Politics

Obama Reignites Push for Gun Legislation

Published

13 years ago

September 26, 2013

BlackPressUSA Newswire

By George E. Curry

NNPA Editor-in-Chief

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – In the wake of high-profile gun violence in the nation’s capital and Chicago, President Barack Obama told members of the Congressional Black Caucus and their dinner guests that he will renew his effort to persuade Congress to pass legislation toughening the nation’s gun laws.

Speaking at the CBC Foundation Dinner Saturday night, Obama said, “We can’t rest until all of our children can go to school or walk down the street free from the fear that they will be struck down by a stray bullet. Just two days ago, in my hometown of Chicago, 13 people were shot during a pickup basketball game, including a 3-year-old girl. Tomorrow night I’ll be meeting and mourning with families in this city who now know the same unspeakable grief of families in Newtown, and Aurora, and Tucson, and Chicago, and New Orleans, and all across the country – people whose loved ones were torn from them without headlines sometimes, or public outcry. But it’s happening every single day.”

President Obama, in his role as comforter-in-chief, addressed 4,000 people mourners Sunday night at the Marine Corps Barracks, several few blocks from the Navy Yard where Aaron Alexis, 34, a former Navy reservist with a history of mental problems, killed 12 people on Sept. 16 in Building 197 before being killed himself.

‘Part of what wears on . . . is the sense that this has happened before,” President Obama said. “What wears on us, what troubles us so deeply, as we gather here today is this senseless violence that took place in the Navy Yard echoes other recent tragedies.”

Exasperated by inaction in Congress, the president said, “By now . . . it should be clear that the change we need will not come from Washington, even when tragedy strikes Washington. Change will come the only way it ever has come, and that’s from the American people.”

Obama acknowledges that he faces an uphill battle getting gun legislation enacted.

Despite strong support from President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and relatives of the 20 first-graders and six educators killed in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. last December, legislation requiring expanded background checks failed to clear the Senate earlier this year.

“We fought a good fight earlier this year, but we came up short,” Obama said at the CBC dinner. “And that means we’ve got to get back up and go back at it. Because as long as there are those who fight to make it as easy as possible for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun, then we’ve got to work as hard as possible for the sake of our children. We’ve got to be ones who are willing to do more work to make it harder.”

Unlike when Obama addressed the CBC two years ago, there was no controversy over his speech this year.

President Obama created a stir in 2011 when he said, “I expect all of you to march with me and press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying.”

Both Obama and most Democrats in Congress are united in their push for gun legislation.

Public opinion polls show that support for stricter gun laws has fallen since the immediate aftermath of Sandy Hook. A Gallop poll conducted December 19-22 found 58 percent of the public favored tougher gun laws, 6 percent wanted less strict laws, 34 percent wanted no changes and 2 percent were undecided.

However, a Gallup poll conducted last week showed 49 percent favoring tougher gun laws, 13 percent less strict, 37 percent no changes and 2 percent undecided.

A June CBS News/New York Times poll showed a partisan divide, with 78 percent of Democrats, 30 percent of Republicans and 46 percent of independents favoring stricter laws. Only 2 percent of Democrats, 11 percent of Republicans and 12 percent of independents wanted the laws to be less strict. Most of the rest of those polled did not want any changes.

A study of Black homicides by the Violence Policy Center (VPC), a national non-profit educational organization that conducts research and public education on violence in America, found the Black homicide rate is more than six times that of Whites.

Using FBI figures, the center said there were 6,469 Black homicide victims in 2010. The homicide rate among Black victims in the United States was 16.32 per 100,000, compared to a rate of 2.66 per 100,000 for Whites. About 14 percent of the Black victims were female.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) opposes legislation that would require background checks for gun purchases.

A new report by the Violence Policy Center titled, “Blood Money II – How the Gun Industry Funds the NRA,” disclosed that members of the gun industry have donated between $19.3 million and $60.2 million to the NRA since 2005. Because the NRA is required to report only a range of donations, VPC said, it is impossible to determine exactly how much the organization receives from the gun industry.

In its first “Blood Money” report in 2011, the Violence Policy Center said the gun industry contributed between $14.7 million and $38.9 million to NRA, a figure that has increased considerably since then.

The latest “Blood Money” report, issued this month, states: “Despite the widespread cover of Blood Money’s findings received after the Newtown shooting, the NRA’s escalating efforts to bring in gun industry dollars, and the growing number of NRA programs ‘sponsored’ by members of the gun industry, to this day the NRA continues to falsely state on its webpage that the organization “is not affiliated with any firearm or ammunition manufacturers or with any businesses that deals in guns and ammunition.’”

In a press release, the Violence Policy Center said, “One of these ‘corporate partners’ is Freedom Group, manufacturer of the Bushmaster assault rifle used in the mass shooting of 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012. Cerberus Capital Management, which owns a 94 percent share in Freedom Group, pledged to sell its investment in the days following the Sandy Hook shooting but has yet to uphold its promise.

“After ramping up its financial support to a million dollars or more, Freedom Group’s leadership was inducted into the NRA’s Golden Ring of Freedom at the organization’s annual meeting in May 2013. The Golden Ring of Freedom is reserved for those who have ‘given gifts of cash totaling $1,000,000 or more,’ according to the NRA.”

It continued, “A second inductee was Smith & Wesson, manufacturer of the assault rifle used in the July 2012 mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado that left 12 dead and 58 wounded. In a promotional video on the NRA’s website, Smith & Wesson CEO James Debney explains, ‘I think it’s important for everybody to step up and support the NRA. They are our voice.’”

According to the new “Blood” report, high-capacity ammunition magazine manufacturers or vendors who contributed to the NRA included: Midway, with a contribution ranging between $5 million and $10 million. Those giving $1 million to $5 million were: Beretta USA Corporation, Brownells, Freedom Group, Springfield Armory, Inc., Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co.

Approximately 50 other gun companies or distributors – including Winchester, Glock, Browning, Colt, and Remington – gave lesser amounts.

Josh Sugarmann, author of the study and executive director of the Violence Policy Center, said in a statement, “Less than five months after the tragedy in Newtown, while families and the entire community still mourned, the NRA was celebrating its financial ties to the manufacturer of the assault rifle used in the shooting. In the wake of declining household gun ownership, the NRA has turned to the funder of last resort: the gun industry itself.”

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Black History

Hundreds of Black Christian Leaders Arriving in Israel for Martin Luther King-Inspired Mission

Hundreds of African American and African Christian leaders are visiting Israel for the ‘Unfinished Business Pilgrimage,’ inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s plans for a pilgrimage in 1967 that was canceled due to the Six Day War. The event aims to promote pro-Israel sentiments amidst rising antisemitism and will expand to thousands of participants in 2027. Pastor Dumisani Washington emphasizes the importance of Black Americans recognizing their role in supporting Israel. Pilgrimage leaders are also delivering gifts to victims of recent violence, reiterating the historical bond between Jewish and Black communities in advocating for justice. Pastor Michael A. Stevens highlights the need for education against antisemitism while suggesting that Israel should be more attuned to issues affecting Black lives.

Published

4 hours ago

November 4, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Pastor Michael A. Stevens, Sr. speaks in Jerusalem ahead of the Unfinished Business Pilgrimage, November 4, 2026. (Lazar Berman/The Times of Israel)

By Lazar Berman, The Times of Israel

As support for Israel declines precipitously in the US, hundreds of African-American and African pastors and Christian leaders are arriving in Israel this week for a mission inspired by the slain US civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

King planned to bring thousands of pilgrims to Israel and Jordan in 1967, but that trip was postponed because of the Six Day War and the political implications of such a trip. He said he would look into coming the next year, but was assassinated in April 1968.

“There were no mass pilgrimages” back then, says Pastor Dumisani Washington, a pro-Israel activist, at a press conference in Jerusalem. “We as Black Americans recognize that Black Americans were about to start something that no one else was doing.”

The “Unfinished Business Pilgrimage” will expand to thousands of participants next year, say organizers, to mark 60 years since King’s planned visit.

“We felt a burden in our heart,” Washington continues. “We see the rising antisemitism on the right and on the left.”

There is a “mountain of support rising from the Black church,” says Pastor Michael A. Stevens, Sr.

The leaders of the pilgrimage present gifts to victims of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre, including freed hostage Elkana Bohbot; Hila Abir, whose brother Lotan was murdered at the Nova music festival; and Daniel Lischinsky, whose son Yaron was murdered alongside his fiancée Sarah Milgrim at an Israeli embassy event in Washington, DC.

Ther rest of the participants arrive tomorrow, and will visit biblical sites across the country, as well as the site of the Nova massacre.

Steven says that Jewish and Black Americans had a tradition of coming together to “establish what was right, and to set the tone for the nation and for the world.”

“If anyone should stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters, it ought to be African-Americans, it ought to be Africans,” he continues.

Though rates of antisemitism have risen among people of color, Stevens tells The Times of Israel, “I still think we are the lowest-hanging fruit to educate and to learn.” He says, “The African-American Church is still the most influential institution in all of America, in fact, at least in the Black community.”

Stevens says one of the objectives of the mission is to spread awareness that “we cannot have antisemitism in our culture, period.”

At the same time, he says that Israel could improve its approach to Black America: “I believe Israel could be more attentive to the fact that a lot of the loss of lives that we see looks like us. Whether it’s in Gaza, whether it’s Ethiopians and racism.”

Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis. Jr. is on this delegation representing the Black Press of America and Spill the Honey as a present-day fulfillment of the dream and prior plan of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in 1967 to lead a 5000 Black Clergy Pilgrimage to Israel.

Black Press

DOJ Fights to Keep Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Search Warrant Sealed: Report

GARLAND JOURNAL — Federal prosecutors are petitioning a U.S. District Court to maintain the seal on a search warrant and related records following an FBI search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home.

Published

1 day ago

November 3, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

DOJ Fights to Keep Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Search Warrant Sealed: Report

Federal prosecutors are trying to keep sealed the search warrant and related records from and FBI search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home earlier this month.

According to The Washington Post, a coalition of more than a dozen media organizations, including the Post, is seeking access to the warrant and related records. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, is overseeing the dispute.

In a Tuesday (October 27) court filing, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro argued that the request was premature because investigators are still reviewing evidence seized during the October 12 search and have not decided whether to file charges or whom to charge.

“This request sounds rash because it is rash,” Pirro wrote, according to The Hill. She argued that releasing the records could expose investigative sources and compromise the probe.

“Unsealing everything now imperils the investigation,” the Justice Department wrote, according to the Post.

The media organizations argue that the warrant application and supporting affidavit could reveal the investigation’s targets, the evidence investigators have gathered, and how the probe began, according to the Post.

The October 12 search was part of a federal investigation into allegations that Omar or members of her family misrepresented information on immigration paperwork. The congresswoman has denied wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of politically targeting her.

As BIN previously reported, the Trump administration has also explored whether Omar could be stripped of her U.S. citizenship.

During an MS NOW interview on Wednesday (October 21), Omar announced plans to move out of her Washington residence, citing safety concerns after the search made her address public.

According to The Washington Post, prosecutors said in the filing that they may not oppose releasing some warrant records, with appropriate redactions, once the warrant has been fully executed and a public charging decision has been announced.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on theiHeartRadio appor clickHEREto tune in live. In this article:DOJ Fights To Keep Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Search Warrant Sealed, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg

Based on reporting by Garland Journal.

Black Press

Oakland NAACP, BWOPA Speak Out Against Alleged Harassment of Black Women Political Leaders

The Oakland NAACP and the Oakland/Berkeley chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action have issued a joint statement condemning a pattern of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination directed at Black women in politics. Leadership from both organizations noted that these concerns reflect a rise in online hostility and political attacks against public servants. The allegations emerged amid a contentious race for the Oakland Unified School District Board of Education, prompting a public debate over accountability and political conduct. Read more to learn how the involved parties have responded.

Published

1 day ago

November 3, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Danielle Motley-Lewis, president of BWOPA’s Oakland/Berkeley chapter.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

The Oakland branch of the NAACP and the Oakland/Berkeley chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) have issued a joint statement condemning what they describe as harassment, intimidation and discrimination targeting Black women in politics.

Founded in 1968, BWOPA is a California-based nonprofit advocacy and membership organization that is focused on increasing Black women’s participation and influence in the political process.

Danielle Motley-Lewis, president of BWOPA’s Oakland/Berkeley chapter, told California Black Media (CBM) that the statement reflects growing concerns about online hostility and political attacks directed at Black women candidates, elected officials and public servants.

“These allegations deserve serious attention and should not be dismissed as ordinary political disagreements,” the organizations said in their statement.

The concerns have surfaced amid a contentious race for the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Board of Education’s District 6 seat, where candidate LeAna Powell has reported experiencing harassment during her campaign.

Powell is running against Alexandra Williams and incumbent Valarie Bachelor, the school board’s vice president. All three candidates are Black women.

Motley-Lewis said the organizations’ statement addresses concerns extending beyond the school board contest, although Powell’s experiences helped bring the issue into focus.

“I could only speak to what I witnessed on social media. There were various types of harassment online,” Motley-Lewis said of the back-and-forth about the candidates online.

“It was unnerving.”

Powell, a former aide to former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, previously filed an informal complaint with the Oakland Public Ethics Commission alleging that Thao, then a City Council member, pressured city employees to work on her mayoral campaign.

Thao was recalled in November 2024 and left office Dec. 17 of that year. She subsequently faced federal charges related to an alleged bribery scheme. The criminal proceedings are separate from the dispute involving Powell’s school board campaign.

Powell also filed a complaint with the NAACP concerning what she described as harassment during her campaign.

Among those publicly criticizing Powell is Brandon Harami, a former Oakland mayoral staffer and LGBTQ+ advocate who said he previously worked with Powell in Thao’s office.

In a Sept. 27 Facebook post, Harami questioned Powell’s qualifications, judgment and political associations.

“District 6 candidate for School Board LeAna Powell does not have the maturity nor spine required to be on the school board,” Harami wrote.

Motley-Lewis said the organizations had documented or witnessed conduct they considered troubling, although she emphasized that their concerns were not limited to Harami or Powell.

Harami has denied the allegations and accused the organizations of misrepresenting his conduct.

In an Oct. 11 Instagram post, he called the joint statement a political smear and demanded that BWOPA and the Oakland NAACP retract it.

He argued that the organizations’ characterization of his actions unfairly portrayed him as having a history of harassment and discrimination. He also contended that the allegations were being used to silence LGBTQ+ voices.

Motley-Lewis said she declined Harami’s request for a retraction because the statement addressed a broader pattern of conduct affecting Black women in politics.

“I was open to brokering that conversation. However, (Harami) was unwilling,” Motley-Lewis said. “He did reach out to BWOP to retract our statement, and I advised him that I would not be doing that. The statement that he was included in (addressed) a broader problem that is experienced by various women.”

Black Press

SEIU Local 1000 and State of California Will Continue to Negotiate New Labor Contract

Thousands of California state employees represented by SEIU Local 1000 recently staged a one-day walkout to protest stalled contract negotiations with Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration. The union, which represents approximately 100,000 public workers, is demanding a 20% wage increase over three years and an end to mandatory four-day in-person work requirements. While the initial strike has concluded, union leadership warns that further demonstrations are likely if the state continues to reject their demands for better pay and telework flexibility. Negotiations are expected to continue as both sides seek a resolution. Read more.

Published

1 day ago

November 3, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

California state workers staged a one-day strike Oct. 21 to protest alleged unfair labor practices and stalled contract negotiations over wages, remote work requirements and health care costs. The workers' previous contract expired June 30. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

After the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 labor contract expired June 30 and talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration stalled, the union stepped up its efforts to secure a new agreement, saying its demands had gone unheeded.

On Oct. 21, thousands of state employees represented by SEIU Local 1000 staged a one-day walkout to protest alleged unfair labor practices during negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

Although the strike has ended, SEIU Local 1000 President Anica Walls said further demonstrations or an expanded strike are highly likely if contract negotiations remain stalled. The union represents approximately 100,000 public employees statewide.

“We are out here because our jobs matter,” Wells said. “If they continue to refuse to bargain with us in good faith, we are prepared to escalate.”

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) expressed support for SEIU Local 1000’s labor action in an Instagram post, emphasizing the importance of fair treatment for workers.

“I stand in complete solidarity with SEIU Local 1000,” Smallwood-Cuevas stated. “More than 100,000 state workers they represent are on strike today fighting for good-faith bargaining, fair treatment, and a contract that reflects the value of the essential public services they provide every day—all things that should be a given for the workers our state relies on the most.”

Smallwood-Cuevas, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) added, “When California’s workers hold the line, the whole nation pays attention.”

According to union representatives, SEIU Local 1000 is seeking a contract that addresses rising living costs and provides greater workplace flexibility. The union is demanding a 20% wage increase over three years and an end to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s requirement that state employees work in person four days a week.

The union is also seeking increased state contributions toward employee health care benefits to reduce workers’ out-of-pocket costs.

On Sept. 18, Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1729, authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San Jose), which sought to expand telework opportunities for state employees.

The bill would have required state agencies to offer telework options or provide written justifications for requiring employees to work in person. Supporters argued that telework could save taxpayers approximately $225 million annually by reducing office space and parking costs while lowering vehicle emissions and improving employee retention.

Newsom said the legislation would limit state departments’ flexibility to manage their workforces and evaluate telework exemptions individually. He has also emphasized the benefits of in-person collaboration.

“I want people to come back to work, reengage, rediscover, collaborate, coordinate, develop relationships, friendships, and fall in love,” Newsom said in July. “You get three-day weekends. Four years ago, that would’ve been a triumph. Now it’s a burden.”

Union organizers described the Oct. 21 walkout as a one-day unfair labor practice strike, rather than an indefinite work stoppage. The action was intended to demonstrate solidarity and increase pressure on the state during negotiations.

SEIU Local 1000 has been without a contract since its previous three-year agreement expired June 30. Negotiations are expected to resume.

Responding to the statewide walkout, the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) said it “remains focused on achieving a fair and responsible agreement with SEIU Local 1000 and continues to be available at the bargaining table.”

Black Press

OPINION: We Can Restore Checks and Balances on Trump

With the presidential administration facing criticism over its handling of healthcare, inflation, and government spending, political observers are shifting their focus toward the upcoming congressional elections to restore institutional checks and balances. Recent data suggests Democrats are within reach of the 218 seats needed for a House majority, while specific Senate races in states like Texas and Michigan remain pivotal. The outcome of these contests will determine the legislative branch’s ability to challenge executive policies on tariffs, taxes, and military engagement. Click to read more.

Published

1 day ago

November 3, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

AI-generated file photo.

By Emil Amok Guillermo

Rapper Nikki Minaj is the latest high profile political tool of Donald Trump. The president recently remarked on the Afro-Trinidadian singer’s backside, praising her “beautiful ass.”

Is this what passes as an appeal for the Black vote? But Trump is an equal opportunity offender.

At recent rallies, Trump made homo-erotic comments about Republican men and their butts, like when he referred to Ohio Senator John Husted’s as a “pile of muscle.” But shouldn’t Trump be talking about the real issues?

Gas prices are now higher than they were under former President Joe Biden. Inflation is higher than when Trump took office, while he has redecorated the White House and already spent over $200 million on gold filigree. At least 3 million people have been kicked off of Medicaid or Obamacare because of Trump-backed legislation in Congress.

The country needs a change in how Trump does business. We need a strong independent Congress in both the House and Senate that will be our voice to stand up to ideas like a ‘forever war.’ Or tariffs against friend and foe.

This is the important math of the day: Democrats need 218 seats for a majority. Four more needed than their current 214. The latest Cook Report shows Democrats could gain 12-22 House seats.

But you still need the Senate, where Republicans have 53 members and the Dems have 47.

To have control, Dems would need to beat the tie breaker vote cast by VP J.D. Vance. Democrats need to get to 51 and that means four Senate victories on Nov. 3.

Of the key states politicos are watching, North Carolina and Georgia look blue. Can they get two more from toss-up states like Alaska (Mary Peltola?), Maine (Troy Jackson?), or Ohio (Sherrod Brown)? Observers are talking about two races in particular: Texas and Michigan.

In Texas the Talarico/Paxton race is fascinating. State legislator James Talarico is a choir boy compared to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—whose rhetoric and record suggest he would be more amoral than Trump.

Then there’s Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed is running against Mike Rogers.

The Black vote has wavered there, with some high-level Black pols coming out against El-Sayed on Fox News. Trump has also called El-Sayed a “jihadist and a terrorist.”

Born in the U.S., El-Sayed is a highly educated Rhodes Scholar, and a physician. The “model minority” is a terrorist? But like all people of color, he gets othered. Assumptions get made. His skin color and his religion make him a terrorist.

What about local issues like the billionaire tax in California. Prop. 40? I hate direct legislation by propositions because the proposals are usually flawed and can’t be worked out easily—like if legislators actually did their job in the state house.

But taxing billionaires more has to happen on the state and federal level. Prop 40 is a start. Even if it’s one time and goes mostly to health care. It’s a start toward fairness.

Whatever you say. Just vote. Now. Early. Don’t wait.

About the Author

Emil Amok Guillermo is a journalist, commentator and comic monologist. See him on his micro talk show: YouTube.com/@emilamok1

Black Press

Post News Group Nov. 3 Election Endorsements

The Post Newspaper Group has announced its official endorsements for the upcoming November 3 election, offering recommendations for a wide range of political candidates, local propositions, and regional measures. The selections cover key races in Oakland and Berkeley, including mayoral contests and city council seats, as well as critical positions for the Peralta Community College Board and AC Transit. The group also evaluated state offices and several high-profile ballot initiatives. Check the full list to see which specific candidates and measures earned the publication’s support.

Published

1 day ago

November 3, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire