Arizona legislators promote new gun rights and safety bills

(The Center Square) - Women supporting gun rights and safety - self-described "warrior women" - spoke in favor of three new Arizona bills Thursday morning during a news conference in Phoenix.

"I want to be very, very clear. The Second Amendment is not a suggestion. It is a promise carved in stone: The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," state Sen. Janae Shamp, R-Surprise, told reporters as she discussedSenate Bill 1012, her legislation to remove unnecessary notification requirements for gun owners.

Shamp and the bill's supporters say those requirements treat gun owners like suspects. The legislation allows people with a concealed handgun to bring it into restaurants and other businesses, but Shamp noted it does not extend that right to bars and nightclubs.

Besides SB 1012, the new bills includeHouse Bill 2076, which creates the Save Our Children Safety Program to provide employee training, crisis preparedness and optional certification for designated staff to carry guns on campus to protect students. The third bill isSenate Bill 1424, which requires schools to provide firearms safety instruction to prevent accidents without discouraging firearm ownership.

Shamp noted the Arizona Constitution stresses gun rights in language even stronger than that of the U.S. Constitution and said the right to bear arms is crucial to keeping families safe.

"Criminals do not disarm at the door. Threats don't wait for dessert," Shamp said. "Your children's safety does not end at the restaurant door."

She said her bill doesn't expand where guns are allowed and doesn't do away with the requirement of a conceal-carry permit.

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After Shamp spoke, Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, stressed the importance of her legislation,Senate Bill 1424, which emphasizes firearms safety training in schools.

"Most accidental shootings involving children happen - where? - at home," Rogers, chair of the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, told reporters. "Firearms are one of the leading causes of death to children and teens in this country.

"SB 1424, my bill, takes a very straightforward approach," Rogers said. "They require schools to provide age-appropriate firearms safety instruction focused on accident prevention and personal safety. …

"Students are taught what to do if they encounter a firearm," Rogers said. "They're told not to touch it, are told to leave the area and to tell a trusted adult. This is a 1, 2, 3 memory item. This is clear guidance that a child can remember and act on."

Another speaker was state Rep. Selina Bliss, R-Prescott, who authored House Bill 2076 and chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee. Bliss presented a proclamation for gun rights to Cheryl Todd, president ofWomen For Gun Rights. Todd stood at the podium with other women and her granddaughters as she discussed three generations of her family who believe in gun rights and safety.

"We believe in something very simple," the Arizona resident told reporters as she talked about her organization's support for the three bills. "Education is the key to safety."

The Center Square reached out to gun control organizations but did not get a response by press time.

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

Arizona legislators promote new gun rights and safety bills

(The Center Square) - Women supporting gun rights and safety - self-described "warrior women" - spoke in favor ...

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Iranian attack hits Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, some damage reported

JERUSALEM, March 19 (Reuters) - An Iranian missile attack hit Israel's Oil Refineries in the northern port city of Haifa but did ‌not cause "significant damage", Israel's Energy Ministry said on Thursday.

Energy Minister ‌Eli Cohen said power was briefly disrupted, with electricity restored to most of those who ​were affected.

"The damage to the power grid in the north is localized and not significant," Cohen said. "Also, in the barrage towards the north, there was no significant damage to Israeli infrastructure sites."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said ‌it had targeted refineries in ⁠Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, and in Ashdod, in the country's south, "along with a range of security targets and military ⁠support centres of the Zionist regime", which it said "were hit by pinpoint missiles".

There was no immediate word on whether the Ashdod refinery was hit.

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Israel's Ministry ​of Environmental ​Protection said debris from a missile ​that was intercepted fell in ‌Haifa and was being examined as a hazardous materials incident.

Israel Electric Corp said a power line in the Haifa area was hit by shrapnel, causing a brief outage, but that electricity was restored to all customers within about 45 minutes.

Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said debris fell in ‌two locations at Oil Refineries and caused ​a fire that disconnected supply sources but ​there were no casualties.

"Full control ​has been achieved over the impact incident at the ‌Haifa refineries," it said after examining ​the site for ​hazardous materials. "Tests carried out by monitoring teams found no abnormal air values and there is no danger to the public."

Last June, Oil ​Refineries in Haifa was ‌hit by an Iranian missile, which killed three people and halted ​operations.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer, Yomna Ehab and Enas ALashray; Editing ​by Alison Williams and Diane Craft)

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

Iranian attack hits Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, some damage reported

JERUSALEM, March 19 (Reuters) - An Iranian missile attack hit Israel's Oil Refineries in the northern port city of Ha...

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More federal judges warn of an increase in violent threats

WASHINGTON — A group of federal judges Thursday added to the chorus of concerns raised about the rise in violent threats against members of the judiciary at a time when President Donald Trump has ramped up his criticism of the courts.

Four sitting judges spoke during anonline forumhosted by a legal group called "Speak Up for Justice" that was formed to defend the judiciary and the rule of law.

"I don't think being a federal judge is a job for the fainthearted. What I probably did not expect to quite this degree is the level of vitriol and the types of violent threats that have come across my desk over the years," said Chief Judge Dolly Gee, who oversees the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and was appointed by then-President Barack Obama.

There has been an increasing number of threats against federal judges in recent years, according to data maintained by the U.S. Marshals Service,sparking alarmwithin the judiciary. There have been 314 investigations involving 202 judgessince October, the agency says.

Among the speakers was Washington-based U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, an appointee of then-President Joe Biden, who has been at the center of some high-profile Trump-related cases.

In February, Reyesread aloudin her courtroom threats she received after blocking the Trump administration from removing protected status from Haitian immigrants. The Trump administration's effort to block that ruling is pending at the Supreme Court.

She also ruled against the administration over its attempt to ban transgender people from the military, a policy the Supreme Court later allowedto go into effect.

"What's most problematic is that the extraordinary has become ordinary. Every judge that issues a high-profile opinion … gets a deluge of emails and threats like this constantly. I hear it from judges all the time," Reyes said.

"I think a lot of the blowback on social media and a lot of the threats come from fear and misunderstanding, sort of fear of what's going on in society," she added.

The other three judges also recounted their personal experiences of threats arising from all kinds of cases, not just those with a political tinge. They also bemoaned the role of social media and criticized journalists for including the name of the president who appointed a judge when reporting on their rulings. Such information can give the appearance that a judge is partisan, they said.

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Judge Mark Norris, a Trump appointee based in Tennessee, spoke of the need for more respectful dialogue about the judiciary.

"We've got to translate that into words that people understand these days. It's a heavy lift, but we have to do this work," he said.

Judge Michelle Williams Court, who is based in California and was a Biden appointee, echoed those sentiments, urging people to educate themselves about how the judiciary works.

"A big part of the driving force behind the energy that's behind the threats to the judiciary is the fact that there is an information vacuum in the internet and on social media," she said.

The judges repeatedly stressed that the threats would not deter them from doing their jobs.

Many of the judges who have been targeted recently hadruled against the Trump administrationin high-profile cases, some faced sharp criticism either from Trump or his allies. Some Republicans have called for judges who have ruled against Trumpto be impeached.

Among other things, judges have faced a wave of angry voicemails and threats. There was also an unusual series of anonymous pizza deliveries to judges' homes. NBC News reported last year the deliveries, which judges saw as a form of intimidation, may be linked toforeign actors.

NBC Newsexclusively reportedin September that certain judges were frustrated that the Supreme Court's frequent rulings in favor of Trump last year, often without explanation, were contributing to the negative discourse about the judiciary. Some of those judges said Chief Justice John Roberts could do more to defend the lower courts.

The narrative has shifted in recent weeks, with Trumpturning his ireon the Supreme Court itself after it ruled that his broad tariffs were unlawful.

Earlier this week, Roberts, inrare public remarks,said that personal attacks against judges were dangerous and have "got to stop."

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

More federal judges warn of an increase in violent threats

WASHINGTON — A group of federal judges Thursday added to the chorus of concerns raised about the rise in violent threats ...

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Vanderbilt tops McNeese for 1st NCAA Tournament win since 2012

Tyler Tanner registered 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists as No. 5 Vanderbilt earned a 78-68 victory over No. 12 McNeese in Thursday's NCAA Tournament first-round South Region matchup in Oklahoma City.

Devin McGlockton scored 12 points on perfect 6 of 6 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds for the Commodores (27-8), while Duke Miles added 13 points and Tyler Nickel finished with 12.

It's Vanderbilt's first NCAA Tournament win since 2012.

Garwey Dual led the Cowboys (28-6) with 16 points and six assists. Southland Conference Player of the Year Larry Johnson scored 15, but was 4-for-17 from the field, while Tyshawn Archie scored 13 and Javohn Garcia chipped in 10.

McNeese got the game it wanted -- it won the turnover battle, 13-6, and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds -- but was outshot 51.0% to 36.2% from the field.

Miles and Nickel hit consecutive 3-pointers to give the Commodores a 45-35 lead, with 18:12 remaining.

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The Cowboys got as close as three, but Archie, a first-team All-Southland guard, went to the locker room with 4:21 left with a cramp and didn't return.

Tanner hit a step-back 3 on the Commodores' next possession, extending the lead to eight with 3:51 left. McNeese, in the midst of a 6:30 field-goal drought, never got closer again.

Vanderbilt led 38-35 at halftime, with 10 points from McGlockton, mostly on open lay-ups after a teammate exposed a weakness in the Cowboys' 1-3-1 zone defense. Thirteen of the Commodores' 14 first-half buckets were assisted.

McNeese took an early 16-5 lead on Johnson's jumper just 4:47 into the game. The Cowboys took 11 more shots than Vanderbilt in the first half thanks to 10 offensive rebounds and an 8-3 advantage in turnovers.

Vanderbilt will face Nebraska on Saturday. The Cornhuskers won their first NCAA Tournament game in school history with a 76-47 pasting of Troy.

--Field Level Media

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

Vanderbilt tops McNeese for 1st NCAA Tournament win since 2012

Tyler Tanner registered 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists as No. 5 Vanderbilt earned a 78-68 victory over No...

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Barry Bonds joins Netflix as MLB analyst for 2026 season

MLB's all-time home-run leader is taking on a new post-career challenge. Former San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds is joining Netflix as abaseball analystfor the 2026 season, the company announced Thursday.

Bonds, 61, is expected to appear on pre- and post-game programs ahead of Netflix's MLB slate, including the opening night game between the Giants and the New York Yankees on March 25.

Bonds will also reportedly be present for the "Field of Dreams" game in August and, of course, provide analysis ahead of the 2026 Home Run Derby. Those are the three major MLB events that will be streamed on Netflix in 2026.

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The Giants' legend will join a pre- and post-game desk that includes host Elle Duncan and former players Anthony Rizzo and Albert Pujols. It's a desk that has combined for an absurd 1,707 career home runs.

For Bonds, it marks the second time in his post-playing career that he's decided to hang around the game. A few years after his retirement, Bonds joined the Miami Marlins as the team's hitting coach for the 2016 MLB season. He was fired after just one year on the job.

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Since then, Bonds has mostly stayed away from the game, making occasional appearances with the Giants.

Notably, Bonds failed to gain induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame on its traditional ballot due to rumors of steroid use over his career. In the 10 seasons in which he was eligible, the highest vote total Bonds received was 66%. Candidates need to receive 75% of the vote for enshrinement. Bonds can still get into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but would need to do so through a special committee. He has already been up for induction as part of one of those committees, but did not make the cut in 2023.

Despite the rumors, Bonds was never suspended by MLB for a positive PED test.

Over his career, Bonds was also known for being standoffish with the media. In 1996, he reportedlyshoved a reporterafter a game. He also provided terse and combative answerswhen asked about steroid useduring his career.

Bonds, however, won't be the only formerly disgraced MLB star to become a broadcaster. New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez took a similar path once his career ended. Unlike Bonds, Rodriguez wassuspended by MLBfor his connection to steroids.

Rodriguez is currently eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. After five seasons, though, his vote totals are lagging behind Bonds' at the same point in his eligibility cycle.

If Rodriguez's transition into broadcasting couldn't rehabilitate his image with the voters, Bonds' is unlikely to change any minds over at the Hall of Fame. But at least fans will get to hear the game's greatest home-run hitter break down players at the 2026 Home Run Derby. That seems like the perfect way to utilize Bonds as an analyst.

byAlpha World

in

March 19, 2026

Barry Bonds joins Netflix as MLB analyst for 2026 season

MLB's all-time home-run leader is taking on a new post-career challenge. Former San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bon...

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