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Mo News: Senate Passes Gun Law; Supreme Court Strikes One Down
Mosheh Oinounou
June 24, 2022
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Good morning!
Here's what we're working on today:
The Senate has an historic breakthrough on guns as the Supreme Court strikes down a state law. What does it all mean?
Gas prices are still hovering near record highs. President Biden has a new plan to give drivers a break, but does ANYONE think it's a good idea?
Another baby has died after consuming Abbott baby formula. What we know and where things stand with the baby formula shortage.
The FDA has approved vaccines for the youngest kids, but can parents find them anywhere?
Think you're burnt out at work? Well, according to a new survey, so is your boss!
Meet Trumpet, the dog who won Best in Show at the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
And as always, what we're watching, reading and eating this weekend.
Thank YOU for reading this newsletter, and for checking out our new Mo News podcast. Hope you're enjoying!
~ Mosh & Jill
⚖️ TALE OF TWO GUN LAWS
Historic Breakthrough: The Senate passed bipartisan gun legislation by a 65-33 vote late Thursday night, with 15 Republicans (including Mitch McConnell) joining Democrats. The 'Bipartisan Safer Communities Act' is poised to pass the U.S. House today and then receive President Biden's signature. It is the most significant new gun legislation since the mid-1990s. It follows a number of mass shootings this year, most notably in Uvalde, TX and Buffalo, NY. ~ Washington Post
This new legislation would provide funds to help states implement red flag laws, aid crisis centers, support mental health resources, including $15 billion in school security. It would also close the "boyfriend loophole." Existing law bars weapons sales only to misdemeanor domestic-violence offenders who committed crimes against a spouse or a partner whom they had children with or lived with. The Senate bill now restricts gun ownership for those who committed violence against dating partners.The law will also expand background checks on young purchasers under 21, create penalties for "straw" buyers purchasing guns for people who don't pass background checks, and require more sellers to register as "Federally Licensed Firearm Dealers."Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said it was "the first time the NRA was defeated on something significant.”“This is the sweet spot … making America safer, especially for kids in school, without making our country one bit less free,” Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY) said.Listen to Mosh's conversation with Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, who helped lead the effort to get this bill passed, about the impact it will have.
Landmark Decision: Meanwhile, just across the street from the Capitol, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 (decision text) to overturn a New York gun law that required people show "proper cause" to carry a concealed handgun outside the home.
Who is Impacted: California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have similar laws to NY. The case expands on the 2008 'Heller' high court decision that protected a person's right to possess firearms in the home for self-defense.Writing for the six conservatives in the new opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said New York’s requirement that gun owners show “proper cause” to carry a weapon outside the home for self-defense violates the Constitution’s guarantee of gun rights.“We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need,” Thomas wrote. “That is not how the First Amendment works when it comes to unpopular speech or the free exercise of religion..and it is not how the Second Amendment works when it comes to public carry for self-defense.”In his dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the court's three liberals, said: "In applying that approach to New York's law, the Court fails to correctly identify and analyze the relevant historical facts. Only by ignoring an abundance of historical evidence supporting regulations restricting the public carriage of firearms" can the Court conclude that New York's law is "not consistent with the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."
What does this mean? It's a major victory for gun-rights advocates. People in New York (and likely California and the other states with similar laws) will no longer need to provide a reason to carry a concealed firearm in public.Some limits still possible: Legal experts are pointing to the concurring opinion written by two of the court's conservatives: Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts. They note that the decision does not prohibit states from imposing licensing requirements for carrying a handgun. Kavanaugh pointed out that 43 states have what are called "shall issue" licensing regimes under which license applicants may undergo fingerprinting, a background check, a mental health records check, and training in fire-arms handling, among other things. ~NPRBottom lie: Experts say it will ultimately allow "more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities — including New York, Los Angeles and Boston — and elsewhere." ~ AP
WHAT'S NEXT: The next major Supreme Court decision on abortion rights will likely come in the next week.
⛽ GAS TAX DEBATE LATEST
With gas hovering around all-time highs, President Biden is asking Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months. Right now, the federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon for gas and 24.4 cents for diesel. The White House says the three-month hiatus would provide some "breathing room" for consumers. ~ USA Today
Desperate Times: Most experts say there's actually very little the president can do when it comes to gas prices. Still, Biden's approval rating is at the lowest point in his presidency, with most Americans concerned about the economy and sky-high inflation, particularly how much it's costing to fill up a car.
Mixed reviews: Not even all the Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are on board, and Republicans say it's a political stunt. Some economists say it could actually make inflation worse since cheaper prices could increase demand for gas (even more), and also deplete transportation funds.
What is the tax used for? Transportation and mass transit projects. The estimated loss from three-month holiday would be about $10 billion, which Biden wants to offset with other federal tax revenue.
Gas prices are now averaging $4.96 a gallon, down slightly as demand has dipped. Still, prices are about $2 a gallon higher than they were last year at this time, per AAA.As for the gas tax holiday, many experts say the savings would be relatively small, and do nothing to cut prices long term.
🍼 BABY FORMULA SHORTAGE UPDATE
The FDA is investigating a new report of another child’s death (the 5th) after consuming Abbott Laboratories’ baby formula. The FDA said it learned about the death, which occurred in January, from a consumer complaint it received a couple weeks ago. The FDA said its investigation is still in preliminary stages. It did NOT say which Abbott formula the baby had consumed or where the formula was produced. An Abbott spokesperson said "at this time there is no evidence to suggest a causal relationship between Abbott’s formulas and this newly reported case." ~ WSJ
This investigation comes months after four other cases of bacterial infection from Abbott formula were reported to the FDA, two of which resulted in deaths of children. The FDA said it hasn't "been able to rule in or rule out a definitive link between the four cases and the conditions of Abbott's plant." The plant inspections--as a result of these cases-- led to the production halt and recall in February, which exacerbated the baby formula shortage plaguing the nation.
After briefly reopening in early June, the Abbott manufacturing plant in Michigan is still closed again due to damage from a recent storm. Abbott accounts for nearly 50% of the nation's formula supply.
What's the government doing? The White House announced the largest shipments of baby formula to the U.S. to date on Wednesday as part of its campaign to combat the nationwide shortage of baby formula. They'll be sourcing 23 million eight-ounce bottles worth of formula from Mexico, Germany and Australia between June 24 and July 5. ~ ForbesSo far, the Biden administration’s Fly Formula operation has imported the equivalent of 15.15 million eight-ounce bottles.
💉 VACCINES FOR TODDLERS: SO CLOSE BUT YET SO FAR
The FDA and CDC approved Covid vaccines for kids under five, but some parents say they're not so easy to come by. Here are some of the messages we received from parents around the country on our @mosheh Instagram account:
Here is an explanation from a pharmacist in the Mo News community about issues parents are facing there:
What's up with Florida? Unlike every other state in the country, Florida did not let health care providers preorder the vaccines before their official FDA and CDC approval last week. A deputy press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statement, saying: “We have always maintained the position that the state of Florida has chosen not to be involved in the preordering or distribution of the vaccine for children under 5... The state of Florida does not recommend the vaccine be administered to healthy children."
Under pressure from medical professionals and the federal government, Florida is now letting pediatricians and children’s hospitals order the vaccines for toddlers. This means that families in Florida will be able to get the vaccines, just later than in other states. ~ NY Times
🏛 NEW JANUARY 6 REVELATIONS
Thursday marked the fifth hearing of the January 6 committee, which focused its efforts on former President Trump's attempts to coerce the Justice Department (DOJ) to aid his efforts to overturn the election. ~ NBC News
What efforts? Just days ahead of the January 6 insurrection, a group of top DOJ officials met in the Oval Office. Many threatened to resign if Trump installed a more junior official, Jeffrey Clark, to run the department.According to White House call logs, some in the administration had already began calling Jeffrey Clark "acting attorney general" by January 3, even though he did not have this title. He was apparently willing to take extrajudicial actions to overturn the election results if put in charge.
Think this is wild? Let us point you to "Italygate," the cited conspiracy theory that former President Trump found on the internet to support claims of election fraud, which contended that Italy modified the election results using satellite technology. When this was brought up to DOJ officials during that December call, Trump said "You guys may not be following the internet the way I do."
What comes next? This was the last of the hearings for the month. Additional hearings are scheduled for July as committee leaders say they have several new leads to follow. ~NPR
🗞 THE SPEED READ
The FDA ordered Juul to take its vapes off the U.S. market. This decision comes after an almost two-year review of data presented by the company who sought authorization to stay on shelves. Juul vapes, which were marketed towards young people and sported fruity flavors when first sold in 2018, have been blamed for contributing to underage vaping, and the FDA has been weighing the potential benefits of Juuls and other e-cigarettes on the market as a less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes.
Juul was initially criticized for its marketing to teens, and the use of young people and social media influencers in its ads. The company claims that it "never targeted children."
Underage vaping numbers have gone down in the U.S. as a result of the ban on selling fruity flavored cartridges and raising the legal purchase age to 21, and the popularity of Juul itself dropped too.
Netflix Cuts 300 Employees in New Round of Layoffs (Hollywood Reporter)
Netflix has cut an additional 300 employees — around 3 percent of its workforce. The cuts came shortly after another round of layoffs at Tudum, a Netflix fan site run by the company’s marketing division. The move comes as Netflix continues to grapple with and respond to an increasingly difficult streaming environment, where it is competing with tech giants like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ as well as studio conglomerates’ platforms like Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, HBO Max and Discovery+.
Even your boss wants to quit (Axios)
In a new poll from Deloitte, 70% of C-level executives say that they seriously might resign for a job that better supports their well-being; 76% say the pandemic has negatively affected their overall health; 81% said improving their own equilibrium is more important than advancing their career right now. Women executives were hit particularly hard during the pandemic, and a higher number are job-hunting or even stepping aside.
The Obamas Head To Audible (The Verge)
After a split with Spotify, the Obamas are taking their podcasts to Amazon's Audible. The Obamas’ production company, Higher Ground, and Audible announced a multi-year first-look deal. The Obamas were reportedly frustrated with Spotify's exclusivity windows, preventing their shows from going on other platforms. For its part, Spotify was frustrated with the lack of content the Obamas were producing---given how much they were being paid.
The 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show crowned Trumpet, a bloodhound, best in show this week. This show is the second-oldest annual sporting event in the US, after the Kentucky Derby, and had over 200 different dog breeds represented.
Trumpet kisses his handler after winning Best in Show, via CNN
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN' WEEKEND
What We're Reading: What Inflation? The Super Frugal Say They Were Made for This Moment (WSJ)
What We're Eating: Homemade popsicles via Mosh's wife Alex (Check out her IG page for recipes)
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