The Daily Populous

Wednesday January 25th, 2023 day edition

image for Texas senator proposes gun laws allowing school shooting victims to sue state, impose firearms tax

Austin, Texas -- After multiple mass shootings across the country this week, Uvalde families gathered Tuesday as Texas legislators introduced four new bills that would tighten gun laws in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting last May.

Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said it is time to address the nation’s gun problems as the list of mass shootings continues to grow.

“We can sue big tobacco when they market towards kids, but we can’t sue big guns.

Last May, an 18-year-old gunman armed with an assault-style rifle attacked Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two of their teachers.

It was the second-worst school shooting in United States history, and it has spawned several lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

Texas lawmakers filed more than 30 gun regulation bills ahead of the 2022 Texas legislative session, the first such lawmaking session since the Robb Elementary shooting.

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez speaks during a news conference at the Texas State Capitol, Jan. 24, 2023, in Austin, Texas. »

Starting Tuesday, all U.S. military veterans in suicidal crisis will be eligible for free care at any VA or private facility

Authored by nbcnews.com

Unlike for most other medical benefits, veterans do not have to be enrolled in the VA system to be eligible.

The VA already provides emergency suicide care, but with the new benefit, veterans will not have to pay any copays or fees for their care.

If the veterans receive care at a private facility rather than at a VA facility, the government will cover the costs. »

Germany to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine — reports – DW – 01

Authored by dw.com

Not-yet-confirmed news reports from several outlets say Germany's government has decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine along with allies.

German news magazine Der Spiegel and others published stories on Tuesday evening saying that the government in Berlin had decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

This follows a long-running debate on the issue among NATO allies, and comes after Poland formally asked Berlin for permission to send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine earlier on Tuesday. »

Wage theft often goes unpunished despite state systems meant to combat it

Authored by cbsnews.com

Whether it's paying less than minimum wage, withholding tips or pressuring staff to work off the clock, so-called wage theft siphons billions from Americans' paychecks.

All forms of wage theft are against Illinois law — and the laws of nearly every other state, along with the federal government.

In California, wage theft claimants had the longest wait times of any state whose data CBS News analyzed: 439 days. »