Federal protection for gun-makers moves forward: "The House Judiciary Committee yesterday approved a bill that would shield gun manufacturers, distributors and importers from lawsuits seeking damages for the misuse of their products. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act now will move to the House floor, where it is expected to pass. Lawmakers from rural districts said the time has come for Congress to protect the firearms industry from lawsuits that could put it out of business. "This measure provides protection only against suits based on the criminal or unlawful acts of third parties -- not against their own negligent or criminal conduct," said Rep. Cliff Stearns, Florida Republican and one of the bill's sponsors. "Under this measure, manufacturers or sellers must operate entirely within federal and state law and are still liable for acts of negligence and for defective products." "


Gun Grabbers Try To Stop Newspaper Ads : "Gun-control backers are asking Ohio newspapers to drop classified ads from unlicensed gun sellers. Gun control advocates say the practice can put guns in the hands of people who would flunk the background checks required by federally licensed dealers. The Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence has written letters to Ohio's approximately 80 daily newspapers and followed up with calls to many of them. At least six newspapers ban classified ads sold by unlicensed dealers or have other restrictions, and about ten are considering such bans, according to the gun control group. A supporter of gun rights questions why dealers are being singled out when newspapers publish ads for other businesses where illegal activity could flourish."


Texas: Big thirst gets a bullet: "A man entered Mike's Liquor, picked up a bottle and ran out without paying, police said. The clerk chased him into the middle of Buchanan wielding a .38-caliber revolver. Witnesses heard the clerk yelling at the suspect, telling him to put the bottle down or he'd shoot if he had to. The suspect raised the bottle over his head in a threatening manner, several witnesses told police. "He (the clerk) shot him once in the back of leg," Dotson said. "The bullet almost came out the front of the knee." The suspect put the bottle down but kept running. "He never hit the ground and just grabbed his leg," said Donald Brownlee, one of three employees at the Kemp Taco Mayo who watched the chase and shooting from the restaurant's windows. "That's all adrenaline there. I can't believe he kept running." The clerk shot one more time but missed as the suspect ran through the Taco Mayo parking lot. Brownlee said he heard the bullet ricochet off a nearby building. The suspect ran into the nearby neighborhood. Dotson said he walked up to a resident's house asking for medical attention. He said the residents there helped him and called an ambulance. He was transported to United Regional Health Care System's 11th Street campus for non-life- threatening injures. "He must've really wanted that liquor," said Adam Sivils, another employee at the Taco Mayo. "I've never seen anything like that." The suspect faces possible robbery charges, Dotson said. The clerk was not arrested, but his actions could be investigated by the district attorney's office."


Pity they couldn't use a real gun: "A 56-hour standoff with a homicide suspect perched on a construction crane ended peacefully early Saturday when police shocked him with a stun gun as he reached for a cup of water, authorities said. "Apparently, he was thirsty," police spokesman Sgt. John Quigley said. Carl Edward Roland, 41, got onto the 18-story crane around 5 p.m. Wednesday and told police he was thinking of killing himself by jumping, authorities said. The standoff unfolded above Atlanta's busy Buckhead neighborhood, an area filled with clubs and restaurants. Lunch and dinner crowds, taking advantage of summer-like weather, have packed restaurant patios with clear views of the standoff. Roland was wanted by the Pinellas County, Fla., sheriff's department in the death of ex-girlfriend Jennifer L. Gonzalez, 36, whose body found Tuesday. An arrest warrant affidavit accuses Roland of strangling Gonzalez and dumping her body in a pond behind the apartment complex where she lived."