The Weekly Reload Podcast

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I walk through the Supreme Court's ruling striking down the ATF's bump stock ban as unlawful. We also discuss what the ruling might mean for President Biden's gun executive orders and what it might say about the Justices' appetite for striking down machine gun bans. Plus, we cover the interesting politics of a gun tax ballot initiative set to go before Colorado voters this fall and recap my experience at the National Journalism Center's range day. Follow this link for your free trial at The Dispatch: https://thedispatch.com/join-offer-reload/?utmsource=newsletter&utmmedium=email&utm_campaign=reload0624

This week, we're discussing the new restrictions YouTube has put on gun content. That's why we've got the head of one of the largest gun channels on the platform. John Correia runs Active Self Protection, which has generated over 1.8 billion views on videos analyzing real-world self-defense encounters. He's also spent nearly a decade dealing with YouTube's varied and often vague moderation guidelines. The new rules primarily target creates who build their own firearms or use automatic fire in video. But they also affect anyone who uses "high capacity" magazines in their videos, without explaining what meets that standard. Correia said he's not sure how much of an impact the new rules will have on his channel, which already sees its content age-gated on a regular basis. But he argued they would probably have a significant effect on some of the largest gun channels on the platform. He also argued YouTube has a right to police its website as it pleases, but the company bowing to pressure from gun-control groups and politicians made the move more concerning. He explains how Active Self Protection deals with the constant problem of social media moderation, given its incredible impact on the business. Correia said the company has spent more time and effort building out its own operations to supplement the revenue it brings in from YouTube. He argued that was the only practical way forward for many creators who focus on topics social media companies tend to be squeamish about. Special Guest: John Correia.

This week, we saw the first felony conviction of a former president. Obviously, the verdict will have all sorts of complications and consequences for Donald Trump. One of them is the fact he'll now be a prohibited person. He won't be allowed to buy or even possess guns. To discuss the details of what that will look like, we have federal litigator and legal commentator Gabriel Malor on the show. He walks through how Trump's New York convictions trigger the federal felon-in-possession ban and the same ban in his home state of Florida. He also talks about how Trump can legally transfer his guns to friends or family, but also can't be in a position where he even just has access to them. That might cause issues with his armed Secret Service detail, but Malor said that's unlikely. He also gave an overview of how Trump might get his gun rights back. The most likely course is to win on appeal, but he could also try to have his record expunged after serving his sentence. Or, one of the Second Amendment challenges brought by a similarly situated non-violent felon could undo the federal ban altogether. Special Guest: Gabriel Malor.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss Donald Trump’s 34 felony convictions and what they mean for his position as the gun rights candidate in the 2024 Presidential election race. We also talk about the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in favor of the NRA’s free speech claims against New York officials. Plus, we cover the narrow loss of a prominent guntuber who tried to unseat an incumbent Republican over a gun control vote in a Texas congressional primary.

This week, we're talking to one of the men who led the effort to reform the NRA from within. Phillip Journey has been an outspoken critic of the corruption that unfolded at the gun group during Wayne LaPierre's tenure, and he's been trying to fix the problems from within for nearly half a decade now. That work appears to be coming to fruition now. He and other reformers propelled alternative candidates to three of the NRA's top four leadership positions last Monday, including LaPierre's old position. Journey expressed optimism about the outcome of the leadership elections. He believes the NRA has a real chance to turn itself around and avoid a government-appointed monitor in the second half of its New York corruption trial. Although, he also admitted he doesn't have direct say over how exactly the group will move forward in a number of areas. He also cautioned that the NRA doesn't have a ton of time to work with. The group's financials are worsening, and those woes even forced it to sell off $44 million in assets at the beginning of the year. Journey urged people to help the organization through the downturn so reformers could have a chance to enact their planned changes. Special Guest: Phillip Journey.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss my time in Dallas covering the 2024 NRA Annual Meeting, where reformers had major success in getting their preferred candidates into top leadership positions. We also discuss what the leadership turnover says about the group's ability to reform itself moving forward, especially in light of its latest financial reports showing continued budget and fundraising woes. Plus, we cover the Supreme Court's decision not to take up a case on Maryland's assault weapon ban and why there's a good shot a conservative justice will issue the majority opinion on bump stocks.

This week, we have one of the most successful Second Amendment litigators on the show to talk about the surprising outcome of his latest case. Hawaii legalized the possession and open carry of most bladed weapons a few days ago. That came as a bit of a shock to Second Amendment activists in the state, including our guest Alan Beck. While he had already won a ruling against the state's butterfly knife ban and he expected lawmakers might try to undercut that case, nobody really expected a blanket reversal on how Hawaii treats bladed weapons. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean his case is over. Beck argued it's not really possible to open carry butterfly knives. So, that leaves a potential path forward in the suit that Beck plans to pursue. Still, Beck said the repeal of the bladed weapons bans represents real progress. He's more optimistic than ever that Hawaiians will eventually have gun laws that are closer to the rest of the nation. However, he said it would take a lot more effort to get there. Special Guest: Alan Beck.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss my upcoming trip to Dallas to cover the 2024 NRA Annual Meeting and what signs to look for to determine if the group will make substantive reforms or stay its current course. Plus, we discuss the latest in the Dexter Taylor case after a Brooklyn judge sentenced the engineer to 10 years in prison for his hobby of self-manufacturing firearms. We also cover a new ruling out of the 9th Circuit upholding California's sharing of gun owners' personal data with university researchers.

This week, we're doing a guest swap. I was on The Dispatch Live with Kevin Williamson a few days ago. So, he graciously agreed to join me on The Weekly Reload Podcast. We covered some ground on where the gun-rights movement stands today on his show, but there was a lot left to get at. Will Trump turn away from gun-rights activists like he did with pro-lifers? What does it say about that movement that it's so reliant on Trump and the Republican party writ large? Why aren't we seeing more of a political effect from all those new pandemic-era gun owners? Will we ever? Similarly, we picked up where we left off on the Washington Post's Pulitzer prize for its AR-15 expose publishing graphic images of mass shooting crime scenes. Williamson argued the piece was litered with factual errors and, worse, it was intentionally misleading in what images it didn't publish. Special Guest: Kevin Williamson.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss The Reload's exclusive reporting on NRA President Charles Cotton's private jet travel. We also talk about Hunter Biden's federal gun charges being upheld by a federal appeals court. Plus, we cover the failure of an "assault weapon" ban in Colorado, a bill going after Glock handguns in New York, and the latest in a Texas congressional primary soaked in gun politics.

This week, we're talking about a new effort to reduce gun suicides.  That's why we have shooting champion Chris Cheng on the show. The winner of Top Shot season four is trying to raise money for mental health screenings and treatment. He is matching up to $5,000 of small-dollar donations in an effort to raise $100,000 for Walk The Talk America (WTTA). WTTA is a grassroots effort to try and reduce suicide from within the gun-owning community. We've interviewed one of their co-founders on the show in the past. Cheng said he's a big believer in their unique approach because it understands some of the novel challenges in reaching gun owners experiencing suicidal ideation without inadvertently discouraging them from seeking help. Cheng noted that seeking out mental health help can be intimidating for gun owners because mental health professionals have the power to take their guns away. He said WTTA tries to address this problem by educating those professionals about the concerns of gun owners. They have a training program and a list of professionals who've worked with the non-profit that gun owners can reach out to. But it's not just about reaching mental health professionals, Cheng said. The group also works to open up conversations about suicide and mental health inside the gun-owning community. It offers help for firearms trainers, store operators, and range owners. It also gives people direct access to free mental health screenings. Cheng said the community has come a long way in addressing the issue of suicide over the past decade, but a lot more is needed. After all, suicide has long been the largest percentage of gun deaths in America. So, Cheng said he's going to keep working to help, and this fundraiser is the next step. Special Guest: Chris Cheng.

Host Jake Fogleman and I discuss the Biden administration's new rule to restrict firearms exports. We also talk about the Fifth Circuit's ruling upholding enhanced background checks for 18-to-20 year olds and why the results of the latest NRA board elections suggest the members are pushing for change. Plus, we cover my new piece in The Dispatch and my appearance on CNN talking about Tennessee's new armed teacher law.

The Supreme Court has decided to take up another gun case. Although, it's another one that doesn't touch on the Second Amendment. This time, the Court will decide if the ATF's rule restricting unfinished frames and receivers is an unlawful overreach of the agency's power.  Jonathan Adler, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University, joins the show to give us his insight into this case and the Court's recent uptick in gun cases. He argued that the Court's acceptance of two cases challenging ATF administrative power alongside an NRA First Amendment case and an actual Second Amendment case should be read as an increased appetite for gun cases. He noted that the Supreme Court has actually been taking fewer and fewer overall cases in recent years but more and more gun-related ones. He doesn't think that can be brushed aside, even if most of the cases don't deal with Second Amendment claims. Still, Professor Adler said he isn't confident the Court will side with the gun-rights plaintiffs in the so-called ghost gun case. He argued the way they intervened in the lower court case to issue stays on multiple rulings against the ATF should be read as tell for where the justices plan to go on the merits. He said a move like that might be more predictive of intent than most stays issued by federal courts. You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here. Video of the episode is available on our YouTube channel. Reload Members get access on Sunday, as always. Everyone else can listen on Monday. Special Guest: Jonathan H. Alder.

Host Jake Fogleman and Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski discuss an NRA board member pitching Donald Trump Jr. to become the group's new leader. Meanwhile, FEC records show the group continues to be outraised by gun control advocates. Plus, they cover the ongoing permitless carry push in North Carolina and the continued spread of gun store MCC bans in red states.

The murder rate is falling again, and mass shootings have been absent so far this year. This is good news, but it's also a bit confusing. Why is the murder rate dropping after several years of increasing? Is the same effect happening with mass shootings? Does the data show the two are connected? That's why we've got data analyst Jeff Asher back on the show. He runs AH Datalytics and collects his own crime statistics. He joined us last year when his crime data suggested 2023 would see a huge downturn in murder across the country. He was right. This year, he's seeing an even larger decline. Mass shootings are down, too. Whatever definition you use for the awful phenomenon, and we discuss the pros and cons of the different ones out there, the downtrend is interesting--especially since it now appears to track with overall murder. Jeff does his best to explain why these trends are happening and look forward, though he emphasizes the future is impossible to predict. Special Guest: Jeff Asher.

Host Jake Fogleman and Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski discuss Maine's new waiting period and background check laws, a new Iowa Bill allowing armed teachers, and an update on Colorado's push to ban "assault weapons." They also cover a new industry study showing the popularity of so-called large-capacity magazines, and why the government of Washington D.C. just settled its lawsuit against the NRA.

This week, we're doing something a bit different. I've been working with the National Journalism Center for a long time. They have a great program to train up and coming reporters. And we've been doing a range day as part of that training in recent years. So, the program's director T. Becket Adams joined me on the show to discuss what our gun reporting lesson looks like. He also gave his assessment of how much of the media covers firearms, the problem with the approach, and the solution to it. Part of that solution, he said, includes real-world training on key issues in gun politics as well as on how guns function. That's exactly what we give to the young reporters who come through our class. Becket said our program is the only of its kind he's ever heard of, and hopes other groups and media outlets adopt or replicate what we're doing. Special Guest: T Becket Adams.

Host Jake Fogleman and Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski discuss an 85-year-old woman defending herself in a harrowing burglary, the perspective of a new Israeli gun owner, and Tennessee's new school gun safety program. They also cover how Washington's magazine ban was blocked and then immediately unblocked. Plus, they dissect how Biden's latest rule casts doubt over used gun sales and Stephen gives an update on farm life.

This week, we're discussing a hotly debated topic: the gun rights of illegal immigrants. A federal judge's recent ruling that the law disarming a defendant who is in the country unlawfully, but who doesn't have any violent convictions, violates the Second Amendment has drawn a lot of attention. It has been one of our most trafficked stories at The Reload this year. The same is true for the dueling analysis pieces we published examining the ruling's legal theory and where the Supreme Court might come down on the issue. Given the discussion surrounding all of this, it seemed like a good idea to take a deeper dive into the topic. That's why we asked gun-rights lawyer Matt Larosiere, who wrote one of those analysis pieces for us, to come on the show. He gave us a fuller explanation of why he believes the Second Amendment protects nearly all people in the United States, regardless of their immigration status. He argued the modern gun prohibition based on immigration status shouldn't be able to withstand the Supreme Court's Bruen test because the Founders didn't view citizenship the way we do today and the Second Amendment's language is better read to protect nearly anyone in the country. He said reading the amendment to exclude those who aren't part of the political community doesn't work because the average American wasn't allowed to vote or participate in other key political functions during the Founding Era. Yet they did have their gun rights protected. He also argued that denying gun rights to immigrants in the country unlawfully, which is only a misdemeanor, necessitates adopting a legal standard that would put everyone else's gun rights at risk. Still, Larosiere acknowledged the recent ruling is an outlier and the Supreme Court is unlikely to take up a similar case anytime soon. But he argued gun-rights proponents should embrace the ruling and the logic that led to it. Special Guest: Matt Larosiere.

On this week's News Update, Jake Fogleman and Stephen Gutowski examine why gun sales have declined through the first three months of 2024. They also highlight a California journalist's examination of the "assault weapon" ban, Massachusetts lawmakers taking gun discussions behind closed doors, and an AP poll showing Americans find gun rights important. Jake also details the findings of a recent study on Colorado's "red flag" law usage in "Second Amendment sanctuary" counties. Plus, Steve previews his upcoming range trip with students at the National Journalism Center.