A federal appeals court ruling that gave gun control advocates a major victory Thursday underscored California's rising importance as a center of legal and political battles over guns. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided in a 7-4 ruling that California counties may restrict permits for carrying concealed firearms in public. That decision overturned a 2014 ruling that prompted some California counties to relax their rules. "It should not be minimized how big... (GunPolicy.org)