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Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
GOA unveils plans to establish Olympic Bhavan
The Goa Olympic Association (GOA) held its annual general body meeting in Panaji on Friday Panaji: The Goa Olympic Association plans to establish a dedicated Olympic Bhavan in the state, Union minister and GOA president Shripad Naik announced during the annual meeting in the city on Friday. The Olympic Bhavan is envisioned as a centralised hub equipped with modern infrastructure to house the operations of GOA and serve as the administrative and developmental nucleus for all state sports associations, strengthening Goa's position as an emerging sports powerhouse. The association also honoured Goan medal winners from the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand by awarding them prize money cheques, reinforcing its commitment to athlete recognition and support. The meeting also focused on policy matters, including a circular issued by the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) on selection guidelines and association functioning. Member associations expressed their concern that the generalised guidelines were impractical, given the diverse nature of individual sports, and resolved to submit a joint response to SAG through GOA, as well as individual responses. The gathering also featured a 20-minute awareness session on the National Sports Court 2024 (Governor's Bill) by Jovito Lopes. Additionally, Goans Hockey president Farrell Furtado raised an important issue about the imposition of fees on state hockey camps. President Naik said that he would take up the matter with the govt to ensure that stadium fees are waived off for official pre-national or zonal camps to train state teams.
Newsweek
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Sparks Gun Group Lawsuit Within Hours
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Several gun rights groups filed a lawsuit to dismantle what is left of the National Firearms Act (NFA) shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump signed his package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law on Friday. The legislation reduced the NFA's excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and any other weapons to $0. Gun Owners of America (GOA) and other plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit—which they have dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Lawsuit"—that the Supreme Court had upheld the NFA as a tax statute and the constitutional justification for it no longer applies once the tax is eliminated. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—which are listed as defendants in the lawsuit—for comment via a contact form on the DOJ's website and email. File photo: Donald Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. File photo: Donald Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025 in Washington, Context The National Firearms Act was first enacted in 1934 to regulates firearms considered the most dangerous and crack down on gangland crime in the Prohibition era. The law had imposed a $200 tax on machine guns and shotguns and rifles with barrels shorter than 18 inches, and also required the federal registration of these types of firearms. Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminates the $200 fee that gun owners are charged when purchasing silencers and short-barreled rifles, but it remains in effect for machine guns and explosive devices. What To Know In a press release on Thursday, Gun Owners of America said its team had been "working behind the scenes" with lawmakers since the November election to repeal the NFA fully. The group said congressional Republicans had allowed "an unelected bureaucrat" to block the provision. GOA added that Congress ultimately "settled for reducing the NFA's $200 excise tax to $0 on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any other weapons or AOWs—teeing up GOA's legal challenge." GOA also said it has also long argued that the NFA's registration mandates "violate the Second Amendment and are an unconstitutional overreach of federal power." The authors of the NFA "left no doubt that the NFA was an exercise of the taxing power, and the Supreme Court upheld it on that basis," says the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. "But the NFA no longer imposes any tax on the vast majority of firearms it purports to regulate. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Congress and the President enacted on July 4, 2025, zeros the manufacture and transfer tax on nearly all NFA-regulated firearms. That means the constitutional foundation on which the NFA rested has dissolved. And the NFA cannot be upheld under any other Article I power. With respect to the untaxed firearms, the Act is now unconstitutional." What People Are Saying Erich Pratt, senior vice president of GOA, said in a statement: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to dismantle one of the most abusive federal gun control laws on the books. With the tax struck down by Congress, the rest of the NFA is standing on air. We're ready to take this fight to the courts and finally end the federal registry once and for all." Sam Paredes said in a statement on behalf of the board for Gun Owners Foundation: "The Supreme Court has made clear that the NFA survives only as a tax law. Once the President signs this bill and the tax disappears, the registry becomes an unconstitutional relic. GOF is prepared to go to court and challenge every remaining provision that violates the Second Amendment." Representative Mike Thompson, a Democrat and chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday: "Congressional Republicans are giving a handout to the gun lobby by eliminating the $200 tax on silencers and easily concealable short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns. We've regulated silencers and these guns for 90+ years for a reason: to keep people safe." Emma Brown, the executive director of GIFFORDS, an organization focused on preventing gun violence, said in a statement this week: "Almost 100 years of precedent has kept silencers and short-barreled firearms out of easy reach for criminals. But with this bill, Republicans are laying the groundwork to gut safeguards that stopped criminals from getting these deadly weapons. This vote is proof that the 'law and order' rhetoric Donald Trump has pushed for years rings hollow. In siding with the gun industry CEOs, he has handed criminals a win, and communities will suffer the deadly consequences." What Happens Next The lawsuit asks the court to declare that the NFA's registration and transfer requirements pertaining to untaxed firearms "exceed Congress's enumerated powers" and block the defendants from "implementing, enforcing, or otherwise acting under the authority of the NFA with respect to untaxed firearms."
Ottawa Citizen
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Vincent Palladino Jr. tops field at Northern Ontario Men's Amateur
Article content Vincent Palladino may not yet have joined his father in capturing the Idylwylde Invitational, but the Northern Ontario Men's Amateur is not a bad place to start. Article content The 21-year-old son of the most decorated champion in Invite history joined his dad in the NGA record books this past weekend, recording a three-stroke win over the trio of Alex Fowke, Will Hindemit and Cole Thompson as the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club played host to four GOA qualifying events. Article content Article content An even par round of 72 has moved Palladino Jr. along to the Ontario Men's Amateur Championship, taking place at Deerhurst Highlands Golf Course from June 25 to 28. Article content Article content 'This is one of the first rounds where I've had a score that I felt I kind of stole from the golf course,' said Palladino, who plans to return for one more year of OUA varsity golf at Laurentian University come the fall. Article content 'There were some solid chips and some really good putts that kept me even today.' Article content Just three months ago, even participating in this event was a huge question mark as Palladino underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, with initial speculation leaning towards a four-month recovery period. Article content 'It was pretty cool winning it after not knowing if I would even play three months ago,' he admitted. Article content With that history serving as the lead in to the Northern Men's Amateur, it only made sense that Palladino reverted to a very core approach as he stepped up to hit his first shot on Saturday. Article content Article content 'Honestly, I just committed to my process and whatever happened from there, happened,' he said. 'It's all about not getting ahead of yourself, not thinking about the end result before it's even started.' Article content 'Everyone starts a tournament with the hopes of winning but you've got to do that by hitting the first shot off the tee, and then the second one, and so on,' Palladino noted. Article content Palladino will lead six qualifiers from the tournament into action at Deerhurst, all of which then leads into his hopes of cracking what should be a formidable Idylwylde Ryder Cup roster this summer. Article content In other divisional play, Sault Ste. Marie native and former Idylwylde Invitational champion Don Martone (74) earned a one-stroke victory in the senior men's division, edging out Todd Crowder (75), with John Kusnierczyk (77) also in hot pursuit. Article content The mid-amateur crown went to Kingston native and former Detroit Mercy Titans golfer Eric Macrow, getting the better of John Glynn on a playoff hole. Both players wrapped up play at eighteen with even par scores of 72, with Frank Kuchar and Matthew Thomas tied for third at 74.
Epoch Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Gun Rights and the Second Amendment in Trump's First 100 Days
While campaigning in 2024, Donald Trump promised to defend the Second Amendment. Gun rights advocates say the president has kept that promise in the first 100 days of his second term, and that he began fulfilling it on Jan. 21, the day after he was inaugurated. That's when the website for President Joe Biden's White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention went dark. The office was a crown jewel of Biden's gun control plan, along with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which he signed on June 25, 2022. Biden touted the law as the most significant gun legislation signed in 30 years. It expanded background checks, provided funding for mental health services and community-based violence prevention initiatives, and added to the roster of people restricted from owning firearms. Under Vice President Kamala Harris, the office was staffed with veterans of the gun control movement whose mandate was to 'prevent gun violence and save lives.' The head of the gun control organization Brady, formerly the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, criticized the office's closure online. Related Stories 3/18/2025 2/7/2025 'The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention wasn't about politics – it was about strengthening the government's ability to protect Americans ... from guns,' Brady President Kris Brown wrote. On Feb. 7, Trump Gun rights activists are especially interested in how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) will operate under a second Trump administration. Many say the agency is too powerful. In one of its most popular decisions among gun rights activists, Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) rescinded the ATF's Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy, also known as the 'Zero Tolerance Policy,' on April 7. Critics of the policy say it allowed ATF inspectors to revoke gun dealers' federal firearms licenses for clerical errors that were previously considered minor infractions. The zero-tolerance policy defined these errors as 'willfully' violating the law. Gun Owners of America (GOA) filed a lawsuit claiming the ATF used the policy to bully gun dealers into ceasing operations. The Epoch Times reached out to the ATF for comment and did not receive a response by publication time. GOA stated that the number of dealers with federal licenses who stopped operating after a compliance inspection without a negative finding jumped from 96 in 2020 to 789 in 2021, after the policy went into effect. It increased to 1,037 in 2022, a rise of more than 1,000 percent from 2020. The day after the policy was repealed, Bondi GOA leadership celebrated the developments. 'For years, the Zero Tolerance Policy has been a tool of political retribution—targeting gun stores and Americans who were simply trying to exercise their rights,' Erich Pratt, GOA senior vice president, In an email to its members, Brady accused the administration of adopting dangerous policies. 'By dismantling this [Zero Tolerance] policy, the Trump Administration is essentially signaling to irresponsible gun dealers that they can now break the law without consequence,' the email stated. The Brady email also criticizes the administration for failing to appoint a full-time director for the ATF. 'The ATF needs permanent, dedicated leadership committed to public safety, not gun industry profits. Without proper leadership, the American people will ultimately be the ones to suffer,' the email stated. FBI Director Kash Patel was appointed acting ATF director in February and was removed from the job shortly after. He was replaced by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The future of the ATF appears to be uncertain. There have been reports that it may merge with the Drug Enforcement Agency, though nothing definitive has been announced. Gun control proponents accuse Trump of taking other actions under the guise of fiscal responsibility. FBI Director Kash Patel during an annual worldwide threats assessment hearing at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, on March 26, Giffords Center for Violence Intervention, founded by former U.S. Rep Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot in the head at a campaign rally in 2011, Cuts also have been made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, which study and gather data on violent crime involving guns and its impact on society. 'It's not an exaggeration to say that pulling violence intervention workers out of communities will lead to an immediate surge in violence—people will die,' Paul Carrillo, vice president of the Giffords Center, wrote. In a social media They included $2 million for 'national listening sessions of individuals with lived experience,' $695,000 for 'a parallel convergent mixed-methods case study research design to assess the efficacy of police departments' LGBTQ liaison services,' and $250,000 for 'working with incarcerated transgender individuals providing gender affirming care to including housing in gender appropriate facilities.' During his campaign, Trump also promised to sign a national reciprocity bill if it crossed his desk. It would require states to honor concealed firearms permits of other states. Permit holders would have to comply with all gun laws of the state they are in. For example, if a state prohibits guns in churches, they could not carry there even if their home state allows it. 'All of those laws and restrictions and conditions would be unchanged and would still be in effect,' Amy Swearer, an attorney and a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told The Epoch Times. Opponents, however, stated that police would have to learn the gun laws of all 50 states. David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, said his organization opposes the legislation for this and other reasons. An Oklahoma resident in New York would be under Oklahoma law rather than New York law, he said. This would require New York law enforcers to know the law in all other states. 'If there's reciprocity, the New York laws don't apply, your Oklahoma laws would apply,' LaBahn told The Epoch Times. A reciprocity bill is in Congress, but it appears to have little chance of making it to Trump's desk. Second Amendment advocates say they are generally pleased with the president's actions so far. 'The revocation of the 'zero tolerance' policy is a very big course correction that President Trump's administration has delivered,' Mark Oliva, spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said in an email to The Epoch Times. 'The firearm industry sees that President Trump is keeping his promises.' Gun control groups did not respond to requests for comment from The Epoch Times by publication time.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Act reintroduced to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to fund foreign shrimp
LOUISIANA () — Recent findings by the Southern Shrimp Alliance uncovered that United States taxpayer dollars were being used to finance foreign shrimp operations through international financial institutions. Cheri Blanchard is a Louisiana board member with the Southern Shrimp Alliance. 'We find these situations like we've been ringing the bell about the World Bank and about international financing going into foreign shrimp aquaculture and with taxpayer money,' said Blanchard. According to Blanchard, this contributed to the eventual downfall of the local industry. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'The value of U.S. Shrimp has been cut in half from 2021 to 2023, and it's still about that value because people have had to tie up their boats,' she said. Based on what the Southern Shrimp Alliance uncovered, lawmakers are reintroducing the Save Our Shrimpers Act to make sure it does not continue. 'Also, they put it in the legislation that the GOA should investigate and make sure that they're actually complying with the law,' she said. The act was previously introduced in 2024 but was never passed. Blanchard and the rest of the organization hope and believe it can finally go through. Blanchard advises everyone to go to the Southern Shrimp Alliance website for more details on the industry moving forward. Husband arrested after wife's suspicious death, initially ruled suicide Obama unveils March Madness brackets Teacher arrested for three counts of child cruelty in Rapides Parish McConnell warns US giving up military command of NATO would weaken alliance Athlete of the Week: Malayna Daigle Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
