News Roundup 11/07/17

By Jessica Murray

1. Trump Says Weak Gun Laws Are Not to Blame:

Tougher gun laws could not have prevented the mass shooting which left 26 people dead in Sutherland Springs, Texas, President Trump told a news conference from Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday. The president was asked about “extreme vetting” for gun purchases during the conference, to which he responded, “there would have been no difference three days ago and you might not have had that very brave person who happened to have a gun in his truck, go out, shoot him, hit him and neutralize him.”

Source: AP News

2. Air Force Failed to Document Texas Shooters Past Conviction:

The United States Air Force failed to enter into the National Criminal Information Center the 2012 domestic violence charge of Devin Patrick Kelly, gunman of Sunday’s Texas church massacre. If Kelly’s name had been entered into the database, he would not have been able to legally purchase weapons. Kelly’s convictions were for fracturing his infant stepson’s skull and assaulting his first wife.

Source: The Week

3. Trump Wants to Make a Deal With North Korea:

President Trump arrived in Seoul, South Korea this morning to hundreds of protesters shouting “No Trump! No War!” and waiving white flags with fake blood on them. However, Trump has indicated he is open for dialogue with Kim Jong Un and Pyongyang, saying “ultimately it will all work out,” a departure from his previous statements of "fire and fury" against the North Korean regime.

“I really believe it makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world," Trump said to journalists following his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. However, Trump added, “the United States stands prepared to defend itself with the full range of our military capabilities if need be.”

Source: Time

4. Ride Service With No Human Behind the Wheel:

Waymo Chief Executive John Krafcik revealed its self-driving unit is launching a ride-hailing service for the general public with no human behind the steering wheel in Phoenix, Arizona. The company has been testing such fully-self-driving cars on unlicensed roads. The announcement comes as a huge advancement in the autonomous vehicle market because while other self driving companies test their vehicles on public roads, they routinely have a human in the driver’s seat ready to take the wheel if the technology fails. 

Waymo says members of the general public will begin riding in its fleet of Fiat Chrysler Pacifica minivans in the next few months. At first, passengers will be accompanied by a Waymo employee in the backseat, but eventually passengers will travel alone in the robotic cars. The service will start for free, but the company expects at some point to start charging for rides.

Source: Reuters

5. Public Health Emergency Declared in New Delhi:

The Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency and advised schools to shut down Tuesday due to a shroud of toxic smog the enveloped New Delhi, the capital of India. According to the United States embassy air pollution tracker, levels of PM2.5, tiny particulate matter that enters deep into the lungs and bloodstream, reached 703, double the mark of 300 which authorities say is hazardous. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of New Delhi, tweeted, “Delhi has become a gas chamber.”

“Every year this happens during this part of the year. We have to find a solution to crop burning,” said Kejriwal, referring to the smoke caused by the burning of crops in the northern Indian states near New Delhi.

Source: Al Jazeera