In a very small victory for decent governance, Democrats announced Monday that federal research on gun violence will not just be permitted, but funded: $12.5 million each is to be allocated to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and to the National Institutes of Health. The funding is tucked into the wide-ranging spending bill that must be passed by this Friday to keep … Read More
Breaking: School Shooting In Santa Clarita, CA
Five people have been have been shot at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita (35 miles north of Los Angeles), prompting schools in the area to be placed on lockdown and a massive response from sheriff’s deputies and paramedics. At least two are in critical condition. The shooter, described as Asian, has not been apprehended. Television images showed sheriff’s deputies … Read More
SCOTUS Will Not Take Up Case Against Gun Manufacturer
In March, the Connecticut Supreme Court put the gun industry on notice: If you advertise your weapons as alluring tools for mass slaughter, you will face consequences—at least in this state. By a 4–3 vote, the court revived a lawsuit by the families of Sandy Hook victims alleging that Remington recklessly marketed its Bushmaster AR-15–style weapon for “illegal, offensive purposes,” contributing to … Read More
Document Dump: Senate Report On How NRA Became A Russian Asset
The National Rifle Association acted as a “foreign asset” for Russia in the period leading up to the 2016 election, according to a new investigation unveiled Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Drawing on contemporaneous emails and private interviews, an 18-month probe by the Senate Finance Committee’s Democratic staff found that the NRA underwrote political access for Russian nationals Maria … Read More
This Won’t Fly
Not the answer: The White House is considering a controversial proposal to study whether mass shootings could be prevented by monitoring mentally ill people for small changes that might foretell violence. Former NBC Chairman Bob Wright, a longtime friend and associate of President Trump’s, has briefed top officials, including the president, the vice president and Ivanka Trump, on a proposal to create … Read More
The NRA Is A Terrorist Organization
No, really: San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution declaring the National Rifle Association (NRA) a “domestic terrorist organization” following the shooting in Gilroy, Calif., where four people, including the gunman, were killed. The resolution, which local Fox affiliate KTVU reported passed on Tuesday, declares the gun rights group to be a terrorist organization and calls on other cities and government entities … Read More
El Paso Victims Say No To Trump
Daily Kos: Donald Trump’s visit to El Paso was packaged with slick videos and pictures of a grinning Trump posing with medical staff. But one thing the White House will not be releasing pictures of is Trump with the shooting victims still being treated at University Medical Center—because none of the eight patients was willing to meet with him. “This is a very sensitive time … Read More
Breaking: USA TODAY Shooter?
#BREAKING — We are aware and are investigating reports of a SHOOTING at USA Today building in Tyson’s, Virginia… Standby for more @WUSA9 — Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) August 7, 2019 BREAKING: We’ve gotten a text from a family member of an active shooter at the USA Today building near Tyson’s. — Matt Brooks (@mbrooksrjc) August 7, 2019 Police evacuating @USATODAY … Read More
Trump Travels To El Paso And Dayton Today
He will meet with first responders, but only because his handlers are smart enough not to get him within feet of any victims, especially in El Paso where he is not liked for his rhetoric. As for Dayton…. White House shuts out press at Trump’s Ohio hospital visit – no photographs or questions — Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) August 7, 2019 … Read More
Trump Has A History Of Thwarting Law Enforcement Of Far Right Terrorism
If you want a quick rundown of some of the ways Donald Trump’s team of hard-right conservatives has sought not just to downplay far-right domestic terrorism threats but to weaken the ability of government to investigate them in the first place, the Los Angeles Times’ Molly O’Toole has you covered. From the beginning moments of Trump’s administration, his appointees moved to shift government … Read More
Guilty Conscience: A Story In Three Tweets
pic.twitter.com/nNOVtQ50O4 — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 5, 2019 “Did George Bush ever condemn President Obama after Sandy Hook. President Obama had 32 mass shootings during his reign. Not many people said Obama is out of Control. Mass shootings were happening before the President even thought about running for Pres.” @kilmeade @foxandfriends — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 6, 2019 Obama … Read More
Psychologists Shame GOP For Blaming Massacres On ‘Mental Health’
The Republican attempt to pin the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton on “mental health” issues was rebuked by the American Psychological Association on Monday. “Routinely blaming mass shootings on mental illness is unfounded and stigmatizing,” said APA President Rosie Phillips Davis in a statement. “Research has shown that only a very small percentage of violent acts are committed by people who … Read More
Hannity’s World
Presidential adviser Sean Hannity: “I’d like to see the perimeter of every school in America surrounded, secured by retired police … have one armed guard on every floor of every school, all over every mall, the perimeter and inside every hall of every mall.” pic.twitter.com/Renh47IiBY — Brendan Karet 🚮 (@bad_takes) August 6, 2019 Gun nuts say they need their weapons … Read More
Weekend, Bloody Weekend
This weekend saw two mass shootings with a total casualty count (so far) of 29 people. On Sunday, Americans woke up to news of a shooting rampage in an entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio, where a man wearing body armor shot and killed nine people, including his own sister. Hours earlier, a 21-year-old with a rifle entered a Walmart in … Read More
NRATV Is No More
The National Rifle Association has shut down production at NRATV and cut ties with advertising firm Ackerman McQueen, the New York Times reports. It comes amid a tumultuous year for the NRA that’s seen Oliver North step down as president in April. The gun rights group was involved in a legal battle with Ackerman McQueen, a contractor for NRATV. North hosted a documentary series … Read More