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The numbers of mass shootings in the US fell last year due to the pandemic.

With schools and businesses closed, there were fewer opportunities for armed attackers to claim innocent lives.

The shootings that did occur attracted less media attention, competing with the coronavirus, the tumultuous Trump presidency and a dramatic election.

Joe Biden brought a change of tone to the White House. There have been less controversies and no angry tweets. This US president does not dominate the headlines in the way his predecessor did.

But while some would say things have returned to "normal" in Washington, we have also seen the return of one of the darkest problems that continues to beset America.

On Thursday night, a gunman shot and killed eight people and injured several others at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis before taking his own life.

It was the latest in a series of mass shootings in the last month.

On 31 March, four people, including a child, were shot dead in an office building in southern California.

Nine days earlier, ten people were killed in a shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.

That came less than a week after a man shot and killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, in Atlanta, Georgia.

After every mass shooting in the US, a similar pattern of events plays out.

Politicians extend their "thoughts and prayers" to the victims' families but then the divisions start to emerge.

On one side, there are calls for tighter restrictions and tougher background checks. On the other side, the pro-gun lobby will tell you that it is a mental health issue.

"Guns don't kill people. It's people that kill people," I have been repeatedly told by those who oppose stricter gun control measures.

They will also point out that Americans' right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.

According to opinion polls, most Americans support tougher gun laws, but such measures frequently face an uphill battle in the US Congress.

In March, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted in favour of legislation expanding background checks, but it has yet to be passed by the US Senate, which is split 50-50 between the two parties.

Earlier this month, President Biden announced his first steps since taking office to tighten gun controls including new rules for certain types of weapons and investments in community violence intervention programmes.

He vowed to clamp down on self-assembled or homemade "ghost-guns", which are untraceable, and he also promised action on devices called "stabilising braces", which effectively turn pistols into rifles.

The president announced plans to make it easier for states to adopt "red flag" laws which identify at-risk individuals who own guns.

The House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused Mr Biden of trying to trample over people's constitutional rights. "He is soft on crime but infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens. I won't stand for it. And neither will House Republicans. Follow the Constitution!" he tweeted.

After Thursday's shooting in Indianapolis, the US president repeated his calls for Congress and the Justice Department to act.

"Too many Americans are dying every single day from gun violence. It stains our character and pierces the very soul of our nation. We can, and must, do more to act and to save lives," Mr Biden said in a statement.

As the US vaccine rollout continues to surge ahead, it has brought a welcome reopening of the country.

Normal service may be resuming across the US but unfortunately so too is the problem of gun violence.

See the rest here:
US gun violence makes a return to global headlines - RTE.ie

The collegium also faces other daunting issues like proportionate representation and seniority of High Court judges being elevated to the Supreme Court. The new Chief Justice of India will have to break the wall of distrust within the collegium, that might have prevented a consensus on elevating High Court judges during the last 14 months. He will also be required to assure the country that the best legal minds are indeed being elevated to the higher judiciary as judges.

Adequate representation of women and minorities on the bench of the Supreme Court is another issue that needs to be addressed urgently. The apex court currently has just one woman as judge, and given that virtually half the population comprise women and also because gender sensitive cases have seen a sharp rise, there is a strong case for many more women judges in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has only one Muslim judge and no Sikh, Buddhist, Jain or an Adivasi. This is also a matter of grave concern. The Court is an institution of governance that needs to maintain public trust. Should not the minority communities have better and higher representation on the Bench, especially when there is evidence that a disproportionate number of these minorities are victims of the state and the judicial system?

These communities deserve a fair representation in the Apex Court. The collegium is duty-bound to diversify the Bench to give adequate representation to all sections of society so that public trust, which is the greatest strength of the judiciary, could be restored. In addition to this, the perception, if not the reality, that only a few dominant castes/communities monopolise the Bench of the higher judiciary needs to be dispelled.

The new Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court collegium will also have to take up the issue of recommendations pending with the central government. The central government has no justification for sitting over the recommendations for appointment of judges for an indefinite and prolonged period of time. As per media reports, hundreds of names are pending with the central government for elevation to the High Courts. They need to be cleared without further delay. Nothing can justify delaying judicial appointments. The government has always enjoyed the right to communicate its reservations, if any, to the collegium with a request for reconsideration. The collegium will hopefully also take a stand against the central government segregating recommendations made by the collegium, accepting some and rejecting others. The central government has no such power to segregate the recommendations of the collegium without taking it into confidence.

Original post:
The new CJI has a long to-do list before him - National Herald

Arsenal 4

Arsenal win 5-1 on agg

Arsenal's ability to rise to the occasion has been frequently questioned this season, but with their season hanging in the balance, they responded superbly scoring three goals inside the opening 24 minutes to secure their place in the Europa League semi-finals.

It was an excellent response to the disappointment of conceding an added time equaliser in the first leg seven days previously with first half strikes from Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette and Bukayo Saka ensuring Mikel Artetas side enjoyed an unexpectedly comfortable evening as they set up a meeting with Villarreal in the last four. Lacazette capped the win in the 76th minute with his fourth goal in two games.

Victory also came after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang explained the reason for his absence with a post on social media immediately before kick off that showed him in a hospital bed along with the message that he had been receiving treatment after contracting malaria while on international duty with Gabon.

Aubameyang had appeared as a substitute in the first leg but was missing from the weekend trip to Sheffield United.

"I've spent a few days in hospital this week," he said on Instagram. "I'm already feeling much better every day, thanks to the great doctors that detected and treated the virus so quickly. I wasn't really feeling myself the last couple weeks but will be back stronger than ever soon!

A terrible lapse in concentration in the final moments of the first leg allowed Tomas Holes to score an added time equaliser for Slavia Prague that meant Mikel Artetas side arrived in the Czech capital knowing they needed to score to go through.

The manner in which they had allowed control of the tie to slip away was all too typical of so many Arsenal performances this season. On this occasion, though, there could be no doubt about the resolve they demonstrated to keep alive their hopes of winning the competition and claiming the additional reward of a place in next seasons Champions League.

Their belief had been strengthened by Sundays 3-0 win at Sheffield United, their first victory in five games, that was built on a first clean sheet in 15 games. Arteta opted to stick with the back four that started at Bramall Lane meaning there was no place for Gabriel who mistake contributed to Holess goal a week previously. It also meant that Granit Xhaka was once again pressed into an unfamiliar role at left-back.

Further forward, Emile Smith Rowe came in for Gabriel Martinelli because, Arteta confirmed before kick-off, of doubts about the the teenagers ability to see out the 90 minutes after picking up a minor knock at the weekend. The hosts, meanwhile, were without Ondrej Kudela, the centre-back, who was this week banned this week for 10 games after racially abusing Glen Kamara, the Rangers midfielder, in the previous round.

Right from the opening whistle Artetas side look in control of the game. They pressed forward confidently whenever they could while the defence looked assured as they dealt with Slavias attempts to impose themselves on the visitors.

It took just 14 minutes for the Gunners to unpick Slavias defences and they would have been ahead but for a narrow offside decision that ruled out Smith Rowes close range effort. The playmaker was alert and the first to respond after Saka had cut on to his left foot and shot across keeper Ondrej Kolar who did well to divert the ball onto the post. The referee awarded the goal but the video assistant referee spotted an infringement after lengthy wait.

There was no sense Arsenal were deflated at having been denied an opening goal and they immediately forced their way back onto the front foot to claim an 18th minute lead through Pepe.

The winger drilled a low cross into the box and when the ball broke to Smith Rowe on the edge of the area, the midfielder showed superb skill to beat two players and slip in Pepe who finished well from close range.

Saka then burst into the box two minutes later but his run was halted by a clumsy challenge from Slavia midfielder Jakob Hromada. Presented with the chance to double the lead from the penalty spot, Lacazette held his nerve to send the keeper the wrong way.

Arsenal were rampant and had effectively killed off the game in the 24th minute when Saka went one better than his earlier effort after being sent clear by Calum Chambers. This time the midfielder drilled his shot inside Kolars near post to add the third.

With such a commanding lead it was no surprise Arsenal eased off slightly but they produced another fine goal 14 minutes from time to confirm their superiority. Xhaka played the ball to Pepe who cross found Lacazette and the forward showed excellent close control to find space before completing the win.

SLAVIA PRAGUE (4-5-1): Kolar 6; Bah 4 (Visinsky 46, 6), Holes 6, Zima 6, Boril 6; Sevcik 5, Stanciu 5 (Lingr 46, 6), Hromada 5 (Masopust 46, 6), Provod 6, Olayinka 6; Kuchta 5.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Leno 6; Chambers 7, Holding 7, Mari 7, Xhaka 7; Ceballos 7, Partey 8; Pepe 8, Smith Rowe 8 (Elneny 66, 6), Saka 9; Lacazette 8.

Referee C Cakir (Turkey) 6.

More here:
Arsenal rise to the task to keep their season alive - Irish Examiner

I finished writing a book called the Price of the Modi Years a few days ago. It should be published later this year. It is a history of India since 2014 and I have examined the facts and the data on various parts of the polity like the economy, national security, governance, the judiciary and so on. I do not want to talk about the contents of the book because it has too much detail and in any case some of my views may already be familiar to readers. What I did want to talk about was where some of the material was taken from.

Of the sources that have been quoted in the book, the one that has been cited most 85 times is a website called TheWire.in. Another website, Scroll.in has been cited 54 times. In comparison, the Times of India has 37 citations. The reason for this is that I have found that the websites have carried more of the sort of reports that I was interested in than the newspaper.

The fact is that in the last decade or so these websites and others like them like News Click and The News Minute and Alt News have become as important a source of news as the traditional media like newspapers. Most of these sites were founded by journalists and survive on donations and some grants. They are not owned by big business houses or traditional media houses, and that is one reason why their content is different.

Traditional media is dependent on the Central government for several things. For instance, the Modi government spends Rs 1,200 crore per year (Rs 100 crore per month) on advertising. The Central Public Sector Units spend another Rs 1000 crore or so. So roughly about Rs 200 crore of money is given to media each month, an enormous sum which comes at a price. The various state governments and their budgets are separate from this.

The rest is here:
Rs 200 Crore p.m. to the Modi Media but Govt wants control over digital media - National Herald

(NEXSTAR) After you receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, you receive a vaccination card that records the type of vaccine and the date of the shot.

But what happens if you lose the card?

For one, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend taking a photo of both sides of the card, in case you lose it. But if you forgot to do so, heres what the CDC says you can do:

When you do receive your vaccination card, dont post a selfie, watchdog groups say.

According to theBetter Business Bureau, posting your vaccination card on social media can make you the victim of identity theft and can help scammers create phony versions.

Your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine. If your social media privacy settings arent set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use, the group warns.

TheFederal Trade Commissionechoed the bureau, likewise warning of the threat of identity theft when posting a photo of your card.

Thats not the only problem at play, however. According to the bureau, scammers in Great Britain have been caught selling fake vaccination cards on eBay and TikTok, and its only a matter of time before similar cons come to the United States.

Posting photos of the cards helps provide scammers with information they can use to create phony cards, BBB said.

BBB recommends the following actions to keep yourself safe:

Read the rest here:
Lost your vaccination card? Heres what to do - KHON2