The death head tattoo that Maine senatorial candidate Graham Platner had on his chest for years was a bit of a problem for him. After all, that particular type of skull and crossbones symbol isn’t one for pirates. It’s a symbol used by Nazis and their ilk. It’s called the “Totenkopf” and has been featured in pretty much every movie and video game featuring Nazis or neo-Nazis. Platner said he didn’t know what it meant, which at least someone who knows him says is BS.I bring this up not so much because of Platner in…

The New Jersey State Police are facing a lawsuit after stonewalling an OPRA request for demographic data on retired law enforcement officer carry permits — data the agency already makes publicly available for civilian permit holders. Freelance journalist and Bearing Arms contributor John Petrolino, represented by West Berlin attorney Donald M. Doherty, Jr., filed a verified complaint in Mercer County Superior Court on February 27, 2026, seeking to compel the NJSP to release records related to its Retired Police Officer (RPO) handgun carry permit program. The complaint, filed under the Open Public Records Act, the common law right of access,…

After several years of struggling to turn a profit, REI Co-op will reduce benefits for its employees. The retailer confirmed the news to GearJunkie last week, after Bloomberg reported on an internal memo from REI’s CEO. Scaled-back benefits include slower accrual of vacation days, switching from guaranteed retirement contributions to a “company match,” and changing sick days from an across-the-board policy to one that “aligns” state by state with what is legally required, according to a memo from REI CEO Mary Beth Laughlin. REI will also reduce wages for new employees, starting this summer, according to news reports and statements…

NYSRPA v. Bruen ruled that subjective permitting standards were to be abolished. New Jersey has one on the books and a recent case weakens the government’s ability to use it. New Jersey has on their books a subjective standard when it comes to issuing firearms-related permits. The law, 2C:58-3(c)(5), says that permits may be denied “to any person where the issuance would not be in the interest of the public health, safety or welfare because the person is found to be lacking the essential character of temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm. …”…

This is one of those situations that makes your gut twist because there’s no easy answer. According to reporting from KHOU 11, a chaotic scene unfolded just after midnight this week in southwest Houston when a bloodied man was caught on camera pounding on doors, screaming for help. “Help me, please… call 911,” he can be heard saying in doorbell footage. Neighbors woke up to the noise. One homeowner, Melissa Molina, did what most people think they’d do. She stayed inside, kept the door locked, and called police. “I have my kid. I have the dog… we’re not going to…

Political debates about the U.S. border wall usually center on immigration policy and national security. But the construction can also have major impacts on the environment. A new wall expansion planned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would result in construction within two Arizona wilderness areas: Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. White House officials said the projects are necessary to “take control of the border.” But the plans have sparked backlash from conservation and parks advocacy groups concerned about negative impacts to wildlife on these federally protected lands. They question why it’s necessary…

I like sales tax holidays. Here in Georgia, we have a sales tax holiday for school supplies just before the start of the school year, and the list of “school supplies” includes things like computers, so it’s a good time to upgrade your technology. We’ve also got one for the sale of guns, ammo, and accessories. It’s pretty cool. Our neighbors in Alabama are considering one, too.Not everyone is thrilled with it, of course. The usual suspects don’t like it one bit, but the proposal is also being attacked from the gun rights side, and…

When speaking about the Strait of Hormuz and its closure to United States and Israeli vessels, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Iran gave him a “present.” “They’re going to make a deal. They did something [Monday] that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present,” Trump said. Trump said he could not disclose what the gift was, but said it was “oil and gas-related” and was connected to the Strait of Hormuz. Simulation: Extended Strait of Hormuz Closure Could Affect $1.2 Trillion in Global Trade “The present arrived today, and it was a very big present worth a tremendous amount…

My tent was on the snow, and the temperature had been hovering in the single digits for the past few hours. I had a 0-degree bag and was wondering if I’d need another layer to get through the night, at least comfortably. But I wasn’t worried about the cold coming up from the ground. This was my third single-digit night out with EXPED’s new Ultra 6.5R sleeping pad, and I knew what kind of insulation it offered. If you do any cold-weather camping, you know that some lightweight backpacking-oriented inflatable sleeping pads with a “heat-reflective” layer to boost the R-value…

As Tom reported earlier today, Everytown has a new “report” out focusing on straw purchases that insinuates employees of Academy Sporting Goods have willfully turned blind eyes to individuals who are helping to traffic firearms. I won’t repeat all of Tom’s criticisms of the report here, but it’s at least worth noting that apparently none of the Academy employees who sold any of the 250 or so firearms that were apparently trafficked over a three year period have been charged with anything.  That is not the case, however, for an 80-year-old New Hampshire man who…

If you have any information about the vandals who defaced a Native American petroglyph site near Moab, Utah, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) wants to hear from you. On March 22, the GCSO posted to Facebook seeking information that would help them track down the people responsible for etching into a Native American cultural heritage site northeast of town. The petroglyph site is near Tusher Tunnel, northwest of town, which is known to contain extensive ancient rock art. “It appears a Baja race team may have defaced the site by advertising contact information directly on the rock wall,” GCSO…

As Cam noted on Tuesday, a Louisiana lawmaker pulled a campus carry bill, claiming that none of the students who asked for it would be able to testify before the legislature. While the measure had some problems, including allowing campus carry up until the classroom door, for some bizarre reason, the explanation for pulling it didn’t seem to fit. Cam wrote:Even if those students who’d originally requested the legislation be filed couldn’t testify in person, they could always have submitted written testimony, and my guess is that state and national Second Amendment organizations would have…