A Turnkey Waterfront Villa on the Bahamas Paradise Island – Mansion Global

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LISTING OF THE DAY

Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas

Price: US$7.5 million (It is common for real estate transactions in the Bahamas to be in U.S. dollars.)

This turnkey waterfront villa in the mixed-use Ocean Club Estates development on the eastern-most point of Paradise Island has full access to all of the facilities and amenities at the nearby Atlantis Resort and Casino and the Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort.

Listing agent Gavin G. Christie described Ocean Club Estates, which has single-family homes, condos, a marina, a golf course and a beach club, as one of the top luxury gated communities in the Bahamas.

More: A Completely Private Home in the Bahamas Exclusive Lyford Cay

The beach club sits on the white-sand Cabbage Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, he said.

Known as Capanna Lussa, the two-story house was designed and built in 2007 for the current owner by the architect Yianni Skordas of the New York City-based Skordas Design Studio.

Mr. Skordas positioned the residence at a 45-degree angle that points out to the harbor to take advantage of the bright blue Bahamian water views and tropical island breezes, Mr. Christie said. Every room has beautiful views of the water.

The house is quite private, he said.

More: A Private Beachfront Estate in the Bahamas Asks $45 Million

The great room, which looks out to the pool and a nearby harbor, has 12-foot-high floor-to ceiling glass panels that can be opened up all the way to blend the interior and exterior living spaces.

When the panels are pulled back, you can walk right out of the great room and jump into the pool, Mr. Christie said. It blows people away.

The primary bedroom suite, which occupies the entire second floor of the villa, also has 12-foot glass panels that open wide to two large private verandas that face east and west.

The suite features a double-door entrance, a large walk-in closet and a bathroom with a soaking tub, a double vanity, an enclosed shower and a water closet with a bidet.

More: Bahamas Estate Once Home to the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson Hits the Market

The kitchen has custom cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, a waterfall island and an eat-in dining area with water views.

Other architectural and design details include coffered ceilings and Brazilan ipe wood throughout, golden limestone imported from Jerusalem, hand-crafted Tunisian mosaics, and 12- to18-foot ceilings.

The villa comes fully furnished with custom designed furniture specially manufactured in Greece using mahogany and distressed oak, Mr. Christie said.

The owner replaced the wood-shake roof earlier this year and gave the whole place a mini-renovation and update, he said.

More: Lyford Cay in the Bahamas Offers a ClubbyAnd UnflashyVibe

Stats

The 7,500-square-foot house has six bedrooms, six full bathrooms and one partial bathroom. It sits on a 0.754-acre lot.

Amenities Amenities include a swimming pool, 86 feet of water frontage with a private 50-foot deep-water dock, lush landscaping, a generator, an irrigation system, two open-air and enclosed Zen garden atriums, and a three-car garage with plenty of extra parking in the circular driveway. A fully automated system controls the lighting, HVAC, audio, video and the window shades.

Neighborhood Notes

Its a five-minute walk to the beach, or three minutes by golf cart, Mr. Christie said. Its about a 10-minute drive to downtown Nassau.

The Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole golf course is also within walking distance.

Agent: Gavin G. Christie, C.A. Christie Real Estate Co. Ltd.

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A Turnkey Waterfront Villa on the Bahamas Paradise Island - Mansion Global

More than 200 cases of COVID-19 in Police and Defence Force – Bahamas Tribune

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Marvin Dames, Minister of National Security.

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THERE have been more than 200 COVID-19 cases collectively in the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said yesterday.

He said of the 102 confirmed cases in the police force, six of those are still currently active.

As it relates to the RBDF, Mr Dames said there have been some 103 cases recorded within that agency to date.

He added: "Defence force total cases are around 103. That includes the recruits and that's 103 to date. So, those numbers when you look at it from an overall perspective, they're not bad and given the work that these officers do.

"As I said, the commissioner told me yesterday that they have six active cases. They had a total of 102 and the defence force had a total of 103 since COVID has started, since the beginning of the COVID period to now and most of those COVID cases are asymptomatic which are a little bit more difficult to manage."

This comes after RBDF officials revealed on the weekend that the agency had discontinued new entry training due to the "quick spread of COVID-19" among its latest intake of recruits.

"Steps have been taken to sanitise the training facility, lodging, classrooms and other common spaces occupied or utilised by the recruits and training staff," the RBDF said in a statement on Saturday.

In an effort to minimise COVID-19 exposure among law enforcement agencies, Mr Dames said officials are continuously looking at preventive measures to deal with the COVID-19 threat.

"The plan that these agencies have in place has been working and what we have been doing from day one is trying our utmost best to avoid a massive outbreak and I think we have been successful to date," he said.

"I mean this is a very dynamic thing and these agencies are constantly looking at how they can improve upon their preventive measures."

Mr Dames also spoke about recent cases involving law enforcement officers being brought to court on charges.

He said everyone should be treated equally under the law, no matter who they are.

"We police at the consent of the Bahamian people and if the Bahamian people see that the police, the defence force and the prison, immigration and customs, our law enforcement agencies are operating and are being treated differently then how do you think that would look?

"So, this is a clear testament that the agencies are doing what they are supposed to be doing so whether you are in uniform or whether you sit in some high office somewhere else, you are subject to the same laws as the man on the streets."

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More than 200 cases of COVID-19 in Police and Defence Force - Bahamas Tribune

DPM: Partial reopening considered health and socio-economic’ needs of families – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS The decision to reopen sectors of The Bahamas economy was based on the analysis and recommendations of medical professionals and other socio-economic considerations, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest.

He was responding to questions from Eyewitness News about a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) statement urging countries to work to slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections and deaths following spikes, before reopening.

In this instance, the data supported a renewed gradual opening with strict monitoring and public education campaigns, said Turnquest when contacted.

Decisions to continue the path to full opening will be dependent on the rate of infection and factors felt significant by the health team, such as infection to bed ratios.

However we hope to prevent any future shutdown as they do have a dampening effect on the financial health of too many families.

Health officials reported 15 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and two additional deaths, one of which was non-COVID-related.

While the death toll continues to rise, the number of confirmed infections recorded in the last few days is in stark contrast to the high double-digit and triple-digit cases recorded in a 24-hour period in recent weeks.

Grand Bahama for example recorded two cases on Tuesday the fourth consecutive day the islandhas recorded single-digit cases.

As of yesterday, there were 1,813 confirmed cases and 1,125 active cases.

There were 79 COVID cases on last Thursday and one death; 93 cases on Friday and five deaths; 62 cases on Saturday and two deaths; and 69 cases on Sunday, and 14 on Monday.

Between August 18 and August 25, there were 389 confirmed infections.

In the week before, spanning August 11 to August 18, there were 435 confirmed cases.

And August 15, The Bahamas saw a record 133 cases recorded 102 in New Providence, 13 in Abaco, 10 in Grand Bahama two in the Berry Islands, one in Andros, one in Inagua and four pending locations.

On Tuesday, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Dr Carissa Etienne noted that while PAHO understands the need for tourism-dependent countries to reopen and resume commercial activity, there is an increased need to balance public health and economic policies.

She underscored the rapid increase in cases in The Bahamas in recent weeks, noting major outbreaks were avoided early on due to strong political resolve and a mix of public health measures.

But she said with the return of non-essential air travel, several countries have reported significant spikes, including The Bahamas.

However, she said there were encouraging signs in the data which indicate countries have the tools to reduce the spread.

During a joint press conference Monday, the prime minister maintained his priority is to save lives, but said the health team observed positive trends developing with the situation in New Providence, and data at this time, indicated a hard lockdown was no longer recommended.

Asked about the new norm for business amid potential restrictions and lockdowns in the future, which would result in them closing their doors once again, Turnquest said everyone must adapt.

Business and individuals must, unfortunately, adapt to this new way of doing business, the minister said.

We do not anticipate the virus going away, thus we must adapt to this new way of doing business and engaging each other.

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DPM: Partial reopening considered health and socio-economic' needs of families - EyeWitness News

Intel Editorial: Sparking the Next Era for the Intel Brand – Global Banking And Finance Review

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The following is an opinion editorial by Karen Walker of Intel Corporation:

Intel, with our logo, bunny suits and iconic musical bong, is a brand familiar to people worldwide in fact, Forbes recently named us one of the worlds most valuable brands. Built on 52 years of innovation, a dedication to excellence, speed and performance, the Intel brand has remained largely untouched for years, even as the company has undergone a significant business evolution.

Today, we make a leap into the future, with a transformed Intel brand that reflects our essential role in creating technology that moves the world forward.

We are a different company than we were even five years ago. We are actively executing against a new growth strategy, creating a new revenue mix and pursuing new market segments fueled by data and the rise of artificial intelligence, 5G network transformation and the intelligent edge. Our diverse portfolio and the broader ecosystem are unparalleled. As we enter new markets and broaden our technology, we see an opportunity to play an even bigger role in our customers success. Opportunity that starts with Intel technology as the foundation or spark for the worlds greatest innovations.

At the same time, we are a team of over 100,000 dreamers and doers who believe strongly in our purpose: to create world-changing technology that enriches the lives of every person on Earth. There has never been a more urgent time to harness the breadth and scale of our reach to make a positive impact for people, business and our planet.

More: Intel Transforms Its Brand (YouTube video) | 11th Gen Core/Evo Launch (Press Kit)

As a marketer, my aspiration for the new Intel brand is to capture and convey both our business and cultural evolution through a simplified, focused platform that supports our 2030 ambitions while staying true to our history.

The new look and feel of the Intel brand is purposeful and inspired by Robert Noyces quote: Dont be encumbered by history. Go off and do something wonderful. This quote has long served as a source of inspiration and innovation across the company; its in Intels DNA. The mantra has been our North Star, guiding generations of workers to make a meaningful impact on the world. This new brand is not only representative of the technology we create, but also an embodiment of the human spark of ingenuity and innovation that runs through the company.

The new Intel brand also reflects our commitment to accelerating progress against the worlds most critical challenges. As our CEO Bob Swan stated this year: Our world is facing challenges unlike any we have seen before. The urgent need for action to address climate change; the deep digital divide; the lack of diversity, inclusion and equity in technology; and the global pandemic call for a new era of shared responsibility. To address this, we have raised the bar for ourselves and evolved our corporate responsibility strategy to increase the scale of our work with others to create a more responsible, inclusive and sustainable world, enabled through technology and our collective actions. This truth, in who we are and what the brand represents, infuses humanity into everything we do. It brings solutions to our customers that touch the lives of people across the globe.

These driving forces made clear it was time for our external image to evolve to better represent the company weve become:

We know a new brand wont come to life with new colors, sounds and logo; it needs to be a unifying rally cry built on action and aligned with our company purpose. We recognize that only through time and a continued track record for excellence in innovation and delivering for our customers will we shape and define ourselves.

Rather than introduce everything at once, our plan is to roll out our brand over time. We start today with the launch of our 11th Gen Intel Core processors, as they represent one of our biggest technical innovations in years.

Moving forward, you will see the brand reflected in:

We welcome you to join us in this journey, to transform the way you do business, to do something wonderful. Now is the time to take this internal mantra out into the world and celebrate it celebrate you and all the things your work inspires others to do.

All the world needs is an idea and Intel Inside to do something wonderful.

Karen Walker is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Intel.

About Intel

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moores Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better. To learn more about Intels innovations, go to newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.

Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Tara Smith

503-696-2761

[emailprotected]

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Intel Editorial: Sparking the Next Era for the Intel Brand - Global Banking And Finance Review

Why is Liberty missing the excitement? – Coastal Courier

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After stopping the car in the parking lot I stepped into a world I was very familiar with.

There were whistles, sounds of cheering and an energy that brought back a lot of memories and a very welcome smile.

I was at Long County High School last week and the Blue Tide was going through the final paces of an hour-long practice in shorts. Head Coach JT Pollock and the assistant coaches barked orders as the team ran through plays hustling in first and second units on and off the field.

To my right the Lady Blue Tide was playing softball and the cheers and encouragement from the fans could be heard over the whistles of the football field.

It was comforting to know this Friday night the Blue Tide will be hosting Berrien in its first game of the season. In fact, it was almost apparent that the players on the squad knew they were getting closer to that first game.

The two teams in Bryan County, Richmond Hill High School and Bryan Countys Redskins are also getting ready for their first games this Friday night. The excitement of game week has been growing as those two teams get closer to that opening night against Camden County and Butler.

In Liberty County, the stadiums will be dark.

There will be no fans. There will be no whistles and the athletes in fall sports are feeling no excitement of opening night.

I keep coming back to the question why?

Why are our neighboring counties getting ready and already enjoying fall sports? Why are the hundreds of athletes in Liberty being deprived of this type of excitement and participation? And, more importantly, why are the athletes who had dreams of playing college sports, possibly on scholarship, being denied the opportunity?

The majority of the athletes affected wont play college sports, but they also are being deprived of that feeling of self-worth as well as being part of a team environment which is so critical to self-development.

Parents have been outraged at the decision to shut down Liberty County sports and how it appears the decision was made by a few people and not the majority.

Liberty Countys Covid-19 numbers are comparatively low to other Georgia counties, so again, the question is why?

Much like the states that are home to college sports teams in the Big 10 and Pac-12, those athletes have been deprived the opportunity to play sports which could and will hurt their earning power as they strive to move forward with a possible professional career.

The logic used by the Big 10 and Pac-12 was faulty at best, and now some are saying they conference may be rethinking their stance. That rethinking also might be because some of the football players are filing a lawsuit against the conference for denying them the opportunity to play and not fulfilling their scholarship agreement.

Its too late. The sports world has moved on without you Big 10 and Pac-12.

Liberty County schools are going to be left behind as well when its all said and done.

Georgias high schools are moving forward with fall sports and while there may be some bumps in the road at least the majority of the state has taken a step forward toward normalcy.

The buzz words of optics and risk factors can be thrown around as easily as any that we hear in todays world, but right now, the optics in Liberty County arent very good and Bryan County and Long County are going to come out the winners both on and off the field.

If you see me say Hey!

Dee McLelland is publisher for the Coastal Courier and Bryan County News. He can be reached at dmclelland@coastalcourier.com and at 912-876-0156.

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Why is Liberty missing the excitement? - Coastal Courier

Liberty man reunited with two men who helped save his life after heart attack – WKBN.com

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Stephen Dunlop was finally able to thank Brandon Mitchell and Bob Parker

by: Stan Boney

LIBERTY, Ohio (WKBN) Tuesday during First News at 6 p.m., we introduced you to Libertys Stephen Dunlop, who was looking for the two men who helped saved his life after he had a heart attack and crashed his car. Right after the show aired, one of the men, Youngstowns Brandon Mitchell, called the station to get in touch with Dunlop.

Their reunion on Wednesday began with a seven second hug.

Mitchell then recalled the morning of Aug. 21, when he saw an accident scene at Gypsy Lane and Fifth Avenue, the result of Dunlop crashing his car after a heart attack.

I ran over to the drivers side to you. You had no pulse. You were, like, gargling for air, Mitchell said.

Mitchell is 28, in the Air Force Reserves and trained in CPR. He immediately started chest compressions and had another man do mouth to mouth.

I didnt think about his ethnicity. I didnt think about coronavirus. I just acted. I just saw a life. Better yet, I saw a life more abundantly and Im glad hes here today, Mitchell said.

Dunlop showed us the bruising from Mitchells chest compressions, then called up a Facebook message from someone stating that the second man who helped was named Bob Parker, who lived nearby.

We reunited them as well. Their reunion started with a handshake but switched to a hug and a kiss.

Glad I was there, Parker told Dunlop, who responded with, Me too.

The two sat on the porch, Parker recalling how he pulled up to the accident scene and how Mitchell directed him to give Dunlop mouth to mouth.

I feel great, I feel good. I want to cry but thats OK to cry because I did something, Parker said.

This was the second time Mitchell performed CPR on a heart attack victim. The first was nine years ago when he did it on his father, who died. This time, though, the man lived.

It filled a space. I dont think I would have ever been able to let it go to not meet him and thank him, Dunlop said.

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Liberty man reunited with two men who helped save his life after heart attack - WKBN.com

Defensive lineman ready to make big impression at Liberty – The Cross Timbers Gazette

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Devin Strange

At age 15, students like Devin Strange normally arent thinking about where they will attend college much less if any are interested in their athletic talent. That traditionally has come a year later when they are juniors.

But in recent years, schools have started offering football scholarships to sophomores, a testament to the competitive nature of major college recruiting. Strange is benefitting from that new model even before playing his first game at Liberty Christian School this fall after transferring from Marcus High School in Flower Mound.

In July, the University of Michigan and Southern Mississippi University told Strange they wanted him to play for them and in August, Virginia Tech did the same. Other schools showing interest include Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Auburn, Oregon and Colorado State.

When Devin came on board, our coaches went to work, said Liberty Head Coach Steven Greek. He shared he has a dream and a desire to not only play for Liberty but beyond that. Our coaches sent out some tape, video and pictures and through some of their connections when the college coaches saw him they said that kid is only a sophomore? Thats what happened with Michigan (Defensive Coordinator) Don Brown saw him and sent him an offer.

Its all been quite overwhelming to the naturally shy son of Kristin and Mike Strange. But those around him arent surprised the 6-foot, 3-inch, 215-pound defensive end/outside linebacker is getting noticed.

Were excited to have him, Greek said. What Im really thankful for is the way hes come in and immediately fit in with our kids, some of whom have been here since kindergarten.

Hes a humble young man. I think he wants to be challenged academically. I think he wants to be pushed on the field and coached hard. As a coach I appreciate that. He didnt come in and expect any favors. Hes just come in and rolled up his sleeves and gone to work.

Last year, Strange had 45 tackles, 31 quarterback pressures, 12 sacks and 7 tackles for loss for an undefeated Marcus freshman team.

He said he truly enjoyed his time at Marcus.

I liked the experience competing for my starting position and seeing how much the varsity players put in, Strange said.

He likely would have put up similar if not better numbers for one of the Marauders junior varsity teams this year which is among the reasons he decided to transfer to the much smaller Liberty where he will play on the varsity squad.

It was just a bigger opportunity for me, Strange said. They were going to use me more, not at just one position.

He also liked the smaller class sizes at Liberty which makes it easier to physically distance the desks between students.

His year at Marcus did earn him invitations to play with players from around the country in two special games. The first was last December at the Football University All-American Bowl in Naples, Florida, the other in June at Offense-Defense Showcase Summer Football Camp at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

That was a great experience for me going against the top athletes from around the nation, Strange said.

Thats a long way from when he first played flag football at the age of 4. When he started tackle football in second grade, he played a little running back and offensive line but has primarily been a defensive end who uses his 4.9-5.0 speed in the 40-yard dash to his advantage.

After a few weeks of conditioning and weightlifting workouts without pads until after Labor Day, Strange is looking forward to the start of official practice in advance of playing Dallas Christian in the season opener Sept. 25. He already is feeling good about his decision.

I feel like I am a part of a family, said Strange, who wants to study mechanical engineering.

Theres no limit if Devin is willing to put in the work which I believe from our observations he will do so, get better and add value to the team, Greek said. I think individually and collectively were going to be stronger.

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Defensive lineman ready to make big impression at Liberty - The Cross Timbers Gazette

Opinion: 12th annual Freedom Conference was victory for liberty – Steamboat Pilot and Today

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The Steamboat Institute just completed what may have been the nations only large in-person public policy conference of the summer or, as one of our speakers dubbed it, The near-miracle in Beaver Creek.

The12th annual Freedom Conferencetook place with 200 guests and speakers, attending in person, at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek last weekend. With most large gatherings canceled, postponed or converted into virtual events, the Steamboat Institute was proud to set an example for how larger group gatherings may safely resume.

Thanks to our event, the Park Hyatt was able to bring many employees back from furlough. The direct economic impact of our Freedom Conference on Eagle County was approximately $350,000. Events like these provide a significant economic impact on local businesses, including hotels, A/V contractors, retail shops and restaurants. They also generate tax dollars the opposite of protests and riots, which drain public safety budgets and local resources.

Speakers for our conference included Kimberley Strassel of The Wall Street Journal editorial board and Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute, as well as Iraq War veteran Rob Smith, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Aurelia Skipwith and numerous other national thought leaders. Discussions focused on pressing national problems and solutions, including the tradeoff between liberty and security, the growth of socialism, the best way to conduct environmental conservation and colleges failure to teach anything beyond political correctness.

The most pressing issue in the U.S. right now is the response to the Chinese coronavirus. Our conference covered this topic with a panel featuring U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, economist Dr. Art Laffer and Scott Atlas, M.D., a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

The Steamboat Institute experienced this political reaction to the coronavirus first-hand in struggling to navigate government edicts to stage our event successfully. For the first time ever, we held our annual Freedom Conference outside of Steamboat Springs due to its strict group size limits and physical distancing requirements.

Ultimately, Eagle County was more welcoming and offered a much larger venue. Yet despite complying with its strenuous health regulations, including three separate cohorts of guests in three different meeting rooms, physical distancing at and in between tables, masks, sanitizer and temperature checks, we did not receive final approval of our event plan until five days before our event kicked off.

Responding to public health threats is a legitimate government function, but public officials must resist the lure to exploit the virus to grow their power. As Dr. Scott Atlasnotedin his panel, the coronavirus infection fatality rate for people under 70 is 0.04%, which is less than or equal to seasonal influenza. The small risk of the virus must be weighed against the enormous reward of granting Americans the civil liberties that are our birthright.

OurStopping the Stampede on Civil Liberties campaignseeks to educate Americans about how elected officials are trampling on their fundamental rights in their response to this virus.

The First Amendment upholds the right of the people peaceably to assemble. The widespread restrictions on social gatherings are in direct violation of this right, and we believe that defending and exercising this right is at the core of what the Steamboat Institute stands for namely, individual liberty, limited government, personal responsibility and equal opportunity for all.

Our conference speakers made passionate arguments in support of these principles, and all conference attendees demonstrated by their actions that Americans are still willing to fight for their Constitutional rights.

Jennifer Schubert-Akin is the chairman, CEO and cofounder of The Steamboat Institute.

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Opinion: 12th annual Freedom Conference was victory for liberty - Steamboat Pilot and Today

HEQ: Liberty President on Growing the Reverse Mortgage Business by Expanding Distribution – Reverse Mortgage Daily

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The path toward a more robust reverse mortgage industry which includes a broader pool of borrowers seeking out home equity conversion in order to expand their financial options in retirement runs directly through the ability for the industry to bolster its distribution infrastructure in the future. This can allow the industry to more flexibly respond to the needs of the growing retirement-aged population, and to answer any concerns they may have for funding their post-working lives.

This is according to Mike Kent, the president of Liberty Reverse Mortgage. In a wide-ranging discussion about expanding the market for home equity access, Kent details the different ways that his own company has explored expanding distribution, while also looking more broadly at the industry for ways that such infrastructure can be scaled to meet the needs of clients.

This is according to comments made by Kent during his keynote at RMDs event HEQ: The Future of Home Equity in Retirement which was held this week.

Earlier this year, Liberty Reverse Mortgage made some operational changes by both returning to its original name from its 2004 founding, and by becoming a division of PHH Mortgage which was acquired by parent company Ocwen in 2018. These changes were important in terms of streamlining some of the companys operational elements, but the consolidation also proved helpful by increasing the direct resources that Liberty now has access to, Kent explained.

[PHH Mortgage] is one of the largest non-depository servicers of forward mortgages in the space. They have over 1.6 million customers that they service loans for, Kent explains. And thats really where I think the opportunity lies in, what I call, expanding distribution of the reverse mortgage product. And I want to be clear because I think your conference is well-structured for this. This is really not just about reverse mortgages. Its about a seniors ability to tap their home equity to assist in having a better retirement outcome.

That outcome can include seniors goals for aging in place, paying for assisted care in the home, covering medical expenses or helping to send grandchildren to college, Kent says. Or, it can just come down to increasing the quality of retirement.

Having a better way to tap your assets to allow the duration of those assets to extend out is what this is about, he says.

As the conversation around the length of retirement has shifted from speaking in terms of years to speaking in terms of decades as people continue to live longer, part of the mission lies in making sure seniors are adequately informed about home equity options to meet those ever-expanding lengths of typical American retirement, he says.

When looking at the broader mortgage markets performance alongside the performance of the reverse mortgage market, a very clear distinction gets painted in terms of overall scale, Kent says.

Therere almost 600,000 forward MLOs in the United States, Kent explains. In 2020, theyre going to have a new origination market of about $1.9 trillion from those people. And right now, the size of that overall market is $11 trillion.And then if we look at reverse, I think the reverse industry has done an incredible job for what they have. But, what they dont have is enough scale to get enough of the message out to enough of the people.

In comparison, the reverse mortgage industry did $3.8 billion of new production through July 2020, compared to the $1.9 trillion observed on the forward side, Kent says. The general disparity between the industries is even larger based on other statistics.

78% of that new HECM production goes through 10 companies, he says. And then about 80 to 87 companies in total account for 96% of all all of the new HECM production annually. Thats what itll look like this year. So, you just dont have the depth and breadth of distribution to really expand that marketplace.

Expanding distribution on the reverse side is something that will be pivotally important to expanding the proverbial pie of the reverse mortgage industry, Kent says, and that can start by looking at potential paths toward utilizing pre-existing forward resources. PHH, for instance, has seen a lot of success in a correspondent forward lending program which was seeded with reverse mortgage customers. This is just one example.

When I think of expanding distribution, its not just about doing more reverse mortgages, Kent says. Its about showing more seniors that there are options available to them to have a better retirement outcome. Thats really what its about. [] There are a lot of different choices you have to make when you have a limited amount of assets that have to last you over a duration of time. If we can impact those decisions. If we can expand the duration of that asset depletion, then I think weve done something significant in our industry.

With additional collaboration between companies that have both forward and reverse resources can also come issues related to getting forward personnel up to speed so they can adequately work in the more consultative reverse side of the business, Kent says.

I think what will probably happen in 2021, well start looking at ways to kind of accelerate the sharing of leads between forward and reverse, Kent says. And then possibly [] starting with a pilot, where we try out a few of our loan officers to handle both forward and reverse leads, and see how that works, see if they can successfully make that transition.

While the technology exists to actually manage both types of leads, it can likely come down to more of an issue of education, and understanding the nuances which inform the different sides of the business sectors, he says.

The question would be from an educational perspective, he says. How do you educate towards that? And then from a process perspective, how do you [add in the reverse] piece? But its certainly the direction I believe that will move our retail lending environment.

Attendees of HEQ can view the full session with Mike Kent at the event website.

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HEQ: Liberty President on Growing the Reverse Mortgage Business by Expanding Distribution - Reverse Mortgage Daily

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Reader says our liberty has been taken away – Muskogee Daily Phoenix

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Guy Parrish,

Muskogee

Imagine with me that the date is March 23, 1775. We are attending the Second Virginia Convention at St. Johns Church in Richmond, Virginia. Patrick Henry is speaking, reminiscent of an old fashion revival preacher, then he delivers his famous final line, Give me liberty or give me death! Unless there is a virus with a 99.9% recovery rate. In which case, strip me of my freedoms, my job, my constitutional rights, put me under house arrest, padlock the doors to my church and muzzle me with a mask!

We leave thinking, how pathetic! Well that is pretty much my sentiments today. Our fathers sacrificed their blood and even their lives on battlefields all over the world to secure our freedoms. And now this generation is willing to give them all up to the government if they promise to keep them safe from some nebulous virus. The fear is so great that it has created mask Nazis that will scream at you if you refuse to wear one. So, we are commanded to go around with a bacterial zoo on our faces. The motivation is not based on scientific data, but rather fear. Where disease has killed its thousands, fear has killed its tens of thousands. We have evolved into a nation of Adrian Monks. So what course will we take? For me, Give me liberty or give death! Because without liberty we are just the walking dead!

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Reader says our liberty has been taken away - Muskogee Daily Phoenix

Bonner leads Sun to important 70-65 win over Liberty – theday.com

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The Connecticut Sun had one of their ugliest 10 minutes during the second quarter of Tuesday night's game against the New York Liberty.

Really ugly.

The Sun shot an abysmal 17.6 percent in the second quarter as they were flummoxed by New York's zone defense. They trailed by three points at the halftime.

DeWanna Bonner, however,proved again in the second half that she could carry the offensive burden for her new team.

Bonner scored 21 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to help short-handed Connecticut pull out a much-needed 70-65 win over the last-placeLiberty at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

The Sun (8-9) are the closest they've been to .500 since their first game of the season. They also held on to seventh place in the overall WNBA standings with five games remaining.

The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.

Bonner also had a game-high 12 rebounds for Connecticut, which shot a meager 32.9 percent.

"Our offense really struggled tonight," Sun head coach Curt Miller said. "We didn't make a lot of shots (23 of 70). I think we made (three) shots in the first half from outside the paint. Their zone bothered us. I think we went 0-for-8 the first eight possessions against their zone

"DeWanna wanted the ball. You eventually knew she was getting herself to the foul line. It was one of those games where we didn't have a lot going on offensively, so we started to play though her.

Bonner shot 7 of 23 from the floor. She did, however, get herself to the free throw line a bunch. She made 12 of 13 free throws, including 8 of 9 in the second half.

"The first half, their zone slowed us down," Bonner said. "I didn't shoot the ball like I wanted to shoot the ball, but I wanted to get to the free throw line; try to create a little bit."

Alyssa Thomas, named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week by league coaches on Monday, had 15 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists for Connecticut. Natisha Hiedeman scored 10 off the bench.

Brionna Jones, who missed the Sun's last game to an ankle injury, had 10 rebounds.

Connecticut announced an hour before the game that starting point guard Jasmine Thomas was out with plantar fasciitis. She was wearing a walking boot on her right foot.

UConn's Kia Nurse scored 18 points and Jazmine Jones 15 for New York (2-14).

The Liberty shot 34.5 percent (19 of 65), the second straight game in which an opponent made under 20 field goals.

The Sun hadn't held an opponent to under 20 field goals in consecutive games since July 8 and 12, 2002, when they were the Orlando Miracle. The Phoenix Mercury were the last team to do that (2015).

The Sun made 8 of their first 18 shots (44.4 percent). Hiedeman's 3-pointer gave them their largest lead, 21-10, 50 seconds into the quarter.

But Connecticut's offense rapidly went into a downward spiral. It made just 2 of 14 shots the rest of the quarter and trailed at halftime, 32-29.

Bonner opened the second half with a layup and a three-point play to put Connecticut ahead, 34-32, just 1:19 into the third quarter.

Connecticut never trailed again.

The Sun led 65-57 with 1:39 left, but New York wouldn't go away.

Two free throws by Nurse and Kiah Stokes' putback cut the Liberty's deficit to 65-61 with 1:15 remaining.

Kylee Shook's steal led to Jones getting two free throws at the other end for New York with 1:00 remaining. She missed both.

Briann January drew a charge on Nurse in transition with 31.6 seconds left.

Bonner's jumper gave Connecticut breathing room, 67-61, with 16.7 seconds left.

"As clunky as our offense tonight, that was a huge win in terms of playoff implications," Miller said.

n.griffen@theday.com

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Gazette area volleyball Super 10: Xavier, Liberty climb to Nos. 2 and 3 – The Gazette

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The Gazettes area volleyball Super 10 rankings, including matches played Tuesday, Sept. 1:

5-0 (0-0 Wamac East)

1-0 (1-0 MVC Valley)

1-0 (1-0 MVC Mississippi)

3-2 (1-1 MVC Mississippi)

4-0 (0-0 River Valley South)

4-2 (0-0 Wamac West)

0-0 (0-0 NICL East)

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4-2 (0-0 Wamac East)

3-3 (0-0 Wamac East)

1-1 (0-0 Wamac East)

Class 5A 1. Iowa City Liberty (1-0), 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie (3-2), 3. Linn-Mar (1-0), 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (2-2), 5. Iowa City High (1-3)

Class 4A 1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (1-0), 2. Western Dubuque (3-2), 3. West Delaware (3-3), 4. Marion (1-1), 5. Clear Creek Amana (3-1)

Class 3A 1. Mount Vernon (5-0), 2. West Liberty (4-0), 3. Independence (4-2), 4. Union Community (0-0), 5. Williamsburg (4-3)

Class 2A 1. Dyersville Beckman (4-2), 2. Jesup (6-1), 3. West Branch (5-2), 4. Cascade (4-0), 5. North Cedar (1-3)

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Class 1A 1. Springville (2-1), 2. Belle Plaine (3-2), 3. West Central (1-1), 4. Edgewood-Colesburg (2-1), 5. Turkey Valley (1-1)

MVC MISSISSIPPI DIVISION Div. All

Cedar Falls 2-0 5-0

Linn-Mar 1-0 1-0

Iowa City Liberty 1-0 1-0

Cedar Rapids Prairie 1-1 3-2

Western Dubuque 1-1 3-2

Cedar Rapids Washington 0-0 0-0

Iowa City High 0-2 1-3

Dubuque Wahlert 0-2 0-2

MVC VALLEY DIVISION Div. All

Dubuque Hempstead 2-0 5-0

Cedar Rapids Xavier 1-0 1-0

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1-0 2-2

Dubuque Senior 1-1 3-2

Cedar Rapids Jefferson 0-0 0-0

Waterloo East 0-1 1-3

Waterloo West 0-1 0-1

Iowa City West 0-2 1-4

WAMAC EAST DIVISION Div. All

Mount Vernon 0-0 5-0

Dyersville Beckman 0-0 4-2

Maquoketa 0-0 3-2

Marion 0-0 1-1

West Delaware 0-0 3-3

Solon 0-0 0-1

WAMAC WEST DIVISION Div. All

Clear Creek Amana 0-0 3-1

Independence 0-0 4-2

South Tama 0-0 3-2

Williamsburg 0-0 4-3

Center Point-Urbana 0-0 1-1

Vinton-Shellsburg 0-0 3-3

Benton Community 0-0 1-2

RIVER VALLEY NORTH DIVISION Div. All

Cascade 0-0 4-0

Anamosa 0-0 4-1

Bellevue 0-0 1-2

Monticello 0-0 1-2

Camanche 0-0 2-5

North Cedar 0-0 1-3

Northeast 0-0 0-2

RIVER VALLEY SOUTH DIVISION Div. All

Mid-Prairie 1-0 4-0

Wilton 0-0 7-0

West Liberty 0-0 4-0

West Branch 0-0 5-2

Iowa City Regina 0-0 2-2

Tipton 0-0 0-0

Durant 0-1 0-1

TRI-RIVERS EAST DIVISION Div. All

Lisbon 0-0 1-0

Clinton Prince of Peace 0-0 5-3

Easton Valley 0-0 1-2

Cedar Valley Christian 0-0 0-0

Bellevue Marquette 0-0 0-2

Midland 0-0 0-2

Calamus-Wheatland 0-0 0-3

TRI-RIVERS WEST DIVISION Div. All

Central City 0-0 2-1

Edgewood-Colesburg 0-0 2-1

Springville 0-0 2-1

Maquoketa Valley 0-0 1-1

Starmont 0-0 1-2

North Linn 0-0 2-4

Alburnett 0-0 1-6

East Buchanan 0-0 0-4

Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com

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One man dead, another arrested following shooting in Liberty Township – WKBN.com

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The suspect, 55-year-old Felix Olverson, ran away but according to Liberty police, he was later caught

by: Nadine Grimley

LIBERTY TWP., Ohio (WKBN) One person is dead and another is behind bars after a shooting in Liberty Township Sunday night.

Liberty police got the call at 10:49 p.m. about an incident on Keefer Road. Thats where they found 31-year-old William Bryan Ross, II shot to death.

Police said 55-year-old Felix Olverson, Ross roommate, is the suspect.

The two had been arguing via text about finances and when Ross came home, Olverson shot him on the front porch, police said.

Olverson ran away with his dog, but police found him later in nearby woods and arrested him. They say a weapon was also recovered and believe it be the gun that killed Ross.

Investigators believe Olverson has a prior conviction, which would have prevented him from owning a firearm.

By his admission, he obtained it on the street a few days prior to this, said Capt. Ray Buhala.

Neighbor Cassidy Ouellette is shocked that the shooting happened so close to where she lives.

Its extremely scary. I dont even know how to feel. I think Im still in shock to be honest, she said.

Buhala said the neighborhood is fairly quiet, but officers have been called to that house before.

With the exception of this residence, we do not have many calls in that area. Over the course of the past year, I think we responded to seven different calls this residence, Buhala said.

Olverson was arraigned Monday in Girard Municipal court on murder charges. He is being held in the Trumbull County Jail.

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One man dead, another arrested following shooting in Liberty Township - WKBN.com

I want the people of God to enjoy liberty: Pastor at Maine super-spreader wedding gives defiant indoor sermon – The Boston Globe

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Bells comments echoed some of the political talking points that President Trump and others on the right have used to decry coronavirus restrictions. At a rally in New Hampshire on Friday night, for example, Trump lamented that Democrats dont believe law-abiding citizens can go to a church together. You cant go to church anymore.

The Aug. 7 wedding at which Bell officiated in East Millinocket has been linked to 123 coronavirus cases in Maine, the largest outbreak in the state, as well as to the death of Theresa Dentremont, an 83-year-old woman who did not attend the event. Many of the participants in the wedding, including the bride and groom, went silent as the fallout grew, switching their social media accounts to private.

But Bells sermon on Sunday, at his church 225 miles south of the scene of the wedding, was fiery and unrepentant, indicating just how politicized the coronavirus has become, even in communities that have been affected by it. At times, he seemed to delight in provocation, saying that he hoped media outlets would watch the service. He did not respond to a request from the Globe for comment.

Churches have been political battlegrounds during the coronavirus, as well as occasional hot spots, with more than 650 cases linked to houses of worship and religious events since the pandemic began, according to a New York Times database in early July.

On Sunday morning, a 15-person choir assembled onstage at Calvary Baptist, maskless, and sang hymns.

The state of Maine says cloth face coverings must be worn by all attendees when physical distancing is difficult to maintain at worship services and also that choirs are strongly discouraged. When asked by the Globe whether the Sanford church was violating state rules, the Maine CDC said only that there was an ongoing investigation into the outbreak.

Gib Parrish, an epidemiologist in Maine, said that, based on what the Globe described of the service, the Sunday gathering appeared to increase the risk of participants contracting the coronavirus.

If there are people who are likely to be positive in that group, then having an extended period of time together particularly if theyre close by, [and] theyre not doing anything in terms of physical distancing or wearing masks, if theyre singing or shouting or talking loudly those are activities that are known to facilitate transmission of the virus, Parrish said.

Bell said in the sermon that the church was discouraging people from coming if they were sick and advising them to quarantine at home.

The pastor also warned his congregants that a vaccine against the coronavirus would include aborted baby tissue, an issue that some religious and antiabortion groups have seized upon in recent months. A number of vaccines, including those against rubella, chickenpox, and shingles, were manufactured using fetal cells from elective abortions decades ago, but the cell lines that continue to grow the vaccines are now generations removed from fetal cells. In April, a group including committee chairmen from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged the Food and Drug Administration not to develop a coronavirus vaccine using cell lines that originated from fetal cells.

Bell said that instead of trusting a vaccine, he would put his faith in God, the one that has the power to remove pestilences.

The CDC said on Saturday there were at least five confirmed cases involving people who attended the church, and that anyone who had attended services or vacation Bible school at Calvary was potentially exposed. Bell said on Sunday that all five people who had tested positive were out of quarantine and doing fairly well.

I officiated the wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, Bell told his congregation. Six families from our church went there. We never expected to get COVID. Nobody expected to experience the things that happened because you went to a beautiful wedding like that.

He situated his and the churchs response firmly on political ground, saying that he had told Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, during a Zoom call on Friday that he was a liberty lover.

I want the people of God to enjoy liberty, Bell told the congregation. If they want to wear a mask, wear a mask . . . If you want to have the liberty to have done your own research that masks are kind of like trying to keep a mosquito out of a chain-link fence . . . if thats what they choose, Im a liberty lover.

(Theres a growing body of evidence that masks are effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.)

Its not surprising that political affiliations have become connected to coronavirus behaviors, said Martha Lincoln, a medical anthropologist at San Francisco State University.

Epidemics are particularly political, because unlike other kinds of health experiences in society, everyone is aware of them. By nature, theyre public events. Theyre often happening very quickly and creating a lot of anxieties that bring a lot of other social, political, and economic anxieties to the surface, Lincoln said.

Bell, in the videotaped sermon posted on YouTube, said he had received negative pushback for officiating at the wedding and used a story of hostile comments on social media to riff on Matthew 5:11-12: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.

Men have reviled me, the pastor told his congregation. Bell described someone on social media who had seen that he was flying to Oxford, Maine he is a pilot and commented that he was probably going to spread COVID at the casino there.

Be a good place to spread it, Bell said. A congregant cheered in the background.

Gambling has killed more people and ruined more homes and destroyed more things in our society almost than liquor or pot or pornography, Bell went on. Gambling is wicked.

Zoe Greenberg can be reached at zoe.greenberg@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @zoegberg.

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I want the people of God to enjoy liberty: Pastor at Maine super-spreader wedding gives defiant indoor sermon - The Boston Globe

At Liberty, 30 students and staff have tested positive for coronavirus – Lynchburg News and Advance

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Construction at Liberty University in Lynchburg on Saturday, February 15, 2020.

Twenty-five students and five employees have tested positive for the coronavirus at Liberty University in Lynchburg, a school spokesman said.

On Thursday, when the Richmond Times-Dispatch surveyed the case counts at 41 colleges across the state, Liberty had not made its number of total positive cases public. On Friday, Liberty provided figures to The Times-Dispatch.

According to the spokesman, 16 Liberty students and staff have tested negative, 71 are awaiting the results of a test and 67 are currently in quarantine.

Approximately 8,000 students live on campus, 7,000 commute to campus for class, and there are roughly 5,000 faculty and staff. In-person classes resumed Monday.

Liberty is currently considering publishing updates on its website as many other schools in the state have done.

The spokesman couldn't say if Liberty required students to test negative before returning to campus housing, or if the school is continually testing a small segment of the student population, known as point prevalence testing, as other colleges have done.

At least 588 students, faculty and staff at four-year colleges in Virginia have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

ekolenich@timesdispatch.com

(804) 649-6109

Twitter: @EricKolenich

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At Liberty, 30 students and staff have tested positive for coronavirus - Lynchburg News and Advance

Liberty Springfield aims to be citys 1st recreational marijuana shop – MassLive.com

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SPRINGFIELD Springfields first recreational marijuana shop could open this month after receiving a provisional license from the state and a certificate of occupancy from the city.

Holistic Industries Inc. hopes to open before the end of September at 1300 Boston Road, according to a spokeswoman for Holistic as well as property owner Frank Colaccino.

The timing of the opening is tentative, and could be later in the year, said Sarah Stretchberry, vice president of expansion for Holistic Industries.

We still need to go through one more vote with the Cannabis Control Commission and we hope to be on the September agenda, Stretchberry said.

The shop, known as Liberty Springfield, is adjacent to Moes Southwest Grill, and is part of a plaza that also includes MedExpress and a Starbucks.

Holistic was granted a provisional license by the Cannabis Control Commission and the property was inspected, said Colaccino, president and CEO of Colvest Group in Springfield. The site is ready, just needing supplies, employees and final approval, Colaccino said.

There is one marijuana shop open in Springfield, but it is licensed only to provide medical marijuana, not recreational marijuana. The shop is operated by Insa on Cottage Street in East Springfield.

Holistic Industries is based in Washington, D.C., and has marijuana operations in Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

In September 2019, the City Council approved special permits for three businesses to open recreational marijuana shops in Springfield, including Holistic. None of shops has opened yet.

One of the other businesses, 6 Bricks LLC, also has a provisional license from the state for its planned site at 250 Albany St. The opening is not yet scheduled, and 6 Bricks CEO Payton Shubrick said in June that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

A recreational shop is also planned at 311 Page Blvd. by a group involving former City Councilor Timothy Rooke.

Insa plans a recreational marijuana shop at the former Luxe Burger Bar on West Columbus Avenue. A Superior Court judge ruled in June that the City Council must allow the business to open there. Insa sued after its application was rejected last year.

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Liberty Springfield aims to be citys 1st recreational marijuana shop - MassLive.com

Kamala Harris on the Second Amendment Reason.com – Reason

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In 2008, Kamala Harris signed on to a District Attorneys' friend-of-the-court brief in D.C. v. Heller, the Supreme Court's leading Second Amendment case. Of course, she may have changed her views on the Second Amendment since then (perhaps in light of precedents such as Heller); and she may have different personal views than the ones she expressed as a D.A. (though note that she signed on to the brief as a signatory, and not just as a lawyer for the signatories). But this brief likely tells us something about her views on the Second Amendment.

[1.] To begin with, the brief urged the Court to reverse the decision below, and thus to reinstate D.C.'s handgun ban. Thus, Harris's view in that case was that the Second Amendment doesn't preclude total bans on handgun possession.

[2.] The brief also came at a time when the great majority of federal courts (including the Ninth Circuit, which covered Harris's jurisdiction, San Francisco) viewed the Second Amendment as not securing any meaningful individual right of members of the public to personally keep and bear arms. Rather, those courts viewed the Second Amendment as endorsing (to quote the then-existing Ninth Circuit precedent, which the brief itself later cited),

the "collective rights" model, [which] asserts that the Second Amendment right to "bear arms" guarantees the right of the people to maintain effective state militias, but does not provide any type of individual right to own or possess weapons.

Under this theory of the amendment, the federal and state governments have the full authority to enact prohibitions and restrictions on the use and possession of firearms, subject only to generally applicable constitutional constraints, such as due process, equal protection, and the like.

And the brief supported that majority view among federal courts: Affirming the D.C. Circuit decision, which rejected the collective rights model and recognized an individual right to own guns,

could inadvertently call into question the well settled Second Amendment principles under which countless state and local criminal firearms laws have been upheld by courts nationwide.

Thus, Harris's view in that case was thus that the "collective rights" view of the Second Amendment was correct, since that was the "settled Second Amendment principle[]" in lower federal courts at the time.

[3.] Now the brief also said that "The District Attorneys do not focus on the reasons for the reversal [that it was urging], however, leaving these arguments to Petitioners and other amici." Nonetheless, it argued that,

For nearly seventy years, courts have consistently sustained criminal firearms laws against Second Amendment challenges by holding that, [among other things], (i) the Second Amendment provides only a militia-related right to bear arms, (ii) the Second Amendment does not apply to legislation passed by state or local governments, and (iii) the restrictions bear a reasonable relationship to protecting public safety and thus do not violate a personal constitutional right. The lower court's decision, however, creates a broad private right to possess any firearm that is a "lineal descendant" of a founding era weapon and that is in "common use" with a "military application" today.

The federal and state courts have upheld state and local firearms laws, as well as criminal convictions thereunder, against Second Amendment challenges on three primary grounds. In holding the D.C. laws at issue to be unconstitutional, the decision below undermines each of these grounds, which also could be cast into doubt by an affirmance in this case.

First, courts nationwide have upheld criminal gun laws on the basis that the Second Amendment provides only a militia-related right to bear arms. See, e.g., Scott v. Goethals, No. 3-04-CV-0855, 2004 WL 1857156, at *2 (N.D. Tex. Aug. 18, 2004) (affirming conviction under Texas Penal Code 46.02 for unlawfully carrying a handgun because Second Amendment does not provide a private right to keep and bear arms); Silveira v. Lockyer, 312 F.3d 1052,1087 (9th Cir. 2003) (holding that California residents challenging constitutionality of California's Assault Weapons Control Act lacked standing because Second Amendment provides militia-related right to keep and bear arms); State v. Brecunier, 564 N.W.2d 365, 370 (Iowa 1997) (upholding firearm sentence enhancement because defendant "had no constitutional right to be armed while interfering with lawful police activity").

The lower court's sweeping reasoning undermines each of the principal reasons invoked by those courts that have upheld criminal firearms laws under the Second Amendment time and again. First, under the lower court's analysis, the Constitution protects a broad "individual" constitutional right, one that is not militia-related, to possess firearms.

This certainly seems to me like approval of the principle listed as (i) in the brief, which is the view that "the Second Amendment provides only a militia-related right to bear arms."

Now perhaps this passage could be read as simply describing what courts were doing, or as suggesting that the Supreme Court could either adopt principle (i) or perhaps some of the other principles instead. But it certainly sounds to me like an endorsement of the "only a militia-related right to bear arms" view, especially since that's the lower federal courts' "well settled Second Amendment principle[]" to which the brief had earlier alluded (see item 2 above).

Plus principle (ii) is an endorsement of the view (rejected by the Court two years later in McDonald v. City of Chicago) that states and localities can institute whatever gun bans they want (even total gun bans) without violating the Second Amendment. And even if we focus on principle (iii), under which gun laws are constitutional if they "bear a reasonable relationship to protecting public safety," the brief was supporting a total handgun banif that is permissible on the theory that it "bear[s] a reasonable relationship to protecting public safety," then I would think a total ban on all guns would be, too.

The brief closed with a suggestion that "the Court exercise judicial restraint and explicitly limit its decision to the three discrete provisions of the D.C. Code on which it granted certiorari" (the handgun ban, a licensing requirement, and the requirement that guns be stored disassembled or bound with a trigger lock), because "This would avoid needless confusion and uncertainty about the continued viability and stare decisiseffect of this Court'sand other courts'prior Second Amendment jurisprudence."

This passage doesn't expressly urge the Court to adopt a particular line of reasoning. But, again, the first principle that the brief mentioned, and the one most clearly consistent with lower federal courts' "prior Second Amendment jurisprudence," was that the Second Amendment didn't secure an individual right that ordinary citizens could exercise in their daily lives. It sounds like that is at least one approach that the brief is endorsing.

So, to summarize:

An article by Cam Edwards (Bearing Arms) on Aug. 11 made a similar argument in concluding that"Kamala Harris Doesn't Think You Have the Right To Own a Gun" (to quote its original title), but an Agence-France Press "Fact Check" on Aug. 18labeled that claim "false." I find the "Fact Check" quite unpersuasive, at least as to the specific question of Harris's views on the right to own a gun.

AFP writes, "Rather than outright opposition to gun ownership, Harris has supportedlegislation aimed at increasing safety." It may well be that Harris wouldn't promote a statute banning guns outright. But her brief states that she thinks governments have the constitutional power to ban at least all handguns, and likely guns more generally.

AFP writes, "Nor has she called for the destruction of the Second Amendment, whichsays: 'A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.'" But she has endorsed, as I read it, the view that the Second Amendment doesn't protect a normal individual right to own guns, rather protecting only a "collective right" under which states can limit gun ownership to members of a state-designated "militia."

AFP goes on to say, "Legal scholars, however, say that although Harris supported the amicus brief, it is false to conclude from it that she believesas the article claims'you don't have the right to own a gun'":

"The brief in question is not about whether there is an individual right under the Second Amendment. It is about the crime-related consequences of invalidating the DC handgun law at issue in Heller," Aziz Huq, of the University of Chicago Law School, told AFP by email. Huq studies how constitutional design interacts with individual rights and liberties.

Adam Winkler, a specialist in gun policy at the UCLA School of Law, made a similar argument.

"This statement is false," he said of the article's claim.

"The brief she supported argued that DC's gun laws should be upheld but not because there was no right to own a gun," Winkler said in an email to AFP.

"Rather, the brief argued that the laws should be upheld because there is a tradition of gun restrictions, and DC's were reasonable regulations," said Winkler, the author of "Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America."

Again, for the reasons I gave above, I think Profs. Huq and Winkler are mistaken. The brief does seem to endorse the collective rights view of the Second Amendment, under which there really is no right to own a gun. And, again, at the very least the brief endorses the view that all handguns could be banned, consistently with the Second Amendment.

Finally, the brief turns to another scholar:

The amicus brief which Harris joined argued "that at least as far as the Second Amendment is concerned, it doesn't relate to private rights," said [Jake] Charles, of the Duke Center for Firearms Law.

But he added: "I'm not sure it's fair to claim that as her current position given that the Supreme Court decided in Heller that people do have that right, and I haven't seen her questioning the Heller decision."

Here, I agree that (1) the amicus brief does take the view that the Second Amendment doesn't protect any "private rights," and (2) we can't be certain that this remains her view today. But it is at least plausible that her views about the subject haven't changed, and that if she could participate in reshaping the Supreme Court, she would reshape it in favor of reversing the Heller decision, and moving the law back to a view under which "the Second Amendment doesn't relate to private rights."

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Kamala Harris on the Second Amendment Reason.com - Reason

25 terms you should know to understand the gun control debate – Daily Local News

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riends who own guns, and nearly three-quarters have fired a gun. The prevalence of gun violence and gun ownership has made gun controlamong the most hotly (and frequently)contested issues in the United States.

Advocates for gun control want tighter restrictions on the sale, possession, and use of firearms, while advocates of gun rights see ownership as an essential right protected by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The debate heats up each time a mass shootingdefined as a shooting involving the death or injury of four or more peopleoccurs, which now happens, on average, every day in the United States. Six of the 10 deadliest U.S. shootings have happened in the past decade.

Reform advocates point to evidence showingfewer people die from gun violence in states with strong gun laws. Case in point: Alaska has the highest gun death rate and some of the weakest gun laws, while Hawaii has the lowest gun death rate and some of the strongest gun laws.Advocates for reform have steadily gathered momentum:Some young survivors of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting, for example,have proposed a blueprint for comprehensive gun control. Everytown for Gun Safety, founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has spent millions of dollars to promote gun control through ballot initiatives and state elections and has challenged the clout of the National Rifle Association (NRA) at the federal level. From 2017 to 2019there was a rise in the amount of Americans who support stricter gun laws.

Meanwhile, well-organized and well-funded groupssuch as the NRA, along with more hardline groups such as Gun Owners of America, fight hard in WashingtonD.C.for lawmakers support. Gun advocates argue that more guns, not less, will help to prevent or stop shootingsand that stricter gun-control laws will only keep guns out of the hands of honest people.

As gun violence spread to protests and the presidential election looms, the debate over guns in the United States only amplifies. Here are 25 terms critical to understanding and participating in the conversation about the issue.

You may also like: How Americans feel about 30 major issues

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25 terms you should know to understand the gun control debate - Daily Local News

Our view: Heller ruling could be used in ‘sensitive’ locations – Journal Inquirer

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The Supreme Court decision which opened the door to allow almost any American to own firearms specifically stated that the Second Amendment does not prohibit laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places.

In the District of Columbia vs. Heller in 2008, the court ruled 5-4 that citizens have the right to possess firearms even when not in a state militia, and people can use them for lawful purposes, which include self-defense in their homes, according to Britannica.com.

Using that backdrop, an armed caravan driving into the center of Portland to confront a group of protesters with whom they strongly disagree should have been disarmed by the police.

The court referred to schools and government buildings as examples of sensitive places but it is hard to imagine any place more sensitive than a protest line being openly challenged by a caravan of armed counter-protesters.

We have seen twice in less than a week that the presence of gun-toting vigilantes has resulted in unnecessary deaths during protests that were against unnecessary deaths.

Defending ones homes with lethal force is legal. Racing to a protest with ones personal armory is ridiculous, often dangerous and in no way defendable.

Police departments should bar firearms in any future similar situations.

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Our view: Heller ruling could be used in 'sensitive' locations - Journal Inquirer

Carson City sheriff: Accidental firearm discharge at BLM protest ‘could have been a disaster’ – Reno Gazette-Journal

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Black Lives Matter and others hold a peaceful protest in Carson City on Aug. 29, 2020.(Photo: JASON BEAN)

A firearm accidentally discharged towardthe end ofa Black Lives Matter protest Saturdayin Carson City could have had disastrous consequences, according to law enforcement.

The moral to this weekend is guns and demonstrations dont belong in the same place at the same time," Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said. "Unfortunately, there are no laws against it. People who are carrying weapons need to apply extra safety measures. Its their responsibility. Folks attending demonstrations should really think twice about carrying a weapon down there. We got very lucky.

Had the circumstances been different, people could have been hurt and it could have been a disaster.

In video footage shot by This is Reno reporter Don Dike Anukam, a gunshot can be heard going off at the Carson City capital complex. The gunshot goes off about an hour and a half into the video as Anukam is interviewing someone.

Anukam started streaming on Facebook Live just after 4 p.m., which places the gunshot at around 5:30 p.m.

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Furlong said the protest started around 2 p.m., and that the gunshot happened after most protesters had left the area.

"The incident followed the end of the weekly demonstration that was otherwise peaceful," Furlong said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

After the gunshot, Anukam turns the camera toward Carson Street, where a man in a red shirt is shown on his knees next to a large firearm with his hands raised above his head. As law enforcement approach him, the man stands up and steps away from the gun.

In the video footage, the firearm is seized by law enforcement and the man is questioned for about 20 minutes. Anukam stops the man as he is walking away from law enforcement and asks him what happened.

The man identifies himself as Grant McBeth, 22, of Sparks, and says the discharge is accidental.

My rifle was this way, pointed upward with the sling on, he tells Anukam. I accidentally placed my hand where the trigger was.

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Before McBeth can describe what happened after, someone advises him to stop talking. While on camera, McBeth tells a woman that the discharge was an accident.

Furlong said the bullet came from a knockoff version of an AK-47 and that the bullet went straight into the air.

Everybody recognized from the onset this was not a shootingbut an accidental discharge, Furlong said. He did not intend the gun to go off.

Furlong added, "Its ridiculous that he had this weapon on fire and not on safe The onus is on the person carrying the weapon.

Nevada law allows citizens to open carry firearms without any sort of safety training, according to Sharon Oren, owner of Maccabee Arms Ltd. in Reno.

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Theoretically, you can just have one on you, he said. Now, responsible gun ownership is responsible gun ownership. If you own a firearm, be proficient with it. This is the type of person giving the Second Amendment and responsible gun owners a bad name.

To conceal carry a weapon in Nevada, gun owners must take an eight-hour class, he said.

Furlong said the case will go to the Carson City District Attorneys Office for review to see if McBeth should be charged.

We hope that everybody calms down from the weekend and this past weekends events dont become agitation sources, he said.

Amy Alonzo covers the outdoors, recreation and environment for Nevada and Lake Tahoe.Reach her at aalonzo@gannett.comor (775) 741-8588.Here's how you can support ongoing coverage and local journalism.

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Carson City sheriff: Accidental firearm discharge at BLM protest 'could have been a disaster' - Reno Gazette-Journal