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A26 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 11 augusT 2020
Air traffic is down, gun seizures up at U.S. airports

By DAVID KOENIG restrictive stance on gun
AP Airlines Writer control relative to President
DALLAS (AP) — With air traf- Trump." The analyst said an
fic nearing a five-month outsized rise in handgun
high, airport security is find- sales in June and July indi-
ing guns in passenger car- cates that many purchases
ry-on bags at three times are being made by first-
the rate recorded before time gun owners.
the pandemic. It is legal to transport guns
And 80% of the guns are in checked bags if they are
loaded. unloaded and in a locked
The discoveries at airports case. There are federal civil
comes at a time when U.S. penalties for improperly
gun sales are surging, and placing a gun in a carry-on
analysts believe many of bag, and violators can lose
those purchases are being the use of faster-screening
made by first-time buyers. programs such as TSA Pre-
Officers found 15.3 guns Check, but criminal charg-
for every million people es are usually left to local
screened in July, com- authorities.
pared with 5.1 per million A lone traveler heads to the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Last year, 4,432 guns were
people in July of last year, Airport Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Denver. Associated Press found in carry-on bags, or
the Transportation Security about 12.1 per day, and
Administration said Mon- is that 80% of the firearms checks requested in July, lion in one month since De- 87% were loaded.
day. coming into the check- a 79% increase from July cember 2015. TSA's public appeal to fol-
There has been a signifi- point are loaded, and it's 2019. Cowen analyst Cai von Ru- low gun rules occurred the
cant increase in loaded just an accident waiting to Background checks have mohr, who tracks gun sales, same day that it reported
guns at checkpoints, said happen," Pekoske said in a been rising every month said the increases are likely screening 831,789 people
TSA Administrator David prepared statement. compared with a year due to fear about CO- on Sunday. It was the first
Pekoske. He said screeners After an extended lull in ac- earlier since April 2019, but VID-19 lockdowns, civil un- time checkpoint traffic in
are already working in con- tivity, gun sales have begun they picked up even faster rest, and former Vice Presi- U.S. airports has topped
ditions of heightened risks to surge in recent months. this year, with checks top- dent Joe Biden's lead over 800,000 since March 17.
and that "no one should be FBI figures show that there ping 3 million in four of the President Donald Trump That is still down 69% from
introducing new ones." were more than 3.6 mil- last five months. Checks in polls ahead of the Nov. the comparable Sunday a
"Even more concerning lion firearms background had not exceeded 3 mil- 3 election "given his more year ago.q

Mississippi flag design process: Elvis has left the building

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS bol remained divisive in sissippi legislators to ditch
Associated Press a state with a 38% Black the flag and replace it with
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The population. a more inclusive design.
new Mississippi state flag All eight of Mississippi's Two college sports orga-
will not include beer cans, public universities and a nizations leveraged their
crawfish, a caramel cake, growing number of cities power. The Southeastern
Elvis or Kermit the Frog. and counties stopped fly- Conference said it might
Mississippi recently retired ing the state flag in recent bar league championships
the last state banner with years. in Mississippi unless the
the Confederate battle For decades, Mississippi state changed the flag.
emblem that's widely con- legislative leaders said The NCAA said that be-
demned as racist. A nine- Magnolias, stars, a Gulf Coast lighthouse, a teddy bear, they couldn't find consen- cause of the Confederate
and even Kermit the Frog appear on some of the over 1,800
member commission will proposals submitted by the general public for a new Mississippi sus in the House and Sen- symbol on the flag, Missis-
recommend a replace- flag and posted Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, on the Mississippi ate to change the banner. sippi could not host events
ment that cannot include Department of Archives and History web site. Republican Tate Reeves determined by teams' per-
the Confederate symbol Associated Press was elected governor in formances, which would
and must have the phrase, pi River or the Gulf of Mex- the public submissions, 2019 after saying that if affect sports such as base-
"In God We Trust." ico. The oddball among combine elements from the flag were to be recon- ball, women's basketball
The public submitted near- the survivors has a giant different designs or start sidered, it should only be and softball.
ly 3,000 designs, and the mosquito surrounded by a from scratch and draw done in another election. Reeves agreed to sign the
commission narrowed that circle of stars. their own. Momentum shifted in early bill to retire the old flag af-
to 147 proposals that were On Friday, the nine com- Mississippi had used the June, after the May 25 kill- ter it became clear that
posted Monday to the missioners will meet and same Confederate- ing of George Floyd by a legislators had the two-
state Department of Ar- choose the final five. By themed flag since 1894, Minneapolis police officer. thirds majority they would
chives and History website. early September, they will when white supremacists The Black man's death need to override a veto.
Lost in the first round were agree on a single design in the Legislature set the sparked global protests If voters accept the com-
designs with food items to put on the Nov. 3 state- design amid backlash to against racial injustice and mission's proposal, that de-
and celebrities. wide ballot. political power that Afri- reinvigorated debates sign will become the new
Many of the remaining de- The commissioners — who can Americans gained about Confederate sym- flag.
signs have magnolias and were appointed by the during Reconstruction. bols. If they reject it, commis-
stars. Some have wavy governor, lieutenant gov- People who voted in a Within weeks, leaders from sioners will draw a new de-
lines that could represent ernor and House speaker 2001 election chose to business, religion and edu- sign and that will go on the
the waters of the Mississip- — could accept one of keep the flag, but the sym- cation were lobbying Mis- ballot later.q