John Lott: Last News

A new study shows that the attitude of Americans toward red flag laws, where guns are taken away from citizens by a judge who determines they are a danger to themselves or others, dramatically changes from support to opposition when more detail is provided in the poll question about the process of gun confiscation via the legal process. The recently released study of 1,000 likely voters conducted by the Crime Prevention Research Center initially showed that 58% of people support red flag laws when told the "primary purpose is to allow judges to take away a person’s gun based on a single complaint when there is a concern about that individual committing suicide." When respondents were told there are no hearings where a defendant presents their case to a judge before their gun rights are taken away and mental health experts are not involved in the process, the 58% support drops down to 30% with 47% opposing.

Stagehands at New York City’s Little Island have voted unanimously to unionize with IATSE Local One. The 2.4-acre public park, which opened in May and is perched on columns above the Hudson River, employs 25 stagehands who work at its 687-seat amphitheater and outdoor performance space known as the Glade.