Congresswoman says sorry for not protecting female employees Source: AP

Connecticut U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty issued an apology Thursday for failing to protect female employees who say they were harassed by her former chief of staff, including one woman who said she was punched in the back and received death threats. The three-term Democratic congresswoman on Thursday also personally repaid the federal government $5,000 in severance issued to now-fired Tony Baker, according to her current chief of staff, Timothy Daly.

Florida teen charged with 17 murders legally bought AR-15

An orphaned 19-year-old with a troubled past and his own AR-15 rifle was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder Thursday morning after being questioned for hours by state and federal authorities following the deadliest school shooting in the U.S. in five years. Nikolas Cruz, still wearing a hospital gown after being treated for labored breathing, and weighing in at 5-foot-7 and 131 pounds, was ordered held without bond and booked into jail.

Former student opens fire at Florida high school, killing 17

A former student opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at a Florida high school Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and sending hundreds of students fleeing into the streets in the nation's deadliest school shooting since a gunman attacked an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. The shooter, who was equipped with a gas mask and smoke grenades, set off a fire alarm to draw students out of classrooms shortly before the day ended at one of the state's largest schools, officials said.

Chris Murphy’s profile rises with gun tragedies

During the last several years, following the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Murphy has slowly become more of a household name - in part because of his visibility on issues surrounding gun violence. Mass shootings have become a regular presence in American life, and with each one, Murphy has been at the center pleading for his colleagues to take steps he argues would lower the likelihood of carnage.

Early reviews praise Megyn Kelly’s controversial interview with far-right provocateur Alex Jones

NBC anchor Megyn Kelly faced more than a week of withering backlash over her decision to interview Alex Jones, the far-right founder of Infowars.com, a site that has perpetuated conspiracy theories about 9/11 and the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Kelly was uninvited as a guest at a gala hosted by relatives of the victims of the Sandy Hook elementary shooting in Connecticut, which left 20 children dead, and J.P. Morgan pulled its ads from the broadcast.

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords joins rally against gun…

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords speaking about gun safety legislation in Newtown today NEWTOWN - Flanked by members of the state's Congressional delegation, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords urged a crowd gathered outside Edmond Town Hall on Saturday to continue fighting for gun control legislation. Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011 while meeting with constituents in her Arizona district, talked for more than an hour with a group of anti-gun violence activists and elected officials before holding a rally with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal , U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty and others.

Day of Action Against Gun Violence starts in Connecticut

Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty was among those taking part in that sit-in in the U.S. House last week and she says the momentum across the country is building daily to force the House leadership to bring up a vote on two gun control measures after the July 4th recess. There were events in over 100 congressional districts across the country today all with the same message and all motivated by shootings in places like Orlando, Aurora, and Newtown.

President Obama to travel to Orlando Thursday

President Barack Obama lands Thursday at the scene of the largest terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11 buffeted by criticism that he doesn't understand the threat posed by radical Islam and hasn't done enough to protect the homeland. When terrorists have struck during his presidency, Obama has typically reacted cerebrally and unemotionally, trying to ensure that reason triumphs over the fear and emotion of the moment even as critics such as Donald Trump assail it.

Barack Obama to go to Orlando to pay respects to victims on Thursday

Washington, Jun 14 : President Barack Obama will travel to Orlando on Thursday to pay respects to the victims of last weekend's nightclub shooting and to stand in solidarity with the community as it embarks on recovery, the White House said. Press Secretary Josh Earnest did not provide more details about the trip.

US president calls Florida shooting ‘act of terror and hate’

Washington, June 13 : US President Barack Obama on Sunday called the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Florida, in which at least 50 people were killed and 53 others injured when a "lone wolf" gunman opened fire early on Sunday, an "act of terror" and "act of hate". "Although it's still early in the investigation, we know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate," Xinhua quoted Obama as saying.