By KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican efforts to loosen regulations on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns have been dealt a big setback with the Senate parliamentarian advising that the proposal would need to clear a 60-vote threshold if included in their big tax and immigration bill.

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Gun rights groups had been lobbying aggressively for the measure, which would essentially treat silencers and the short-barreled firearms like long guns. Gun-control groups celebrated the parliamentarian’s ruling, saying the items have been regulated for nearly 100 years for good reason — they are a threat to first responders and communities.

The House version of the GOP’s bill removed silencers — called “suppressors” by the gun industry — from a 1930s law that regulates firearms considered the most dangerous, and in the process, would have eliminated a $200 tax. The Senate kept the provision on silencers in its version of the bill and expanded upon it, adding short-barreled, or sawed-off, rifles and shotguns.

Under the National Firearms Act, potential buyers of the regulated weapons must also undergo a finger-print based background check. There is no deadline for such checks. The process is arguably more thorough than the name-based background check completed for other firearms purchases.

Lawmakers said the silencers provision was deemed by the Senate parliamentarian to be in violation of the “Byrd Rule,” which stipulates that the budget changes sought in the legislation cannot be “merely incidental” to the policy changes. The special rules are designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes from being included in the bill.

“It’s no surprise that Republicans will jump at any opportunity to please the gun lobby by rolling back gun safety measures, but that kind of policy does not belong in a reconciliation bill,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Gun rights groups complained about the $200 tax and how the background check process often takes weeks and even months for silencers and short-barreled weapons.

Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who supports the legislation, said before the ruling that the proposed changes were aimed at helping target shooters and hunters protect their hearing. He argued that the use of silencers in violent crimes is rare. “All it’s ever intended to do is to reduce the report of the firearm to hearing safe levels,” Keane said.

John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, disagreed with the parliamentarian’s ruling, noting that she was originally appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat.

“Nevertheless, we remain committed to working with our allies on Capitol Hill to end the unjust tax burden on these constitutionally-protected arms,” Commerford said.

Groups opposed to the measure included Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization co-founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords who was grievously wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in her district.

Emma Brown, the group’s executive director said “removing safeguards on gun silencers would have made it easier for violent criminals to escape, putting both law enforcement and civilians at greater risk.”

“What’s more, removing safeguards on short barreled firearms would have only enabled more criminals to access these easily concealable weapons, which can be easily brought into large crowds,” Brown said.

The gun language had broad support among Republicans and has received little attention as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., work to settle differences within the party on cuts to Medicaid and energy tax credits, among other issues.

It is just one of hundreds of policy and spending items that were included to entice members to vote for the legislation and will have broad implications in the years to come.

By JACK BROOK

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana authorities captured on Friday one of the 10 men who escaped from a New Orleans jail six weeks ago and who police say released videos on social media while still on the run.

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Antoine Massey, 33, was taken into custody at a residence in New Orleans about 2 miles from the jail, said New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.

“He actually walked out of a home peacefully,” Kirkpatrick said. “He peacefully gave up to law enforcement who had surrounded the house.”

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said she had received a tip Friday morning and immediately notified other law enforcement authorities, who arrested Massey by midafternoon.

Louisiana State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges said authorities were still investigating how Massey was able to stay at the residence where he was recaptured.

“It’s pretty obvious over the last six weeks to remain a fugitive that long, he had assistance, he had help,” Hodges said.

Authorities had recently investigated social media posts by a man who identified himself as Massey and earlier this month raided a New Orleans home where they believed the videos were produced but did not find him.

FILE – This image provided by Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, shows inmate Antoine Massey. (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office via AP, File)

“Great work by all our law enforcement partners who have been working so hard for this outcome,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said after Massey’s capture Friday. “One more to go!”

Authorities are still searching for convicted murderer Derrick Groves. Police previously captured the other eight escapees following the May 16 jailbreak, one of the largest in recent U.S. history. Authorities said the men yanked open a faulty cell door inside the New Orleans jail, squeezed through a hole behind a toilet, scaled a barbed-wire fence and fled into the dark.

The men’s absence wasn’t discovered until a morning headcount, hours after they bolted for freedom. Authorities found a message drawn around the hole the men used to escape: an arrow pointing at the gap and the words “To Easy LoL.”

Officials have pointed to multiple security lapses in the jail, but authorities remain adamant that the men also had likely had help. A maintenance worker at the jail was arrested for allegedly helping the men escape by turning off the water to the toilet where the hole was cut behind. His lawyer says he has denied knowingly aiding them.

Massey faced charges of rape, kidnapping, domestic violence involving strangulation and violation of a protective order, authorities in nearby St. Tammany Parish said. In Orleans Parish, he faced charges of motor vehicle theft and domestic battery.

Murrill said Massey will face additional charges for his role in the escape.

A woman police identified as being in an on-again, off-again relationship with Massey was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and as a principal to aggravated escape, court records show. Authorities said the woman knew of Massey’s escape plans beforehand, communicated with him afterward and misled authorities.

A $50,000 reward remains for tips leading to Groves’ recapture, authorities said.

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) — Europeans still aren’t buying Teslas with figures out Wednesday showing sales plunged for a fifth month in a row in May, a blow to investors who had hoped anger toward Elon Musk would have faded by now.

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Tesla sales fell 28% last month in 30 European countries even as the overall market for electric vehicles expanded sharply, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. The poor showing comes after Tesla’s billionaire CEO had promised a “major rebound” was coming last month, adding to a recent buying frenzy among investors.

They were selling on Wednesday, pushing the prices down more than 4% in early afternoon trading.

Musk had said Tesla was sure to get a boost once the company was done retooling its factories to produce a new version of its biggest seller, the Model Y. But that was finished months ago, and the new models are widely available. Investors are now hoping that a cheaper Tesla expected to be out later year will help reverse the sales decline.

Overall, battery electric vehicle sales rose 25% in Europe compared to a year earlier. The market for EVs was particularly strong in Germany, where Musk has angered potential buyers by publicly supporting the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party in elections. Overall EV sales there leapt 45%.

China’s SAIC Motor was the big winner for the month with its European sales of EVs and other kinds of cars jumping 38%. That has allowed the company to leapfrog Tesla, which a year ago was selling more cars in the region.

SAIC sold 18,716 vehicles last month versus Tesla’s 8,729.

The sales drop for Tesla comes at a crucial time for the company as it launches a test run of its driverless ‘robotaxis’ service in Austin, Texas. Musk says that if goes well, he expects to introduce the service in several other cities in quick succession and have as many as a million of the automated cabs on roads by the end of the year.

Reviews so far have been mostly good, but the service is limited to a dozen or so cars and some passengers have circulated videos of problems during their rides, including one showing a robotaxi heading down a lane for opposing traffic.

Federal traffic safety regulators said Tuesday they were looking into the videos.

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic efforts in the Senate to prevent President Donald Trump from further escalating with Iran fell short Friday, with Republicans opposed to a resolution marking Congress’ first attempt to reassert its war powers following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

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The resolution, authored by Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, aimed to affirm that Trump should seek authorization from Congress before launching more military action against Iran. Asked Friday if he would bomb Iranian nuclear sites again if he deemed necessary, Trump said, “Sure, without question.”

Passage of the resolution was seen as a long shot. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and have overwhelmingly stood with the president in support of his decision to strike Iran.

Most say that Iran posed an imminent threat that required decisive action from Trump, and they backed his decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend without seeking congressional approval.

“Of course, we can debate the scope and strategy of our military engagements,” said Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn. “But we must not shackle our president in the middle of a crisis when lives are on the line.”

Democrats cast doubt on that justification, arguing the president should have come to Congress first. They also said the president did not update them adequately, with Congress’ first briefings taking place Thursday.

“The idea is this: We shouldn’t send our sons and daughters into war unless there’s a political consensus that this is a good idea, this is a national interest,” Kaine said in a Thursday interview with The Associated Press.

The resolution did not aim to limit the president’s ability to defend against a threat, Kaine said. But, added, “If it’s offense, let’s really make sure we’re making the right decision.”

Almost all Democrats were expected to vote for the resolution. Their case centers on the War Powers Resolution, passed in the early 1970s, which requires the president “in every possible instance” to “consult with Congress before introducing United States Armed Forces.”

Speaking on the Senate floor ahead of Friday evening’s vote, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced he would support the resolution — and urged fellow Republican senators to do the same.

Trump is just the latest in a line of presidents to test the limits of the resolution — though he’s done so at a time when he’s often bristling at the nation’s checks and balances.

Trump on Monday sent a letter to Congress — as required by the War Powers Resolution — that said strikes on Iran over the weekend were “limited in scope and purpose” and “designed to minimize casualties, deter future attacks and limit the risk of escalation.”

But following classified briefings with top White House officials this week, some lawmakers remain skeptical about how imminent the threat truly was.

“There was no imminent threat to the United States,” said Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, after Friday’s classified briefings.

“There’s always an Iranian threat to the world. But, I have not seen anything to suggest that the threat from the Iranians was radically different last Saturday than it was two Saturdays ago,” Himes said.

Despite Democratic skepticism, nearly all Republicans applauded Trump’s decision to strike Iran. And for GOP senators, supporting the resolution would have meant rebuking the president at the same time they’re working to pass his major legislative package.

Kaine proposed a similar resolution in 2020 aimed at limiting Trump’s authority to launch military operations against Iran. Among the eight Republicans who joined Democrats in approving the resolution was Indiana Sen. Todd Young.

After Thursday’s classified briefing for the Senate, Young said he was “confident that Iran was prepared to pose a significant threat” and that, given Trump’s stated goal of no further escalation, “I do not believe this resolution is necessary at this time.”

“Should the Administration’s posture change or events dictate the consideration of additional American military action, Congress should be consulted so we can best support those efforts and weigh in on behalf of our constituents,” Young said in a statement.

Trump has said that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is now in place. But he and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have verbally sparred in recent days, with the ayatollah warning the U.S. not to launch future strikes on Iran.

White House officials have said they expect to restart talks soon with Iran, though nothing has been scheduled.

Associated Press reporter Leah Askarinam contributed to this report.