Jan 30, 2019

'Trump slump' in gun sales continues for second straight year

Semi-automatic rifles are seen for sale in a gun shop in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Firearm sales dropped by 6.1% in 2018, marking the second straight year since the 2016 election that gunmakers and dealers have had to grapple with what industry groups call the "Trump slump," Reuters report.

The big picture: Trump's 2016 victory has largely eliminated concerns among pro-gun advocates that fear a crackdown on gun ownership. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates sales have plunged from 15.7 million in 2016 to 13.1 million in 2018 — a two-year drop of 16.5%. "Obama was the best-selling president for guns," Trisha Kinney, owner of a firearm retailer in California, told Reuters. "Every time he opened his mouth."

Go deeper

Axios

Updated 34 mins ago - Health

World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus surpassed 400,000 worldwide on Sunday morning, per Johns Hopkins.

By the numbers: Almost 6.9 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 globally and more than 3 million have recovered from the virus. The U.S. has reported the most cases in the world with over 1.9 million.

Go deeper (2 min. read)

Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler, Rashaan Ayesh

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

George Floyd updates

Protesters gather north of Lafayette Square near the White House during a demonstration against racism and police brutality, in Washington, D.C. on Saturday evening. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have been rallying in cities across the U.S. and around the world to protest the killing of George Floyd. Huge crowds assembled in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago for full-day events on Saturday.

Why it matters: Twelve days of nationwide protest in the U.S. has built pressure for states to make changes on what kind of force law enforcement can use on civilians and prompted officials to review police conduct. A memorial service was held for Floyd in Raeford, North Carolina, near where he was born. Gov. Roy Cooper ordered all flags to fly at half-staff to honor him until sunset.

Go deeper (2 min. read)

Axios

Updated 3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 6,898,613 — Total deaths: 399,832 — Total recoveries — 3,087,714 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 1,920,061 — Total deaths: 109,802 — Total recoveries: 500,849 — Total tested: 19,778,873 — Map.
Public health: Why the pandemic is hitting minorities harder — Coronavirus curve rises in Florida — How racism threatens the response to the pandemic — Some people are drinking and inhaling cleaning products in attempt to fight the virus.
Tech: The pandemic is accelerating next-generation disease diagnostics — Robotics looks to copy software-as-a-service model.
Business: Budgets busted by coronavirus make it harder for cities to address inequality — Sports, film production in California to resume June 12 after 3-month hiatus.
Education: Students and teachers flunked remote learning.

Other resources (<1 min. read)