An outgoing senator leaves a Senate vacancy to fill; a ban on bump stocks has been struck down by an appeals court; and children who are obese are now recommended to take weight-loss medication. These stories and more highlight your midday rundown for Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.
Sen. Ben Sasse steps down
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska officially resigned from his post on Sunday. He leaves the seat up for grabs, which Nebraska’s governor will appoint someone to fill.
The top prospect for the position right now is former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. Sen. Sasse is leaving the Senate to become president at the University of Florida.
Court overturns bump stock ban
A federal appeals court has struck down a ban on bump stocks, a firearm accessory that allows a semi-automatic gun to shoot more quickly.
Bump stocks were banned by former President Donald Trump following the 2017 massacre in Las Vegas where a gunman shot and killed 58 people using rifles with bump stocks.
The appeals court voted bump stocks are legal because they don’t technically fit the definition of what a machine gun is. Machine guns are banned.
The decision doesn’t have an immediate effect on the ban because the case now moves back to the lower court to decide how to proceed. The Biden administration could take the case to the Supreme Court.
Medication, surgery for obese children
For the first time ever the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending children with obesity take medication to lose weight. In some severe cases, doctors are also recommending children have fat removal surgery.
It’s a controversial step to try and combat childhood obesity, which affects more than 14 million children. One out of every three children are now overweight or obese.
Doctors are now recommending children 12 years or older take medications to lose weight. Some come in the form of pills, others are weekly injections. In severe cases, children ages 13 years or older can now receive referrals for weight-loss surgeries.
The academy says these options are on top of already suggested diet changes and exercise routines. They say without dramatic intervention, these children could develop high blood pressure, diabetes, and other life-long health issues.
Iran executes more protesters
Protests in Iran have been ongoing since September, and the Iranian government is not letting up despite the outcries from Iran’s people. After several controversial executions, Iran hanged two more protesters over the weekend.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, two men were “wrongfully hanged” for protesting the Iranian government on Saturday. They called the executions “shocking” and the trials “unfair” and said they were based on forced confessions.
Iran is receiving international condemnation.
The government has arrested nearly 20,000 protesters, more than 100 of them facing a death sentence, and already killing four. Iran’s leader has shown no signs of letting up and neither have the Iranian people who are still in protest.
Comet to be seen with naked eye
Get your binoculars ready and mark your calendar for this Thursday. A chance of a lifetime is sailing into our inner solar system.
On Thursday, you could get a rare glimpse of a comet that hasn’t been seen with the naked eye since the last ice age. It has been in hiding for more than 50,000 years. Now, it’s your chance to witness the comet as it heads towards the sun and Earth. And while it might be close enough for people to see, it will still be 26 million miles away.
