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).
The Creative Coalition is on a mission to bring social justice and advocate for the arts. The group has launched a special PSA to combat sexual harassment. Actor Tim Daly serves as President of The Creative Coalition and Robin Bronk is CEO. The pair joins Cheddar to explain their initiatives and this new campaign.
As a child of immigrants, Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez is a fierce advocate for DACA recipients. Cheddar spoke with Congressman Gutierrez moments after Democrats in the Senate agreed to table a bill that would protect Dreamers until a later date, solely based on a promise from Republican Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The government is close to reopening. The Senate voted Monday in favor of a temporary spending bill to fund the government until February 8th. The Daily Beast's White House Reporter Lachlan Markay explains rhetoric on Capitol Hill over this short-term resolution.
States are the latest battleground over net neutrality regulations. Almost two dozen state attorneys general have sued to block the FCC's repeal of the Obama-era internet regulations, including Delaware State Attorney General Matthew Denn.
Congress appears to be on course to get the government back up and running soon, but what lasting impacts, if any, will the shutdown have on both political parties? Jack Hunter, Editor of Rare Politics, and Elizabeth Preza, Writer at Raw Story, discuss in this week's edition of "Agree to Disagree."
Between Bells: Government shutdown latest, women run for office in record numbers, all the latest from the Sundance Film Festival, and the biggest moments from the SAG Awards. With Rare Media, The Raw Story, CinemaBlend and more.
This year will see a historic number first-time female candidates seeking public office. Shay White is running to be the first African-American and first woman elected to Oklahoma's House District 77. She joins Cheddar to discuss her boundary-breaking campaign.
As the three-day government shutdown comes to a close, politicians are still placing blame and deflecting responsibility. CBN's Jenna Browder joins Cheddar to discuss what the next few weeks hold in store as immigration negotiations resume.
Shay White (D-OK) wants to make history by running for Oklahoma's 77th district. She says she leverages her relatability to connect with voters.
Rachel Feltman, science editor at PopSci, discusses the recent NASA report that found 2017 was the second warmest year on record, only behind 2016.
