A Year After Parkland, Democrats and Activists Celebrate Long-Awaited Gun Reform Progress
*By Carlo Versano and Chloe Aiello*
A day before the anniversary of the Parkland shooting, a massacre that re-framed the debate over gun control as a defining cause of Gen Z, Congress advanced its first piece of gun legislation in decades.
A universal background check bill was approved by the House Judiciary Committee in a 23-15 party-line vote ー sending it to the House floor. It marked the opening salvo in a Democratic push on gun control that was reinvigorated by the activism of the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which lost a total of 17 students and staff members in a mass shooting one year ago.
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a newly elected Democrat from a Parkland-adjacent district who sits on that committee, told Cheddar on Thursday that the bill passed despite intransigence from Republican lawmakers, who were "doing everything and anything possible to delay it."
For Mucarsel-Powell, an immigrant from Ecuador, the issue of gun violence is deeply personal. Her father was shot and killed by an armed criminal in her home country. She made gun control a cornerstone of her campaign to unseat Rep. Carlos Curbelo in Florida's ultra-competitive 26th district.
It worked.
"A year ago, the state of Florida lost its soul," Mucarsel-Powell said. She met with Parkland families in the aftermath, which helped galvanize her resolve to put gun violence front and center in her campaign. "When you meet other family members who lost their loved ones in the same way, it just brings everything back," she said.
She gave credit for the progress in the House on the background check bill to the students-turned-activists from MSD who lobbied Congress to make the epidemic of gun violence a legislative priority.
Rep. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat who represents parts of Broward County, said the nation is now looking to Florida as a leader in school safety and gun control ー but the fight is far from over.
"Let's be honest, people are tired of the thoughts and the prayers. They're great, but at the end of the day, people want action," Jones told Cheddar. "We have become stalled, because, truth be told, the gun lobby is holding Florida hostage."
Cameron Kasky, a survivor who co-founded the grassroots group Never Again MSD after last year's shooting and helped organize the March for Our Lives nationwide protest, was invited by his representative to attend this year's State of the Union. He [told Cheddar](https://twitter.com/jiveDurkey/status/1096058759967719424) that night:
"President Trump can declare a crisis at the border all he wants," but the real "national crisis" is gun violence in schools.
That activism helped propel Democrats to the majority, Mucarsel-Powell said, adding that gun control has gained new urgency for her fellow Democrats.
"They have to hold all of us accountable," she said. "We need their voices."
It seems Gen Z is up to the challenge.
A group of 200 teen reporters from across the country are cementing the legacy of the Parkland victims by ensuring children lost to gun violence are never forgotten. In partnership with The Trace and Miami Herald, they've documented the names and stories of an estimated 1,200 children killed by gun violence in the past 12 months for the project, called [Since Parkland](https://sinceparkland.org/).
Sokhna Fall, a high school senior from Jamaica, Queens, who has been working on the project since August, called the process "traumatic," but said she felt an obligation to act.
"Teens are one of the demographics who are most impacted by gun violence in America, especially when it involves school shootings, so I felt kind of like an obligation as a teenager myself to act and do something about this," Fall said, adding that she began to see herself in the victims whose lives she was chronicling.
President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports to the U.S. in response to its invasion of Ukraine, a move he warned could lead to an even greater surge in gas prices. The ban is prompting a conversation about the current oil production levels in the U.S. and whether or not the industry can ramp up production to soften the blow to American families at the gas pump. Clark Williams-Derry, Energy Finance Analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, breaks down the state of the U.S. oil industry and how the ban might impact production levels here at home.
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are the latest American food brands to have halted business operations in Russia after having faced scrutiny and criticism for originally failing to do so amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
Sports Betting in the U.S. is booming. According to industry experts, we could see another boom this year as more states move towards statewide legalization of sports wagering. While this comes as huge news for fans, there are some very real concerns as to whether or not sports betting potentially poses a threat to public health. Senior Clinician at the Caron Treatment Centers, Eric Webber, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Biden administration has made gender policy a core part of how it governs. The president established the first Gender Policy Council. It's on the same level as the National Security Council, Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council, putting the interests of women and other underserved groups at the table for the most important policy discussions.
Cheddar News sat down with Jennifer Klein, executive director and co-chair of the White House Gender Policy Council, to discuss the council's work and its significance during Women's History Month.
State Representative Jessica González, Vice Chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest Texas anti-transgender directive.
The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack joins None of the Above to discuss the newly emerging conflict in Europe, what it means for agriculture in the states, dairy and meat consumption, and how the department is planning to promote climate-smart agriculture.
Tens of thousands of people have fled Ukraine in attempts to escape the Russian Invasion. According to the U.N. neighboring countries like Poland, Hungary, and even Romania have seen half a million refugees. While the hospitality is being welcomed by many, it also highlights the mistreatment of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa. Professor of Philosophy and Director of Politics at Northeastern University Serena Parekh, joined Cheddar, to discuss more.
As Russia unleashed war in the country of Ukraine, global leaders have started inflicting punishment on Vladimir Putin's regime via commercial and financial penalties. According to President Joe Biden Putin's aggression is "a flagrant violation of international law and it demands a firm response from the international community".However, the main question is will these sanctions actually work. Partner at Jenner & Block LLP, Rachel Alpert, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
