As the third anniversary nears of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that killed 17, a congresswoman from New York is looking to bring gun safety to the forefront of the congressional agenda.
Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y. 12th District) has introduced a legislative package containing five bills aimed at improving gun safety in the United States. "We stand alone as a country with mass shootings — there are too many guns," she told Cheddar. "If guns made Americans safer, we'd be the safest country on Earth."
The proposal looks to change many different parts of current gun legislation. One bill attempts to close what's called the "gun show loophole," which can exempt purchasers of firearms from getting a background check if they make the purchase at a retailing event typically held in a large public venue. Another bill looks to up the penalty for trafficking guns, making the crime a felony rather than a misdemeanor — a current technicality the congresswoman called "outrageous."
Jay W. Walker, founding member and organizer of Gays Against Guns, noted along with Maloney the need to confront the "Iron Pipeline," described as "the way guns get out of states with very weak gun laws and into states, especially cities, with stronger gun laws."
A common thread throughout the package is incentivizing what Maloney calls "responsible firearm ownership" with things like requiring liability insurance when purchasing a gun. The plan is to follow in the footsteps of other countries with tighter gun laws, she told Cheddar, who have implemented regulations like these and maintain safer streets.
The representative also expressed hope that the package will move quickly with President Biden in the White House and a Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress to get it passed this year.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals Richenda Sandlin-Tymitz, Marketing & Content Manager at Alaska Tour & Travel, breaks down when and how to plan your best trip to Alaska; Kristen Miller, Acting Executive Director, Alaska Wilderness League, discusses the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the oil drilling that threatens it; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Magic of the Wild.'
Kristen Miller, acting executive director, Alaska Wilderness League, discusses the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the oil drilling that threatens it.
The Department of Treasury is warning Americans to expect delays on their tax returns this year as the IRS manages staffing shortages due to the pandemic.
The United States and Russia remain distant following a meeting between high-level officials for the two countries in Geneva, Switzerland. The nations remain conflicted over Washington's concern of a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia and Moscow dispute with NATO expanding into former Soviet states. Hagar Chemali, host of Oh My World on YouTube and former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the U.N., joined Cheddar's "News Wrap" to give her take about the careful diplomatic negotiations underway. "I would expect more rounds," she said about the talks. "Both sides really remain adamant that we're not going to talk about Russia's proposal, and Russia doesn't want to talk about anything but its proposal. So once they start talking about the other items on the table, and there are a few other items, that's when negotiations can start."
Markets closed the day mixed, and well off their lows of the day following a market meltdown earlier in the session. The Nasdaq staged a comeback late in the day, even amid ongoing worries about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. Doug Flynn, certified financial planner and co-founder of Flynn Zito Capito, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the markets' close and what's driving the major indexes.
Eli Yokley, Senior Reporter at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss how Americans are prioritizing economic issues over the pandemic when it comes to voting.
President Biden's disapproval rating hit a new high in December according to a poll from CNBC and Change Research, as Americans expressed their disapproval over the current state of the economy. This comes just months after the president signed a historic infrastructure bill back in November that was promised to bring a surge of jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector.
Change Research Senior Pollster Nancy Zdunkewicz spoke to Cheddar News about just what is driving the President’s disapproval rating.
