Attempt for background checks on stranger-to-stranger gun sales in Texas
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is calling for an expansion of background checks for stranger-to-stranger gun sales, according to WFAA.
Patrick, usually a strong ally of the National Rifle Association, drifted from the organization on the issue after last month’s mass shooting in Odessa — the suspected shooter reportedly bought a gun from a stranger.
The NRA responded by saying it is unwilling to to expand background checks.
Concern of mental health care on college campuses
Student mental health is back in the spotlight after the parents of a Harvard University student who committed suicide in 2015 filed a lawsuit against the university.
Sophomore Luke Tang’s family claims the university failed to protect him. It was his second suicide attempt in the span of two semesters, according to The Boston Globe.
Over the past year, 14% of college students said they seriously considered suicide, according to the Healthy Minds 2018-2019 Data Report.
The underpayment of teachers in America
About 1 in 5 teachers have a second job during the academic year, according to CBS News.
CBS News reported the average annual salary for a teacher is $60,000, but about a third of teachers make less than $45,000.
‘Killer robots’ could cause mass destruction
A former top Google software engineer believes that a new generation of autonomous weapons, also known as ‘killer robots,’ could cause mass destruction.
Laura Nolan, who resigned from Google last year, told The Guardian that killer robots not guided by human remote control should be outlawed.
Nolan said killer robots can potentially do “calamitous things that they were not originally programmed for.”
