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Big Stories

State leaders call for tougher gun control

On Tuesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called for tighter restrictions on the sale of guns to people that are in crisis. Lee encouraged General Assembly members to find a compromise and strengthen the state’s “red flag” laws that are in place to make access to firearms more difficult for people who are a threat to themselves or the public.

Background:
Tennessee is still trying to sort out the carnage from a mass school shooting in Nashville that claimed the lives of 6 children and teachers. Two state Reps. were expelled from their positions shortly after the attack for leading a protest with a bullhorn in the state capital buildings. The Governor hopes the legislature can implement a solution that will take the guns out of the hands of bad actors while not infringing upon the constitutional rights of Tennesseans.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Louisville bank shooting, Kentucky Rep. Morgan McGarvey implored federal lawmakers to support universal background checks because he believes the shooter could have been flagged as a risk. According to reports, the Louisville shooter texted or called someone after he bought the assault-style rifle and admitted he was suicidal and contemplating doing harm before the attack.

Big Picture in Kentucky:
Currently the state auctions off all police-seized weapons. That means the rifle used in the bank shooting will likely end up on the streets again. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg urged state lawmakers to allow the destruction of seized firearms. “The laws we have now are enabling violence and murder,” he said.

San Francisco’s crime woes continue

One of the biggest grocery stores in downtown San Francisco is shutting down due to the decline of the neighborhood. The flagship Whole Foods store only lasted a year before the crime and drug use in the area chased it out of business.

The closing comes after a recent uptick in violent attacks across the city. Cash App founder Bob Lee was stabbed to death last week, cycling champ Ethan Boyes died after being struck by a car, and former fire commissioner Don Carmignani was hospitalized after being beat over the head by a pipe-wielding homeless man.

Officials say that the city’s police departments are severely understaffed. Currently, 1,537 officers are employed in San Francisco, down 335 since 2017. In order to meet the city’s demand, at least 2,100 sworn officers are needed.

Little Stories

Business

*Elizabeth Holmes, the ex-CEO and founder of blood-testing startup Theranos, is off to prison after her request to remain free on bail was denied. She will be appealing her convictions for defrauding the company’s investors from her jail cell.

World

*The Taliban has banned women and children from restaurants with open garden spaces in Herat, a northwestern province in Afghanistan. The ban stemmed from complaints from religious scholars about mixing genders in such spaces.

**Russia’s most active volcano erupted early Tuesday morning, sending ash clouds over 65,000 sq miles. Lava flows from the blast melted snow causing mud slides across a nearby highway. Meanwhile, villages were blanketed in 3 inches of ash, the most in 60 years.

Politics

*The Biden administration has begun to give lawmakers access to the classified documents that were found in Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Joe Biden’s private residences.

**The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago in 2024, beating out New York and Atlanta. Atlanta’s recent violent protests over a new police training facility and ongoing labor disputes turned the party’s union supporters off.

Sports

*Eastern Conference: The Atlanta Hawks beat the Miami Heat 116-105 in the first NBA Play-In game to secure the 7th seed in the playoffs. Miami will need to defeat the winner of the Chicago Toronto game in order to secure the 8th seed.

Western Conference: The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime to secure the 7th seed in the playoffs. Minnesota will need to defeat the winner of the Oklahoma City New Orleans game to secure the 8th seed.

One Liners

*Arnold Schwarzenegger was tired of a pothole in L.A., so he terminated it.

**McDonald’s is dropping a strawberry shortcake McFlurry.

***Check out the top 10 best foodie cities in the US.

****There’s a $25K meteorite treasure hunt going on in Bangor, Maine.