The Republican majority of the Florida House struck down a measure to consider a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The vote was 71–36, mostly along party lines.
Students from Stoneman Douglas High School had traveled to the state capitol to appeal directly to lawmakers.
Former Vice President Joe Biden meets with clergy members and community activists during a visit to Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Del. on June 1, 2020. Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
Vice President Joe Biden is calling George Floyd’s dying words “a wake-up call for our nation,” and criticized President Trump’s decision to unleash tear gas on peaceful protesters outside the White House, in a civil rights speech from Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Biden in the address drew a sharp contrast between himself and Trump, whose first remarks addressing nationwide unrest Monday highlighted law and order, extreme demonstrations of militarized “strength” and other blustery threats.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
U.S. forces yesterday used tear gas on peaceful protesters outside the White House gates, prior to a declared curfew, clearing a path for President Trump to visit a riot-damaged church for a photo opportunity.
The state of play: Two of the largest U.S. producers of tear gas are owned by private equity firms, but those firms have no interest in discussing their ownership.