Thursday Scoop: Gun Ban

The big story…

New Zealand to Ban Assault Rifles Following Christchurch Massacre

Prime Minister Jacinda Arden of New Zealand announced that all military-style semi-automatic weapons, assault rifles, and high-capacity magazines will be banned from the country following the Christchurch mosque mass shooting where 50 people were killed. CNN reports, “‘Every semi-automatic weapon used in the terror attack on Friday will be banned,’ Ardern said at a press conference in the New Zealand capital Wellington on Thursday. ‘This legislation will be drafted and introduced in urgency.’” Arden added that they hope to have the law in place by April 11 but encourages gun owners who wish to surrender their weapons to do so as soon as possible. Read more in Duane Paul Murphy’s report for CMN.

In politics…

Trump Continues Criticism of Late Sen. John McCain  

President Trump has made repeated attacks on the late Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain in recent public appearances. Most recently, in a speech at a tank factory in Ohio, Trump criticized McCain’s failure to provide for veterans and even mentioned that he was never thanked for arrangements made for the late senator’s funeral.

In higher education…

Descendent Sues Harvard for Profiting from Image of Slave

Harvard University has earned licensing fees off of an early photograph of a slave that was commissioned by a Harvard professor. A woman claiming to be the great-great-great granddaughter of the man in the picture is suing the university for profiting off of their historic links to slavery.

Also in higher education…

USC Names New President Amid Admissions Scandal

Yesterday, USC announced that Carol L. Fort, the former Chancellor of UNC, will be the school’s next president. Fort left UNC amidst tension over a confederate monument on campus, a monument that she took great strides to remove before her departure despite board resistance. USC’s new president will face great obstacles in the near future, most notably how the school will handle the fallout of the biggest admissions scandal in U.S. history.

Trending today…

Elizabeth Holmes Impression

Have you watched the Theranos documentary yet?

Last but not least…

The Unknown Music: ‘The Crew’ – 7 Seconds

Has anyone ever heard of 7 Seconds? Me neither, which is exactly why I picked up their album The Crew at New Records in New York City. Clocking in at $10 in the discount bin, it was a steal. The album cover looked cool with a picture of the band performing, that made it look like it was a negative from a dark room photo. The back of the record also appealed with pictures of the band members with their names and instruments. Saves me the job of looking up who’s who. Read more in Charlotte Kohlberg’s review for CMN.

Today’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Natalia Kolenko, Duane Paul Murphy, Charlotte Kohlberg, and the CMN Staff. It’s officially cherry blossom season in D.C. Check out this year’s first blooms! P.S. Was this newsletter forwarded by a friend? Subscribe here to get the Morning Scoop straight to your inbox every day.