Welcome to Thursday, August 15th, papers and plastics...

President Donald Trump said he's "convinced" Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wants to do something about gun background checks.

"There is nobody more pro-Second Amendment than Donald Trump, but I don’t want guns in the hands of a lunatic or a maniac. And I think if we do proper background checks, we can prevent that."

McConnell has dismissed Democrats' calls to recall the Senate to vote on two gun measures (H.R. 8, H.R. 1112) that passed in the house. The Senate leader said the bills, and proposed "red flag" laws, will be debated when the upper chamber returns from its August recess.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) tweeted that he's spoken with Trump and other high-ranking Republicans about background check bills.

"We continue to work to find common ground, but as I told the president, we can't get a bill if he and the GOP give the gun lobby veto power."

Do you back gun background checks?

On the Radar

Lawmakers Warn China Over Crushing Hong Kong Protests

The bipartisan leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee released a joint statement Wednesday to warn China against a military response to the protests in Hong Kong after videos and satellite images released in recent days showed Chinese military police units amassing near the Hong Kong border.

Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Ranking Member Michael McCaul (R-TX) issued a joint statement, which read in part:

“30 years after the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) brutal massacre of peaceful democratic protesters in Tiananmen Square, we are concerned that China would consider again brutally putting down peaceful protests. We urge China to avoid making such a mistake, which would be met with universal condemnation and swift consequences. 

Should the U.S. stand with the Hong Kong protesters?

Child Victim Act

New York's Child Victim Act gives adult victims of sexual abuse a one-year "look-back" window to bring civil lawsuits against the alleged perpetrators, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.

Thousands of lawsuits are expected to be filed against the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts of America, public school districts, and even Jeffrey Epstein.

"This isn't just about money. This is about justice and this is the way America does justice," said Marci Hamilton, founder of the child abuse advocacy group, CHILD USA.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed the Child Victims Act into law in February, saying it "brings justice to people who were abused, and rights the wrongs that went unacknowledged and unpunished for too long."

Should more states extend the statute of limitations for reporting sex abuse?

Under the Radar

Mental Health Days

Oregon will allow students to take “mental health days” as an excused school absence, same as with regular sick days.

Four teenage activists proposed the legislation in an effort to combat the stigma around mental illness. The Beaver State’s suicide rate has outranked the national average for the past thirty years, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among Oregonians aged 15 to 34.

“A big issue for students with mental health is when you have to miss a day because you’re going through depression or you have a therapy appointment,” Hailey Hardcastle, the 18-year activist who helped propose the bill, told NPR. “It’s really hard to make up tests and homework because teachers or the administration might not take it as seriously as a physical illness.”

Pennsylvania is considering a similar law, and Harrisburg-based psychotherapist and parent, Dr. Christopher Watts, said he sees pros and cons of mental-health days.

“One of my fears initially... would be the students that would take advantage of this, potentially manipulating it for the reasons that are not what they are initially intended for,” Watts said.

Should students be allowed to take "mental health days"?

National Fish and Wildlife Policy

On August 15, 1956, President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower signed the Fish and Wildlife Act into law to create a comprehensive fish and wildlife resources management plan and expand opportunities for Americans to enjoy recreational access to fishing and hunting.

Since its enactment, the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 has undergone several amendments aimed at further enhancing the ability of Americans to enjoy the nation’s natural resources. Those reforms have created volunteer programs aimed at restoring wildlife habitat and offering science education programs to children, in addition to increasing opportunities for fishing and hunting enthusiasts.

In 1998, would-be volunteers got another boost when an amendment to "promote volunteer programs and community partnerships for the benefit of national wildlife refuges" was enacted. This policy change expanded the number of volunteer programs at America’s 560 National Wildlife Refuges (totaling 150 million acres) and also allowed for the creation of community partnerships.

How do you feel about the Fish and Wildlife Act on its anniversary?

What You're Saying

Here's how you're answering Should the Feds Withhold Grants From States That Don’t Report DUIs to Federal Databases?