Biden calls for new gun rules

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for new regulations on guns in the wake of the shooting rampage Monday in a Colorado grocery store that left 10 people dead, one of them a police officer.

“Ten lives have been lost, and more families have been shattered by gun violence in the state of Colorado,” he said. According to the Associated Press, he supported expanding background checks for gun buyers. “This is not and should not be a partisan issue – it is an American issue. We have to act.”

The suspect in the shooting, arrested after the killings, has been identified as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21. He had purchased his AR-15-pistol (modified with an arm brace) used in the incident six days earlier. He was injured during the incident and treated at a hospital before being booked at a county jail on multiple murder charges. He is expected in court on Thursday.

No motive has been established, but the AP is reporting that some members of the suspect’s family told law enforcement investigators that he may have suffered from a mental illness, including delusions of persecution.

News: More people eligible for vaccines

More states are broadening the availability of vaccines to their citizens. On Tuesday, Texas, Indiana and Georgia made COVID-19 inoculations available for all residents 16 years older.

In West Virginia, Alaska and Mississippi, “jabs” are now available for all adults. Utah will open eligibility to all adults on Wednesday and in Tennessee, all residents 16 and older will be eligible.

Other news related to vaccinations includes:

• Medical experts on Monday accused AstraZeneca of selectively using data in releasing encouraging news about the effectiveness of its coronavirus vaccine. AstraZeneca’s product has been cleared for use in 70 nations, but is not yet authorized for the United States.
• Vaccination against the coronavirus has so far proven to be very effective, according to The New York Times, but it’s not 100 percent protection. A recent study found that out of 8,121 full-vaccinated persons, four did become infected.
• So far, 14 percent of American adults are fully vaccinated and 25 percent have received at least one dose.

Business: A comeback for Toys R Us?

Once the towering giant of Barbies and Playstations, the Toys R Us chain could be making a return to glory. According to USA Today, the 2017 bankruptcy which shuttered hundreds of stores across the nation is not the final word on the company.

Now named Tru Kids, the firm is planning to open some new, somewhat smaller stores and supplement that with mini-stores within bigger stores, airport shops, etc.

At present, the toy market is dominated by Walmart, Target and Amazon, all with large selections and online muscle.

Running of the bulls.  Tuesday saw all three major stock indexes turn red.  The Dow dropped 308.05 points to 32,423.15. The S&P 500 declined 30.07 points to 3,910.52. Nasdaq fell 149.85 points to 13,227.70.

Sports: Does the name Flacco ring a bell?

Joe Flacco was once atop the National Football League. Drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2008, he spent 10 years there, winning Super Bowl XLVII and being named MVP of that title game.

But sports memories are short and he went from there to Denver and then to the New York Jets. According to Sports Illustrated, he has now signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he will serve as back-up to Jalen Hurts. His record as a starting QB since leaving Maryland is 2-10. His contract is worth $4 million, with $3.5 million of that guaranteed.

Monday night results

• Minnesota 2, Ducks 1: The Orange County team fell further into last place in the NHL West Division with the one-goal loss. Troy Terry got the goal for the Ducks, who are now 9-18-6. The two teams will meet again on Wednesday.
• San Jose 2, Kings 1: Matt Roy scored one goal as the team lost in the Silicon Valley. The team record is now 13-12-6, good for fifth place in the NHL West. The Kings and Sharks clash again tomorrow (Wednesday).

Weather: Everyone knows it’s windy

A wind advisory will be in place from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the West Orange County area, with breezes as strong as 17 miles an hour, according to forecasts. Wednesday’s daytime high will be at 74 (51 overnight), and then plunge to 61 on Thursday (49 overnight) and recovering to 65 (46) by Friday. Skies will vary from mostly sunny to partly cloudy.  In the coastal area of Huntington Beach, daytime highs will be two to three degrees cooler. A small craft advisory is in effect through noon on Wednesday. Winds could gust up to 40 miles an hour.