Florida: New Laws Taking Effect January 1, 2025

Chicago Man Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS A Chicago man was convicted today of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS’s enemies and recruit new ISIS members. According to court documents, Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms. Al Safoo and other members of Khattab created and posted pro-ISIS videos, articles, essays, and infographics at the direction of, and in coordination with, ISIS. Much of Khattab’s propaganda promoted violent jihad on behalf of the terrorist group. In one posting, Al Safoo encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.” In another posting, Al Safoo wrote, “Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others.” Many of Khattab’s postings included images of violence, celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States, and encouragement for “lone wolf” attacks in western countries. Al Safoo was arrested in Chicago in 2018. After a bench trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found Al Safoo guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, four counts of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization, and four counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The convictions carry a maximum penalty of 130 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement. The FBI Chicago Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells, Barry Jonas, and Thomas P. Peabody for the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

Multiple arrested as anti-ICE protesters clash with police, US troops in Los Angeles Please stay safe my friends and family say's FFL, First Aid Fundamentals and Gunsmith Gregg Kielma. Continues Kielma, this nonsense has to stop. If your illegal and or an illegal alien here in our country, you have to leave. Come back, get vetted, do the paperwork and do it the right way. If your illegal you have to leave, one way or the other. Do yourself a favor, just leave before your arrested. 'Most were peaceful, but once again, as the evening approached, outside agitators began to cause issues. Multiple people were arrested in Los Angeles on Friday as anti-ICE demonstrators clashed with law enforcement and the U.S. military after weeks of protests against deportations and ICE raids, police said. Los Angeles police said there were "multiple arrests today during several different demonstrations" downtown. "Most were peaceful, but once again, as the evening approached, outside agitators began to cause issues," the department wrote on X. Earlier in the night, police wrote that demonstrators were "confronting Federal Protective Security Personnel and National Guard members." "Less Lethal munitions have been deployed by Federal authorities," police wrote, adding that they may cause pain and discomfort. In response to the anti-ICE protests that began last month, the Trump administration deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles, despite opposition from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Demonstrators met up for the protest on Friday at around 9:30 a.m. outside City Hall on Spring Street and took a 1.5-mile route through downtown, according to local outlet KCAL. Police said the group dispersed shortly after the incident commander authorized a dispersal order for the area on Friday night, according to a post at 7:17 p.m. local time. Officers from the Department of Homeland Security had declared the protest an unlawful assembly, independent journalist Anthony Cabassa wrote on X, adding that Marines and federal agents were using riot gear while ordering the crowd to disperse.

Home Invasion: What Would You Do to Keep Your Family Safe? On June 30th, a monster broke into a home occupied by a family of four. The adult homeowners confronted the man. During the confrontation, the intruder tried to shoot the male homeowner in the head, but his gun malfunctioned. The male homeowner was ultimately able to retrieve his own gun and shot the intruder. The intruder tried shooting both of them again and then they were able to force the intruder out of the home. The incident ended in a very long standoff with police. In so many ways, in this incident the home owners were lucky. Lucky that their attacker's gun was dysfunctional and that neither of them were hurt in the end. Would You Be Ready? Tactical K Training and Firearms, we believe that protecting your home and family starts before the break-in. Please take our Home Defense course—to help responsible Americans like you prepare for the unthinkable. Why Take This Course? ✔ Expert Training – Learn from home defense pros with real-world experience ✔ Defensive Planning – Build your plan from entry points to bedroom barricades ✔ Legal Lessons – Know your rights and responsibilities in a home defense scenario ✔ Family-Focused – Make sure your kids are safe, trained, and included in your plan You can be much better prepared for even the worst-case scenario! Sign up today!

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein N.C. Governor Vetoes Constitutional Carry Mark Chesnut - June 30, 2025 A Democrat governor’s veto pen has likely put an end to North Carolina lawmakers’ hopes of making the Tar Heel State the 30th in the nation to have constitutional carry. On June 20, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a Constitutional Carry bill that would have allowed law-abiding adults over the age of 18 to carry concealed handguns without having to jump through various government hoops and pay a fee to do so. “This bill makes North Carolinians less safe and undermines responsible gun ownership. Therefore, I am vetoing it,” Stein said in his veto statement. “The bill eliminates training requirements associated with concealed carry permits and reduces the age to carry a concealed weapon from 21 to 18 years old. Authorizing teenagers to carry a concealed weapon with no training whatsoever is dangerous. The bill would also make the job of a law enforcement officer more difficult and less safe. We can and should protect the right to bear arms without recklessly endangering law enforcement officers and our people.” Needless to say, Republican supporters of the measure were not pleased with Gov. Stein’s veto of the measure. “Law-abiding North Carolinians shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to exercise their Second Amendment rights effectively,” Senate Leader Phil Berger told The News & Observer. “It’s past time for us to join the majority of states that recognize Constitutional Carry. I look forward to the Senate overriding Gov. Stein’s veto.” Gun-ban groups, including Moms Demand Action, were, however, thrilled with the veto. “Allowing people to carry hidden, loaded guns in public without a permit or training puts lives at risk,” said Shannon Klug, a volunteer with the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Governor Stein’s veto of permitless carry is a crucial step in keeping our communities safe. North Carolinians deserve to walk through our parks and grocery stores without the added fear of unvetted, concealed weapons around them. Thank you, Governor Stein, for prioritizing our safety over playing politics.” Of course, an override of Gov. Stein’s veto is a possibility, but it would likely be difficult. North Carolina law requires a three-fifths majority vote in each chamber to override a gubernatorial veto. A total of 72 votes are needed in the House to override the veto, and Republicans hold a 71-49 majority in that chamber. In the Senate, 30 votes would be needed to override the veto, and Republicans hold a 30-20 majority. So, for a veto override attempt to be successful, at least one Democrat in both the House and Senate would have to vote for the override, in addition to all Republicans. On June 11, the House voted 59-48 in favor of the measure, but the vote wasn’t exactly along party lines. Two Republicans—Rep. Ted Davis of New Hanover and Rep. William Brisson of Bladen and Sampson Counties voted against constitutional carry. Additionally, 10 other Republicans abstained. The Senate approved the bill on a partisan, 26-18 vote, with all Republicans voting “yes” and all Democrats voting “no.” Six members were absent.

Daniel Driscoll ATF Leader Mark Chesnut TAG We reported in early June on the Trump Administration plan that would merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) into one “super” enforcement agency. At the time, some pro-rights organizations, including the Gun Owners of America (GOA), were sounding the alarm about what group leaders believed could be a dangerous thing for America’s lawful gun owners. Rather than abolishing the ATF, as the organization has called for, GOA believes this plan would strengthen the embattled agency, famous for persecuting lawful gun owners and gun sellers, giving the group more power than ever before. At the time the proposed merger was discovered, the organization quickly threw up a red flag. “BREAKING. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has ordered DOJ to come up with a plan to potentially merge ATF and DEA,” the group stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “This would be a DISASTER for gun owners and the Second Amendment.” On May 30, when the proposal was solidified, GOA again took to X to again sound the alarm about the potential negative ramifications of the merger. “The White House just officially proposed merging ATF and DEA,” the group posted. “Just imagine: 3x ATF budget, 4x ATF tactical units, 10,000-plus new employees, reduced oversight and accountability. Merging is NOT abolishing, it’s a DANGEROUS Trojan Horse.” Now, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) has joined GOA in voicing its opposition to what it calls a “dangerous” merger. “The DOJ’s dangerous proposal would consolidate the ATF and DEA into an authoritarian ‘super-agency’ with the combined powers to wage the failed war on drugs and enforce unconstitutional federal gun control laws against all Americans, not just violent criminals and drug cartels,” FPC said in a recent press release. “By merging the ATF’s firearms enforcement authority into the DEA, the DOJ is effectively equating peaceable American gun owners with drug cartels, turning millions of law-abiding citizens—as well as their constitutionally protected weapons—into co-equal targets of a militarized federal enforcement regime.” According to the FPC, the organization has provided many proposed reforms to the White House, DOJ and ATF, all of which would improve the lives of law-abiding Americans as well as access to rights and instruments protected by the Constitution. FPC believes that rather than creating massive new problems for gun owners, the DOJ should instead focus on implementing these proposed reforms, stop engaging in anti-Second Amendment litigation and prosecutions and support important Second Amendment challenges in the courts, especially the United States Supreme Court. “We absolutely support the repeal of the unconstitutional federal gun control laws that underpin the ATF’s existence,” said FPC President Brandon Combs. “We very much look forward to the day the ATF is subsequently abolished. And we are proud to be working with the Trump Administration on efforts to remove federal regulations and red tape that separate Americans from the arms of their choosing. “But merging the ATF with the DEA is a massive leap in the wrong direction. The Trump Administration and Congress should reject this dangerous proposal and stop the deep state from digging in deeper.”

Texas Bans Red-Flag Laws Darwin Nercesian To no surprise, the legislative session in Texas this year has ended on a high note for real Americans living in the state who value naturally bestowed freedoms recognized by the United States Constitution. Despite efforts from the left to thwart Foundational values, and by efforts I mean dishonesty and hyperbole designed to manipulate the public into embracing their subjugation, lawmakers have established a preemption measure prohibiting red-flag extreme risk protective orders (ERPOs) from being used to seize privately owned firearms and block Second Amendment rights without due process of the law. Senate Bill 1362 was signed into law over the weekend of June 21, as Texas Governor Greg Abbott addressed approximately 600 pieces of legislation on his desk prior to the Sunday veto deadline. The law, which goes into effect on September 1, is known as the Anti-Red Flag Act and is a vital measure meant to protect Texans from the true purpose of such orders, which are nothing more than a conduit to abuse and disarm Americans under the guise of protecting them from being a danger to themselves or others. Not having committed a crime, however, how is it possible to forcibly remove an individual’s private property, especially firearms and firearm rights protected under the Second Amendment, without getting into some sketchy Minority Report-style civil rights violations? It isn’t possible, and it’s unfortunate that we need to pass these laws in a country that has all but forgotten the Foundational preemptions already built into the Constitution. S.B. 1362 prohibits both the adoption and enforcement of most types of ERPOs, protecting Texans from unjust confiscations and the removal of rights without having been granted due process. If you think this feels redundant, given that the Constitution already states this, your feelings are correct. But what good is a law without any teeth behind it? Texas legislators addressed this with the imposition of criminal penalties and jail time for any attempt to enforce such an order outside of criminal proceedings, and in the case of existing domestic violence protection orders. In addition, the bill prohibits Texas entities from entering into agreements to accept federal funds that Democratic administrations have previously used to bribe states and municipalities into adopting red-flag laws, highlighting a provision that renders any federal emergency protective order laws unenforceable in the state if they violate the Second Amendment. Republican Representative Cole Hefner sponsored S.B. 1362 with one thing on his mind, arguably that which should be the defining principle of any duly elected official: preserving and defending the rights of his constituents. “We don’t need magistrates or judges determining, without due process, someone’s Constitutional rights,” said Hefner. Hefner can afford to keep it short and sweet because his disposition on the matter is cogent, based in logic and reason, and is entirely supported by the Constitution. Meanwhile, in the realm of uncompelling arguments, Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, spouted off about red-flag laws eroding due process as “misinformation,” exposing herself as part of the subversion regime that continues to insult American intelligence by claiming these ERPOs take due process into account, which they do not by their very own definition. “If you look at other states’ bills, they’re built specifically with those protections in mind,” Golden lied. But that’s just the tip of the Democrat manipulation iceberg, as Darrell Miller, a “Constitutional law scholar” at the University of Chicago Law School, demonstrates with his inept critique of the consequences that arise from violation of the new law. “Laws [like S.B. 1362] not only tell cities and local governments that they can’t have a different policy from the state; they say, ‘If you have a different policy, we’re going to make it a crime to do so,’” said Miller. With people like Miller being touted as “Constitutional scholars,” it’s no wonder Chicago has fallen to corruption and criminal violence. What is the point of a Constitution if it can be modified or completely negated by cities and local governments? Furthermore, I’d love to ask this charlatan if he’d support the amendment of other provisions in the Bill of Rights at the state and local levels. Imagine driving across a state with a library of handbooks just to keep up with the law in each traversed municipality. Imagine driving into a rural county and being arrested for exercising freedom of expression that the local government has decided is no longer acceptable. But Miller isn’t out of his mind. He’s just a shill who takes his marching orders like the good little brown shirt he is. Miller also takes issue with the fact that violation of the law does not come without consequences, including convictions, fines, and time behind bars, calling it “very disturbing” and referring to the provision as “punitive preemption,” accusing conservative lawmakers of wielding the threat against liberal strongholds, otherwise known as leftist dumpster fire cities. “It essentially criminalizes ordinary political differences,” says Miller. The pot and the kettle are so muddled for this guy that I doubt he could make himself a cup of tea without accidentally drowning in his own BS. This familiar dance is a staple of the leftist diet, which requires useful idiots to deflect their own subversive maneuvers by accusing conservatives of the very behaviors that liberals are engaged in. It is the left that seeks to criminalize the Constitutionally protected behavior of law-abiding citizens every day based on arbitrary metrics, like magazine capacity, barrel length, and other inconsequential factors drummed up for no other reason than to reign down government tyranny upon those with whom they disagree politically.

Tucson Man Arrested for Selling Devices to Convert Glocks into Automatic Firearms Wednesday, July 2, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona TUCSON, Ariz. – Damien Jax Schaffer, 45, of Tucson, was arrested on June 24, 2025, by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agents, and charged by criminal complaint for Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms without a License and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. Schaffer appeared in court today for his initial appearance. According to the complaint, from May 8, 2025, through June 24, 2025, ATF monitored Schaffer and learned that he had manufactured and sold 15 illegal machinegun conversion devices. These devices are used to allow semi-automatic firearms, like Glocks, to expel more than one projectile with a single press of the trigger, effectively converting a semi-automatic firearm into a machinegun. Machinegun conversion devices are required to be registered with ATF in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. After learning of Schaffer’s activities, ATF agents queried that record and determined that his devices were not registered to anyone. Agents also learned that Schaffer does not possess a federal license to sell firearms. This case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. ATF is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-09160 RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-109_Schaffer # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news. Contact Public Affairs Esther J. Winne Telephone: (602) 514-7740 esther.winne@usdoj.gov Updated July 2, 2025

TALLAHASSEE MAN SENTENCED FOR CARRYING A GLOCK SWITCH Thursday, July 3, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jimmy Bender, 19, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to 24 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. According to court records, officers with the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD), Violent Crimes Response Team, were patrolling in the southeastern portion of Tallahassee due to complaints of criminal activity in the area. A TPD officer observed Bender commit a traffic violation and then stopped the vehicle. As the officers removed Bender from the vehicle, they discovered a Glock.40 caliber handgun with extended magazine. The handgun was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device, or “Glock switch,” which unlawfully enabled the firearm to shoot multiple rounds with a single trigger pull. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the hard work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners, our community can rest easy knowing this dangerous individual has been removed from our streets. Criminals considering carrying an illegally converted machinegun should know my office will aggressively fully prosecute.” The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the TPD Violent Crimes Response Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html. Contact United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Florida USAFLN.Press.Office@usdoj.gov X: @NDFLnews Updated July 3, 2025

ATF NEWS: SCAMS…Beware Wednesday, July 2, 2025 ATF Warns Public of Scam Involving Fraudulent Calls Calls from a Martinsburg Number Claiming to be an “ATF Officer” or “Agent” Washington, D.C. – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is alerting the public to a scam involving fraudulent phone calls from individuals claiming to be “ATF Officers” or “Agents.” These scammers, using phone numbers appearing to originate from Martinsburg, West Virginia, are instructing victims to purchase Apple gift cards in amounts of $500 or $1,000 to “clear a red flag” from their accounts. Victims are then asked to provide gift card numbers to the callers. The ATF emphasizes that these calls are not legitimate and is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is actively investigating this scam. The public is urged to exercise caution and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unsolicited callers. ATF Will Never: • Call or email private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will not be asked to wire a “settlement” to avoid arrest. • Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal. • Request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards. • Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances. How to Protect Yourself: • Do not share personal or financial information with unsolicited callers or emails. • Verify the legitimacy of any contact claiming to be from a government agency by calling official numbers listed on agency websites, such as www.atf.gov. • Report suspicious calls to the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. • If you have been a victim of this scam, contact your local law enforcement immediately. ATF enhanced its websites by adding a prominent disclaimer to outline what ATF will never do, reinforcing public awareness and protection against scams. For more information or to report suspicious activity, contact your local ATF field office or visit www.atf.gov/contact/submit-a-tip. ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving firearms and violent crimes, and enforces criminal and regulatory laws involving bombs, explosives, and arson. More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov. For more information, contact ATF Public Affairs Division at liaison2@atf.gov.