Michigan: Harassers shot: "The family of a suspect in a deadly Northeast Side shooting claims he fired at two men in self-defense, killing one. "He told me he got attacked," the suspect's mother said. "He got jumped. They wanted to take his money and cell phone." Police on Tuesday afternoon identified the slain man as Kenneth Rodriguez, 18, of Grand Rapids. Police found Rodriguez, who was shot multiple times, on the sidewalk on Carrier Street NE just before midnight Monday. Officers found a second shooting victim, who suffered minor injuries, in the parking lot of Creston High School. The second victim told police that both were shot on Carrier Street. A 17-year-old suspect was identified and arrested at his Russwood Street NE home, although police and prosecutors still were meeting Tuesday to determine whether charges would be filed. A friend of the suspect's family described the shooting as a "drug deal gone bad," in which the suspect was possibly going to provide the two men with marijuana. The suspect's mother said the two men repeatedly tried to arrange a meeting with her son, frequently calling him on the phone. "They just kept on calling him. He was trying to avoid them," she said. She described her son as a "good kid." State police records show he has no criminal record in Michigan. The suspect's mother did not know where her son got a gun, but said he believed he was being pistol-whipped in the fight. "He could feel something that was like the butt of a pistol," she said. "It was self-defense." Rodriguez's family could not be reached. A criminal background check shows he had a bench warrant out for his arrest for failing to pay a $285 fine on a 2007 minor-in-possession of alcohol charge."


FL: Senate to vote on guns-at-work bill: "Doug and Linda Gray used to leave their home before sunrise every morning to make an hour-long commute to work at Walt Disney World. After being followed and run off the road one morning, the couple decided to buy and gun for their protection, they say. But when Disney learned about the weapon, the husband and wife were fired after nearly 10 years with the company. That's even though Gray holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Park officials said the pair had violated a company rule prohibiting employees from bringing weapons to work. The safety of the park's guests and employees is the company's top priority, and park officials don't want that to be compromised, said Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez. The clash between people like the Grays and businesses like Disney reaches the Florida Senate on Wednesday. The chamber is set to vote on a bill that pits a person's right to protect himself against a business owner's right to protect his employees and customers."


Post Office ban on mailing replica or inert munitions: "The Post Office is wading into the gun control debate. That's right, the U.S. Postal Service is trying to keep people from shipping replica or inert munitions through the mail. They have no authority in the law, since Congress has kept for itself the power to decide what can and cannot be shipped. But the Post Office is trying to say that replica or inert munitions are hazardous!"


What will they ban next? "Legislation against selling, making, hiring or importing samurai swords in England and Wales has come into force. Those breaking the law face six months in jail and a 5,000 pound fine. Carrying a sword in public is already illegal. Exemptions will cover swords which are used for re-enactments or antique weapons kept on display by collectors".