Virginia Gambling Laws - Legal Poker & Betting in Virginia

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Lost in the Sauce: Rules finalized to take away LQBTQ rights, cement border wall, sell oil rights

Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis.
I am doing a separate post for the insurrection and related events. I think it is important to make sure the news in this post doesn't get overlooked.
Housekeeping:

Russia

A new report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) found that Trump political appointees politicized intelligence around foreign election interference in 2020, resulting in significant errors. ODNI analytic ombudsman Barry Zulauf delivered the report to Congress on Thursday: “Analysis on foreign election interference was delayed, distorted or obstructed out of concern over policymaker reactions or for political reasons.” The biggest misrepresentation of intel involved diminishing the threat posed by Russia and overstating the risk of interference from China.
“Russia analysts assessed that there was clear and credible evidence of Russian election influence activities. They said IC management slowing down or not wanting to take their analysis to customers, claiming that it was not well received, frustrated them. Analysts saw this as suppression of intelligence, bordering on politicization of intelligence from above.”
  • WaPo: Zulauf, a career official, also found an “egregious” example of attempted politicization of the Russian interference issue in March talking points on foreign election threats, prepared “presumably by ODNI staff” and “shaped by” then-Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell.
The Justice Department and the federal judiciary revealed that the Russian Solar Winds hack also compromised their computer systems. 3% of the DOJ’s Microsoft Office 365 were potentially affected; it does not appear that classified material was accessed. The impact on the judiciary seems much more significant, jeopardizing “highly sensitive confidential documents filed with the courts.”
The sealed court files, if indeed breached, could hold information about national security, trade secrets and wiretap transcripts, along with financial data from bankruptcy cases and the names of confidential informants in criminal cases...

Appointees

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine has accused U.S. Agency for Global Media Director Michael Pack of funneling $4 million in nonprofit funds to his own for-profit company. In a civil lawsuit filed last week, Racine states that for over 12 years, Pack used a nonprofit company he owned to direct money to his private documentary company, enabling “Pack to line his company’s coffers with a stream of tax-exempt dollars without...a competitive bidding process, public scrutiny, or accounting requirements regarding its spending.”
Employees at Voice of America have filed a whistleblower complaint accusing Pack of using the agency “to disseminate political propaganda in the waning days of the Trump administration. The staffers take issue with a planned speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to be broadcast from VOA headquarters. The event, to be attended by a live audience, “is a specific danger to public health and safety” in the middle of a pandemic. Finally, the whistleblowers say the event is “ a gross misuse of government resources,” costing at least $4,000 in taxpayer funds to date and using 18 employees who would otherwise be producing VOA content.
Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller has announced his appointees to the panel set to rename confederate military bases and plan the removal of confederate symbols/monuments. Most controversially, Miller named White House liaison Joshua Whitehouse, who oversaw the purge of the Defense Policy Board and the Defense Business Board last month. The other three Miller-appointees are former acting Army general counsel Earl Matthews, acting assistant secretary of Defense Ann Johnston, and White House official Sean McLean. The remaining four members will be appointed by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.
  • The 10 Army posts named in honor of Confederate generals are Camp Beauregard and Fort Polk in Louisiana, Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee and Fort Pickett in Virginia, Fort Rucker in Alabama, and Fort Hood in Texas.

Trump

The Trump Inaugural Committee, a nonprofit, improperly paid a $49,000 hotel bill that should have been picked up by Trump’s for-profit business. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine revealed the allegation in an existing lawsuit against the committee, which already accuses Trump’s hotel of illegally pocketing about $1 million of donors’ money. “The Trump Organization was liable for the invoiced charges...The [Committee’s] payment of the invoice was unfair, unreasonable and unjustified and ultimately conferred improper private benefit to the Trump Organization.”
The Professional Golfer’s Association voted last night to move the 2022 PGA Championship from Trump’s Bedminster course. Jim Richerson, PGA of America president, said in a statement that “it has become clear that conducting” the championship at Trump’s property would “be detrimental to the PGA of America brand” and put the organization's ability to function "at risk."
Amid speculation that Trump may spend inauguration day at his Scottish golf course, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned him that even presidents can’t break the country’s pandemic restrictions. “We are not allowing people to come into Scotland now without an essential purpose, which would apply to him, just as it applies to everybody else. Coming to play golf is not what I would consider an essential purpose,” she said.
Trump is on a Presidential Medal of Freedom spree, giving out the award to sports figures and Republican allies. Last Monday, Trump awarded the medal to Rep. Devin Nunes for his work undermining the FBI’s investigation of Russia’s election interference. “Devin Nunes’ courageous actions helped thwart a plot to take down a sitting United States president,” the White House press release states. Likewise, Trump gave the medal to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for his “effort to confront the impeachment witch hunt” and “exposing the fraudulent origins of the Russia collusion lie.”
  • The day after Trump supporters rampaged through the Capitol, Trump awarded the medal to retired professional golfers Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player. The president planned on giving New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick the medal on Thursday, but he declined the offer, saying that “the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award.”

Courts

Dominion Voting Systems filed suit against pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell for defamation. Powell falsely claimed that Dominion had rigged the election, that Dominion was created in Venezuela to rig elections for Hugo Chávez, and that Dominion bribed Georgia officials for a no-bid contract,” the lawsuit states. Citing millions spent on security for employees, damage control to its reputation, and future losses, Dominion requests damages of more than $1.3 billion.
  • Dominion's lawyer told reporters last week the lawsuit against Powell “is just the first in a series of legal steps.” Ari Cohn, a free speech and defamation lawyer, told WaPo: “If I had to guess I would say that [Poulos] wants a very public vindication with a ruling establishing that Sidney Powell defamed them and that her statements were baseless...That's not something you generally get in a settlement agreement.”
  • Just last week, Trump again said at a rally that Dominion machines allowed “fraudulent ballots” to be counted during the 2020 election (clip).
The Supreme Court declined to fast track eight Trump-related cases related to the 2020 election, ensuring they won’t be taken up before Biden’s inauguration. The cases include one brought by attorney Lin Wood against Georgia’s Secretary of State, the so-called “Kraken” cases, and three brought by Trump’s campaign. It is possible the lawsuits will be declared moot after Biden is sworn in.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases alleging that the Treasury Dept. incorrectly distributed Coronavirus aid meant for tribal governments. The Lower 48 Tribes argue that Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are not eligible for CARES Act funding, while the Trump administration wants to divvy up the money between tribes and ANCs.

Immigration

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s final attempt to restrict U.S. asylum laws. District Judge James Donato (Obama appointee) ruled in favor of advocacy groups who argued that acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf lacked authority to impose the new rules, which would have resulted in the denial of most asylum applications.
“The government has recycled exactly the same legal and factual claims made in the prior cases, as if they had not been soundly rejected in well-reasoned opinions by several courts,” Donato wrote. “This is a troubling litigation strategy. In effect, the government keeps crashing the same car into a gate, hoping that someday it might break through.”
On Monday, acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf submitted his resignation, citing the recent court ruling that he is not a valid appointee to the position. His resignation letter does not cite the Capitol riots or Trump’s language inciting the insurrection. FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor will be the new acting secretary.
"Unfortunately, this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary. These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power," Wolf added.
A new Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy will make it harder for immigrant minors to obtain asylum in the U.S. The change was made at the end of last month by then-acting agency leader Tony Pham, who served in the position for less than five months.
Beginning Dec. 29, ICE officers were told that they must review whether an immigrant child is still “unaccompanied” each time they encounter the minor… The memo indicates that the evaluation by ICE officers can come at any time, including when an officer is reviewing immigration court records of a child, and if it’s determined that an immigrant is no longer unaccompanied, they will move to change their status.
Such a change could lead to making some children ineligible to have their asylum claims initially heard and processed… “If implemented aggressively, this policy could significantly decrease the number of children who ultimately receive asylum in the United States,” said Sarah Pierce, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. “They are really putting the onus on ICE officers to do everything they can as frequently as they can to remove these designations.”
The Trump administration is still awarding border wall contracts, even in areas where private land has not yet been acquired. The move will make it more difficult for Biden to stop construction of the border wall.
Attempts to halt construction completely, as Biden promised, will prove difficult, particularly if contracts continue to be struck -- a challenge [acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark] Morgan acknowledged Tuesday. "They could terminate those contracts if they want to, but that's going to be a very lengthy, messy process," Morgan said.
"We're going to have to go into settlement agreements with each individual contractor," Morgan added, noting, that payments will have to be made for what they've already done, as well as for materials produced. He estimated the process could cost billions.
Trump is set to visit Alamo, Texas, today to celebrate the completion of more than 400 miles of the border wall. You can watch the event on YouTube at 3:00 pm eastern.

Miscellaneous

Stories that didn’t fit in the above categories...
The Trump administration auctioned off leases to drill oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge last week. Only two private companies bid, each winning large tracts of land. Knik Arm Services, from Alaska, paid $1.6 million for a 50,000-acre tract along the Arctic Ocean. A subsidiary of Australian company 88 Energy paid $800,000 to win the smallest tract.
One of the Health and Human Services Department’s final acts under Trump was finalizing the removal of Obama-era regulations barring discrimination among HHS grantees. The change will allow recipients of federal grant money - like adoption and foster agencies - to discriminate against LGBTQ people and those of a different religion.
Human Rights Campaign: “Statistics suggest that an estimated two million LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are interested in adoption… Further, research consistently shows that LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, as many have been rejected by their families of origin because of their LGBTQ status, and are especially vulnerable to discrimination and mistreatment while in foster care. This regulation would only exacerbate these challenges faced by LGBTQ young people.
submitted by rusticgorilla to Keep_Track [link] [comments]

The next Detroit: The catastrophic collapse of Atlantic City

With the closure of almost half of Atlantic City's casinos, Newark set to vote on gambling and casinos or racinos in almost every state, it seems as if the reasons for the very existence of Atlantic City are in serious jeopardy.
Israel Joffe
Atlantic City, once a major vacation spot during the roaring 20s and 1930s, as seen on HBOs Boardwalk Empire, collapsed when cheap air fare became the norm and people had no reason to head to the many beach town resorts on the East Coast. Within a few decades, the city, known for being an ‘oasis of sin’ during the prohibition era, fell into serious decline and dilapidation.
New Jersey officials felt the only way to bring Atlantic City back from the brink of disaster would be to legalize gambling. Atlantic City’s first casino, Resorts, first opened its doors in 1978. People stood shoulder to shoulder, packed into the hotel as gambling officially made its way to the East Coast. Folks in the East Coast didn't have to make a special trip all the way to Vegas in order to enjoy some craps, slots, roulette and more.
As time wore on, Atlantic City became the premier gambling spots in the country.
While detractors felt that the area still remained poor and dilapidated, officials were quick to point out that the casinos didn't bring the mass gentrification to Atlantic City as much as they hoped but the billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs for the surrounding communities was well worth it.
Atlantic City developed a reputation as more of a short-stay ‘day-cation’ type of place, yet managed to stand firm against the 'adult playground' and 'entertainment capital of the world' Las Vegas.
Through-out the 1980s, Atlantic City would become an integral part of American pop culture as a place for east coast residents to gamble, watch boxing, wrestling, concerts and other sporting events.
However in the late 1980s, a landmark ruling considered Native-American reservations to be sovereign entities not bound by state law. It was the first potential threat to the iron grip Atlantic City and Vegas had on the gambling and entertainment industry.
Huge 'mega casinos' were built on reservations that rivaled Atlantic City and Vegas. In turn, Vegas built even more impressive casinos.
Atlantic City, in an attempt to make the city more appealing to the ‘big whale’ millionaire and billionaire gamblers, and in effort to move away from its ‘seedy’ reputation, built the luxurious Borgata casino in 2003. Harrah’s created a billion dollar extension and other casinos in the area went through serious renovations and re-branded themselves.
It seemed as if the bite that the Native American casinos took out of AC and Vegas’ profits was negligible and that the dominance of those two cities in the world of gambling would remain unchallenged.
Then Macau, formally a colony of Portugal, was handed back to the Chinese in 1999. The gambling industry there had been operated under a government-issued monopoly license by Stanley Ho's Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau. The monopoly was ended in 2002 and several casino owners from Las Vegas attempted to enter the market.
Under the one country, two systems policy, the territory remained virtually unchanged aside from mega casinos popping up everywhere. All the rich ‘whales’ from the far east had no reason anymore to go to the United States to spend their money.
Then came the biggest threat.
As revenue from dog and horse racing tracks around the United States dried up, government officials needed a way to bring back jobs and revitalize the surrounding communities. Slot machines in race tracks started in Iowa in 1994 but took off in 2004 when Pennsylvania introduced ‘Racinos’ in an effort to reduce property taxes for the state and to help depressed areas bounce back.
As of 2013, racinos were legal in ten states: Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia with more expected in 2015.
Tracks like Delaware Park and West Virginia's Mountaineer Park, once considered places where local degenerates bet on broken-down nags in claiming races, are now among the wealthiest tracks around, with the best races.
The famous Aqueduct race track in Queens, NY, once facing an uncertain future, now possesses the most profitable casino in the United States.
From June 2012 to June 2013, Aqueduct matched a quarter of Atlantic City's total gaming revenue from its dozen casinos: $729.2 million compared with A.C.'s $2.9 billion. It has taken an estimated 15 percent hit on New Jersey casino revenue and climbing.
And it isn't just Aqueduct that's taking business away from them. Atlantic City's closest major city, Philadelphia, only 35-40 minutes away, and one of the largest cities in America, now has a casino that has contributed heavily to the decline in gamers visiting the area.
New Jersey is the third state in the U.S. to have authorized internet gambling. However, these online casinos are owned and controlled by Atlantic City casinos in an effort to boost profits in the face of fierce competition.
California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Texas are hoping to join Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and the U.S. Virgin Islands in offering online gambling to their residents.
With this in mind, it seems the very niche that Atlantic City once offered as a gambling and entertainment hub for east coast residents is heading toward the dustbin of history.
Time will tell if this city will end up like Detroit. However, the fact that they are losing their biggest industry to major competition, much like Detroit did, with depressed housing, casinos bankrupting/closing and businesses fleeing , it all makes Atlantic City’s fate seem eerily similar.
submitted by IsraelJoffeusa to u/IsraelJoffeusa [link] [comments]

Transparent Voter Suppression by GOP

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virginia
Wisconsin
National
"I don't want everybody to vote... As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."
-Paul Weyrich, co-founder of Heritage Foundation and ALEC, 1980
“Look, if African Americans voted overwhelmingly Republican, they would have kept early voting right where it was,” Wrenn said. “It wasn’t about discriminating against African Americans. They just ended up in the middle of it because they vote Democrat.”
-Carter Wrenn, Republican consultant in North Carolina
“There's a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who that maybe we don't want to vote. Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult. And I think that's a great idea.”
-Cindy Hyde-Smith, Republican Senator of Mississippi, 2003
Seeking more examples, if you have them.
Get out and vote. https://www.vote.org/
submitted by Kakamile to Keep_Track [link] [comments]

How long has been gambling going on for? Potentially since the ancient egyptians!

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At what duration in history did individuals begin to bet? The specific duration is unidentified however think it or not, pairs of dice have actually been discovered in Egyptian burial places over 4,000 years of ages! Likewise, gambling video games were played in ancient China, where Poker is believed to have actually come from. In 1492 throughout the Columbus landing, Native Americans were sports banking on the result of a video game looking like LaCross. So when did it all begin in America? Keep reading.
Early America
Gambling in America began with the very first English inhabitants in the 1600's. Their customs consisted of card video games that became part of the noble way of life. Nevertheless, when Puritans colonized in Massachusetts Bay they had the liberty to produce their own culture that included hostility towards gambling. They disallowed the ownership of dice, cards, and gambling table video games in their neighborhoods. However, gambling dominated in other regions. Numerous English colonists thought about gambling to be an ideal type of home entertainment.
The Transformation
The nest of Virginia was the very first to recognize that lottery games might raise capital for city governments. Ultimately all 13 nests were raising lottery game earnings. Profits assisted develop Universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Lottery games likewise moneyed churches and libraries. Establishing Dads George Washington, Ben Franklin, and John Hancock were promoters of particular lottery games for public works tasks. When the Revolutionary War began, the Continental Congress elected a $10 million lotto to fund the war.
Westward Ho
Throughout the early 1800's the pubs and roadway homes permitted dice and card video games, producing the very first variation of gambling establishments. As America's population started to increase, gambling establishments ended up being more extravagant. The Mississippi River was a significant trade route where merchants and business owners brought their money. Gambling on riverboats ended up being a preferred activity and New Orleans ended up being the gambling capitol of America. In 1849 gambling followed the leaders to California throughout the gold rush. Gambling facilities started to thrive there and west of the Mississippi, consisting of Nevada. In the late 1800's Live roulette was embraced from France and the Slots was developed.
Much of the general public seen gambling as a social ill since it was connected to alcohol addiction and prostitution. Reformers persuaded jurisdictions to close down the Dens of Iniquity. The majority of states terminated lottos also. Riverboat gambling dried up with the development of the railway. By the end of the century just Nevada enabled gambling.
20th Century
In 1910 Nevada lastly shut the door on gambling, which left horse race betting the only legal entity in America. In 1912 Arizona and New Mexico were given statehood under the condition that gambling stay outlawed. Throughout the 1920's restriction age, the general public's thirst for gambling matched that of alcohol. Gambling establishments holed up in addition to the speak easys. In 1931 Nevada legislated gambling once again and stayed the only state to do so up until the latter half of the century. Gambling thrived underground as the mob made heavy financial investments in Nevada, and succeeded by managing off track wagering and the numbers lottery.
Throughout the 1950's the U.S. Senate examined arranged criminal offense's link to unlawful gambling. Ultimately the mob left Las Vegas. States put bookmakers out of business by legislating off track wagering and numbers video games. Atlantic City authorized gambling in 1976, the Indian Video gaming Act was authorized by congress in the late 1980's. Dockside riverboat gambling picked up, racetracks set up slots while Las Vegas transformed itself by constructing mega resorts throughout the 1990's.
Century 21
The American Video gaming Association reported that there are 832,988 slot machine expanded over 1,151 gambling establishments and racetracks throughout 44 states with more en route. There is another breed of gambling appearing and it is on the internet such as here slot deposit pulsa. It appears that the American culture's thirst for gambling matches that of the Egyptian Pharaohs! America has actually welcomed gambling as an appropriate kind of home entertainment.
submitted by Aaliyah4563 to gamblingarticles [link] [comments]

Gun Control Conversation. I am against it for the most part but even my against causes issues with others against it. In my opinion the issue has less to do with guns and more to do with people.

I posted this as a reply to a "people freak about lettuce but not guns" post. Z0idberg_MD gave a reply that I haven't posted back to because I felt getting other opinions was better than hijacking someone elses post with this. The following is my original post as well as the reply from Z0idberg_MD which I will follow up with my reply. I am adding it all for context and for quoting purposes. Sorry in advance for the long post.

An estimated 600,920 people were killed by cancer last year. 155,870 (highest of one type) from Lung & Bronchus. Mostly related to Cigarettes which are said to account for 480,000 deaths 41,000 from second hand smoke. Cigarettes can be bought everywhere and are easy to get without ID.
15,548 deaths in 2017 from guns when excluding suicide (~39,000-40,000 with them) Guns really aren’t as easy to get hands on as people seem to think.
Any deaths are a bad thing and the sooner we address the actual issues the better or the problems will never be solved.
I have used guns since I was 5 and the only things, I have killed are animals I was going to eat or animals attacking the cattle on the family ranch. People rip on the AR-15 saying nobody needs a gun like that but I am inclined to disagree. When you deal with things like coyote you need something capable. The .22 can hold more ammo but doesn't have the range to kill coyote from across two 40-acre plots of land (the ranch is divided up in 40s for grazing and baling purposes) my 410 is good for small animals (squirrel, rabbit, moles, etc.) My .243 has the range and power but is bolt action and only holds 5 rounds and I can use a Bow quicker than I can the bolt. The AR-15 is semi-auto and can get the distance so when dealing with a pack of coyote with 7 of them trying to attack cattle you don't have to stop to reload or try to get closer.
Every gun I have bought I have had to wait a week for a background check. Sure, I can go to a gun show instead of a store but the show's a lot of time will also make you wait for the base background check to be run before you can get a gun. They also tag the guns going in and out. (Not to the owner just noting what guns are bought. I know it isn't necessarily a security thing but like cameras all around watching you, it is a deterrent) People looking for illegal guns don't go to these places.
There is the argument that Chicago only has an issue because you can just go the next state over and get a gun but those states also have the same federally mandated background checks. The guns in Chicago more often than not are either illegal or stolen (making them illegal) from a legal owner. Those shooters aren't crossing state lines to purchase legally.
The other argument is that people should lock up their guns in a safe. A gun is useless for defense if you can't access it easily. You can be safe without putting it behind a 12-inch-thick metal door. I have two kids but I teach them not to touch the guns without me and how to properly use a gun. My guns are not in a safe and do not have trigger locks. They are in an area accessible to me and the ammo is easily gotten even though it is not beside the guns. I am teaching my children exactly like I was taught and my dad was taught as well as his dad and grandpa. None of our guns have killed anyone.
A lot of the stigma, I fell, around guns is the fact that in larger cities people don't tend to do things like hunt so they also don't learn to use a gun and see no reason in having one. In the rural areas it is different. I understand the arguments posed but at the same time if you take guns away from people that doesn't make shootings not happen. Even then if the gun crime decreases a different form will increase. (Crossbow, bow, knife, cattle prod, machete, bombs) Hell my wife is more likely to grab a knife or sword to kill someone than a gun.
When my cousin was in school he used to go raccoon hunting before school started and he would bring his gun and dead raccoons to school prop his gun by the classroom door and tie the raccoons to his desk. This was just in the 60s. The issues facing these things today spur some from the stigma but also from the lack of discipline. My cousin could take his gun because had he ever tried to use it there were multiple other boys that would stop him but also the teacher would have beat him into the next week. Look at schools now and how teachers are scared of students or how students will beat the shit out of each other with the teacher just saying "stop please, I am calling the police" which then puts kids into the system because the teachers instead of disciplining are just having kids arrested.
We avoid topics like mental health or PTSD while also trying to punish bullies (with cops again) Punishing the bully doesn't fix the mental damage suffered and it also doesn’t address the issues plaguing the bully. Communities don't work together to stop things they just call the police and hope it gets fixed. The more these things happen the more they try to push it on the police. Laws get altered that give the police more control of the punishing aspects and then when a child is in the system they yell and scream about injustice. Parents don't want to parent though.
I know an Officer in my city that got a call to deal with a kid. He got to the house and the Mom told the Officer "He won't obey, he just back talk’s me and refuses to listen. I have told him 10 times to clean his room and he refuses"
The Officer talked to the kid found he was a little rebellious but mostly because his parents had recently split up and his dad had always been the one to punish if the boy didn't listen. He told the kid to straighten up and act as if his dad were there and think how he would be punished if he acted out against his mom with him there.
He left and a few hours later got called back with the Mom complaining about the same thing. She said "did you even do anything last time you were here?" He asked what he was supposed to do to which she replied "Punish him somehow. Make him understand he can't talk to adults like that."
The Officer proceeded to take off his belt and fold it in his hands, as he walked toward the kid the Mom flipped out and screamed at him "OMG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING???"
He said "Punishing him like you asked"
She said "I didn't mean beat him"
He replied with "I was only going to give him a whooping. What were you expecting me to do?"
The mom who had been so angry at her son said "I figured you would arrest him or something"
The Officer said "For what? Disobedience? Back talking? My Mom would have slapped me across the room for acting like that. I am not giving your child a record for back talking."
The Mom snipped back saying "I don't mean actually arrest him. I meant just arrest him and take him to jail to scare him"
The Officer was furious. Explained that the cops were not their to supplement when parents don't want to be mean. He gave her a warning for improper use of 911 services. (not sure if that’s possible but he was probably just trying to beat it into her)
This is the type of thing I mean when I say it is discipline.
I don't want people to die any more than the rest of the civilized sane people in this country but playing the this kills x but this kills y game is stupid. The number one cause of death isn’t the cigarettes or the guns (or lettuce) it is the people behind those things. The cigarette can't light itself and the gun can't fire itself (The lettuce can grow itself but it can't clean and test itself) they need people and until the human problem is fixed all of these arguments about buying guns or the like are 100% moot. If we aren't willing to help those in need mentally or even physically and we keep acting like a gun is anything more than a tool like a wrench, hammer, hatchet or chainsaw than these shootings and crimes will never stop. Maybe instead of arguing this politically just to get upvotes we should look at it medically and try to find a real solution.
If you don't like guns, fine. Nobody is forcing you to have one but don't act like you are morally superior just because you don't like them.
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Reply from Z0idberg_MD
Who said morally superior? They make society less safe without a whole lot of demonstrable "good".
\ Correlation between suicide and firearm ownership rate*
[Conclusions. We found a strong relationship between state-level firearm ownership and firearm suicide rates among both genders, and a relationship between firearm ownership and suicides by any means among male, but not female, individuals] (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4984734/)
\ Permissive gun laws lead to more homicides*
[Conclusions. Shall-issue laws are associated with significantly higher rates of total, firearm-related, and handgun-related homicide.] (https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304057)
\ The largest gun study in history on more guns = more firearm homicide*
[Results. Gun ownership was a significant predictor of firearm homicide rates (incidence rate ratio = 1.009; 95% confidence interval = 1.004, 1.014). This model indicated that for each percentage point increase in gun ownership, the firearm homicide rate increased by 0.9%.] (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3828709/)
​
First and foremost, let me thank you for properly providing sources. Actual non-bias ones that are out to provide data not to specifically take a side.
I said morally superior. Strictly in context of the original post acting like pulling a dangerous lettuce that anyone could buy was equitable to buying a gun.
It's not.
#1. Personally, I ignore suicide in gun numbers in gun debates and I only added them for those interested. Suicide is a separate issue from homicide so putting them together in my view just skews numbers and distracts from one conversation such as this one about guns. Suicide can be viewed, that is fine, but only so long as it is viewed separate from gun violence as a whole. People who fully intend to commit suicide will do it regardless. I have no argument with the statement that having access to a gun while suicidal will raise the chance of one committing suicide. However, that also loops to my statements about mental instabilities and if we paid more attention to things such as PTSD and Depression than things might be different.
#2. In my opinion you shouldn't get a concealed permit without taking classes and it should 100% be up to a criminal background check to decide if you have one. Most the concealed classes around me are taught by active Police officers and the rest tend to be handled by retired ones.
Carrying a gun requires you to have some idea of responsibility but that is, unfortunately, not always how it works. That said limitations that are placed through recent legislation tend to be overly vague and are more harmful than they are good. Saying "People with mental illnesses shouldn't have access to guns" is well past overly vague. There are people that compete in the Special Olympics sport shooting competitions that would fall under that blanket law. “Mental illnesses” is a pretty vague term for law. When it comes to language in law, terminology is everything. With a law that simply states “mental illness” we would have to use something as a reference. Most likely the DSM-5 as it is the most comprehensive and as such all of these would fall under it:
  1. Acute Stress Disorder
  2. Adjustment Disorder
  3. Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
  4. Agoraphobia
  5. Alcohol/Substance Abuse
  6. Alcohol/Substance Dependence
  7. Alzheimer’s Disease
  8. Anorexia Nervosa
  9. Antisocial Personality Disorder
  10. Anxiety Disorders
  11. Attachment Disorder
  12. Autism
  13. Autism Spectrum Disorder
  14. Avoidant Personality Disorder
  15. Bereavement
  16. Binge Eating Disorder
  17. Bipolar Disorder
  18. Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  19. Borderline Personality Disorder
  20. Brief Psychotic Disorder
  21. Bulimia Nervosa
  22. Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorder
  23. Conduct Disorder
  24. Conversion Disorder
  25. Cyclothymic Disorder
  26. Delusional Disorder
  27. Dependent Personality Disorder
  28. Depersonalization Disorder
  29. Depression
  30. Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder
  31. Disorder of Written Expression
  32. Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
  33. Dissociative Amnesia
  34. Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
  35. Dissociative Fugue
  36. Dissociative Identity Disorder
  37. Dyspareunia
  38. Dysthymic Disorder
  39. Encopresis
  40. Enuresis
  41. Erectile Disorder
  42. Exhibitionistic Disorder
  43. Expressive Language Disorder
  44. Female & Male Orgasmic Disorders
  45. Female Sexual Arousal Disorder
  46. Fetishistic Disorder
  47. Frotteuristic Disorder
  48. Gaming Disorder
  49. Gender Dysphoria
  50. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  51. Histrionic Personality Disorder
  52. Hoarding Disorder
  53. Hypersomnolence
  54. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
  55. Hypochondriasis
  56. Insomnia Disorder
  57. Intermittent Explosive Disorder
  58. Kleptomania
  59. Major Neurocognitive Disorder
  60. Mathematics Disorder
  61. Mental Retardation
  62. Minor Neurocognitive Disorder
  63. Multiple Personality Disorder
  64. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
  65. Narcolepsy
  66. New Specifiers of Bipolar Disorder and Depression
  67. Nightmare Disorder
  68. Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Arousal Disorders
  69. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
  70. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
  71. Oppositional Defiant Disorder
  72. Pain Disorder
  73. Panic Attack
  74. Panic Disorder
  75. Paranoid Personality Disorder
  76. Parkinson’s Disease
  77. Pathological Gambling
  78. Pedophilia
  79. Phobias
  80. Pica
  81. Postpartum Depression
  82. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
  83. Premature Ejaculation
  84. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
  85. Pseudobulbar Affect
  86. Psychotic Disorders
  87. Pyromania
  88. Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder
  89. Reactive Attachment Disorder
  90. Reading Disorder
  91. Restless Legs Syndrome
  92. Rumination Disorder
  93. Schizoaffective Disorder
  94. Schizoid Personality Disorder
  95. Schizophrenia
  96. Schizophreniform Disorder
  97. Schizotypal Personality Disorder
  98. Seasonal Affective Disorder
  99. Selective Mutism
  100. Separation Anxiety Disorder
  101. Sexual Masochism and Sadism
  102. Shared Psychotic Disorder
  103. Social Communication Disorder
  104. Social Anxiety Phobia
  105. Somatic Symptom Disorder
  106. Stereotypic Movement Disorder
  107. Stuttering
  108. Tourette’s Disorder
  109. Transient Tic Disorder
  110. Transvestic Disorder
  111. Trichotillomania
  112. Vaginismus
  113. Voyeuristic Disorder
I understand it is a hassle to name all the specific illnesses that shouldn't have a gun but if we just left it with mental illness many people who have never had any problems would lose access to them and it would eventually be thrown out in the Supreme Court. We could hope that if we used a blanket term it wouldn't be misused but in time it would eventually be that way. If only to stack charges. People with Depression and Schizophrenia would be obvious ones to prevent due to the nature of the disorder but what about Bipolar? Something easily controlled with medication. Would that be ok? Someone with ADHD, Tourette’s, Social Anxiety, Erectile Dysfunction or even Transgenders (Gender Dysphoria), should they be put under this blanketed ban of mental illness? Because history shows you that blanket laws are taken advantage of, a prime example is Civil Forfeiture laws.
I am not one of those people against all gun laws but I am against the “Common Sense” gun law statements and the fight to ban guns completely. Common Sense gun reform sounds good but people always take it off the deep end and then start attacking the second amendment. The only way to get rid of the second amendment would be to rewrite the constitution after a civil war or to rewrite it with the purpose of starting a civil war because the gun owners in this country would overwhelmingly oppose that option no matter what. For arguments sake though using the Huffington Post as an example of how crazy people can be when talking about this topic, this is the list from the article (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/warren-j-blumenfeld/proposals-for-common-sens_b_8231786.html)
We must ban and criminalize the possession of automatic and semi-automatic weapons!
Automatic Weapons are highly restricted. To buy and sell you have to have a Federal Firearms License or they have to be registered gun made before 1986 (assuming they can even be owned in your state) You have to inform the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of your area that one is being purchased. A form has to be filled out with the ATF ($200 for tax, fingerprints, passport style photo, and information on the firearm are all part of this form) Then you have to wait up to a year for it to be approved. All of that is assuming you can afford one seeing as the bans on them have made them extremely expensive. (A standard AR-15 usually runs $800-$1000 brand new, A fully automatic made before 1986 will be $20,000-$35,000)
Saying Semi-automatic Weapons is about as bad as saying mental illness. Semi-Auto is defined as an automatic loading weapon that fires one bullet per trigger pull whereas Fully Auto is more than one bullet per trigger pull. So, by this writers’ definition we are left with bolt action (which people can fire at high rates very easily) and muzzleloaders. Pistol wise you are basically left with a derringer. There are derringers that shoot .410 shotgun shells and a muzzleloader can be a .32 all the way to a .58 caliber. All of which can do some damage and depending on the user can be reloaded faster than most people can get away. What works in favor of the Semi-Auto is that you don’t have to be as accurate with your aim.
We must close loopholes such as buying a weapon at a gun show!
Private sale between 2 private owners is an option when both are in the same state regardless of being at a gun show. Most dealers at gun shows are FFL gun dealers and they have to do a background check on you under the requirements. Not preforming one is against the law and they will lose their license as well as be charged with the unlawful sale of a firearm. Is this saying it isn't possible? No. Likely? Also no. If you crossed state lines and bought a gun the sale has to be processed by an FFL in your home state. FFLs aren't just selling to criminals and ne’er-do-wells. Gun Shows make it easier for FFLs to find buyers for the product they have in their stores. Believe it or not gun shops aren't multi-million-dollar cash machines sometimes change of venue gets your product sold.
We must ban the purchase of firearms and ammunition on the internet!
Again, to sell across state lines an FFL has to be involved even when purchasing online. The idea that you can just hop online and buy a gun like you were shopping on Amazon. Ammunition wise I am not really sure what that has to do with anything because you can always reload ammo so banning online sale won’t solve anything.
We must increase the waiting period and make background checks more rigorous and effective!
As I said in my last post, I have had to wait a week every gun I have bought. It isn't like the background checks are simple little papers that aren't actually looked at. If it is effectiveness you are wanting, the background check is only as good as the information reported on it just like a credit score. Make mental health record of certain types mandatory to report and all police records considered such as tickets for Jaywalking.
We must limit the number of firearms any individual can own!
Not really realistic but sure I will bite. Limit to what. Who decides this number? As in my first post all the guns I use have specific purposes. If I own 1 gun or 50 of them what difference would it make with the exception of there being 50 less guns on the streets to be used in a crime? I know it could be argued that everyone has the potential to commit a crime with a gun and that it is more likely dependent on the number of guns in one’s possession but this isn't a Tom Cruise movie and pre-crime isn't a thing. At that rate what is stopping us from limiting how many kitchen knives you have? You only really need one and as long as it cuts what’s the difference?
We must limit the number of bullets any firearm clip can hold!
I am not sure what limiting the number of bullets in a clip is going to do with the exception of making people insert bullets into their magazine slower. Clips are nice but I personally don’t use them. Having 2 smaller magazines for the AR-15 covers 20 rounds for me and I rarely if ever shoot enough to constitute being able to use a clip to quickly reload my magazines. Other people might have a need for this but even then, if you limited a clip to 5 bullets you are just telling me I need 2 clips to feed my magazines not 1. (I 100% understand that this writer was making the statement about magazines and not clips but this perfectly illustrates my point on why language used is important.)
We must ban and criminalize the purchase and possession of armor piercing bullets, and also hollow-tip bullets!
There is a lot to unpack here but I will keep it simple. Bullets kill regardless of the type and again with language saying Armor Piercing has wide connotations. True Armor Piercing rounds have a steel core instead of the standard soft lead and are designed to penetrate light armor.
While if you are talking about bullets that can penetrate things like Kevlar you are talking about anything larger than the standard .22. The AR-15 uses .223 ammo which in essence is a .22 bullet. The difference is that .223 is high velocity and the bullet tends to come to a point. It comes in a Round Nose (Used mostly in handgun ammo) and a Boat Tail (Used mostly in rifle ammo) The average owner will most likely have Full Metal Jacket ammo which sounds scary but for the most part it is a lead bullet with a copper coating on the outside it has nothing to do with Armor Piercing ability. If you shot a standard .22 round and a .223 the .22 would do more visual damage entry wise and would also more than likely not exit at all.
Hollow Point bullets are common for self-defense and also used by police because unlike FMJ they have stopping power on impact. As they hit, they expand and take up more area meaning they are less likely to do damage outside of the impact zone. They are safer to use for self-defense because you will be able to stop your attacker without having to worry as much about bystanders These bullets aren't made for long range shooting.
Banning and criminalizing two types of bullet is pointless unless you are doing it to all ammo. The writer misses Open Tip, Soft Point and Ballistic Tip ammunition as well as Shotgun shells which have Birdshot, buckshot and Slugs (A typical 12 Gauge slug is .73 caliber) Which in the right hands can be just as dangerous as a typical rifle.
We must rethink the “logic” of permitting concealed weapons, especially in places like houses of worship, colleges, bars, restaurants, and political rallies!
Yes, we should. Many shootings happen in gun free zones Reason being that the person wanting to do maximum damage will go where they are less likely to receive resistance. The Gun-Free Zone is implemented with good intentions but that also paves the road to hell. It is a matter of criminals are criminals because they don’t follow the law. No mass shooter has seen a “Gun-Free Zone” sign and though ‘Well shit, there goes that idea’
We must interface all data bases monitoring firearm ownership to assess the firearm-owning population more accurately and effectively!
As mentioned above, criminals are criminals because they don’t follow the law. This would be fought as an invasion of privacy almost immediately and wouldn't contribute to anything more than tracking law abiding citizens and their gun ownership. Do you think the criminals are letting the government know the use and sale of their guns? Yes, this writer is stating that we pull all the databases we already have together but he is also implying that it should be easily accessible for research which, as said, is an invasion of privacy.
It isn't to say that I disagree with gun laws entirely it is just stating that there is more to the issue than simply banning things that are used by mass shooters. Someone wanting to deal damage will figure out a way. If we are banning like the article suggest we are left with Shotguns, Derringers, Bolt action rifles and Cannons. It also ignores Swords, Knives, Chainsaws, Sledge Hammers, Flamethrowers, RPGs, Tanks, Bows and Crossbows, 3D Printed weapons, Lawnmower blades, Planks of Wood with Nails in them, Baseball bats with barb wire and Potato Guns just to name a few. It also doesn't account for bombs or chemical weapons made with household products such as Ammonia and Bleach or Bleach and Alcohol. All in all, the weapon of choice isn't the problem as none of them can act independently. Humans will always find a way to be the biggest assholes they can be should the need, in their mind, arise.
Looking at recent mass shootings, how many could have been avoided had people been less selfish and paid attention to the signs pointing to problematic mental health issues? How many could have been avoided if we just taught parents to be parents instead of letting them rely on the government to be the babysitter. I agree that not all people need guns but proper education would help too. Instead we yell and scream that guns are bad and kill people so we should remove them from the hands of the public. I would love to see the study supporting the idea that guns kill people.
#3. EXTREMELY interesting study. It is almost too smart for its own good though. More guns = more firearm homicide. What is wrong with that statement? More knives = more knife homicides. More car bombs = more blown up cars. The study had the proper idea but they implemented it wrong merely in the way we can break down their study and say something as vague as more guns = more firearm homicide.
Going back to my original post I covered this slightly. In rural America you have many towns where the firearm to citizen ratio is 1:1 or higher. Even taking states you have places like Wyoming where the registered guns to citizens is ~230:1. Whereas larger population states like California and New York are ~9:1 and ~4:1 respectively. (Oddly enough referring back to the Automatic weapon point the Top 5 states with Machine guns: 1. Connecticut - 52,965, 2. Texas – 36,534, 3. Florida – 36,194, 4. Virginia – 34,074, 5. Illinois 33,646. Though, California is really close to the Top 5 at #7 – 29,047.) (https://huntingmark.com/gun-ownership-stats/#_ftn1%20)
The top 5 most dangerous cities (According to Forbes) and their state rank of registered gun owners are:
​
City Rank State Rank
1 Detroit, MI 45. Michigan - 6.59:1
2 St. Louis, MO 36. Missouri - 11.94:1
3. Oakland, CA 44. California - 8.71:1
4. Memphis, TN 33. Tennessee - 14.76:1
5. Birmingham AL. 6. Alabama - 33.15:1
​
The study you reference while giving very helpful and valid data wasn't quite as valid as it could have been. The information is definitely there to produce solid evidence should you combine the data with other studies. I don’t see it as one sided but I do think they failed to include information that might have changed the data.
​
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Episode 4 - Ownership

27 March 2017 1932 (EST) FBI Field Office Knoxville, Tennessee
Irwin Kelso sat at a conference room table, staring at a blank whiteboard. He lightly tapped a dry erase marker against the side of the table. His body tingled with frustration and nervous energy. Kelso knew he was stuck, and few feelings bothered him to that extent.
A knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Kelso said.
Craig Newman entered the room. “Staring at the whiteboard for inspiration?”
“Something like that. Are Erica and Pedro with you?”
“No, they stayed behind,” Newman took a seat. “They have narrowed the candidates down to three.”
Kelso nodded. Ever since their investigation turned to focus on Wythe Cosmos Studies, the team had known they would need to turn someone on the inside of the company into an informant. Ideally, they wanted multiple informants. While they had probable cause to search Wythe Frontier Labs, the team did not want to execute a warrant that didn't include the entire building.
That process had been a frustrating one. The FBI had been unable to find a link between the two entities. Although the ownership structure of both companies raised a lot of red flags, with each having their equity controlled by various interests that all led to offshore shell companies, they simply could not find overlapping ownership.
The part that drove them nuts was that they knew it was by design. The ownership groups of both companies had been crafted to create this exact image. They knew it, but couldn't prove it. IRS and SEC agents were digging into the various groups that held equity in those firms, but barring an error by one of those groups, a smoking gun would not be found.
They needed an informant that could either tie the two companies together, or provide information that would lead to a separate warrant for Wythe Cosmos Studies.
“Does Erica have any indication on how easy it'll be to get them to flip?”
Newman smiled at that question. “She thinks we're going to get the one you want.”
“Well son of a bitch,” Kelso's eyes lit up, “you just made my day.”
“So, what are you staring at the board for?”
“There's something that keeps bothering me.”
“The fact that CDC still has no idea what killed those people in Spartanburg?”
“Not just that,” Kelso gave a grim smirk. “It's a question of location. I can't understand why they chose the Wytheville area. I get that the county is on a plateau and from their location they have a very unobstructed view of the sky.”
“Sounds like you've answered your own question,” Newman said with a shrug of his mighty shoulders.
“Not to my satisfaction, Craig. That building cost them millions to build. The homework I've done on this says that they could have gone to any number of locations and gotten some pretty substantial incentives just for the construction aspect of this project.”
“I follow.”
“But they didn't, and there are plenty of incentives Wythe County has available, their head of economic development confirmed as much for me”
“Maybe they just liked the location.”
“Maybe,” Kelso shrugged. “But I'm not satisfied that's all there is here. It seems like there's more to it.”
Kelso fell silent. He stared, lost in thought, at the whiteboard. It frustrated him to no end, because he knew there was a missing piece to this equation. Kelso thought it was a substantial piece as well, though he couldn't quite figure out just why the piece mattered so much, and how it fit into the bigger picture.
“Why Wytheville?” he muttered.
*
13 April 2017 1835 (EST) Wythe County Register of Deeds Office Wytheville, Virginia
“Thank you for meeting with me right away,” Kelso said, as he sat across from Ernie Fisher, the county's Register of Deeds.
“No problem. Sounds like it was urgent,” Fisher replied.
“Wouldn't have asked you after hours if it wasn't.”
Fisher, an older man, was a lifelong resident of Wythe County. The FBI had run a background check on him during the early stages of the investigation. He had turned up clean, with no apparent ties to either of the companies in the buildings.
Given the dead ends they'd found during the investigation of the shareholders, they couldn't be completely sure of anyone. Kelso was taking a bit of a gamble in approaching Fisher, but he thought it was a safe one. Furthermore, they had to trust someone, especially with the issue they'd just run into.
“I went ahead and pulled up that file,” Fisher said. “I tell you what, there's some troubling irregularities to it.”
That perked Kelso up. “What are they?”
“The property you're interested in, well, if I'm being perfectly honest with you, I can't say who owns it. I mean, I can tell you from a legal stand point who does, but I can't really say I'm comfortable that's the truth. “
After everything he's been through since entering the building, that was one of the worst things Kelso could hear. He felt the headache coming on. If a pack of cigarettes sat in front of him on the table, he'd have one in his mouth.
“Explain, please,” Kelso said.
“The piece of property with the building, that parcel was surveyed and sold to Wythe Cosmos Studies at the end of 2014. Everything was handled above board on that. Except for one thing.”
“What's that?”
“I think the Bill of Sale is fraudulent. I first noticed an issue when I looked at the signature on that Bill of Sale and the original deed. Here, take a look for yourself.”
Fisher handed Kelso the two items. Examining the signature of the owner, Barry Harkin, he could clearly see the inconsistencies. While he would need a Bureau handwriting expert to verify it to get a warrant, the documents convinced Kelso forgery had taken place.
Kelso handed the documents back, and gave his emphatic agreement on the documents' dubious nature. Fisher continued.
“I went back and looked at the records. That property has been in the hands of the Harkin family for several generations. Barry is the current owner and has held it for forty years. That makes him 92 now.”
He paused to take a sip from his coffee mug. Fisher then pulled a Coke bottle out from under his desk, and spit some chewing tobacco into it. Seeing that intensified Kelso's own nicotine cravings.
“The only records of that man's existence, at least that I've got available to me, for the past thirty years are his property taxes on that location.”
“Nothing else?” Kelso asked.
“Nope,” Fisher shook his head. “He hasn't bought any other item this county would tax. He's also not made one call for County Service of any kind. As far as Wythe County goes, he doesn't exist other than his property taxes.”
While there could be an innocent explanation for what Fisher described, it made Kelso suspicious. It also added more questions. Was there a connection between Harkin's apparent disappearance and Wythe Cosmos Studies? He didn't see how that was possible, as the man had seemingly dropped off the map almost three decades prior to the company's inception. He would need more information before passing judgment.
“Where did he have the Bill of Sale notorized?”
“Says here it was in Toledo, Ohio.”
He wondered if that location said more about Harkin or Wythe Cosmos Studies. Regardless, Kelso was happy to get a location. It may have been a slim lead, but he was almost desperate for anything.
“Can I get copies of the original Bill of Sale and the deed?”
“Sure thing. Anything else?”
“Would you be willing to sign a statement spelling out everything you've just told me?”
“Gladly.”
“Thank you, sir.”
*
13 April 2017 1942 (EST) La Quinta Inn Wytheville, Virginia
Kelso met Pedro Ventura in his hotel room. After filling him in on what he'd learned at the Register of Deeds' office, Ventura had some information for Kelso.
“I talked to Erica,” Ventura said.
“Anything interesting?”
“Yeah, boss, and you're not going to like it.”
Ventura went on to inform Kelso about what Switzer and Newman had learned from Barrett. The key point in the discussion was Barrett's disclosure about Phyllis Smith. Ventura could see the anger building on Kelso's face as he told him about why Barrett had insisted Smith was in the office that morning.
“That's why she didn't want us in the bathrooms,” Kelso scowled.
“You really think Vicky tied her up in there? Wouldn't we have heard her?”
“Vicky has access to all sorts of shit that could have knocked her out all day. Phyllis Smith could have been handcuffed in the first stall, and we would have never known. That fucking bitch.”
“Got something else from Erica,” Ventura said.
“What's that?”
“According to Barrett, they have a weekly conference call with the investors. Every Wednesday at ten. You know, right after we took the building.”
Kelso nodded. A smile crept across his face. “They missed that call.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We got Gil bugged seven ways from Sunday, if he tries to reach out to anyone, or if they reach out to him, we'll know.”
“We've also now got a clue on something to look for when we dump the office phones.”
“Good call, Pedro, we'll put that to the top of the list. Anything else?”
“Something the team going over Barrett's car found.”
Ventura explained that, while searching Barrett's car, FBI technicians took a look at his GPS. They found two locations he'd searched for on the device. Neither one of them were in Wythe County, though both were in Virginia.
“I'll want search warrants,” Kelso said.
“I already have that in process for one of the locations,” Ventura replied.
“Good job, but why only one of the locations?”
“Because the other one is a public place.”
“Then let's go for a ride, Pedro.”
*
13 April 2017 2043 (EST) Rocky Gap Safety & Rest Area Rocky Gap, Virginia
“Who randomly drives to a rest area?” Ventura asked as they pulled off Interstate 77.
“Better question, Pedro,” Kelso replied, “is who the fuck needs their GPS to find a rest area?”
They stepped out of the Suburban and gazed around the rest stop. Kelso doubted anything would come of this, but he felt like he had to do something. Even if it was a long shot, it was better than pacing around his hotel room, craving a cigarette.
They followed a concrete walkway towards the main building. The rest stop was located just east of the highway, immediately accessible from the northbound travel lanes of I-77. To the north of the building were two sets of three covered picnic benches, separated by a small patch of tress. To the south were five of those sheltered benches in a clump. East of the building was the truck parking lot and woods.
“Nice building,” Ventura said, as the automatic doors opened for them.
Two sets of concrete stairs separated the main building from the walkway leading to the parking lot. The building had a stone facade, everything about it was clean. It beat the hell out of a lot of rest stops both the agents had found themselves in over the years.
“Gotta be an attendant around here somewhere,” Kelso muttered.
They looked around for several minutes. While visiting the vending area for a candy bar and soda, Ventura found one. He identified himself as an FBI agent, then texted Kelso. A few minutes later, the three of them were standing by the vending machines.
“You work nights typically?” Ventura asked.
“Yes, sir,” the attendant replied.
“Have you seen this man?” Kelso asked, showing him a picture of Barrett.
The attendant took it. He studied it for a few minutes, but the agents saw no flashes of recognition in the attendant's eyes.
“Sorry,” he said, handing it back to Kelso.
“Seen anything strange out here?” Ventura asked.
“Yes, sir, about a week or so ago, I was out here having a smoke, and I saw some lights coming from the woods.”
“Lights?” Kelso asked. “Like from flashlights?”
“No, sir. It was a weird, uh, kinda red light. Seemed to be coming from the ground, up to the trees.”
“Where was this?” Ventura asked.
“Just back over there,” the attendant pointed to some woods behind the rest stop.
“Thank you, sir,” Kelso said.
The agents left the vending area. They walked through the truck parking lot and towards a grassy area, just on the edge of the woods. They shone their flashlights into the woods.
“You see that, boss?” Ventura towards a small footpath.
“Yeah,” Kelso replied with a nod.
Kelso led the way, as they walked into the woods, the narrow footpath allowing for only single file traffic. After going only about a hundred yards, the trail came to dead end in a clearing.
“You sure that attendant wasn't fucking with us?” Ventura asked.
“Don't put that thought in my head, Pedro,” Kelso shook his head. “With the kind of day I've had, I will charge him with lying to a federal agent with a smile on my face.”
Kelso was about to turn around when an overwhelming cacophony of animal noises broke out in the woods surrounding the clearing. The agents made out noises sounding like barking dogs, a multitude of different birds, and Ventura was almost certain he heard human screams.
“What the fuck?” Ventura said.
He looked to his boss. Kelso had already drawn his gun and was actively scanning the woods. Ventura had never seen him this poised and ready to fire on something. It almost looked like Kelso was scared, and that alone tensed Ventura up. He'd never seen anything scare Kelso.
“Draw your weapon, Pedro!” Keslo barked.
Ventura complied. “What's going on, boss?”
“Keep fucking alert!”
Ventura had seen Kelso get mad enough times to know that anger was not behind his raised tones. That confirmed his earlier assumption that something had spooked Kelso.
The noises intensified. It sounded almost as if the dissonant choir was on top of them. Ventura saw nothing other than the trees.
Suddenly, the noises stopped. The agents looked at each other. Ventura motioned for them to leave. Kelso struck that down with an emphatic shake of the head, remaining intense, gun trained on the woods.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Ventura saw a flash of light. His eyes turned to the source, the center of the clearing. Kelso's eyes turned there as well. It took a moment for Ventura to take in the enormity of what he saw.
“Fuck me,” Ventura said.
“I guess I won't charge the attendant for lying to us,” Ventura noticed that some of the tension had departed from his voice.
A light extended from the ground, nearly to the height of the surrounding trees. The light occupied the most of the surface of the clearing. Like the attendant described, it was a shade of red, though Ventura saw shades of pink, orange, and black, among other colors, blended in with the red.
The light pulsed. Streaks of various colors burst from that pulse, almost like lighting, streaking across the sky. The streaks filled Ventura with a strange feeling. It gave him a completely alien sensation. He felt warmth and cold at the same time.
Then he heard a voice: Trespassers. Leave.
Ventura turned to Kelso.
“I heard it too, Pedro.” he said.
The light folded inward. It gave off several more, multicolored streaks, and then completely vanished. The forest returned to normal, and was quiet.
The agents took that as their cue to leave.
[Thanks for reading. Episode 5 will post at 7PM (EST) on Friday]
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Virginia House votes to ban ‘skill machines,’ despite governor’s call to ... protect the countless small businesses and jobs that depend on our legal skill games.” Queen of Virginia Skill ... Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam took action on several gambling-related pieces of legislation over the weekend, including a bill that would have banned so-called “gray machines,” which have ... Virginia gambling laws are relatively restrictive, and generally define gambling as betting on the outcome of any games or contests that depend on chance. While casinos and greyhound racing are specifically prohibited, the state allows horse racing and off-track betting at licensed facilities. Virginia: Richmond slot machine-like skill games could still be legal through July 1, 2022 Queen of Virginia, an operating arm of Atlanta-based game manufacturer Pace-O-Matic, manages more than 5,000 machines across 1,600 locations in Virginia, which is about 54% of the number in the state. A new bill proposed by Del. Paul Krizek will seek to lay the ground work for the legalization of gaming machines. Virginia may reconsider and allow skill-based slot machines to stay operation after the cut-off date of July 2021, given their contributions to the state’s tax budget. On March 22, 2019, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed State Bill 1126 into law. This state law does not authorize casinos in Virginia. However, in effect, it establishes. A Commission to study casino gaming regulations. A framework for the Lottery Board to oversee gaming. They look like slot machines. Symbols spin around the screen like slot machines. And when everything lines up just right, they pay out $1,000-plus jackpots like slot machines. But the manufacturers of these games – thousands of which have popped up in bars and convenience stores around Virginia despite a strict prohibition on most kinds […] What Forms of Gambling Are Legal. Your first port of call for a legal wager in Virginia is going to be the state lottery, which has run since 1989 after it was voted in to existence back in 1987. Since 1999 the proceeds have gone solely to educational funding, with total proceeds thus far amounting to almost $9 billion. What Forms Of Gambling Are Currently Legal? Casino Gaming: No, there are no casinos in Virginia, either State-run or tribal. Maryland is the main destination for casino fans. By Christina Monroe September 21, 2020 0. Virginia legalized gambling terminals for one year, which will end in July 2021. Governor Ralph Northam currently has no intention of renewing these machines to stay legal and instead will ban them from the Commonwealth when the bill expires.

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are gambling machines legal in virginia

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