via CNN:
After a wide-ranging, televised meeting Wednesday at the White House, Democrats walked away stunned and with some tepid optimism that something substantial could happen on guns, while Republicans appeared flummoxed.
After all, President Donald Trump had defied traditional GOP orthodoxy on an issue as essential to the Republican brand as any: guns.
And unlike earlier meetings where Trump has embraced bipartisanship without any specificity, Trump was explicit about what he wanted Wednesday. On camera, he’d pushed to raise the age at which an individual can purchase a rifle from 18 to 21 even
after a weekend lunch with officials from the National Rifle Association, who have publicly opposed the change. Trump called to expand background checks and told the House’s Majority Whip Steve Scalise that a concealed carry bill
would never pass attached to legislation to incentivize states to enter data into the national background checks database.
Stephen Colbert grills Omarosa on Trump presidency and her ‘plantation’ comment:
Colbert asked Manigault-Newman about a comment she made while she was a contestant on “Celebrity Big Brother,” in which she said, in reference to the potential consequences of the Trump presidency, “No, it’s not going to be okay, it’s not.” She also said she was “haunted by tweets every single day.”
Manigault-Newman clarified her comments on “The Late Show” by saying she was talking specifically about the immigration debate with fellow “Celebrity Big Brother” contestant Ross Mathews.
“We were talking about a family of a man who had been in the country for 30 years and had been sent back, and Ross was expressing his concern about what was happening with immigration,” Manigault-Newman said. “I believe that the immigration debate will continue, and it’s a very difficult and complicated subject, and I don’t believe that it can be resolved so simply, and that was part of the discussion, and that’s why I was a bit emotional
Dick’s Sporting Goods will stop selling assault-style rifles:
Dick’s Sporting Goods, the nation’s largest sporting goods retailer, will stop selling assault-style weapons like the one used in the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting.
The company said it will also raise the minimum age for all gun sales to 21. Dick’s (DKS) will not sell high-capacity magazines that allow shooters to fire far more rounds than traditional weapons without reloading, as well as other accessories used with weapons similar to the AR-15.
Ryan Seacrest’s Oscar night could prove complicated:
As Ryan Seacrest continues to defend himself against an
allegation of sexual harassment, E! has chosen to stand by its longtime host, saying this week that he will occupy his usual post front and center of the action on the red carpet during Hollywood’s biggest night.
The decision will leave E!, its hosts, and the celebrities set to walk the red carpet in a difficult position on an occasion that marks both the culmination of Hollywood’s award season and the first Academy Awards since the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements forced the entertainment industry to address its issues with sexual harassment and gender-related inequity.
“I don’t think [Seacrest is] going to have a great time on the carpet,” one longtime Hollywood publicist tells CNN.
Missing CDC epidemiologist was passed up for promotion, police say:
Timothy J. Cunningham, 35, was last seen February 12 after leaving work early, saying he didn’t feel well. Police have canvassed his neighborhood, nearby woods, a cemetery and other areas, finding no clues on his whereabouts. There have been no bank transactions in the weeks since, said Atlanta Police Maj. Michael O’Connor of the major crimes unit.
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