Appeals Court: Gun Ban On Domestic Abusers Violates Second Amendment

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Second Amendment rights and tossed the conviction of a Texas man who possessed guns while under a restraining order. 

From UPI:

Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A Texas court has ruled that a federal law that bans people with restraining orders due to domestic violence from owning firearms violates the Second Amendment.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday threw out the Justice Department's bid to uphold the conviction of Zackey Rahimi, a Texas man who was convicted of possessing guns while under a restraining order for assaulting a former girlfriend.

The court ruled that the law failed the so-called Bruen test, which emerged from the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. vs. Bruen decision in the Supreme Court in June which struck down the state's concealed-carry law, ruling that gun control laws must have a precedent in the gun laws in force when the Constitution was drawn up.

"Through that lens, we conclude that [the law's] ban on possession of firearms is an 'outlier' that our ancestors would never have accepted," Judge Cory Wilson wrote in Thursday's opinion.

To read more, go here. 

The Best Time to Book a Flight

Above, over the Nevada desert en route to Las Vegas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Planning on doing some air travel this year?

You may be wondering, When is the best time to book your flights? Well, Travel + Leisure has posted an article on just that. It covers both domestic and international flights.

They begin it with:

Finding the best flight deals is a bit of an art form, but there's also some science — or at least economics — involved. There are only two definitive rules: Flights open for booking about a year in advance, and the airfare will change often between then and takeoff. So, as a general rule of thumb, you'll want to book plane tickets well in advance, as prices spike sharply in the days preceding the flight, taking advantage of any last-minute travelers who have no choice but to pay up.

But there are many variables that impact the dynamic pricing patterns of plane tickets, including the destination and time of year. In some cases, you can book just a couple of weeks in advance, while in others, you're better off reserving months ahead (such as a trip over a big travel holiday, when demand is high).

While travel has been upended by the pandemic for the past two years, we're seeing numbers return to normal — in its January 2022 Consumer Airfare Index Report, airfare tracking site Hopper predicts airfare will reach 2019 levels by April 2022. That said, given the general uncertainty regarding potential new variants, travelers are still holding off on booking flights until their travel dates approach, much as they did in 2020 and 2021. 

Nonetheless, good deals are still all about big-picture timing, and while travel logistics are more in flux these days, most airlines now waive change fees, making it easier for travelers to book well in advance and shift plans later, if need be.

The bottom line is that scoring the best flight deals can be tricky — and the pandemic's impact on travel and the airline industry has added more than a few challenges. But we're here to help you find the best flights for your upcoming travel. Our first tip: Start tracking flight prices as early as possible so you can keep an eye on cost fluctuations. Use Google Flights or Hopper to receive price change notifications about your tracked flights. 

To read more, go here. 

Travel + Leisure's 50 Best Places To Travel In 2022

Above, the Saikai Bridge in Kyushu, Japan. Kyushu made the list. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that we're in a new year, it is time to start thinking about where to go on vacation. Naturally, all this hinges on whether or not coronavirus and all of its variants will die off any leave us all alone.

Travel + Leisure has 50 best places to travel in 2022, internationally and domestically. Some of them I have been to already. There are some I am looking into.

They begin with:

Planning new adventures as a new year approaches is always a thrill, but finding the best places to visit in 2022 is unique. After two years of border closures, cruise cancellations, and travel restrictions galore, 2022 is the year we hope to get back out there, uninhibited (albeit vaccinated and COVID tested), return to our favorite destinations, and cross new ones off our lists.

Though the hospitality industry was hit hard by the pandemic, many properties used the forced downtime to renovate rooms, add new amenities, and expand outdoor spaces to offer even more once guests return. 2022 is when many travelers will venture further from home, and even overseas, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, finally reaping the benefits of these valiant efforts.

Although COVID variants remain, regulations are still evolving, and precautions must still be taken, many of the destinations we chose for 2022 offer what we believe travelers are looking for in a post-pandemic world, from hotels with private accommodations to destinations teeming with fresh-air activities. Others, like Las Vegas, are for those who are ready and raring to make up for all the social time they missed — with a few splashy headliners, including Adele and the Raiders, thrown in for good measure.  

To read more, go here.