Minnesota Home Invasion: "Authorities say no charges will be filed against a Truman man who shot an intruder in his parents' home. Mark Sauk arrived at the home Tuesday night to find his mother being attacked by a man police identify as 30 year old Douglas Bennett. Police say Sauk struck the intruder with his handgun, and when that didn't work, fired two times, striking him once in the leg. Authorities tell News 12 that a review with the county attorney found that Sauk's actions were justified. Both Marcella Sauk and Douglas Bennett are both currently at St. Mary's hospital in Rochester." [More details here]


Dubious murder indictment in Kansas: "Troy L. Taylor, 46, and Jeffrey D. Halstead, 41, had been drinking heavily at Abuelos Monday night when they were cut off and asked to leave by the restaurant’s management. The two got into a fight in the parking lot about who would drive home about 10:15 p.m. The men arrived at Halstead’s house in Rosalia where he went to bed and Taylor stayed outside. Taylor entered the home with a shotgun. That’s when Halstead heard him loading it and grabbed his handgun. He began shooting at Taylor hitting him in the mid-section. Halstead called 911 shortly after 11:30, but the shots proved to be fatal. The men had been friends for 30 years. Halstead was booked into the Butler County jail on charges of second degree murder. He will face a judge Thursday in Butler County District Court at 8:45 a.m." [Sounds like self-defense to me]


Packing in public: Gun owners tired of hiding their weapons embrace 'open carry': "For years, Kevin Jensen carried a pistol everywhere he went, tucked in a shoulder holster beneath his clothes. In hot weather the holster was almost unbearable. Pressed against Jensen's skin, the firearm was heavy and uncomfortable. Hiding the weapon made him feel like a criminal. Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged gun owners to do something revolutionary: Carry your gun openly for the world to see as you go about your business. In most states there's no law against that. Jensen thought about it and decided to give it a try. A couple of days later, his gun was visible, hanging from a black holster strapped around his hip as he walked into a Costco. His heart raced as he ordered a Polish dog at the counter. No one called the police. No one stopped him. Now Jensen carries his Glock 23 openly into his bank, restaurants and shopping centers. He wore the gun to a Ron Paul rally. He and his wife, Clachelle, drop off their 5-year-old daughter at elementary school with pistols hanging from their hip holsters, and have never received a complaint or a wary look."


The BATFE Mafia: "As part of its Asset Forfeiture training program for agents, the BATFE ordered 2,000 Leatherman tools inscribed with the words "Always Think Forfeiture." The program urges agents to focus on seizing private property. Rep Sali believes the agency should be thinking `Freedom,' not `Forfeiture.' The Idaho Republican complained about the program and received a letter from Acting ATF Director Michael Sullivan, who apologized for the "confusion" over the issue. While Rep. Sali appreciated the apology, he said that, "My constituents deserve to know the truth about this marketing program, which has been interpreted by many Idahoans as anti-gun and anti-private property." The agency halted distribution of the tools in the face of public outcry, but "[t]he fact remains that the ATF thought it was OK to think `Always Think Forfeiture' instead of focusing on protecting our constitutional rights," Sali said. In a letter to his fellow Congressmen, Sali noted that "the inscription raises serious concerns to law-abiding citizens as to the intent of an ATF agent who is performing investigations, particularly with respect to law-abiding gun owners."