The Daily Populous

Sunday April 2nd, 2017 night edition

image for Without Obama, once-booming gun industry poised to shrink

"President Obama was the best gun salesman the world has ever seen," Karl Sorken, a production manager at Battle Rifle Co. in Houston.

Sorken is an Army veteran and self-described liberal who voted for Obama and notes the change for the industry under Trump is a topic of conversation in the shop.

Fears of government limits on guns -- some real, some perceived -- led to a surge in demand during Obama's tenure and manufacturers leapt to keep up.

Over the decade ending in 2015, the number of U.S. companies licensed to make firearms jumped 362 percent.

"The trends really almost since Election Day or election night have been that gun sales have slacked off," said Robert Spitzer, political science department chairman at State University of New York at Cortland.

The Washington Post reported that the FBI conducted about 500,000 fewer background checks in December 2016 then in 2015.

From 2004 to 2013, sales of all handguns -- pistols and revolvers -- increased nearly fivefold, according to industry figures.

Russian government posts April Fools' Day prank offering "election interference"

Authored by cbsnews.com

The Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to help -- or so it says on April Fools’ Day.

On Saturday, the ministry posted on its Facebook page an audio file of the purported new automated telephone switchboard message for Russian embassies.

“To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1,” the recording begins, in Russian and English.

image for

Pressure builds for Michael Flynn to testify without immunity

Authored by cbsnews.com

Flynn was fired from the White House in February for lying to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Flynn’s immunity request “a grave and momentous step.”.

On Friday, Mr. Trump refused to answer questions at the White House when CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett asked about Flynn’s request.

Cold Water For 'Ring Of Fire' Ad

Authored by cbsnews.com

"We would never allow the song to be demeaned like that," Cash's daughter, Rosanne, told the Tennessean of Nashville, Tenn.

The hit was written by Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, and Merle Kilgore, who now is Hank Williams Jr.'s manager.

"He (Merle) started talking about this moronic tie-in without talking to any of us," Rosanne Cash told the Tennessean.

image for

Devin Nunes met by about 300 angry protesters upon returning to his California district

Authored by abcnews.go.com

Embattled Republican congressman Devin Nunes was met by about 300 angry protesters when he returned to his California district on Friday for a speaking engagement.

Armed with signs that read, "Get out of bed with Trump," "What are you hiding #Russia," "Nunes step down now," and "Recuse or replace Nunes," Nunes' detractors were very vocal about their disdain for him.

Prior to speaking at the meeting, Nunes spoke with KFSN reporter Gene Haagenson, who asked, "when will your committee get back in business?".