The Great Gun Debate Begins
Start your day smarter with a dossier on the most important world news, rounded off with a shot of intriguing and offbeat stories. Like the president, you deserve no less.
Jun, 2022
Today
Gun restrictions breezed through the House, but the Senate is set to be another story. Police arrested a man planning to attack Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh just blocks from his home. China and Russia aren’t interested in any more sanctions on North Korea. And President Biden is playing host to other leaders from the Americas, but not everyone is thrilled. All this and more in today’s PDB.
IMPORTANT
Gunning for Change
Gun Bill to Flop in Senate, Centrist Republicans Eye Solutions
The House of Representatives voted along party lines to restrict sales of semi-automatic weapons to Americans over 21 and to ban large-capacity magazines. Survivors and the family of victims from the Uvalde, Texas, massacre testified to a House Committee just hours before. Democrats passed the bill 223 to 204, but it is widely expected to be tossed out of the Senate where Republicans have a solid opposition bloc and Democrats will be unable to overcome a filibuster. Still, moderate Republicans are looking for a way to move forward with a bipartisan group established with the blessing of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Sources: NYT, Politico)
Taking Target
Suspect Arrested in Foiled Kavanaugh Assassination
Police arrested a 26-year-old man a block away from Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland home. The man had called the county emergency communications center and was found carrying a handgun and ammunition, as well as pepper spray. He told local authorities he had been planning to kill Kavanaugh and was motivated by the widely expected overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Uvalde massacre. He had traveled from his home state, California, the FBI said. The would-be assassin faces 20 years in jail and has been denied bail. A trial is expected to begin at the end of the month. (Sources: CNBC, The Guardian)
Offside
UN Security Council Turns On Itself Over North Korea Tests
China and Russia have sparked controversy at the United Nations after splitting with the Security Council and vetoing a call for new sanctions on North Korea. The rogue state has attracted fresh ire after recent long-range and ballistic missile tests. The current situation is the United States’ doing, according to China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun, who said it has “developed to what it is today, primarily due to the flip flop of U.S. policies.” He has been joined by Russia’s Deputy Ambassador Anna Evstigneeva in calling for sanctions to be lifted and new strategies implemented for the global community. (Sources: Al Jazeera, VOA)
‘Some-mit’
Biden Opens Summit of (Some of) the Americas
President Joe Biden opened the Summit of the Americas with a focus on the positives — cooperation and democratic processes. But the boycott of key members of the region, including the vital presence Mexico, is overshadowing what is supposed to be an important event proving the U.S. is back under Biden. “Democracy has been a hallmark of our region,” Biden said in opening remarks at the Los Angeles event. Still, that might be a flexible definition of “democracy.” The president will meet Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro — a far-right populist who had been threatening his own boycott — for the first time on the sidelines. (Source: CNN)
Briefly
Here are some things you should know about today:
Arms up. The FDA is mulling approval for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, which uses older vaccine technology to inoculate against the virus. It’s good news for U.S. service members who have declined other vaccines on offer. (Source: AP) Go home. After just a few days of sweet freedom, parts of Shanghai will go back into lockdown for a — hopefully — short two-day quarantine in an effort to curb growing cases in the Minhang district. (Source: Reuters) High-land. Thailand has struck marijuana from its narcotics list, meaning anyone can now grow and sell the plant. It’s a stark contrast with the rest of Southeast Asia where many countries enforce the death penalty for possession. (Source: BBC)
INTRIGUING
Bot or Not?
Twitter Promises ‘Firehose’ of Tweets for Musk
You want it? You got it. That’s the message from Twitter, which plans to turn on the “firehose” of each and every tweet to would-be buyer Elon Musk. The billionaire previously pledged to buy the social media network for $44 billion, but walked back on that offer complaining about bots and trolls on the site. Musk has been requesting the data, which at least 20 companies currently pay for, for a month and accused the board of dragging its feet as a distraction. Twitter denies the claims, saying it is looking forward to “the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms.” (Sources: WaPo, TechCrunch)
Local Wonder
White House Eyes Hudson Canyon for Marine Sanctuary Status
The underwater chasm is about 100 miles southeast of New York, and is the largest canyon in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean, comparable to the Grand Canyon. It’s all part of the Biden administration’s moves to protect 30% of the country’s land and water, but has been a long time coming after first being nominated for protection in 2016. In the same announcement Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said single-use plastics will be outlawed in national parks within a decade. The Interior Department has an “obligation to play a leading role in reducing” plastic waste, Haaland said. (Sources: NPR, The Hill)
London Calling
Harvey Weinstein Named in Historical Sex Crime
The former film producer titan will be charged with two counts of indecent assault dating back to 1996, the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service confirmed. Local authorities say the allegations were made by a woman, now in her 50s, relating to two incidents that year. Weinstein, 70, was previously sentenced to 23 years in New York for similar sexual assault charges, which an appeals court upheld this month. He also faces 11 sex crime charges in Los Angeles with a trial date to be set at the end of the week. It is unclear whether Weinstein will be extradited to the United Kingdom. (Sources: The Guardian, Variety)
New Name
You Never Leave Ikea With Just a Flat Pack
They design your house, so why not your child’s name? Swedish icon Ikea is helping the new parents of Norway name their children with a new "name bank” featuring over 800 names. Sure, the monikers were intended for bedside tables and kitchen chairs but Ikea says many of its names were originally for people. It’s part of a tongue-in-cheek effort to diversify. Like many retailers around the world, Ikea’s stock has been hit by the pandemic and its accompanying supply chain issues. But, as the company noted in a statement, “There is at least no shortage of children.” (Source: AP)
Game On
Gymnasts File Billion-Dollar Case After DoJ Backflip
The plaintiffs in the case are seeking varying amounts with a total claim pushing past $1 billion. Over 90 gymnasts, including superstar Simone Biles, say the FBI repeatedly failed to investigate sexual assault allegations, despite having received credible reports. The civil case comes just two weeks after the Department of Justice dropped its criminal investigation into two FBI agents who are accused of making false claims. There’s a reckoning coming within the agency. FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress: “There were people at the FBI who had their chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed.” (Source: NYT)
