As firearms have gone DIY,
a Senate committee grappled Tuesday with what the United States is doing to restore order in the changing criminal landscape.
This screenshot from livestream shows Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison testifying remotely at a Tuesday hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Image via Courthouse News)
WASHINGTON (CN) Early in the morning on March 2, 2020, a fight broke out at a North Philadelphia bar between 22-year-old Anthony Nieves and 25-year-old Zaire Williams. It was soon broken up by a few onlookers, and Williams, a former Temple University football player, reportedly won the fight. But before the men could go their separate ways, Nieves took out a black Glock-style handgun and shot Williams in the head.
Legislation would require online and other sellers of gun-makingÂ
kits to comply with federal firearm safety regulations
WashingtonâSenator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Representative David Cicilline (D-R.I.) in introducing legislation to ban âghostâ guns. The
Untraceable Firearms Act was announced during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee titled âStop Gun Violence: Ghost Guns.â
âGhost guns are built from kits or by using 3-D printers,â Feinstein said.
âSince the guns come unassembled, they currently arenât required to have a serial number. This makes them a popular choice for criminals. This commonsense bill will save lives by preventing unmarked guns from flooding our streets.â
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You would think that federal safety regulators would have broad powers to order the recall of products they find dangerous or even deadly.
You would be wrong.
Agencies such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration typically can only request not demand that companies order a recall when problems arise. If the company says no, the safety watchdogs have to file lawsuits to force a recall, a step they are loath to take, according to experts.
“You do see a lot of companies recognize that it is in their interest to do a recall. But there are a lot of times companies don’t do a recall, and you have a fight that largely takes place outside the public eye,” said William Wallace, manager of safety policy for Consumer Reports.
Peloton recall saga shows limits of safety regulators’ powers
You would think that federal safety regulators would have broad powers to order the recall of products they find dangerous or even deadly.
You would be wrong.
Agencies such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration typically can only request not demand that companies order a recall when problems arise. If the company says no, the safety watchdogs have to file lawsuits to force a recall, a step they are loath to take, according to experts.
“You do see a lot of companies recognize that it is in their interest to do a recall. But there are a lot of times companies don’t do a recall, and you have a fight that largely takes place outside the public eye,” said William Wallace, manager of safety policy for Consumer Reports.