Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Today’s news briefs:
Walmart to ban legally carried guns in all stores
Walmart said it will stop selling ammunition for handguns and some rifles, and stop allowing shoppers to openly carry firearms even when local law permits it. The company plans to continue selling other guns. The policy, which some say is confusing, has both sides of the gun debate questioning the decision.
As Congress returns from a recess marked by several shootings, the prospect of new gun legislation is doubtful. With the 2020 elections looming, Republicans are looking to President Trump for political cover if they are to support restrictions on gun ownership, and he hasn’t endorsed a specific package.
While focus continues on shootings in primarily public places, both the media and politicians are refusing to cover the greater problem of shootings in primarily Democrat urban areas of the country. Those murders account for the vast majority of all gun-related homicides.
Michigan bans flavored e-cigarrettes
Michigan is the first state in the United States to ban flavored e-cigarettes after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, used executive power to implement a six-month ban.
After the six months, the ban can be extended for another six months.
The governor said she wants legislators to write the ban into law.
“As governor, my number one priority is keeping our kids safe, and right now, companies selling vaping products are using candy flavors to hook children on nicotine and misleading claims to promote the belief that these products are safe. That ends today,” Whitmer said in a statement obtained by the Detroit Free Press.
Man denies affair with Omar
The political consultant accused by his wife of having an affair with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) denied the claim in a new court filing as a report indicated that Omar’s own husband is seeking a divorce.
Dr. Beth Mynett, 55, said that Tim Mynett, 38, told her he loved Omar and left her for the lawmaker. She filed divorce papers in late August.
Because Omar’s campaign paid Mynett’s company nearly $223,000 since Aug. 2018, a legal group filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging she used campaign funds for personal expenses.
Technology in schools questioned
Over the past decade, American schools have spent heavily on devices and apps, betting on technology’s power to help children learn faster, stay in school and prepare for a competitive economy. But while it has made communication and collaboration easier and allowed students to learn at their own pace, researchers now say there is no evidence showing that it has worked. The uncertainty is feeding alarm among parents and teachers already worried about how much time children spend with digital devices.
Companies such as Apple and Microsoft have made tens of billions of dollars selling tablets and laptops to schools with the promise of better outcomes in test scores. Critics say the money could have been used for more teachers and other resources that are proven to work.
–Metro Voice and wire services
