Today in London.
New data released this morning showed Britain’s inflation rate remaining stronger than expected at 8.7% – though the figure did fall into single digits for the first time in eight months.
Also in UK business news, the Labour Party Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is laying out her plans for managing the economy if her party comes to power in the upcoming general election, saying a Labour government will invest in strategic industries to boost Britain’s economic self-reliance. The next election must be held by late 2024.
“There’s an emerging global consensus building about security, resilience and strength,” Reeves said in an interview with the Bloomberg UK Politics Podcast. Britain’s main opposition party aims to make the country “more resilient in the face of the shocks that we have been exposed to these last few years,” she said.
Reeves and Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer are trying to seize the mantle of the “party of business” that’s traditionally touted by the ruling Conservative Party in the run up to the elections.
Read More on the Opposition’s Plans: Labour Party Wants Pensions Reform to Help Attract London Stock Listings
America’s Gun Violence Generation.
Guns Torment Kids at School: 1,000 Incidents Involving Guns Have Shaken America’s Schools Since 2018
The stunning rise in gun violence on school property is reshaping the daily lives of America’s youngest generation, putting children at the center of a previously unthinkable number of life-or-death moments.
273 people were killed or wounded on school grounds from 303 gun-related incidents in 2022 alone – both record highs, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. And this new data comes as we mark exactly one year since 19 children and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
“The threat of gun violence has become a constant in children’s lives in this country and we’re seeing the impact of it,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, senior director of research at the Mike Bloomberg-founded Everytown for Gun Safety advocacy group.
Voters in several states have had enough of gun violence, and have elected gun sense candidates for office who are making progress on gun safety.
On Monday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation that will make it easier for authorities to seize firearms from people who are believed to be a danger to themselves or others, commonly known as “red flag” laws.
And just last week, Minnesota Governor Tam Walz signed two gun safety initiatives into law, establishing universal background checks for gun purchases in the state and implementing a process to remove firearms from those who pose a threat to themselves or others. “Basic gun safety isn’t a threat to the Second Amendment – it’s about keeping our kids safe,” Governor Walz wrote on Twitter after signing the bills into law.
Building on these successes and more, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action and numerous organizations are gearing up for Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2. The day will be marked by ‘Wear Orange Weekend’ to honor survivors and those lost to gun violence.
Click here to learn more about how Everytown is working to end the epidemic of gun violence in the US, and how you can participate in Wear Orange weekend.
What I’m Reading.
Major Chatbot Upgrade: Microsoft to Add Bing Search to OpenAI’s ChatGPT in Boost for Tool, Allowing Real-Time Search
Bing will be part of the premium ChatGPT Plus service, and the search engine will come to the regular version of the chatbot soon. Using Bing lets customers get up-to-the-minute information, whereas ChatGPT has been trained only on data through Sept. 20, 2021.
Not The Onion: Ron DeSantis to Join Elon Musk on Twitter Later Today to Announce 2024 Presidential Campaign
Elon Musk’s plan to host Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign announcement on Twitter today underscores the social network’s shift toward a more partisan approach to political discourse. The embrace of a national candidate resembles implicit support and opens the company up to a potential quarrel with one of its biggest advertisers, Walt Disney, which is engaged in an escalating dispute with Florida’s Republican governor.
ESG Wins: How California’s Success is Teaching Florida and Texas Lessons in Capitalism
Workplace News: Young Workers Once Again Eye Finance Jobs Amid Tech Layoffs
Is Transit Chaos the New Normal? London’s Tube Strikes Set to Drag On Into Winter as Unions Authorize Strikes Through November
NYC Travel News: Blade Helicopter Service Expands to Jersey City, Offering Five-Minute Trip to JFK Airport
Newest Public Art in London: Huge Sculptures Unveiled Inside Gloucester Road Tube Station
‘Albertopolis and the Lily’, an installation by British artist Monster Chetwnyd, spans the 80m-long disused platform at Gloucester Road station in Kensington in the latest Art on the Underground installment. Through this commission, Monster explores the weird and kooky historical links between the Crystal Palace and ‘Albertopolis,’ the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum, which the Gloucester Road station was built to serve.
Tuesday Throwback: Best of Late Night.
With late night shows on hiatus due to the Hollywood writers strike, here are some throwback one-liners from the late night shows:
”According to a new study, the top three baby names that are set to make a comeback this year are Joan, Mary and Margaret – which is also a full curse in a Catholic household.”
— Seth Meyers, on a May 2022 episode of ‘Late Night’
”In a recent interview, Labor Secretary and former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said the Dunkin Donuts’ tasted different on a recent trip to South Korea. Said Biden, ‘You know that’s not why we sent you, right?’”
— Seth Meyers, on a May 2022 episode ‘Late Night’
On news that a 1,000 pound great white shark has been spotted near the Jersey Shore:
“Scientists tagged it with a tracker a few years ago. Or as other sharks off the coast of Jersey put it, ‘He’s wearing a wire!’”
— Jimmy Fallon, on a May 2022 episode of ‘The Tonight Show’
”According to the latest numbers, a new 28-step staircase that opened at the Times Square subway station cost $30 million. Well at least they finally addressed the complaint that no one had about the subway.”
— Seth Meyers, on a May 2022 episode of ‘Late Night’
About the Sheekey Daily Read
I’m always searching for the stories that shine a light on – and offer solutions to – some of the most pressing issues of our time. I started my daily email to capture and share the stories I think are important. Thanks for reading!
– Kevin Sheekey