The 15-hour gun filibuster and where things go from here, how grief keeps us together and unites us in the face of tragedy, after a 5-year absence 'Curb' is back.
Senate Republicans relent after gun control filibuster, but little progress expected
Senate Republicans have relented after a marathon filibuster by Democrats aimed at securing a vote on gun control measures.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, seized the floor yesterday morning and vowed to halt proceedings until Republicans agreed to a vote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFQr-2j5PNQ
Fifteen hours later, it seems he got what he wanted. Republican leadership reportedly agreed to schedule a vote on legislation that would require background checks and ban weapon sales to people on terror watch lists.
So where do things go from here?
For answers to that Take Two spoke to John Bresnahan, Capitol bureau chief for Politico.
Press the blue play button above to hear the interview.
Does the Second Amendment leave room for any gun control laws?
Following Wednesday's filibuster in the Senate led by Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy, Republican leaders have agreed to hold votes on two pieces of legislation: expanded background checks and allowing the attorney general to prohibit gun sales to people on terrorism watch lists.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the ban on gun sales to suspected terrorists in December, following the mass shooting in San Bernardino. It failed 45-54.
In American culture, the Second Amendment means something different than what it means in court.
To talk about the current state of gun control laws and other legal gun battles, Take Two spoke to Eric Ruben, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law who focuses on the Second Amendment.
Interview highlights
On the Second Amendment, its history and lower court challenges:
"The Second Amendment reads: 'A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.' And as a preliminary point, it's important to note that until about thirty years ago, people generally viewed the Second Amendment as being limited by the "militia" clause. There was a ...multi-decade effort to interpret the Second Amendment to provide an individual right to self-defense, and in 2008, the Supreme Court adopted the individual right view of the Second Amendment. In doing so, it struck down a ban on handguns that was in place in the District of Columbia, but the Supreme Court went to great lengths to caveat its ruling. It said it should not be read to cast doubt on any long-standing prohibitions on firearms, and since the Supreme Court's decision in 2008, lower courts have been upholding a whole range of gun laws in the face of Second Amendment challenges."
On whether the Second Amendment holds up with assault weapons:
"One thing that's highly relevant now is whether the government can ban so-called assault weapons and large capacity magazines—the magazines that hold ten or more bullets and that have been used in mass shootings. And most of the courts that have considered this question have upheld those laws in the face of Second Amendment challenges..."
On a lawsuit brought by Sandy Hook victims' families against gun manufacturers:
"The Sandy Hook lawsuit is brought by ...some of the victims of the 2012 shooting in Newtown, and what the plaintiffs are saying is that the sale and marketing of the assault weapon by Remington and River View Sales constitute a so-called 'negligent entrustment' and in order to understand the case, it's important to understand first that in 2005, Congress gave the firearm industry broad immunity from all sorts of lawsuits—immunity that other manufacturers and dealers in dangerous products don't have. And there are a few exceptions to that immunity statute. For the most part, the immunity statute has made it very difficult for gun violence victims to sue the gun industry. In fact, only two cases since 2005 have made it to jury, and the Sandy Hook plaintiffs are trying to squeeze through this negligent entrustment exception to the immunity statute and they're saying in essence that because Bushmaster and the dealer knew—or reasonably should know—that the assault weapons it was selling could be used to cause unreasonable risk of injury that that constitutes negligent entrustment, that's the definition of negligent entrustment."
"What the plaintiffs are asserting is that the assault rifle was designed for war, it's the same platform as what is used by the military, and it's marketed to the civilian population in a way that emphasizes its militaristic qualities. The sellers, according to the plaintiffs, should have known that the assault weapons are attractive to mass shootings and would be likely to be used in one."
To listen to the full interview, click the blue audio player above.
One nation under grief: How communal bereavement helps heal
Following tragedies like the one in Orlando, there's a clip from an interview with Fred Rogers - of Mr. Rogers fame - that often makes the rounds on social media:
In an effort to uplift the community, we remind one another to "look for the helpers". We seek support from friends, family, neighbors and yes, compassionate strangers.
We grieve as a community and attempt to heal together. So, how does communal bereavement work? And how helpful is it?
To get a better understanding, we reached out to Laura Agnich via Skype. She's an assistant professor of criminal justice at Georgia Southern University and started researching communal grief almost 10 years ago when she was finishing up her Masters at Virginia Tech.
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
State of Affairs: Budget deal, gun control, and CA vote count continues
On this week's State of Affairs, the political fallout of the Orlando shooting, a big budget deal in Sacramento, and the CA primary vote count continues.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- Ben Adler, Capitol bureau chief for Capital Public Radio
- John Myers, Sacramento bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times
The spontaneous return of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
OK, Curb Your Enthusiasm fans: Do you remember this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8jzHOEHtes
It's just one of the many laughs you enjoyed from Larry David. And now, those laughs are returning to HBO. Yes — Larry David announced this week that season nine of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' is actually happening.
, senior TV writer for the Hollywood Reporter, joined host A Martinez to talk about the enduring appetite for the show.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.