Gun control won’t help reduce violence, according to CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp.
“Where we have the highest rates of gun control we also have the highest rates of crime,” said Schlapp, who also chairs the American Conservative Union, one of the largest and oldest conservative lobbying groups in the country.
“If we’re going to jump to gun control as a solution to this problem of violence, we’re being deceitful to people,” he adds. “It’s really not going to solve the problem.”
His statements, though, do contrast with other research. The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, for example, found that states with stricter gun laws, such as California, Connecticut, and New York, generally have lower rates of gun-related deaths.
The most recent mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., hung over this year’s CPAC conference, which kicked off in Maryland on Wednesday.
The attack has ignited a national movement -- helmed by the teenage survivors -- pushing for reform.
Perhaps their efforts were responsible for a concession from Schlapp.
“I would also admit that we’re at a time where I think we ought to do a lot more listening and learning and hearing people out,” adds Schlapp.
Washington Post journalist Nicole Ellis has a new documentary series that follows millennial women, including herself, who are weighing whether or not to freeze their eggs. It's an emotional and expensive discussion that should be had out in the open and with the support of friends and family, Ellis said.
President Trump has lashed out at many a journalist, and Mika Brzezinski knows personally what it's like to be on the receiving end. The co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" told Hope King that "in the grand scheme of things, it's not really a big deal."
It is still up in the air if Christine Blasey Ford will testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ford is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were both in high school. Daniel Lippman, co-author of "Politico Playbook," explained the high-wire act Republicans are trying to walk with a crucial midterm election around the corner.
Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," spoke with Cheddar about the role of media in the age of Donald Trump. "Keep it cool and stick to the facts," she said.
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Twilio, a cloud-focused tech company based in San Francisco, is doubling down on its commitment to diversity. The company has a goal for at least 50 percent of its staff to be female and 30 percent to be from underrepresented groups by 2023. Lafawn Davis, global head of culture and inclusion at Twilio, said that there are more than enough women in tech to be able to fill the roles.
One year after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation. Luis Soto of "Save the Children" said a staggering 84 percent of the island's kids are living in poverty.
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Jose Antonio Vargas rose to prominence when he wrote an essay for the New York Times in 2011 essentially outing himself as an undocumented immigrant. Since then, he's crisscrossed the country, advocating on behalf of immigrants. With a new memoir, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," Vargas points out immigration is a "humanitarian crisis" that long predates Donald Trump.
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