President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday that will ramp up the number of background checks conducted before gun sales.
The administration is touting the measure as bringing the U.S. as close as possible to universal background checks without Congress passing additional legislation, which would be unlikely given the stalemate on the issue in Congress.
"Again and again, [Biden] has called for Congress to act, including by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, requiring background checks for all gun sales, requiring safe storage of firearms, closing the dating violence restraining order loophole, and repealing gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability," the White House said.
The order also calls on Congress to encourage greater use of so-called "red flag" laws, which allows members of the community to petition a court to determine whether an individual is dangerous and should be legally denied access to firearms.
The administration stressed that these laws are only effective when the public is aware of their existence and knows how to use them. Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have red flag laws on the books.
Finally, the White House is urging the Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report investigating whether and how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors.
Biden signed the order in Monterey Park, California, where a gunman recently killed 11 people and injured nine others.
Even as tech giant Google implements a vaccination mandate, charging its employees to declare their vaccine status within a time frame or risk dismissal, the federal government is tangled up in the court system trying to impose one of its own. Cindy Cohn, the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Harry Nelson, founder and managing partner of Nelson Hardiman LLP, joined Cheddar to debate the ethics, efficacy, and legality surrounding the issue. While Cohn noted that she thinks the federal mandate might be legally sound, her organization is also concerned with a separate question of privacy. "At EFF what we're most interested in is the digital surveillance that's going along with some of these attempts to try to track and confirm whether people are vaccinated or not," she said.
A new report from CNBC says Instagram recently reached a new milestone -- 2 billion monthly active users. It comes amid a year of controversy for the photo-sharing app and its parent company, Meta. SocialFlow CEO Jim Anderson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There is a new way for investors to bet on cannabis - the AdvisorShares Poseidon Dynamic Cannabis ETF targets about 20 of the biggest names in U.S. cannabis. It comes at a time when it's still difficult for investors to access the space. Cheddar News cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with co-founder and managing director for Poseidon Investment Management, Emily Paxhia.
Victor Li, an economics professor at the Villanova School of Business, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the latest Fed decision and the implications it has on the stock market.
After nearly two years of the pandemic, U.S. consumers are ready to spend big this holiday season. However, shoppers may be faced with limited inventory as the U.S. continues to face shortages of key products and extended order backlogs. Per Hong, partner at consulting firm Kearney, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the country's path forward.
The U.S. Government is making its first major move toward encouraging nuclear energy in the U.S., as it pushes toward a sustainable future. Scott Waldman, White House reporter for Politico's E&E News joined Cheddar News to break down the developments. "There's definitely an audience for this now since we're looking at the value of nuclear in terms of climate policy," he said, regarding the prospects for bipartisan support.
CEOs of the top U.S. airlines are set to testify in front of a Senate committee Wednesday. Lawmakers will ask airline executives about how they used pandemic-related federal aid, specifically in light of staffing issues and widespread cancellations. Among those expected to participate are the CEOs of American, United, and Southwest Airlines. David Slotnick, Senior Aviation Business Reporter at The Points Guy, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
