A federal judge struck down a New Jersey ban on AR-15 rifles on Tuesday, ruling that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan wrote in a 69-page decision that a provision in New Jersey’s “Assault Firearms Law” banning the possession and sale of AR-15s violated the Second Amendment. The Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs and the Firearms Policy Coalition sued the state over the restriction and another provision banning higher-capacity magazines.  In his decision, Sheridan pointed to Supreme Court decisions on gun regulations, including the recent Bruen decision, in which the court struck down New York’s restrictions on concealed carry, ruling that judges must consider gun control laws in the “historical tradition of firearm regulation” in the United States.  “That is, where the Supreme Court has set forth the law of our Nation, as a lower court, I am bound to follow it,” Sheridan wrote. “This principle — combined with the reckless inaction of our governmental leaders to address the mass shooting tragedy afflicting our Nation — necessitates the Court’s decision. For these reasons and those below, the AR-15 Provision of Assault Firearms Law is unconstitutional.” Sheridan wrote that the possession of AR-15s for self-defense purposes was protected under the Second Amendment and was “inconsistent with our Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.” His decision did not strike down a ban on similar guns, like the Beretta AR-70 or the Springfield Armory BM59, that were included in the same law, saying he only heard arguments on the AR-15.  Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs Executive Director Scott Bach indicated his group would appeal the ruling.  “While the decision is mixed and certain to be appealed by both sides, it is groundbreaking in that it invalidates part of New Jersey’s ‘assault firearms’ ban — a misguided hardware ban destined to be overturned in its entirety,” he said. The judge also ruled that a prohibition on higher capacity magazines was constitutional, rejecting the plaintiffs’ challenge on that front. He pointed to mass shootings as one reason for his decision.  “Second, that large capacity ammunition magazines have been used in most of these mass shooting events in recent years. This relationship is impossible to ignore,” he wrote.  Democrat New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin accused the court of weaponizing the Second Amendment to “undermine public safety” and promised to appeal the decision to strike down the AR-15 ban. 

A group of nearly 20 GOP senators urged the Olympics this week to clean up its act following the opening ceremony of the Paris Games that featured a controversial drag show parody modeled after “The Last Supper.” In a letter, led by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and addressed to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, the Republican lawmakers called for tweaking the Olympic charter to avoid future performances that mock Christianity or any other faith. “We write in response to the vulgar mockery of the Christian faith on display at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The Games should unite people of every country, race, and creed,” the senators said. “There is no place for anti-Christian bigotry at an event designed to bring the world together.” They added, “The Games should celebrate the athletes, not denigrate anyone’s faith. We urge you to take immediate action by amending Rule 55 of the Olympic Charter to ensure that no faiths are the subject of mockery as part of the opening or closing ceremonies ever again.” The senators said the IOC “should formally condemn the mockery that occurred in Paris of one of the most sacred moments of the Christian faith. Then, the IOC should make formal changes to ensure this kind of divisive display is not repeated to ensure that Coubertin’s vision for the Games may continue to thrive,” referring to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a Frenchman who founded the modern Olympics. “Every person, from every nation and every faith, should be encouraged to enjoy the Olympics without being belittled or mocked. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” they concluded. The other senators who signed the letter included: John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Risch (R-ID), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Todd Young (R-IN). Last week’s opening ceremony, which featured several acts, drew backlash for including a drag show parody of “The Last Supper” with Jesus Christ, his apostles, and the Greek god Dionysus. Amid the outrage, the organizers of this summer’s games apologized to Catholics and other Christian groups who took offense. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” said Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps, according to ESPN. She added, “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.” The ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, said, “We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that.” Not everyone voiced disapproval of the opening ceremony. First lady Jill Biden, who led the U.S. delegation to the opening ceremony on Friday, praised the show during a brunch celebrating the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “It was spectacular,” Biden said. “The rain did not dampen our spirits. … Every step of the way, I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh my God, oh my God. How are we going to top this?'”

When an airplane crash doesn’t end in tragedy, there’s quite a lot of gratitude to go around. That’s certainly the case after a small plane crashed in a family’s front yard in Utah. The two people onboard, thankfully, survived. In fact, they only sustained minor injuries. Still, as you can imagine, this ordeal was quite a harrowing experience for both those on the plane and the folks living nearby. Almost everyone in this Utah family were home at the time of the plane crash. This includes a woman and her children. The only one not at home, in fact, was Dad — he was at work. Still, even Dad, whose name is Anthony Baugh, witnessed the crash thanks to their home security camera. He even watched it on his phone before getting home. You can watch the intense moment for yourself in the video below. @abcnews Two people were injured after a small plane crashed into the front yard of a northern Utah home on Wednesday, according the local police department. Footage shows the moment the small plane crashed and skidded onto the front yard of the home in Roy, Utah. Concerned neighbors were seen rushing to the crash; no one on the property or in the neighborhood was hurt. ♬ original sound – ABC News “It immediately left me in a panic trying to get home as fast as I could,” Anthony recalls. Neighbors were shocked, too, with one noting that they thought a house had exploded. But despite any fears, folks gathered to offer assistance to the two onboard the plane. This includes Anthony’s wife. She offered the man and woman water, but they were too in shock to accept. Plane Crash in Utah Ends in a Miracle When Nobody is Killed or Seriously Injured Unfortunately, one home was damaged, along with some nearby trees. Still, overall, everyone involved in this harrowing ordeal are thankful for how things turned out. This includes the Baugh family who are feeling pretty shaken up — they lost family members in a plane crash years ago. “Glad no one was hurt,” one Utah resident shares. “It was three houses away from my daughter’s house. She said plane parts were all over.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Security Camera Captures Moment Plane Crashes Into Front Yard Of Utah Home appeared first on InspireMore.

CNN did not air this, a spokesperson for the outlet confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact.

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