The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition to review Peruta v. California, which would have potentially established precedent on whether the Second Amendment protects the right to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense.

As reported in the Washington Examiner, Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch dissented against the opinion not to hear the case. “Neither party disputes that the issue is one of national importance or that the courts of appeals have already weighed in extensively,” Thomas noted.

The National Rifle Association issued a statement expressing disappointment in the Supreme Court’s decision. It concluded, “We look forward to a future Court affirming that the right to keep and bear arms is as much a part of our Constitution as the other enumerated rights that it protects. We will not stop fighting until a future Court affirms this fundamental right.”

Gun-ban billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced Monday the creation of a $200 million American Cities Initiative that will offer financial incentives to U.S. mayors who advocate for issues including gun control and immigration. The former New York City mayor unveiled his program at the United States Conference of Mayors in Miami Beach.

With Congress unwilling to pass gun-control measures, Bloomberg has increasingly turned to the state level. His Everytown For Gun Safety has attempted to follow the same state-by-state blueprint that helped legalize gay marriage, and they’ve spent millions on state ballot initiatives. This latest proposal is intended as an end-run around the Trump administration, as Bloomberg openly admits. He’s quoted in The New York Times as saying that cities must increasingly “replace Washington and, in some cases, state governments.”

As part of the American Cities Initiative, mayors are asked to submit proposals for a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $100,000 to $5 million. Which begs the question: Can you put a price on our Constitutional rights?

More than a dozen teachers and school staff members from all over Colorado convened at a shooting range outside Denver for three days for advanced firearms and tactical training. The curriculum that they used was designed specifically for use inside schools.

“I don’t have any children of my own,” teacher Kelly Blake said of her reasons for attending the session, “so these students are my children.”

An injured, would-be burglar was discovered in the woods and apprehended by police—after being turned in by a local dog.

WKYT-TV reports that Laurel County police responded to a home burglary around 10 a.m. last Friday morning. Officers say the homeowner had fired his shotgun at an intruder, sending the suspect running out the back door of the house and into a nearby wooded area. When deputies investigated, they noticed a stray dog barking at a specific spot in the woods. That’s where they found 40-year-old Otis Kemp, who was carrying several stolen items and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

Kemp was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center for serious, but non-life threatening injuries. The sheriff’s office has charged Kemp with first degree burglary, criminal mischief, evading police and third degree terroristic threatening.