The best available evidence suggests two major National Rifle Association gun policy prescriptions — what are known as “stand your ground” self-defense laws and permissive concealed carry laws — increase homicides and violent crime.

That is according to a massive new study by the RAND Corporation, an independent think tank. The group's experts scoured thousands of academic papers on gun violence in an effort to make definitive statements about how gun policies affect crime and safety. They winnowed that list down to only the highest-quality studies — just 62 in total — containing evidence capable of establishing a causal link between a gun policy change and a specific outcome.

Because the RAND researchers' criteria for including studies in their final analysis were rigorous, for the majority of policies and outcomes, there was not enough good research to make any definitive statements — a clear indication of how little we know about how to prevent gun violence. But there were notable exceptions.

There is moderate evidence, for instance, that “stand your ground” laws, which remove the requirement for gun owners to attempt to retreat from a situation before using lethal force, increase total rates of homicide. A 2013 study, for instance, found that states passing such laws saw 6 percent to 11 percent increases in their total homicide rate. Another study found that Florida experienced a significant 24 percent increase in total homicides and 32 percent increase in firearm homicides following enactment of the stand-your-ground law in 2005.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/wonk/wp/2018/03/02/the-best-available-evidence-suggests-nra-backed-gun-policies-are-making-crime-worse/?__twitter_impression=true

Hope Hicks is gone. H.R. McMaster may be on the way out. Who remains, it is difficult to say. The ranks are getting sparser and sparser every week and have to be combed more and more carefully into place. Here, as best as I can determine, are the people still at the White House:

Chief of Staff John Kelly, who committed a sin and is being punished, doomed to walk the Earth until every scrap of goodwill he accrued by seeming even vaguely level-headed is eroded away by his continued presence in the Trump administration and remarks in favor of Civil War-averting compromises or in defense of men accused of abuse.

A Russian intelligence official who came in months ago to drop off some misleading papers, but was given something important to hold and now considers everyone family and cannot bear to leave.

“Fox and Friends.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2018/03/01/who-is-still-working-in-the-white-house/?utm_term=.d058bbe70587

OVERLAND PARK, KS (KCTV) -
Police say a racial slur was hurled at a child at a Hooters off Metcalf Avenue.

KCTV5 News spoke to a witness who was at the restaurant and he said he was dumbfounded by a statement the firefighter made to police.

“He basically said get that little ‘blank’ up off the floor,” the witness recounted. “The n-word started to get thrown around.”

The comment left the witness speechless.

http://www.kctv5.com/story/37627894/child-called-racial-slur-spat-on-by-firefighter-at-overland-park-hooters

Here are the 16 most insane Trump scandals that erupted over the last month alone

February is the shortest month of the year, but it was nonetheless a month that was jam-packed with scandals for the Trump White House.

As documented by Washington Post reporter Dan Eggen on Twitter, the past 28 days have seen the Trump administration produce a fire hose of nonstop scandals and controversies ranging from alleged cover ups of domestic abuse to shady loans benefiting presidential son-in-laws.

As recapped by Eggan, here are the most insane Trump scandals that erupted in the last month alone.
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/16-insane-trump-scandals-erupted-last-month-alone/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Hundreds of crown-wearing worshipers clutching AR-15 rifles drank holy wine and exchanged or renewed wedding vows in a commitment ceremony at a Pennsylvania church on Wednesday, prompting a nearby school to cancel classes. With state police and a smattering of protesters standing watch outside the church, brides clad in white and grooms in dark suits brought dozens of unloaded AR-15s into World Peace and Unification Sanctuary for a religious event that doubled as an advertisement for the Second Amendment.

World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland believes the AR-15 symbolizes the "rod of iron" in the biblical book of Revelation.

The Rev. Sean Moon, who leads the church, prayed for "a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing."

Moon is the son of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, which critics regard as a cult. The younger Moon's congregation is a breakaway faction of the Unification Church, which had distanced itself from Wednesday's event.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-of-worshipers-gather-at-church-hosting-ceremony-featuring-ar-15s/

Kyle Griffin
✔
@kylegriffin1
“Mueller's investigators have asked witnesses whether Trump was aware of plans for WikiLeaks to publish the emails... about the relationship between GOP operative Roger Stone and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and why Trump took policy positions favorable to Russia.” https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/968926286159732736 …

1:15 PM - Feb 28, 2018

Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter.

Among those nations discussing ways to influence Kushner to their advantage were the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico, the current and former officials said.

It is unclear if any of those countries acted on the discussions, but Kushner’s contacts with certain foreign government officials have raised concerns inside the White House and are a reason he has been unable to obtain a permanent security clearance, the officials said.

Kushner’s interim security clearance was downgraded last week from the top-secret to the secret level, which should restrict the regular access he has had to highly classified information, according to administration officials.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/national-security/kushners-overseas-contacts-raise-concerns-as-foreign-officials-seek-leverage/2018/02/27/16bbc052-18c3-11e8-942d-16a950029788_story.html?__twitter_impression=true