Vegas Mayor: What Kind of People Are Growing Up in This World?
Just a month after the deadly mass shooting in Vegas, the country mourns again.
“What kind of people are growing up in this world, and in this country?” That's one of the first thoughts that crossed Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman's mind as she reflected on the most recent assault Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
35 days ago a gunman opened fire in her city, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500 concertgoers. This weekend, another man killed 26 and injured 20 in the small town in Texas.
And while many politicians and pundits react and call for stronger gun laws, Goodman says that these shootings, two of three that occurred within the last 17 months, may not have been stopped by different laws and aren't reflective of the majority of people in this country.
“You have to realize these are individual people, perpetrators. There’s something wrong with them,” she said during the interview with Cheddar. She adds that “it’s probably the publicity that they get out of it that makes them do these things.”
President Donald Trump also addressed the fatal Texas shooting on Sunday, sending his thoughts and prayers to victims and families and dismissing the idea that the shooting should immediately reignite the gun debate.
“I think that mental health is the problem here,” the commander-in-chief said, addressing the nation from his five-country Asia trip. The president said that the shooter was a “very deranged individual, [with] a lot of problems over a long period of time,” adding that it was a bit too soon to discuss gun control laws.
But not everyone is content with the language that some politicians are using to address the recent tragedies.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said that while warm wishes are nice, leaders are elected to lead. He blames the lack of action on fear and encouraged elected officials to “do something.”
“They are afraid to act because they are afraid of three letters. You know what those three letters are? NRA,” he said in a statement. “It’s political fear.”
Still, Mayor Goodman states that the majority of the people who live in this country are peaceful and can handle their guns. She argued that if the country took guns away, people with mental illness will still be able to find the weapons on the black market.
As for Vegas’ recovery, the mayor said the city is moving along.
“We practice all the time,” she said. “Life goes on here.”
Americans continue to feel the pain at the pump as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, joined Cheddar News to discuss how prices are being affected by the war and how much worse it could potentially get for drivers. "It's obviously a fluid situation. In one field today, I might feel differently in a half hour. But for now, I think we could see the national average realistically go somewhere into the mid $4 range, maybe $4.40 to $4.65 based on what we're seeing," he said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its 12th day following what Ukrainian authorities described as increased shelling of encircled cities and another failed attempt to evacuate civilians from the port city of Mariupol.
Gasoline prices are pushing even farther above $4 a gallon, the highest price that American motorists have faced since July 2008, as calls grow to ban imports of Russian oil.
Jay Hatfield, Chief Investment Officer at ICAP, believes a lot of the bad news regarding the fighting in Ukraine and Fed is already priced into the market and looming uncertainty factored into Friday's movement. However, he also believes the upcoming Fed decision will be good news for Wall Street.
News of Russian forces taking control of a Ukrainian after artillery bombardment of a nuclear power plant raised concerns this week. Nuclear policy expert and Quincy Institute Distinguished Fellow Joe Cirincione joined Cheddar News to discuss the implications for a potential disaster. “I’m with the director general of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He says that he is extremely concerned, and that this Russian attack is a severe risk and that Russia clearly violated the fundamental principle of preserving the integrity of nuclear power plants," Cirincione said.
Amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, major businesses from BP to Big Tech like Apple have been pausing their business dealings with the invading nation. Brian Walker, chief strategy officer at commerce software company Bloomreach, joined Cheddar News to discuss how some companies are showing support for Ukraine and what this could mean for consumers. "Whether it be impacts on energy or operational costs, shipping and logistics, or frankly impacts on the financial services industry, these will have long term implications on retail prices," he said.
About 678,000 jobs were created in February, hundreds of thousands more than predicted, according to the latest Labor Department report, showing a broad economic recovery despite inflation woes. Heather Boushey, member of the Council of Economic Advisers for President Biden, joined Cheddar News to talk about the employment figures. "This really shows that the economy is now more resilient because of the tools that we have in place," Boushey said. "So I'm optimistic that we'll be able to weather future storms."
Ramit Varma, Independent candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, joins Cheddar News to discuss the race and how he plans to tackle critical issues in the California city.
