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U.S. NEWS Monday 31 october 2022

Obama, campaigning in Georgia, warns of threats to democracy

By Bill Barrow helped shape Obama’s
Associated Press campaigns from his days
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) in the Illinois state Senate
— Former President Barack through two presidential
Obama returned to the elections. “He obviously
campaign trail Friday in has great appeal to Dem-
Georgia, using his first stop ocrats. But he’s also well-
on a multi-state tour to liked by independent vot-
frame the 2022 midterm ers.”
elections as a referendum Obama tried to show off
on democracy and to urge that reach Friday. The first
voters not to see Republi- Black president drew a he-
cans as an answer to their ro’s welcome from a major-
economic woes. ity Black audience, and he
It was a delicate balance, offered plenty of applause
as the former president ac- lines for Democrats. But he
knowledged the pain of in- saved plenty of his argu-
flation and tried to explain ment, especially on the
why President Joe Biden economy, for moderates,
and Democrats shouldn’t independents and casual
take all the blame as they voters, including a defense
face the prospects of los- of Biden, who Obama said
ing narrow majorities in the is “fighting for you every
House and Senate when Former President Barack Obama, center, stands with Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey day.”
votes are tallied Nov. 8. Abrams and candidate for U.S. Senate, Sen. Raphael Warnock D-Ga., during a campaign rally He called inflation “a leg-
But Obama argued that Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in College Park, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) acy of the pandemic,”
Republicans who are in- the resulting supply chain
tent on making it harder campaign boosts the par- narrowly four years ago. nity to leverage Obama’s disruption and the Ukraine
for people to vote and like ty’s slate in a tough nation- For Obama personally, the rebound in popularity since war’s effects on global oil
former President Donald al environment. He shared campaign blitz is an op- his last midterm defeats in markets a sweeping retort
Trump are willing to ignore the stage Friday with Sen. portunity to do something 2014. Their hope is that the to Republican attempts to
the results, can’t be trusted Raphael Warnock, who he was unable to do in two former president can sell cast sole blame on Demo-
to care about Americans’ faces a tough reelection midterms during his presi- arguments that Biden, his crats’ spending bills.
wallets either. With Biden’s fight from Republican Her- dency: help Democrats former vice president, has “What is their answer? ...
approval ratings in the schel Walker, and Stacey succeed in national mid- struggled to land. They want to give the rich
low 40s, Democrats hope Abrams, who is trying to un- terms when they already “Obama occupies a rare tax cuts,” Obama said of
Obama’s emergence in seat Republican Gov. Brian hold the White House. For place in our politics today,” the GOP. “That’s their an-
the closing weeks of the Kemp, who defeated her his party, it’s an opportu- said David Axelrod, who swer to everything. q

Permitless carry laws raise new dilemmas for police officers

By REBECCA REYNOLDS to settle. That’s because that led police to detain After he was detained, nary people, and for police
Associated Press Kentucky made it legal in Tussey. The type of weap- Tussey told police he “was officers.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Po- 2019 to carry a gun in pub- on, how he carried it, and returning to shoot” the Gun violence is up nation-
lice saw Carmon Tussey lic without a permit, joining where he was headed also people he fought with, wide. There have been
walking briskly toward a what is now a majority of mattered. A witness also according to the arrest ci- 35,000 deaths in the U.S.
crowded Louisville bar car- states with similar laws. told officers that Tussey was tation. Those comments so far this year, following
rying a semi-automatic Louisville prosecutors say it returning to the bar after a came later. Simms argued 45,000 deaths in 2020 and
weapon. was more than just the gun verbal altercation. in court that he had given the same in 2021. About
With people running away, police no legal reason to 79% of the killings in 2020 in-
officers moved in, service take him into custody when volved a firearm, the high-
weapons drawn. They put they did. est percentage since at
the 26-year-old in hand- The judge hasn’t been per- least 1968.
cuffs and confiscated suaded by that argument Earlier this year, Republican
his gun. Tussey was later so far, saying in a prelimi- Gov. Eric Holcomb signed
charged with terroristic nary ruling on evidence an Indiana law removing
threatening, wanton en- that police had other rea- the permit requirement for
dangerment and disorderly sons to arrest Tussey at the carrying a handgun in pub-
conduct, prosecutors said, time. But Simms says he lic even though Indiana’s
and could face up to 20 thinks he can convince a state police superintendent
years in prison. jury that Tussey didn’t com- had weighed in against it.
His lawyer says he “was en- mit any crimes, in part be- The new law took effect
gaged in perfectly legal cause of Kentucky’s new July 1.
behavior” in the incident law. His next hearing is Nov. Under the new law, Galaviz
last year, raising a relative- 2. Advocates say permitless said, officers can’t immedi-
ly new legal argument in An attendee at a gun rights rally open-carries his gun in a carry makes people safer. ately grab a gun or ask to
the United States that now holster that reads “We the People,” from the Preamble to the Opponents say it makes it see a permit when they pull
stands before the courts United States Constitution on Jan. 18, 2019, at the Capitol in more dangerous for ordi- someone over.q
Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)