::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

A small delegation from the United States Conference of Mayors met with Pres. Donald Trump at the White House to discuss a letter they wrote in support of background checks. The letter was signed by 278 mayors from 43 states , 7 participating in the bipartisan meeting. They spoke for over an hour and said they felt the bipartisan concerns were heard. ​

CAN OBAMA AND TRUMP PUT THEIR DIFFERENCES ASIDE TO UNIFY AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE AND HEAL THE NATION? Dep. Press Sec. Hogan Gidley gaggles with press at the White  House in the wake of mass shootings in El Paso, TX  and Dayton, OH. (CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAGGLE.) Reporters grilled Gidley on whether Pres. Donald Trump's racist rhetoric led to the deadly massacres. Leaders in El Paso did not want Trump to visit and Gidley explained why it was important for the POTUS to go anyway. For the record, a question from the Slice was interrupted before being fully stated.  In light of the racial divide in America and considering   Pres. Trump and former Pres. Obama have similar influence on polar opposite ends of the racial spectrum, the intended question was: "Would Pres. Trump  be willing to work with former  Barack Obama to heal the nation?"   This  question was based on Obama releasing his own statement to quell the nation after the El Paso ...

OPINION Fo llowing is a statement regarding the mass shootings in El Paso, TX an Dayton, OH from Pres. Barack Obama, in which he indirectly calls out Pres. Donald Trump for using language that  stokes racism and inspires white supremacists.   Michelle and I grieve with all the families in El Paso and Dayton who endured these latest mass shootings. Even if details are still emerging, there are a few things we already know to be true. First, no other nation on Earth comes close to experiencing the frequency of mass shootings that we see in the United States. No other developed nation tolerates the levels of gun violence that we do. Every time this happens, we’re told that tougher gun laws won’t stop all murders; that they won’t stop every deranged individual from getting a weapon and shooting innocent people in public places. But the evidence shows that they can stop some killings. They can save some families from heartbreak. We are not helpless here. And until all of u...

God is calling leaders and the Body of Christ to pray, fast and stand for the safety and souls of the youth of our nation, rather than solely being civicly and politically engaged. An accumulation of deaths signals that the nation is deteriorating from a spiritual attack and that there is a need for a collective spiritual response. There are already churches and communities coming together against this demonic presence throughout the nation. We are assigned to pray for the president, the nation, ourselves, the church and other people. We must intensify our prayers with respect to preserving God's moral authority over future generations as well as their protection. Brave young people are sacrificing their lives for friends and teachers. It happened at UNC Charlotte recently and again a week later at a Littleton, CO high school. Two young men used their bodies as barrier between shooters and their targets. They both died saving others. Think about the context ...

HARVEY WEINSTEIN SURRENDERS Film executive Harvey Weinsetein surrendered to New York City police on rape charges today and was released later on 1 million dollars in bail.  Charged with first and third degree rape and first-degree criminal sex act, Weinstein must wear a tracking device at all times and can only go as far as nearby Connecticut.  The Pulp Fiction producer's misconduct in the workplace spurred the "me too" movement. SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MORGAN FREEMAN Actor Morgan Freeman  is the latest celeb to be accused of sexual harassment.   In a statement he apologized for sexual misconduct  after 16 accusers exposed to CNN that  he'd gotten out of line with them on the job.  Freeman said he never intended to make anyone uncomfortable or feel disrespected. SHOOTING AT INDIANA MIDDLE SCHOOL American parents are relieved that school is out. An adult and two teens were injured in a middle school shooting in Noblesvill...

Happy President Day? I think not. The nation is still grieving over the recent deaths of faculty, students and staff at a Parkland, FL high school via a solo gunman carrying an illegal assault weapon. The response from Washington: more lip service It's a sad, sad day in America when our petty POTUS, Donald J. Trump decides to start this holiday while relaxing at Mar a largo, his luxurious Florida resort. As usual Trump started his morning on Twitter attacking Oprah Winfrey. He said Winfrey should run for president (she said she is not interested multiple times) so she could be exposed. He has also tweeted profusely on Presidents Day about the Russians interference with the election and attempting to wash his hands from it. He has yet to say how we are going to block outsiders from attacking our democracy. His priorities are all wrong. Trump's entire focus should be about addressing the issues concerning mass shootings such as changing laws for gun control like enforci...

The White House cancelled the daily press briefing per Pres. Donald Trump's request, gathering lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to take immediate action on gun control in a non-partisan fashion. He expressed a desire to come out of the meeting with real solutions. With a take charge attitude, said the president as he sat in the middle of democrats and republicans, "We can't wait and play games and not get things done. . . We don't wanna wait. . .We are determined to turn our grief into action." Pushing back on his "friends" at the NRA (National Rifle Association), he went on to say, "I had lunch with them and said, 'it's time. We gotta stop this nonsense. It's time.'" For the first 20 minutes of the meeting, the group zoned in on implementing universal background checks. One of the president's specific proposals to gun control is to raise the age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Trump lat...

buzzz worthy. . . Gun control belongs at the center of presidential debates.The number of gun deaths in the last 24 hours in the U.S. is up and it is not due to terrorism or police brutality.  Candidates must come forth with a clear answer on how they plan to reform gun control. The political narrative in debates has shifted to focusing on foreign policy and other issues. Meanwhile, reports of gun related deaths are prominent in national new headlines.  A 4 year-old shot his mother, a pro-gun advocate, in the back, 3 officers were shot and killed (one fatally) in Woodbridge, VA and 5 people were killed in an ambush in Philadelphia to name a few recent incidents involving gun violence.  Jesse Jackson has said both poverty and gun control deserve to be top priority in the candidates addressing the nation on their readiness to lead. The civil rights icon elaborates here .

America may now have more guns than people. As President Barack Obama announces new executive action on gun control, U.S. gun manufacturing is a growth industry, almost doubling since the beginning of Obama Administration (5.6 million in 2009; 10.9 million in 2013). From 2001 to 2013, according to a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report, 406,496 Americans were killed with firearms on U.S. soil. In contrast, the number of U.S. citizens killed by terrorists at home or abroad over the same years number 3,380. Chicago suffered a spike in gun homicides in 2015 with 470 homicides and 2,939 shooting victims, the worst of all U.S. cities. Studies show a clear correlation: the more guns, the more homicides and the more people shot. Cities are racked by gun violence, yet gun ownership is much more prevalent in rural areas, as vividly displayed by the Bundy bunch that occupied an Oregon wildlife refuge over the weekend. According to a General Social Survey report, gun owners...

buzzz worthy. . . (CN) -- A woman whose grandmother was reportedly inside of the Oregon college classroom where 9 students were shot dead on Thursday says that the gunman singled out Christians in his massacre on the campus. “The shooter was lining people up and asking if they were Christian,” the woman, identified as Bohdi, wrote on Twitter following the tragedy. “If they said yes, then they were shot in the head. If they said no, or didn’t answer, they were shot in the legs.” Bohdi’s report is similar to that of student Kortney Moore, 18, who told the News Review-Today that a bullet flew through the window of her writing class and she looked up to see her teacher being shot in the head. She said that the gunman then told everyone to get on the ground, and asked students to stand up and state their religion. 10 students were killed in the attack, and approximately 20 others injured. Some students are fighting for their life in the hospital. As previously reported , th...