HC Wake-Up Call: Hurricane Florence, Continued Debate About NYT Op-Ed, &"Bullet Control"

Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

States of Emergencies Declared as Hurricane Florence Approaches East Coast

What was initially just a tropical storm — dubbed "Florence"— has been upgraded to a hurricane. The National Hurricane Center announced the news on Sunday morning, saying, "All indications are that Florence will be an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane while it moves over the western Atlantic toward the southeastern United States."

Florence is expected to make landfall by Thursday or Friday, first hitting the Carolinas. If this happens, it'll be the first to do so since 1989. The governors for both North Carolina and South Carolina — as well as Virginia — declared states of emergency for Friday and Saturday. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said he has already asked President Trump for a federal disaster declaration. 

The hurricane center also announced that two other big storms are brewing right behind Florence: Isaac and Helene. These are expected to turn into hurricanes, too. 

The White House Continues to Discuss NYT Op-Ed

The author of the anonymous opinion piece published in The New York Times titled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration" has yet to be revealed, and the White House is still dealing with the aftermath. Kellyanne Conway — who already denied authoring the article — appeared on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, and she went as far as suggesting that the justice department should investigate if there was any "criminal activity" involved. When the show's host, Jake Tapper, said that it didn't appear that anything illegal occurred, Conway replied, "I don't know that and I don't think you know that." However, she couldn't answer as to what sort of criminal action could be investigated. "I have no idea," she said when asked by Tapper. 

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon also discussed the op-ed on Sunday. To him, the article shows that the White House is facing a coup. "What you saw the other day was as serious as it can get. This is a direct attack on the institutions," he said, repeatedly calling the op-ed a "crisis." 

As the search for the author continues, numerous White House officials are still maintaining their innocence. Vice President Mike Pence, who's been a prime suspect due to certain words used throughout the op-ed, even vowed on Sunday to take a lie detector test in order to prove he didn't write it. Whoever did, though, should come forward and step down, according to Pence. "Every senior official in any administration takes an oath to the Constitution. To have an individual who took that oath – literally say that they work every day to frustrate the president advancing the agenda he was elected to advance, is undemocratic," Pence said. "It’s not just deceitful, but it’s really an assault on our democracy. And that person should do the honorable thing, step forward and resign."

New Gun Control Attempt Underway in California: "Bullet Control"

California — the state with some of the most restrictive gun laws in the US — is taking action on the generally unrestricted sale of bullets. According to The New York Times, bullets are currently sold in vending machines in Pennsylvania, in feed depots in Nevada, in pharmacies in Georgia, and in jewelry stores in Texas, among other easily accessible places. When people attempt to purchase ammunition in these places, and across the US, they're typically met with no resistance. Federal law prohibits anyone who cannot legally buy a firearm from also buying bullets, but there's no system in place to enforce this rule. Most sellers don't even check identification. 

California wants to curb the availability of bullets, and is doing so by enacting legislation specific to ammunition. The state's "pushed to limit internet sales, ban large-capacity magazines, require sellers to have licenses, raise taxes on bullets, and mandate serial numbers or other traceable markings on ammunition so that the police can more easily track them," the NYT reported. 

The NRA has, of course, condemned California's actions. "It is wrong to treat California’s law-abiding gun owners like criminals," said Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. 

California's regulations are either already enacted or set to take effect this year and next. 

What to look for...

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Learn more about how to make the most of the day — by doing things like practicing self-care and learning about the signs — here.