It’s been a week since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead. And in that short amount of time, the teenage survivors have started a movement to turn up the pressure on lawmakers for gun control reforms.
Florida State Representative Jared Moskowitz says we shouldn’t be surprised by how quickly they mobilized.
“This is what America looks like,” he said. “This is how we’ve brought major change in this country before. Groups have risen up and demanded the system change. It just so happens that it’s kids. Maybe we’re not used to that...but if the adults in the room are failing, then let’s listen to our children.”
On Tuesday, just days after the shooting, Florida lawmakers voted down a motion to take up a bill that would ban assault rifles, reflecting the state’s historical reluctance to enact gun control reforms.
“Florida is, unfortunately, the Petri dish for the NRA,” says Moskowitz.
The legislator urged President Trump to live up to his campaign promise and make America great again. He said the commander-in-chief can’t use pushback from Congress as an excuse for not getting things done.
“Just sign an executive order and ban bump stocks,” he said. “Just sign an executive order and deal with background checks.”
The tech-savvy teenagers of Parkland have leveraged social and traditional media to mobilize people across the country. They’ve organized a national “March for our Lives” protest for March 24.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/florida-state-legislator-partisanship-on-gun-control-wont-cut-it).
Presidential hopefuls sparred over immigration at the Democratic debate in Detroit Wednesday night, arguing specifically over how the next occupant of the White House will improve the system and correct approaches taken by past administrations.
On the Detroit Democratic debate stage, Sen. Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, found herself grilled on her record regarding cannabis and criminal justice by fellow candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Rep. Ryan told Cheddar that he's so focused on making sure American workers are prepared for the future of manufacturing and wants to drive investment in the electric vehicle market.
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percent on Wednesday, marking the first time the U.S. central bank had lowered rates since the financial collapse in 2008. The decision puts the benchmark rate at a range between 2 and 2.25 percent.
Fox News personality Judge Jeanine Pirro is jumping into the cannabis game. She joined the board of Heavenly Rx, the hemp and CBD company announced on Wednesday.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, July 31, 2019.
Candidates like Pete Buttigieg, Tim Ryan, and Amy Klobuchar were very critical of the student loan forgiveness plans put forth by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on the Detroit debate stage.
In a debate heavy on the topic of Medicare for All versus private insurance, the 2020 Democratic candidates also wrangled about expanding guaranteed coverage to undocumented immigrants on the Detroit stage.
The president's team is in Detroit as Democratic hopefuls flock to the second primary debates, and it's banking on the economic improvements in the Great Lakes State to help him bring home another victory in 2020.
President Trump may be excluded from the nation’s largest primary election after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Tuesday that would require presidential hopefuls to release their tax returns in order to appear on the ballot.
