Washington sets record for concealed pistol licenses
Why it matters: The rise comes as state legislators have moved to tighten rules surrounding gun purchases.
A new state law, which goes into effect in 2027, will require Washington residents to receive live-fire training, be fingerprinted and get a permit before buying guns, a change expected to affect thousands of potential buyers each year.
Driving the news: Washington reached 709,334 active concealed pistol licenses (CPLs) at the end of June, an all-time high, Christine Anthony of the Department of Licensing tells Axios.
That's an increase of more than 10,000 since December, per state data.
By the numbers: About 20% of CPL holders in Washington are women.
King County, the state's most populous county, also has the highest number of CPLs, nearly 114,000.
Pierce County posted the biggest one-month gain, from May to June of this year, with 882 licenses.
What they're saying:"Long story short, people are arming up, and they're going to keep doing so ahead of the new restrictions," Dave Workman, editor in chief of TheGunMag, a publication of the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, tells Axios.
With a state population of close to 8 million, "that means possibly 1 out of every 10 people you pass on any given day is licensed to carry concealed, and may even be armed," he says.
The other side: Renée Hopkins, CEO of the Washington-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility, which backed the permit-to-purchase law, said the organization advocates for safe and responsible firearm ownership.
"While we acknowledge more guns pose a greater threat to our communities, CPL holders tend to be responsible gun owners," Hopkins tells Axios.
Between the lines: Washington — among the top 10 states for the highest percentage of residents holding a concealed carry license — is a " shall issue" state, meaning the state must issue gun licenses to people who meet the requirements and pass a background check.
What we're watching: Whether demand for concealed pistol licenses keeps rising as the 2027 permit-to-purchase law approaches — and what legal challenges emerge against the law.
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Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The history of Native American sports name changes, from the Obama era to Trump's latest comments
President Donald Trump's social media posts calling for the NFL's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names has revived the conversation about Native American imagery in sports. Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive. Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded: October 2013 Then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would 'think about changing' the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team. 'I don't know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,' Obama said. Donald Trump soon after posted to Twitter: 'President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense.' January 2018 The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist. 'Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,' Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He said the logo 'is no longer appropriate for on-field use.' The team said it would continue to sell merchandise with the logo in the Cleveland area. Summer 2020 After several sponsors publicly voiced their opposition to the name Redskins, longtime owner Dan Snyder said in early July the organization would undergo a 'thorough review." Snyder had said multiple times since buying the team in 1999 that he had no intent of changing it. Cleveland hours later said it was considering going away from Indians, the baseball team's name since 1915. Manager Terry Francona said he was in favor of a change. On July 13, Snyder announced the Redskins moniker was being retired after 87 years, dating to the team's time in Boston. Later in the month, the organization unveiled plans to be known as the Washington Football Team for at least one season, and that name remained through 2021. MLB's Atlanta Braves and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks doubled down on their names. The Braves wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders they will 'always be' known as that, while the Blackhawks said they would continue to use their name and logo because it honors Native American leader Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation. The Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games. In August, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs followed suit, prohibiting the use of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at their stadium. They faced increased scrutiny over the tomahawk chop and chant around winning their first Super Bowl title that February. December 2020 Cleveland owner Paul Dolan announced the team would no longer be called the Indians following the 2021 season. 'It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It's a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,' Dolan told the AP, adding he did not want an interim moniker like Washington's. Trump quote-tweeted a story about the change with the message: 'Oh no! What is going on? This is not good news, even for 'Indians'. Cancel culture at work!' July 2021 Seemingly out of the blue, Cleveland unveiled its new name, Guardians, in a video posted to social media. They completed the season as the Indians before becoming the Guardians in November. Cleveland's new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City. October 2021 The tomahawk chop was front and center as the Braves reached — and won — the World Series, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsing the fan behavior, citing the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in North Carolina about three hours from Atlanta. 'The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop,' Manfred said. 'For me, that's kind of the end of the story. In that market, we're taking into account the Native American community.' February 2022 After a lengthy process, Washington rebranded as the Commanders. Snyder said the change pays 'homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital.' 'As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us,' Snyder said. 'We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.' President Joe Biden welcomed the name change by posting a picture on Twitter of Commander, his recently acquired German shepherd puppy, in front of the White House. 'I suppose there's room for two Commanders in this town,' Biden wrote. Summer 2023 A group led by Josh Harris, which included Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, finalized the purchase of the Commanders from Snyder for a North American pro sports record $6.05 billion. Harris and co-owner Mitch Rales, who grew up in the area of the team, used the word Redskins at their introductory news conference, sparking renewed chatter about the subject. Before the season started, Harris said ownership would not be going back to the old name. Summer 2024 Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, threatened to block a congressional bill to transfer land to potentially be used for a new football stadium in Washington unless the Commanders and the NFL honored the former Indian head logo in some way. The original logo was designed by a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. After lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell, the bill passed in December at the eleventh hour, and Biden signed it into law in January. It gave control of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which agreed to a deal with the team in April to build there, pending city council approval. February 3, 2025 After Washington made the playoffs and went on an improbable run to the NFC championship game with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harris said at his season-ending news conference that the Commanders name was here to stay, quieting speculation about another rebrand. 'I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we're going with that,' Harris said. 'Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.' July 20, 2025 With the stadium deal not yet done, Trump threatened to block it if Washington did not go back to the name Redskins. Trump on his social media site posted: 'I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington." Asked about ways Trump could block the construction of a stadium where the team played during its glory days until moving to Maryland, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser shifted the focus to hammering out a deal voted on by the council. 'What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part, and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work, so that local businesses can get hired, so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders stadium," Bowser said. ___ AP sports:
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Why did the Commanders change their name? President Trump urges Washington to switch back
The Washington Commanders thought they could finally put their name controversy behind them, but the nation's capital has a way of relitigating the past. This offseason, Washington inked a deal to return to their old home on the RFK Stadium site and also reimagined their old Super Bowl era uniforms in what some believe could be a precursor to a jersey rebrand. Plans for the stadium have stalled while Mayor Muriel Bowser battles with the Washington D.C. council to get it approved. The mayor has expressed concern about the deal, while the Commanders may run into a speedbump for future plans. Now the Commanders face another potential obstacle en route to a stadium deal, this time against the Commander in Chief. On July 20, President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he could block a deal if the team doesn't bring back their old name. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington," Trump posted on Truth Social. Here's a look at how we got here, including the origin of the Commanders' name change, whether they can change it back and what the President has said about the issue. Why did the Commanders change their name? Washington's NFL franchise introduced the "Commanders" moniker in advance of the 2022 season after two years as the Washington Football Team. The move was necessitated by the overwhelming pressure that began to mount against the much more controversial namesake. Originally born into the NFL in 1932 as the Boston Braves, the franchise changed its name after one season to the version considered offensive to Native Americans in 1933. It was a name that remained through the team's relocation to Washington in 1937 and withstood the test of time until the it couldn't anymore ahead of the 2020 season. Following George Floyd's death in Minnesota, protests broke out across the country in opposition to police brutality and racism. That also put the spotlight on Washington's team, which began feeling the heat from sponsors like FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo. Adweek reported in 2020 that 87 investment firms worth a collective $620 billion at the time sent a letter to some of the team's biggest sponsors – FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo – asking them to sever ties with the team if they refused the name change. Previous owner Dan Snyder was adamant for years that the name would never be changed. "We will never change the name of the team," Snyder told USA TODAY Sports in 2013. "As a lifelong (name) fan, and I think that the (name) fans understand the great tradition and what it's all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season." Despite years of lawsuits and pressure from Native American groups, Snyder vowed he would never cave on the issue. "We'll never change the name," Snyder said at the time. "It's that simple. NEVER – you can use caps." However, the sponsors threats were more than enough for Snyder to reconsider his position and the old name was removed ahead of the 2020 season, sparking a search for a new one. "We are announcing we will be retiring the (former) name and logo upon completion of this review," the team said in a statement and that team officials were "working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years." What Trump has said about Commanders name change Trump has been a fixture throughout the Commanders recent rebrands and controversy. The pivot away from the controversial name came during the first Trump administration and now the stadium deal has taken centerstage during the second. The president has always been opposed to switch, but struck a different chord earlier this month when asked about the team's move back to the RFK site. 'It doesn't have the same ring to me,' he told reporters on July 7. 'But, you know, winning can make everything sound good. So, if they win, all of a sudden, the Commanders sounds good, but I wouldn't have changed it.' While Trump wasn't in favor of the move, it was a decidedly different tone than the one he took at the time in 2020. "They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct," Trump tweeted in response to the initial change. He renewed that rhetoric on July 20, when he threatened to block the team's new stadium deal in the district, adding they should immediately bring back the old name. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington," Trump later posted. "The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone," he continued, adding that the Cleveland Guardians should also follow suit. It's unclear what power the president has in this case, considering Congress turned over control of the RFK Stadium land to the city with the passage of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act in January. Will the Commanders change their name? It's unlikely a move back to the old controversial nickname will happen, given recent stance from team brass. If there was any doubt, team owner Josh Harris seemingly put a return to the old name to bed at a press conference in February. "Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something," Harris said. "It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning." While the owner acknowledged that the team will honor its past, he pointed out that the name is here to stay. "I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff. And so we're going with that," Harris said. Not only have the Commanders shown no interest in reverting to their name, but NFL rules dictate that it might not be a possibility at this time either. As any name change would also be likely be accompanied with new jerseys, the NFL's uniform rules come into focus. As detailed in 2002 Resolution G-3 under Article 19 of the NFL's constitution, a team cannot change its jerseys more than once every five years. Given that the team just unveiled new jerseys ahead of the 2022 season, they cannot make a switch again until 2027. There is a clause for "extenuating circumstances" built in that would allow for a faster rebrand. It is determined by the commissioner, but relocation and ownership change are considered extenuating. Any name change would likely need the approval of the league, as was the case in 2020 when Washington first changed its team nickname to the Commanders. What Trump has said about the Cleveland Guardians The Commanders aren't the only team that faced controversy surrounding their team name. MLB's Cleveland Guardians also drew the ire of Trump, who suggested they should also bring back their old name. Cleveland didn't make the move until ahead of the 2022 MLB season, three years after they dropped the "Chief Wahoo" mascot and logo. Trump said that it was cancel culture in a 2020 tweet, indicating he was no fan of that decision. The Guardians arrived at the conclusion to change their name after team owner Paul Dolan changed his stance on the matter, citing a changing world in the aftermath of the social unrest in 2020. All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.
Associated Press
13 minutes ago
- Associated Press
The history of Native American sports name changes, from the Obama era to Trump's latest comments
President Donald Trump's social media posts calling for the NFL's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names has revived the conversation about Native American imagery in sports. Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive. Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded: October 2013 Then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would 'think about changing' the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team. 'I don't know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,' Obama said. Trump soon after posted to Twitter: 'President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense.' January 2018 The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist. 'Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,' Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He said the logo 'is no longer appropriate for on-field use.' The team said it would continue to sell merchandise with the logo in the Cleveland area. Summer 2020 After several sponsors publicly voiced their opposition to the name Redskins, longtime owner Dan Snyder said in early July the organization would undergo a 'thorough review.' Snyder had said multiple times since buying the team in 1999 that he had no intent of changing it. Cleveland hours later said it was considering going away from Indians, the baseball team's name since 1915. Manager Terry Francona said he was in favor of a change. On July 13, Snyder announced the Redskins moniker was being retired after 87 years, dating to the team's time in Boston. Later in the month, the organization unveiled plans to be known as the Washington Football Team for at least one season, and that name remained through 2021. MLB's Atlanta Braves and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks doubled down on their names. The Braves wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders they will 'always be' known as that, while the Blackhawks said they would continue to use their name and logo because it honors Native American leader Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation. The Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games. In August, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs followed suit, prohibiting the use of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at their stadium. They faced increased scrutiny over the tomahawk chop and chant around winning their first Super Bowl title that February. December 2020 Cleveland owner Paul Dolan announced the team would no longer be called the Indians following the 2021 season. 'It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It's a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,' Dolan told the AP, adding he did not want an interim moniker like Washington's. Trump quote-tweeted a story about the change with the message: 'Oh no! What is going on? This is not good news, even for 'Indians'. Cancel culture at work!' July 2021 Seemingly out of the blue, Cleveland unveiled its new name, Guardians, in a video posted to social media. They completed the season as the Indians before becoming the Guardians in November. Cleveland's new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City. October 2021 The tomahawk chop was front and center as the Braves reached — and won — the World Series, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsing the fan behavior, citing the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in North Carolina about three hours from Atlanta. 'The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop,' Manfred said. 'For me, that's kind of the end of the story. In that market, we're taking into account the Native American community.' February 2022 After a lengthy process, Washington rebranded as the Commanders. Snyder said the change pays 'homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital.' 'As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us,' Snyder said. 'We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.' President Joe Biden welcomed the name change by posting a picture on Twitter of Commander, his recently acquired German shepherd puppy, in front of the White House. 'I suppose there's room for two Commanders in this town,' Biden wrote. Summer 2023 A group led by Josh Harris, which included Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, finalized the purchase of the Commanders from Snyder for a North American pro sports record $6.05 billion. Harris and co-owner Mitch Rales, who grew up in the area of the team, used the word Redskins at their introductory news conference, sparking renewed chatter about the subject. Before the season started, Harris said ownership would not be going back to the old name. Summer 2024 Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, threatened to block a congressional bill to transfer land to potentially be used for a new football stadium in Washington unless the Commanders and the NFL honored the former Indian head logo in some way. The original logo was designed by a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. After lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell, the bill passed in December at the eleventh hour, and Biden signed it into law in January. It gave control of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which agreed to a deal with the team in April to build there, pending city council approval. February 3, 2025 After Washington made the playoffs and went on an improbable run to the NFC championship game with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harris said at his season-ending news conference that the Commanders name was here to stay, quieting speculation about another rebrand. 'I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we're going with that,' Harris said. 'Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.' July 20, 2025 With the stadium deal not yet done, Trump threatened to block it if Washington did not go back to the name Redskins. Trump on his social media site posted: 'I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.' Asked about ways Trump could block the construction of a stadium where the team played during its glory days until moving to Maryland, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser shifted the focus to hammering out a deal voted on by the council. 'What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part, and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work, so that local businesses can get hired, so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders stadium,' Bowser said. ___ AP sports:
