The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday it has taken steps to reduce gun violence by tackling the use of stabilizing devices that convert pistols into rifles and by publishing model legislation on red flag laws. 

The steps follow up on President BidenJoe BidenBiden DOJ adopts Trump’s liability stance in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit Boston mayor fires city’s police commissioner months after domestic abuse allegations emerge Book claims Trump believed Democrats would replace Biden with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama in 2020 election MORE’s executive actions in April, which gave DOJ 60 days to act on both issues.

“Today the Department of Justice announced two new steps to stem the epidemic of gun violence in our country, following through on the president and attorney general’s announcement in April of a set of initial actions,” White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiDemocrats reach turning point with Manchin The Memo: Political winds shift against Biden Overnight Energy: Climate emerges as infrastructure sticking point | US recovers millions in cryptocurrency paid to pipeline hackers | Chief scientist: NOAA is ‘ billion agency trapped in a .5 billion budget’ MORE told reporters on Monday. 

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DOJ issued a notice of proposed rule-making that makes clear that using devices to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles is subject to the requirement of the National Firearms Act, which imposes heightened regulations on short-barreled rifles.

Psaki noted that the alleged shooter in Boulder, Colo., used a pistol with an arm brace as a stabilizing device.

DOJ also published model legislation for states to craft “extreme risk protection orders,” which are also known as red flag laws. These laws authorize the courts to temporarily bar people in crisis from accessing a firearm.

Psaki also noted that a number of states already have red flag laws in place. 

“This is part of the president’s long-standing commitment to addressing the scourge of gun valence, which continues to claim far too many lives every day,” she said.

Attorney General Merrick GarlandMerrick GarlandBiden administration launches anti-human trafficking task force Justice Department announces new steps to reduce gun violence Republicans target Trump critic’s role at DOJ MORE also said in a statement the DOJ wants to take “concrete steps” to reduce gun violence. 

“Today we continue to deliver on our promise to help save lives while protecting the rights of law-abiding Americans. We welcome the opportunity to work with communities in the weeks and months ahead in our shared commitment to end gun violence,” he said.

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Former Vice President Al GoreAlbert (Al) Arnold GoreAl Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal Democratic super PAC targets Youngkin over voting rights Biden’s no-drama White House chief MORE reportedly urged President BidenJoe BidenJill Biden, Kate Middleton to meet this week Al Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal White House briefed on bipartisan infrastructure deal but says questions remain MORE in private to keep climate-focused policies in his expansive infrastructure bill as he struggles to shore up GOP support for the bill.

Sources familiar with the situation told The Washington Post that Gore, an extremely prominent environmentalist, made the call to Biden last month after being encouraged to do so by former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta. During the call, Gore also asked Biden to block the planned Byhalia Pipeline, which transport crude oil through predominantly Black neighborhoods in Memphis and could potentially affect drinking water.

The former vice president also spoke to Biden aide Steve RicchettiSteve RicchettiAl Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal Ricchetti, brother of Biden counselor, lobbied the White House on health care issues in first quarter White House meets little resistance in hiring former lobbyists MORE about climate and infrastructure, the Post reports.

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The private lobbying from Gore comes shortly before Biden is set to discuss measures to combat climate change at the Group of Seven summit in Cornwall, England this week. The G7 leaders are expected to announce new commitments to combating climate change, though Biden will be limited in what he can push for due to ongoing gridlock in D.C.

On Tuesday, Biden ended negotiations with a GOP group led by Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Wellons Moore CapitoAl Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal White House briefed on bipartisan infrastructure deal but says questions remain Bipartisan Senate group announces infrastructure deal MORE (R-W.Va.), failing to reach an agreement after weeks of talks. Biden will instead be focusing on discussions between a bipartisan group of moderate senators, including Sens. Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaAl Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal White House briefed on bipartisan infrastructure deal but says questions remain Bipartisan bill proposes to add billion in restaurant relief funds MORE (D-Ariz.), Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanAl Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal White House briefed on bipartisan infrastructure deal but says questions remain Senior Biden cyber nominees sail through Senate hearing MORE (R-Ohio), Bill CassidyBill CassidyAl Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal White House briefed on bipartisan infrastructure deal but says questions remain Bipartisan Senate group announces infrastructure deal MORE (R-La.) and Joe ManchinJoe ManchinAl Gore lobbied Biden to not scale back climate plans in infrastructure deal White House briefed on bipartisan infrastructure deal but says questions remain Harris to meet with Texas state lawmakers who blocked election reform bill MORE (D-W.Va.)

On Thursday, the bipartisan group announced that they had reached an agreement on an infrastructure deal that invests $1.2 trillion over eight years.

“Our group — comprised of 10 senators, five from each party — has worked in good faith and reached a bipartisan agreement on a realistic, compromise framework to modernize our nation’s infrastructure and energy technologies,” the coalition said in a joint statement. “This investment would be fully paid for and not include tax increases.”

The Biden administration is looking to potentially open the Gulf of Mexico to offshore wind and other renewable energy development, it announced on Tuesday.

The Interior Department said it will examine potential opportunities for development at the Gulf’s outer continental shelf and will allow for public comment to assess interest and gain information.

A spokesman for Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, John Filostrat, told The Hill in an email that this is the first time the agency is gauging interest for renewable energy in the Gulf.

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Interior Secretary Deb HaalandDeb HaalandBiden administration eyes potential offshore wind sites in Gulf of Mexico America the Beautiful initiative requires all hands on deck Biden administration moves to reverse Trump endangered species rollbacks MORE said in a statement that the assessment is “an important first step to see what role the Gulf may play in this exciting frontier.”

Later this week, the administration will publish a request for information for potential development off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama. Interior’s statement said the request will focus primarily on wind energy but also will seek information on other renewable energy technologies.

The announcement comes as the Biden administration seeks to reach the capacity to generate 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, a quantity it says is enough to power more than 10 million homes.

The push to bolster offshore wind comes as 35 gigawatts of capacity are already in process as part of the “offshore wind pipeline,” though the country has only two offshore wind farms that are currently operational. Other potential wind farms are in earlier stages, including planning and permitting.

Currently, offshore wind is being produced only on the East Coast, but the federal government has made moves to bring it West, including a recent agreement with California seeking to sell wind energy leases off its coast by the middle of next year. 

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A person has been killed or injured in a road rage shooting every 18 hours in 2021, an analysis done by Everytown for Gun Safety, a group that works to stop gun violence, found.

The group analyzed data collected by Gun Violence Archive and discovered that road rage incidents involving firearms have been on the rise since 2018.

A third of road rage incidents involving guns that occurred from 2016 to 2019 ended in death or injury. That number moved to 50 percent from 2020 to 2021.

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That increase has led to a monthly average of 42 deaths in the last 12 months. 

The monthly average for road rage shooting deaths was 22 for the prior four years, according to the analysis.

“Both the number of road rage incidents involving guns and the number of people wounded or killed have been going up each year, and they are on track to reach an all-time high in 2021. We don’t know definitively what’s driving this apparent increase, but the pandemic has brought all kinds of new stressors into people’s lives, as well as record increases in gun sales,” Sarah Burd-Sharps, director of research for Everytown, said.

“We’ve seen a national increase in shootings, and the data strongly suggests that this increase has played out on streets and highways, too,” she added. “These trends don’t seem to be slowing, making action from policymakers even more urgent than it already was.”

One couple is facing murder and accessory charges after shooting and killing a 6-year-old boy on his way to kindergarten during a road rage incident earlier this month. 

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The top two Senate Democrats on Friday called for multiple investigations into the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decisions in 2017 and 2018 to issue subpoenas seeking metadata records of House Intelligence Committee members as the Trump administration pursued leak investigations.

Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerDOJ to probe Trump-era subpoenas of lawmaker records Democrats demand Barr, Sessions testify on Apple data subpoenas Out-of-touch Democrats running scared of progressives MORE (N.Y.) and Judiciary Committee Chair Dick DurbinDick DurbinTrump DOJ demanded metadata on 73 phone numbers and 36 email addresses, Apple says Overnight Defense: Pentagon details military construction projects getting .2B restored from wall funds | Biden chooses former commander to lead Navy | Bill seeks to boost visa program for Afghans who helped US Senate bill would add visas, remove hurdles to program for Afghans who helped US MORE (Ill.) also called for two of former President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump DOJ demanded metadata on 73 phone numbers and 36 email addresses, Apple says Putin says he’s optimistic about working with Biden ahead of planned meeting Biden meets Queen Elizabeth for first time as president MORE’s attorneys general, William BarrBill BarrTrump DOJ demanded metadata on 73 phone numbers and 36 email addresses, Apple says DOJ to probe Trump-era subpoenas of lawmaker records Democrats demand Barr, Sessions testify on Apple data subpoenas MORE and Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump DOJ demanded metadata on 73 phone numbers and 36 email addresses, Apple says DOJ to probe Trump-era subpoenas of lawmaker records Democrats demand Barr, Sessions testify on Apple data subpoenas MORE, to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“The revelation that the Trump Justice Department secretly subpoenaed metadata of House Intelligence Committee Members and staff and their families, including a minor, is shocking. This is a gross abuse of power and an assault on the separation of powers,” Schumer and Durbin said in a joint statement Friday. “This appalling politicization of the Department of Justice by Donald Trump and his sycophants must be investigated immediately by both the DOJ Inspector General and Congress.”

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“Former Attorneys General Barr and Sessions and other officials who were involved must testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee under oath. If they refuse, they are subject to being subpoenaed and compelled to testify under oath,” the Democratic leaders continued.

To carry out that threat, Democrats would need the support of at least one Republican given the committee’s even split between the parties.

The DOJ’s internal watchdog confirmed on Friday that it would investigate the subpoenas, as well as recently revealed ones initiated against reporters at multiple news outlets.

“The review will examine the Department’s compliance with applicable DOJ policies and procedures, and whether any such uses, or the investigations, were based upon improper considerations,” Michael Horowitz, DOJ’s inspector ceneral, said in a statement.

Early in Trump’s presidency, his Justice Department subpoenaed Apple for metadata for House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffTrump DOJ demanded metadata on 73 phone numbers and 36 email addresses, Apple says DOJ to probe Trump-era subpoenas of lawmaker records The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – Sights and sounds from Biden’s UK visit MORE (D-Calif.) and Rep. Eric SwalwellEric Michael SwalwellDOJ to probe Trump-era subpoenas of lawmaker records The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – Sights and sounds from Biden’s UK visit Democrats demand Barr, Sessions testify on Apple data subpoenas MORE (D-Calif.), two staunch critics of Trump, and their family members and fought to place a gag order on the company. The revelation was first reported by The New York Times.

So far, Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiVaccinated lawmakers no longer required to wear masks on House floor Simmering Democratic tensions show signs of boiling over Pelosi signals no further action against Omar MORE (D-Calif.) and other House Democratic leaders have not taken the same steps in calling for House committees to investigate Trump’s Justice Department officials. But House sources said there is significant interest in House panels, including the Judiciary Committee led by Chairman Jerry NadlerJerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerDemocrats demand Barr, Sessions testify on Apple data subpoenas Wray grilled on FBI’s handling of Jan. 6 Omar feuds with Jewish Democrats MORE (D-N.Y.), to launch investigations.

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It’s unclear whether the Intelligence Committee could start a probe, given that Schiff, Swalwell and committee aides their families were targets of the DOJ investigation into who was leaking information to news outlets about ties between Trump associates and Russia. 

On Capitol Hill and on cable TV, Schiff and Swalwell became some of Trump’s most vocal and visible political foes, particularly on the Russia story; Pelosi would later tap Schiff as lead prosecutor during Trump’s first Senate impeachment trial, while Swalwell served as a prosecutor during Trump’s second impeachment trial.

In statements Thursday night, both Schiff and Pelosi had called for Horowitz to investigate the actions of the former Trump officials.       

“Though we were informed by the Department in May that this investigation is closed, I believe more answers are needed, which is why I believe the Inspector General should investigate this and other cases that suggest the weaponization of law enforcement by a corrupt president,” Schiff said.

“Trump repeatedly demanded the DOJ go after his political enemies. It’s clear his demands didn’t fall on deaf ears,” he added on Twitter on Thursday night. 

Pelosi called the revelations that Trump’s Justice Department was targeting House Democrats “harrowing.”

“These actions appear to be yet another egregious assault on our democracy waged by the former president,” Pelosi said Thursday, a nod to the DOJ issuing subpoenas to also target journalists and news outlets. 

“I support Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s call for an investigation into this situation and other acts of the weaponization of law enforcement by the former president. Transparency is essential,” she said.

The news of the subpoenas targeting lawmakers follows DOJ efforts in recent weeks to notify journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times that their records were also subpoenaed under investigations initiated under the Trump administration. 

The seizures were a deviation from a Justice Department policy that typically requires the agency to notify reporters as soon as their records are sought. 

But the Trump administration took advantage of a provision that allows the attorney general to delay notification if there is a “threat to the integrity of the investigation” or a risk of grave harm to national security or death.

In such cases, the DOJ is required to disclose that the records were obtained within 45 days, though the attorney general can extend that period for another 45 days.

While that time frame largely left the task to fall on the Biden administration, the DOJ continued to seek gag orders seeking to block communications companies from notifying the news outlets their records were being sought.

Even once the department relented and allowed the news to be shared with lawyers at CNN and the Times, it continued to fight for gag orders limiting counsel from informing the reporters their records had been seized.

Schiff and Swalwell’s notification that their records had been subpoenaed followed a similar pattern. They were not notified until May, when a gag order the DOJ sought for Apple had expired.

Though President BidenJoe BidenPutin says he’s optimistic about working with Biden ahead of planned meeting How the infrastructure bill can help close the digital divide Biden meets Queen Elizabeth for first time as president MORE had been sworn in, DOJ officials this year did not inform lawmakers that they were being investigated in the leak probe — a revelation that has infuriated some Democrats on Capitol Hill. 

“There is a lot of frustration at DOJ’s lack of forthcomingness here,” said one congressional Democratic source. “We’ve asked a series of questions of DOJ. They have not been forthcoming, and we hope that will change.”

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Updated at 2:24 p.m.

An advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold an emergency meeting on June 18 to discuss rare reports of heart inflammation after doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

The meeting comes as the CDC looks into few cases of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscles, in young people and adolescents who received the shot.

During a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee on vaccines on Thursday, the CDC revealed that it had identified 475 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in people younger than 30 years old. 

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Preliminary data suggested that the vast majority of such patients had fully recovered from their symptoms.

The data further suggested that the number of cases was higher in people aged 16-24 after the second vaccine dose.

But Tom Shimabukuro, a CDC vaccine safety official, cautioned that not all of the reported cases of these conditions would actually be true cases, CBS News reported.

“It’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison because, again, these are preliminary reports. Not all these will turn out to be true myocarditis or pericarditis reports,” Shimabukuro

Last week, a study published in the journal Pediatrics highlighted seven cases of teenagers between ages 14 and 19 who developed symptoms of myocarditis days after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The CDC said late last month it was investigating a “relatively few” number of cases of myocarditis” after getting vaccinated.

According to CDC data, more than 166 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered and 127 million doses of Moderna’s.

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Americans are narrowly divided on whether companies should be allowed to require employees to prove their vaccination status before returning to work in person, according to a new poll. 

A total of 52 percent of Americans say they support requiring proof of vaccine status to return to places of employment, according to the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index poll published this week. Along political lines, 76 percent of Democrats support showing vaccine status to return to the workplace compared to less than a third, 29 percent, of Republicans saying the same thing. 

A majority of Americans in the poll support requiring vaccination and proof of vaccination to travel or attend a large event, the poll found. Nearly half, 47 percent, said they support places of business like bars and restaurants requiring proof of vaccination to dine indoors.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last month lifted guidance requiring face coverings while indoors and in public for fully vaccinated people. Unvaccinated Americans and those who have not been fully vaccinated are still recommended to wear a face covering while in public. 

The CDC said this week about 171.3 million people in America have received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot, including about 139.7 million people who have been fully vaccinated, The New York Times reported. President BidenJoe BidenBiden DOJ adopts Trump’s liability stance in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit Boston mayor fires city’s police commissioner months after domestic abuse allegations emerge Book claims Trump believed Democrats would replace Biden with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama in 2020 election MORE has stated he wishes to see 70 percent of all U.S. adults vaccinated by the July 4 holiday. 

A separate poll published Monday found more than 3 in 4 Americans who have yet to receive a coronavirus vaccine say it is unlikely they ever will. 

The new Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index poll reported that 1 in 5, about 19 percent, say they are not at all likely to get the vaccine. 

The poll was conducted June 4-7 among 1,027 people. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points. 

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Israel’s parliament will vote Sunday on whether to approve a new governing coalition that would end the 12-year tenure of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE. 

Israeli parliament Speaker Yariv Levin announced Tuesday the vote would take place during a special session on June 13, during which the 120-seat Knesset would vote on whether to greenlight a broad coalition that consists of eight parties scattered across the ideological spectrum. 

The coalition would be sworn in the same day it is approved should it win the 61 votes it needs.

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“It’s happening!” tweeted Yair Lapid, the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, who spearheaded the effort to bring a coalition together. “The unity government is on the way and will work for all the people of Israel.”

If successful, the vote would mark the end of a 12-year stint by Netanyahu leading Israel. Efforts to pick off right-wing members of the coalition by Netanyahu’s Likud party have failed thus far, but the prime minister has vowed to continue fighting for defections until he is formally ousted.

While Netanyahu would be removed from the prime ministership, he would likely remain a prominent figure in Israeli politics as the leader of the opposition. However, he would lose valuable legal protections as he fights an indictment on corruption allegations. 

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Sunday’s vote would mark the culmination of four elections Israel has held in two years, with only the last one resulting in a deal to form a coalition that would control 61 Knesset seats.

The coalition that would replace the Likud-run government consists of a hodgepodge of Israeli parties that has united around the prospect of removing Netanyahu but has little ideological overlap.

Lapid’s party has teamed up with a number of right-wing parties, including Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party, as well as the Raam party, which would be the first Arab party to be part of a ruling coalition.

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Under a deal negotiated by parties involved, Bennett would serve the first two years of a four-year term as prime minister before Lapid finishes up the final two years.

However, speculation has bubbled that the coalition would not last four years given the sheer number of disagreements the coalition members have on issues from peace with the Palestinians to settlements in the West Bank and beyond. 

Lapid and Bennett have hinted that the new government would begin its term focusing on economic and social policies in an attempt to start with a united front.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Saturday slammed President BidenJoe BidenPutin says he’s optimistic about working with Biden ahead of planned meeting How the infrastructure bill can help close the digital divide Biden meets Queen Elizabeth for first time as president MORE‘s response to Iran sending warships into the Atlantic Ocean, suggesting the president needs to “forcefully” confront the issue.

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Rubio shared his comments in a tweet containing photos of the Iranian ships and condemned Biden for his “desperation.”

“#Iran’s largest military vessel & most modern missile destroyer are days away from delivering missiles & attack boats to the #MaduroRegime & conducting exercises off our coast,” Rubio wrote.

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“Biden shouldn’t allow desperation to salvage the Iran deal to keep him from confronting this forcefully,” the Florida senator continued.

On Thursday, Iran announced that it was sending two warships into the Atlantic Ocean. The country did not disclose where the warships were headed.

There have been reports and speculation that the ships could be headed towards Venezuela and might even be transporting weapons to the country. Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told Iranian journalists that the move was a demonstration of the country’s power.

The Biden administration this week called on Venezuela to turn away the ships if they are in fact headed towards Venezuela. Officials have also reached out to Venezuela’s neighboring countries to ensure that the ships do not dock.

Both ships have reportedly already completed more than half of their journey, traveling over 1,000 miles northwest of Cape Town, South Africa.

A Virginia school district has pledged to appeal a judge’s order this week reinstating a gym teacher who was initially suspended for speaking out against a new policy requiring that district faculty and staff address students by their preferred pronouns. 

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) said in a statement Friday that it “respectfully disagrees with the Circuit Court’s decision to issue the injunction” reinstating Tanner Cross, who works at Leesburg Elementary School. 

The school district said it planned to bring the matter to the Virginia Supreme Court. 

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LCPS added that “Leesburg Elementary School and Loudoun County Public Schools experienced – and continue to experience – significant disruption,” since the school board meeting in late May in which Cross said he would not be able to follow the policy, explaining, “I’m a teacher, but I serve God first.”

“I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it’s against my religion,” he argued at the time, according to local news outlet WTOP. “It’s lying to a child, it’s abuse to a child and it’s sinning against our God.”

Cross was suspended less than 48 hours after the school board meeting, though Circuit Court Judge Jim Plowman Jr. following a three-hour hearing said Tuesday that Cross should have his position reinstated, citing the teacher’s right to free speech and freedom of religion. 

However, LCPS said in its Friday statement that students and parents of the elementary school “have expressed fear, hurt and disappointment about coming to school.” 

“Addressing those concerns is paramount to the school division’s goal to provide a safe, welcoming, and affirming learning environment for all students,” the district added. “While LCPS respects the rights of public-school employees to free speech and free exercise of religion, those rights do not outweigh the rights of students to be educated in a supportive and nurturing environment.”

Tyson Langhofer of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit conservative legal organization representing Cross, said in a statement Friday that the judge’s decision this week “was a well-reasoned application of these facts to clearly-established law.”

“We are confident that, if the Virginia Supreme Court hears the appeal, it will affirm the circuit court’s decision,” he added, according to WTOP. 

The court’s temporary injunction temporarily reinstating Cross is set to remain in effect until Dec. 31.

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