MITCH McCONNELL (Shutterstock).

A bipartisan gun control law might be possible in the wake of the shooting death of 19 children and two teachers in Texas.

USA Today reports that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has discussed with at least one other GOP senator about a compromise on some legislation aimed at curbing the sort of mass killings that have occurred in recent months across the nation.

Democrats have typically pushed for strong controls on gun ownership, while Republicans have resisted. But McConnell suggested there might be room for some bipartisan agreement on certain issues such ased flag laws, background checks and mental health issues.

A “red flag” law allows relatives to ask for the temporary confiscation of firearms from someone showing signs of mental instability.

Lean times growing in Russia

BUSINESS CENTER OF MOSCOW (Wikipedia).

Sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine are starting to bite deeply into Russia’s economy and the availability of goods for consumers. According to The New York Times, there are now shortages of items such as paper, buttons and even some varieties of food.

In addition to sanctions against exports to Russia and bans on buying Russian products, many American and other Western business have pulled out, eliminating jobs and curtailing dining and shopping options for citizens there.

Also in the news … Ray Liotta, who gained fame in the “Goodfellas” and “Field of Dreams,” has died at the age of 67 … Kevin Spacey, 62, is facing criminal charges of sexual assault in Great Britain.

Sports: Dodgers. Angels play tonight

The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. The Los Angeles Angels are hosting the Toronto Blue Jays in Anaheim. We’ll have the final results late this evening.

Weather:  Cloudy, then some sun

The forecast for the West Orange County area going into the weekend calls for continued cool weather before things heat up in the week ahead. Friday’s daytime high should be 71 (overnight low of 60), followed by a dip to 68 (60) on Saturday. Partly cloudy conditions will continued through Sunday (high of 72) and then the sun breaks through on Monday.

Business: FTC looks at formula crunch

The shortage of infant formula that has left some supermarket shelves bare will be the subject of investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. According to The New  York Times, the FTC will examine the consolidation of the industry and what factors have created a scarcity so critical that the U.S. is now importing sum baby nutrition. Also to be studied is whether some resellers are “profiteering” with stiff price increases.