News & Current Events

A September 17, 2026 Office of Legal Counsel opinion concluded that 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) cannot constitutionally be used to impose criminal penalties on licensed dealers who sell handguns to law-abiding adults aged 18 through 20, applying the Supreme Court's historical-tradition framework from Heller and Bruen. The statutory text remains in the U.S. Code and ATF's public compliance materials had not been updated as of the opinion's release date, leaving a gap between the executive legal conclusion and existing dealer guidance. The opinion is narrow: it does not address handgun possession by those under 18, long-gun restrictions, state laws, or the enhanced background-check period for buyers under 21.

The UN General Assembly's 81st session enters its High-Level Week on September 18, with the General Debate running September 22–26 and resuming September 28, and a Guterres-convened Climate Summit scheduled for September 23 from 3–6 p.m. EDT. Nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected in person, and the US has approved visas for Iran's President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi to attend. The final General Debate speaker order has not been officially confirmed, and the Security Council has not formally scheduled conflict-specific sessions for the week.