With Congress in recess for the month of August and the president on vacation in Bedminster, very little has been done to address gun reform two weeks after mass shootings took the lives of 31 people in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
"The inactivity of the president, and [Senate Majority] Leader McConnell, is literally killing Americans," New York Congresswomen Carolyn Maloney told Cheddar Monday. "It is outrageous."
Maloney is a co-sponsor of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, H.R. 8, that passed the House in February, but has not made any movement in the Senate.
"I would say if guns made us safer, we would be the safest nation on earth," Maloney said.
"Unlike many problems that we don't have an answer for, such as what's the cure for cancer, we know what to do to get guns off the street and other countries have done it," she added.
In various press gaggles and rallies since the shootings, Trump has flip-flopped on the topic of gun control. In the week after the two mass killings, the president issued his support for a background check bill. Nevertheless, last Sunday, Trump told reporters, "But just remember, we already have a lot of background checks."
The president has also pointed early and often to mental illness as a factor in the rise of gun-related deaths in America, a common talking point among gun rights advocates. On his way back to Washington Sunday, he told reporters, "I don't want people to forget that this is a mental health problem. I don't want them to forget that, because it is. It's a mental health problem."
Maloney weighed in on the president's spin: "The President says he wants to make sure that [gun buyers are] not mentally ill. Well, the one way to find out is background checks."
"I support the Second Amendment," Maloney later, saying that "assault weapons, weapons of war that are just designed to kill the most people quickly, they shouldn't be allowed to be sold. They should be banned."
On Monday, Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) became the first Republican in the House to support H.R.1296 — the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 — of which Maloney is also a co-sponsor.
"They are weapons of mass slaughter," King said, adding, "I don't see any need for them in everyday society.
The most recent school shooting in Michigan is highlighting the tragic fact that U.S. shootings on campuses are ticking up. The aftermath of these incidents leaves students, faculty, and families suffering intense trauma with lasting effects. Darby Fox, an adolescent family therapist, joins Cheddar News to discuss how school shootings impact the mental health of students and their families.
With so many high-profile court cases taking over the media, from the trial over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery to the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse to the ongoing Elizabeth Holmes trial, Cheddar took a look at these cases and why there is such a big interest in them. Rachel Fiset, a white collar criminal defense lawyer and partner with Zeiback, Fiset, and Coleman, and Bryan Hance, attorney-at-law, professor, and academic program director of the pre-law and paralegal studies program at National University, joined Cheddar for a roundtable discussion on why there is so much public interest in so-called courtroom drama.
2022 is just around the corner and one of the world's most famous trendspotters says that there is a wide-ranging mix of trends coming up in the new year that could impact businesses, culture, and our society at large.
Trendspotter and cultural zeitgeist analyst Marian Salzman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Spotify has just officially released its 2021 'Wrapped'. For the past few years, the streaming giant has been presenting customers with their listening habits from the prior year, including favorite artists, most listened to the genre, podcasts, songs you name it. However, critics say this method just shows how apps can collect our data. CEO of Prevailion Karim Hijazi, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Recent internal documents obtained by the New York Times reveal how exactly TikTok's algorithm works. The report highlights how the app is mainly focused on retaining two metrics which are retention and time spent. In addition, the document titled, "TikTok Algo 101" details how the algorithm understands human nature from when we get bored to our sensitivity and culture ques. It means the app monitors will kind of videos you like. Professor of Computer Science at the University of California in San Diego Julian McCauley, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
According to a recent study by a group of international researchers, artificial intelligence can predict new illegal drugs before they hit the streets. This method could help save lives and fight crime. Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Carlo and Baker discuss the sweeping new vaccine mandate in NYC that will target all private businesses. Plus, Trump's media venture gets its CEO and more.
A lockout is now in place for Major League Baseball. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association expired at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said both sides were unable to negotiate a new contract by that time, so the league locked out the players on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. The lockout also means trades and free agency deals have to stop for now. Dodgers Nation lead editor Clint Pasillas joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
