need for proper care of those suffering, and assured crowds that his administration is continuing to tackle gun violence by building new [mental-health] facilities.

We will always uphold the right to self-defense, and we will always uphold the Second Amendment, he said.

According to campaign insiders, Trumps embrace of the Second Amendment mantle is of particular importance in rural regions and swing states.

Take away your guns, take away your Second Amendment, Trump said, referring to the Biden agenda, while on the tarmac at Cleveland airport in early August.

Hes against guns..

Trump certainly isnt wavering from his solid Second Amendment pitch to let the many millions who now see, more than ever, just how important our right to individual freedom and personal protection truly is, that he will protect their freedom, whereas Joe Biden would take it away.

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How Trump is Championing the Second Amendment - America's 1st Freedom

Sheriffs should follow the law and enforce it – Lewiston Morning Tribune

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This editorial was published by the Columbian of Vancouver, Wash.

Washingtons gun control initiative, I-1639, notched a resounding victory last week when Judge Ronald Leighton of the U.S. District Court of Washington found it to be constitutionally sound.

Gun-rights advocates who challenged the initiative, approved by nearly 60 percent of the states voters in 2018 (it received 54 percent approval in Clark County), vowed they will continue their fight. But we hope Leightons firm, well-reasoned decision will convince sheriffs throughout Washington who refused to enforce I-1639 to fulfill their oaths of office and uphold the law.

We must point out that Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins was not among the group of obstinate officials; on the contrary, the plaintiffs in the suit challenging I-1639 named Atkins as one of the defendants because hes one of those who could revoke gun dealers federal firearms licenses if they sold semiautomatic rifles to out-of-state buyers.

I-1639s mandates include not only the ban on selling semiautomatic rifles to out-of-state residents, but bar selling such weapons to 18- to 20-year-olds. It instituted enhanced background checks and stricter storage requirements.

The age restriction was one of the points the plaintiffs hotly challenged. But in his decision, Leighton pointed out that current federal law prohibits handgun sales to those younger than 21.

Further, according to the Seattle Times, Because, for much of the nations history, people between the age of 18 and 20 were considered minors, several courts have ruled that age restrictions fall outside the Second Amendments protections, he wrote.

These authorities demonstrate that reasonable age restrictions on the sale, possession, or use of firearms have an established history in this country, Leighton wrote.

The judge doesnt think that 18- to 20-year-olds have rights, Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, told The Seattle Times.

Thats nonsense, of course. While Americans can vote and serve in the military starting at age 18, they cant buy alcohol or marijuana, and effective this year in Washington, tobacco or vaping products. And in this state, those 18 to 20 can buy other types of long guns, so I-1639 doesnt strike us as an egregious overstep.

One of the arguments of the sheriffs who said they wouldnt enforce I-1639 was that it hadnt been tested in federal court. For instance, in February 2019, Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones said in a statement, I am instructing my deputies not to enforce Initiative 1639 in Grant County while the constitutional validity remains in argument at the federal courts level.

Well, now I-1639 has been tested in federal court, and its been found to pass muster.

So we echo state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who said in a recent statement that he was confident that Washington law enforcement officials will carefully review this ruling from a Bush-appointed federal judge upholding the constitutionality of I-1639.

Ferguson added, It should not take another letter from me to convince them to do their jobs.

Sheriffs oath of office declares they will uphold the law, period, not just the laws they agree with. They must demonstrate leadership and enforce I-1639.

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Sheriffs should follow the law and enforce it - Lewiston Morning Tribune

Election of Doug Jones poses the biggest threat to the Second Amendment in Alabama history – Yellowhammer News

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According toTeach For America(TFA), in the U.S., only one in two students living in poverty will graduate from high school, and those who do will leave high school at an eighth grade skill level and only 8% will graduate from college by the age of 24.

We know right now that the problem in America is that all children do not have the privilege of getting an excellent education, Bailey said. Were not preparing all of our children to be learners in a 21st century world.

10th anniversary

In 2010, community members from the Black Belt believed that the TFA program could increase the educational opportunity for students in their districts and invited the organization into the state.

According to Bailey, thats the first step.

If the community thinks we can be a partner that adds value to what theyre trying to accomplish with the children, well engage in the conversation to understand the challenges and partner to serve students and schools with the greatest need, Bailey said.

Need is defined loosely by the percent of students who are economically disadvantaged, receiving free and reduced lunch, and student performance scores.

Weve observed correlation between high poverty systems and student achievement, Bailey said. If you have an economically disinvested community usually not too far along the line, youll see disinvestment in the education system as well.

Teach For America, an AmeriCorps designated nonprofit, believes that teaching is an act of leadership. Therefore, the program identifies graduates from a diverse list of universities around the country that have a strong commitment to learning, an appreciation for the potential of all children, and a desire to create meaningful change in the education system, to strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.

We think that the very best teachers exhibit behaviors and make decisions that are consistent with any high performing leader in any other context, Bailey said. They have to build trust with different groups of people, use data to inform the decisions they make, set bold goals in partnership with others, and invest and organize others in working toward accomplishing those.

Corps members are asked to make a lifelong commitment to expanding opportunity, beginning with two years of teaching in some of the highest-need schools. According to TFA, during this time, members will gain firsthand experience of the assets and challenges in their communities, as well as the institutional barriers that limit access to opportunity developing the skills and a mindset to effect change as a lifelong systems-change leader. Informed and inspired by their students, many corps members continue teaching, while others pursue leadership roles in schools and school systems or launch careers in fields that shape educational access and opportunity.

The key distinction with TFA, is that while youre learning the leadership philosophy, multi-adaptive and technical skills teachers need, youre assigned a coach that is making sure youre codifying all of that learning and putting it into practice over the two years, Bailey said.

Since 2010, over 500 active and alumni members have contributed to meaningful work in Alabama, reaching over 80,000 students. There are over 150 teachers currently working in Alabama classrooms today.

As we go into our 10th year, it is impressive that we have current corps members who were previously taught by Alabama corps members when they were students, Bailey said. Theyre all brilliant and very talented and deeply committed towards devoting the next two years to creating the same opportunities and delivering the same kind of educational experience that has so deeply shaped their own lives.

Leading Alabama

Bailey is an example of the mission in action.

I stumbled across Teach For America at Hampton University, Bailey said. I never had an interest in teaching. Bailey had been on track to be a cardiac surgeon, his lifelong dream, when he sat in on an informational session for TFA his senior year.

The recruiter used terms and language that gave voice to experiences I had as a child, Bailey said. There were distinct differences between the education I received and the experiences I was having, compared to cousins, teammates and friends from church, but we only lived 5-10 minutes away.

According to Bailey, that informational session gave him the language to understand the policies and practices that structured the inequality he witnessed and experienced.

She was talking about the population of people who dont get the access to quality education people who look just like me, Bailey continued.

Since Hampton University is a private, historically black university, the session attendees were all black college students.

A significant minority of people in our community make it to that level, Bailey said. We have to be the people on the front line creating a different reality for people that right now, just because of where they were born, will never get the opportunity to sit in the seat were sitting in.

Determined to make a difference, Bailey joined the Metro Atlanta TFA corps in 2009. He advanced within the organization, teaching for three years, serving as a corps coach to new teachers for two years, and then managing the middle school and high school student achievement strategy for two years.

In August 2019, Bailey was named executive director for Alabamas TFA program.

In the years since his teaching experience, Bailey had been in touch with former students who are now part of the TFA program.

Its surreal. Youre making an impact and planting a seed for that child and creating a base of people who are committed to justice and equity for their life, Bailey said.

A future for the state

While there has been a lot of progress in education in Alabama, there are still measurable differences in outcomes drawn along very clear lines, Bailey said. Those who have opportunity and access to credible education, and those who dont.

We have to make sure equity is at the center of how we evaluate progress, Bailey continued. It has to be the driver for all the decisions we make and how we evaluate success. We should adequately resource and support people in communities based on the challenges specific to each community

For the 2020-2021 session, TFA-AL has active partnerships with the Birmingham City Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools, Perry County Public Schools, Hale County, and Selma City Schools, supported by grants, state and federal funding, as well as corporate nonprofit contributions.

The Alabama Power Foundation has provided grant support for Teach For America since the programs inception.

By immersing themselves in the communities in which they serve, Teach for America teachers are solving the problems of inequities in education that exist even beyond the classroom, said Myla Calhoun, president of theAlabama Power Foundation. It is inspiring to witness this transformative work and the measurable outcomes they have created by providing access to quality education for students in Alabama.

Bailey said much progress has been made in the past 10 years.

In the previous school year, one in five students in Birmingham City Schools were taught by TFA-AL teachers. On average, our secondary students increased their ACT scores by 2.39 points, and our elementary students saw gains of 1.2 years of reading growth in a single year, he said.

Over the next decade, Bailey hopes to see twice as many kids achieve key educational milestones, while developing a path toward economic mobility. Twice may not be as much as we can accomplish. Thats just the baseline.

To help accomplish this goal, Bailey has devised a local strategy to augment the national program, which includes actively recruiting high-quality leaders from historically black colleges and universities that do not receive national support, developing an effective digital coaching and mentoring program for teachers during the COVID pandemic, reaching out to veteran teachers who have roots in Alabama and encouraging them to return, and partnering deeply to align strategies with those of the district and school sites where TFA-AL works.

We want to bring as many people as possible into this work, Bailey said. To build a diverse coalition of people who believe education inequality is solvable and theyre willing to bring their own friends in, mobilize around policy, and hold our state, our system and everyone in the work of education accountable for delivering an education our students deserve.

(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)

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Election of Doug Jones poses the biggest threat to the Second Amendment in Alabama history - Yellowhammer News

Letter: Stevens will defend Second Amendment on Executive Council – Eagle-Tribune

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To the editor:

Who will best protect our right to bear arms on the Executive Council? The answer is conservative Janet Stevens.

As a responsible firearm owner and advocate, I proudly stand with Stevens for Executive Council. Many candidates talk about their support for the Second Amendment, but when they get to Concord they take their sights off defending our constitutional right. Stevens will walk the walk.

She will stand with Gov. Chris Sununu in opposition to unconstitutional red flag laws. She supports constitutional carry. She supports New Hampshires stand your ground" law and our right to defend ourselves, our property and our families.

She will vote to appoint pro-Second Amendment judges. Lastly, she supports law and order.

Stevens will never defund our police.

Its unfortunate that one of Janets opponents, Bruce Crochetiere, supported red flag bills and stated in an interview with New Hampshire Public Radio, Its something that has to be done at a local level.

Sununu has vetoed two of these bills. Stevens will stand with the governor and support the Second Amendment.

Lets hold the line and defend our Second Amendment right by voting for Janet Stevens for Executive Council on Sept. 8th. She is the conservative ready to lead on Day One.

Matt Wellington

Derry

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Letter: Stevens will defend Second Amendment on Executive Council - Eagle-Tribune

Inside the NRA Offers an Unconvincing Confession of Swamp Regret – The New York Times

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This is a sad book, and a bad one, and you shouldnt buy it. The thinking in it is poor; the writing is worse. The author exposes evils that, if youve been paying even scant attention, you already know. Expect it soon in a Walmart remainder bin near you.

To summarize my argument thus far: No.

Joshua L. Powell, the author of Inside the NRA: A Tell-All Account of Corruption, Greed, and Paranoia Within the Most Powerful Political Group in America, is a former Chicago options and derivatives trader. He met his hero Wayne LaPierre, the sunny rhetorician and National Rifle Association chief executive, on a duck-hunting trip.

Powell joined the N.R.A.s board of directors. A couple of years later, LaPierre asked him to become his chief of staff. Powell writes: It was like having Vince Lombardi say, Hey, do you want to come help me coach the Packers?

Powell looked the part; in photographs, he resembles the urbane bad guy in a Nordic thriller. He became the N.R.A.s senior strategist, the second in command. He presided there from 2016 until he was pushed out early this year.

For a time, Powell loved it all the cigars, the steakhouses, the rooms at the Ritz, the Pol Roger Champagne, the flags and the eagles, the crushing of libtards, the oddly intoxicating adrenaline spikes on school-shooting days and the war-room strategizing in their wake.

He liked freedom, including the ability to open-carry his sidearm in the office. Maybe someone would make his day. He had thoughts of succeeding LaPierre, who is 70, as chief executive.

The administrative warfare inside the organization was intense. Powell began to lose some battles, and felt marginalized. He began to see in the way a writer will notice, when his or her work isnt going well, that the literary world is broken everything that was wrong with the N.R.A.

Now hes a singing insider in the year of the singing insider, a misfit chorus performing a cappella around a trash can fire.

Powells apostasy is the primary news here. He comes out in favor of minor forms of gun control, things like background checks and so-called red flag laws and the closing of loopholes around gun show sales. This counts as fearless speech only in the paranoid and steroidal world of the N.R.A., which brooks zero dissent.

In Hells Angels, Hunter S. Thompson described the motorcycle gangs total retaliation ethic. Asked to leave a bar, theyd burn it down. The N.R.A. has a similar ethic when it comes to dealing with politicians, or anyone else, who disagree with them even on minutiae.

The bulk of this book describes waste and mismanagement. LaPierre is compared to an absent-minded professor and, in the sense that theres no there there, the Wizard of Oz.

The national media thought we were this deep, dark, powerful lobbying machine, high-tech and streamlined, with tentacles everywhere, Powell writes.

I had to laugh. It was more like a tuned-out guy sitting in a room full of other tuned-out guys, saying, I think Ill put this up on Facebook today. Totally random, with zero coordination, zero analysis, much less a sophisticated tactical approach.

Powell attacks LaPierres extremist language, not always because he disagrees with it (he did little to rein it in) but because its a bad look. He bemoans the N.R.A.s corruption, its grifter culture, in which he appears to have taken part.

Before he was fired he was accused of improperly charging some $58,000 in personal expenses to the nonprofit organization. Hes also been accused of nepotism and sexual harassment.

Is this book another grift? The New York Times reported that in the weeks before his firing, he tried to restructure his contract and sought a $1.7 million consultant job. He wrote to LaPierre: My loyalty to the association is without question.

Powell omits other things. In a book ostensibly about the Second Amendment, which is all of 27 words long, the words well-regulated and militia do not appear.

Inside the NRA reads like a business book, and not a good one. A lot of jargon gets tossed around. (Powell talks about an existing vendor relationship and wanting the N.R.A. to become a leader in the conceal-carry space.)

The unrelenting barrage of clichs is worse. The N.R.A. has debased the American language, and Powell adds to the sludge. If you only skimmed this book, you would think it was about a fox in a henhouse who caught flak and was thrown under a bus for playing laser-focused hardball like gangbusters and getting the short end of the stick while sensing blood in the water.

Powell is unconvincing on nearly every level. He reports the good news that of the 18 million who have concealed weapons permits, only 0.8 percent have committed any serious crimes. Whew! Wait. Siri, what is 0.8 percent of 18 million? The answer is that we have 144,000 people who have committed serious crimes walking around with concealed weapons permits. Thats 2,880 per state.

There is no one to root for in Inside the NRA. There are no top-drawer folks to be found. Steve Bannon becomes Powells great friend because they are both Washington warriors in the business of fighting for the little guy.

Powell makes for a dubious moralist. Theres room for just one example. When he talks about the Zegna suits and trips on private jets that LaPierre expensed to the N.R.A., Powell writes: Times were tough, and it was not the time for Wayne to treat the association like a personal piggy bank. It would have been fine, in other words, at a better moment.

Theres a lot more in Inside the NRA. Powell defends the AR-15 the N.R.A. prefers to call it a modern sporting rifle and reports that his wife has to tell him to put his away when guests are coming over. He suggests that, given the fanatical nature of gun lovers in Florida, and the ease with which they are stirred up, there may be violence along the states I-4 corridor after the election.

Powells book is a mea culpa. About the N.R.A.s Kool-Aid, he writes, I sold it, stirred it, drank it every day. He lost his soul, he writes, and became part of the swamp. Hed like, he claims, again unconvincingly, to see the N.R.A. largely return to its roots as an organization dedicated to gun safety.

The N.R.A., in this telling as in others, is an organization in free fall. About New Yorks attorney general, Letitia James, who has taken existential aim at the N.R.A., he writes, Im not betting against her.

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Inside the NRA Offers an Unconvincing Confession of Swamp Regret - The New York Times

Joshua Powell Zeros In On Corruption, Greed In ‘Inside The NRA’ – NPR

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Joshua Powell appears in Trust the Hunter in Your Blood, a National Rifle Association fundraising film on YouTube. YouTube hide caption

Joshua Powell appears in Trust the Hunter in Your Blood, a National Rifle Association fundraising film on YouTube.

When the National Rifle Association opened its annual convention in Dallas in 2018, only a few months had passed since the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Seventeen students and teachers were dead and more than a dozen others grievously wounded.

I had been in Parkland for NPR talking with shattered young survivors who were organizing, hoping finally to shift America's debate over guns and gun violence. But when I went to Dallas, it seemed nothing had changed.

The convention was packed with men and women (and firearm dealers) committed to a gun culture unfettered by regulation or government oversight. The NRA's longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre (who once described federal law enforcement agents as "jack-booted government thugs"), appeared onstage grinning and waving.

Inside the NRA: A Tell-All Account of Corruption, Greed, and Paranoia Within the Most Powerful Political Group in America by Joshua Powell Twelve hide caption

Inside the NRA: A Tell-All Account of Corruption, Greed, and Paranoia Within the Most Powerful Political Group in America by Joshua Powell

In a sign of the organization's clout, the headliners were none other than President Trump and Vice President Pence.

"Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never, ever be under siege as long as I am president," Trump told a thrilled crowd.

It turns out it was all a faade, a kind of last, high-caliber hurrah before the NRA began its sudden and very public unraveling. That's according to Joshua Powell, who at the time was the organization's second in command.

"The NRA is in a pretty bad death spiral right now and those are very hard to turn around," Powell told NPR in an interview Thursday.

By the spring of 2018, as Powell writes in his new tell-all, Inside the NRA, the organization's power was already fading fast. Donations had plummeted. Gun control groups were on track to outspend the NRA in the midterm elections.

Behind the scenes, one of America's most powerful conservative organizations had fallen into what Powell now describes as a morass of greed, infighting and paranoia.

"The finances of the NRA are in shambles," Powell writes, portraying the 148-year-old gun rights group as part of "the grifter culture of Conservative Inc."

He accuses LaPierre in particular, his former boss and mentor, of "robbing every $45-dues-paying member to cover the costs of his own extravagance and his shameful mismanagement."

In a statement sent to NPR, the NRA dismissed Powell as a marginal figure in the organization who was ousted for "misappropriation of funds."

"This is a fictional account of the NRA, period," spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said. "Mr. Powell was effusive in his praise of NRA leadership and the Association's mission right up until the day he was fired."

But if there's a big reveal in Powell's book, it's likely not as he suggests that as a former top executive at the NRA, he now supports modest gun control laws. That includes universal background checks for all gun sales and "red flag" laws designed to keep firearms away from individuals deemed a risk.

Instead, the big moments in the book come when Powell offers confirmation of many of the harshest criticisms leveled against the NRA.

He suggests that after joining the organization's staff in 2016 he found "graft" was endemic to the culture. He compares his own behavior, and that of fellow executives, to cinema gangsters.

"I felt like Ray Liotta walking into the Copacabana in the movie Goodfellas," Powell writes. "That is the seduction of living the life, and it's easy to forget the little guy with his $45 membership dues who is paying the bill."

Speaking with NPR, he acknowledged being swept up in the glamour and power that came with an $850,000-a-year job that gave him access to the White House and to Republican leaders in Congress.

"I'm not the hero of this story, but I'm definitely not the villain," he said.

But Powell is no stranger to allegations of self-dealing and improper conduct.

He left the NRA last year facing sexual harassment complaints and claims he improperly billed the organization for personal expenses. (In his book, Powell says he repaid more than $20,000.)

He's also one of four men named personally (along with LaPierre) in a lawsuit filed against the NRA last month by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking to dissolve the organization.

James alleges there is evidence of "illegal conduct and inappropriate spending" by Powell that includes concealing a sweetheart consulting deal that paid his wife roughly $30,000 a month.

In his book, Powell writes he "began asking myself: Who was more corrupt, me or Wayne?" But speaking with NPR, he maintained he did nothing illegal and left when he realized financial reforms were being blocked by the gun group's leaders.

"In essence we were sweeping under the rug 30 years of corruption and not fixing the place," he said.

The NRA has denied any wrongdoing and maintains its legal troubles are the result of a political vendetta.

In a statement, NRA President Carolyn Meadows described New York's lawsuit as a "baseless premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedom it fights to defend."

But Powell also reveals perhaps more starkly than he intends the tone-deafness that pervaded the NRA's leadership as a new era of deadly school shootings began to horrify the nation.

In 2012, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting left 26 young children and teachers dead in Newtown, Conn. Powell, who wasn't yet on staff at the time, said he watched as the gun rights group and its allies scrambled to oppose new regulations.

"The intensity, the rush of going into crisis mode, was oddly intoxicating," Powell writes. "The day would be a slurry of death, politics, guns, and money, and like it or not, I had a front-row seat."

Later, in the first sentence of his chapter on the Parkland shooting, Powell describes the horror of that day as follows: "On the afternoon of February 14, 2018, the NRA's world was upended."

Powell does occasionally wrestle with his own place in the gun rights movement and told NPR he feels "remorse" for many of his actions.

In the book, he describes the NRA's messaging as a form of extremism that contributed to the radicalization of millions of gun owners. (Powell now labels many of the NRA's most fervent supporters "bump stock crazies.")

But Powell offers no evidence he pushed for changes to the NRA's militant tone, or advocated for even modest gun control efforts while he worked for the organization.

He acknowledges staying silent even when language he saw as dangerous ("gasoline on the fire") was used to drive donations.

Now on the outside, Powell says the NRA needs sweeping reforms to survive, including the departure of LaPierre, who has so far held onto his leadership post.

But in the end, Powell didn't leave the organization after Parkland or the Las Vegas mass shooting or any of the other slaughters carried out with firearms during his tenure at the NRA.

He departed, like Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, only when the good times seemed to be over and the bill was coming due.

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Joshua Powell Zeros In On Corruption, Greed In 'Inside The NRA' - NPR