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democracy:

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“Today is a very dangerous day for America,” Jones said. “A lynch mob assembled to not lynch me, but our democratic process.”

Henrell Remus, the chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, said the expulsions amounted to a direct political attack on Democrats. He said the move sets a dangerous precedent for political retribution.

“The day that a majority can simply expel a member of the opposing party without legitimate cause threatens the fabric of democracy in our state and creates a reckless roadmap for GOP-controlled state legislatures across the nation,” Remus stated.

The expulsion of Jones and Pearson was also a move to hide the issue of gun control, said Rep. Sam McKenzie, chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators.

“This was not about that kangaroo court that happened yesterday. This was about those three young children and those three guardians, those three adults, whose lives were taken away senselessly,” McKenzie said.

california:

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SB 2 would make 21 the required age to apply for a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW), although existing state legislation restricts the sales of pistols to people under 21. A system of appeals would also be created for people initially denied the permit. The bill would also limit where people can carry firearms, creating locations called “sensitive sites” where guns would be prohibited. Property owners of sites where guns are off limits would have the authority to allow guns if they choose.

California’s prior concealed carry permit law, which required that applicants show reason for needing to carry a concealed firearm, was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court last year in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen.

In a 6-3 vote, the high court’s conservative majority ruled that “may-issue” systems, like those used in New York, California and three other states using “arbitrary” evaluations of need, made by local authorities, are unconstitutional. States are, however, allowed to enforce “shall-issue” permitting, where applicants for concealed carry permits must satisfy certain objective criteria, such as passing a background check.

“Bruen affirmed the ability of states to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals and out of certain sensitive places. With SB 2, California does just that. It provides objective, reasonable guidance that prevents CCW permits from being issued to dangerous individuals and provides a list of places where weapons may not be carried,” said Portantino. “The presence of firearms in public increases the dan-

astronaut:

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“This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate and it’s so much more than the four names that have been announced,’’ Glover said.

This is the first moon crew to include someone from outside the U.S. — and the first crew in NASA’s new moon program named Artemis after the twin sister of mythology’s Apollo. Late last year, an empty Orion capsule flew to the moon and back in a long-awaited dress rehearsal.

“The world saw what happened. [The GOP] ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

President Joe Biden also chimed in, calling the move shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.

The president noted that Jones and Pearson stood in solidarity with students and families “and helped lift their voices.”

Former President Barack Obama noted that America “was built on peaceful protest.”

“No elected official should lose their job simply for raising their voice, especially when they’re doing it on behalf of our children,” Obama stated.

“What happened in Tennessee is the latest example of a broader erosion of civility and democratic norms. Silencing those who disagree with us is a sign of weakness, not strength, and it won’t lead to progress.” gers of intentional or accidental gun violence—at the workplace, at the movies, or on the road. One study showed that states with permissive right-to-carry laws experience 29% more workplace homicides than states with more restrictive licensing requirements.”

Only twice since the Civil War has the Tennessee State House expelled a member, the last time in 2016 when they removed Jeremy Durham for sexual misconduct. In 1983, the body voted to remove Robert Fisher for soliciting a bribe.

During the hearing, opposition came from handfuls of law enforcement groups, particularly from the southern part of the state, including the Los Angeles Police Officers Association and the Orange County Sheriffs Association.

“Addressing Bruen in this way is unnecessarily complicated and overly burdensome,” said California State Sheriffs’ Association Legislative Director Cory Salzillo. “Given what we’ve seen in other states, it is likely to be challenged and probably overturned in whole or in part.”

In the nation’s most populous county, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department (LASD) is responsible for taking applications and issuing CCWs. Though the Sheriff did not endorse the bill publicly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors did, and in a written statement to California Black Media (CBM) the LASD appeared to tacitly support the bill.

“Recently, several of our California Government leaders have joined together to announce new gun legislation which would enhance gun safety laws in California.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has partnered with the Board of Supervisors on the added gun safety measures and how we can bring awareness to the communities we serve,” the statement said.

Before the hearing, CBM asked Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna about the proposed bill.

“Am I excited? Absolutely,” Koch said to cheers from the crowd of schoolchildren, politicians and others. “But my real question is: ‘Are you excited?’” she said to more cheers.

The Canadian Space Agency snagged a seat because of its contributions of big robotic arms on NASA’s space shuttles and the space station. One is also planned for the moon project.

Hansen said he’s grateful that Canada is included in the flight.

“We are going to the moon together. Let’s go!” he said.

During Apollo, NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972. Twelve of them landed. All were military-trained male test pilots except for Apollo 17’s Harrison Schmitt, a geologist

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-NV) called on Nashville and Shelby counties to immediately appoint Jones and Pearson back to their seats. Horsford also called on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to issue a determination under the Civil Rights Act on whether the move complied with federal law about non-discrimination and for corporations in Tennessee to publicly condemn the GOP’s action.

“Apparently, Tennessee Republicans care more about stopping certain Democrats from speaking than they do about stopping America’s kids from getting shot to death in schools,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated.

“Tennessee Republicans’ vindictive overreaction to a peaceful protest in support of gun control following the Nashville school massacre carries the stench of white supremacy,” Council on American-Islamic Relations National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said. “We condemn this unjustified and racially-charged vote, and we expect it to only embolden activists and voters to become more involved in the political process.”

“I believe we have to change the status quo when it comes to guns because there’s way too much gun violence,” he said. “I don’t want to take guns away from legal gun owners, but I always believe that there has to be a path to doing it right.”

The threat of legal challenges is almost certain.

“Any law that we passed through the Legislature, someone can bring a challenge to. That’s not a unique circumstance. This bill will probably be challenged,” said Portantino. “But do we believe it’s constitutional? Absolutely. We looked at the Bruen decision as a roadmap to create a constitutionally sound approach. The Supreme Court said you can’t be arbitrary, so this bill is not arbitrary. It’s creating concrete criteria of who should and shouldn’t be eligible to get this responsibility of having a concealed carry permit, that’s consistent with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said you can have prohibited places. This bill has prohibited places that make sense.” who closed out that moonlanding era alongside the late Gene Cernan. Provided this next 10-day moonshot goes well, NASA aims to land two astronauts on the moon by 2025 or so.

The Bill was advanced through the committee after a 4-1 vote and will next be heard on April 10 by the Committee on Appropriations.

In 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed Senate Bill (SB) 918, also authored by Portantino with provisions similar to SB 2. That bill failed to pass in the Legislature.

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill last week making the Sunshine State the 25th state to allow concealed carry with virtually no extra permitting or stipulations. Newsom, who spent time in Florida during the week, strongly criticized the action. “Don’t be fooled by the @GOP lies. Permit-less carry does not make you safer. States with open carry laws have higher gun violence rates,” Newsom said on Twitter.

NASA picked from 41 active astronauts for its first Artemis crew. Canada had four candidates. Almost all of them took part in Monday’s ceremony at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field, a pep rally of sorts that ended with Wiseman leading the crowd in a chant.

President Joe Biden spoke with the four astronauts and their families on Sunday. In a tweet Monday, Biden said the mission “will inspire the next generation of explorers, and show every child — in America, in Canada, and across the world — that if they can dream it, they can be it.”