Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the families of the victims of the Newtown, Conn. massacre discussed tightening gun control laws.
The meeting began at 11 a.m. in City Hall with a news conference.
Bloomberg, who is co-chair of the 900 member organization-Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has been pressing Congress to pass gun reform laws and legislation like background checks for all gun sales.
That push was increased following the shooting deaths on Dec. 14 of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Vice President Biden says the Obama administration isn't giving up on an assault weapons ban.
The White House has been urging Congress to pass the ban. Senate Democrats dropped it Tuesday from the gun-control package the Senate will debate next month. They were concerned that opposition to the ban could sink the whole bill.
Biden has been leading the administration's gun-control efforts. He tells NPR News he's still pushing for the ban and that the will of the people will eventually prevail.
He's pointing to the original assault weapons ban that passed in 1994 despite claims it didn't stand a chance. That ban expired in 2004.
The ban will still get a separate vote this year as an amendment, but it stands little chance of passing.
Monday, May 20 2013 6:05 PM EDT2013-05-20 22:05:22 GMT
A spate of hate-fueled attacks on gay men in New York, including a killing in the heart of one of its most gay-friendly neighborhoods, is stirring up anxiety, disbelief and outrage.
A spate of hate-fueled attacks on gay men in New York, including a killing in the heart of one of its most gay-friendly neighborhoods, is stirring up anxiety, disbelief and outrage.
Three people have been charged with taking bribes from a Chinese government-supported institution in exchange for restricted research from a New York University lab.
Three people have been charged with taking bribes from a Chinese government-supported institution in exchange for restricted research from a New York University lab.
Sunday, May 19 2013 10:57 PM EDT2013-05-20 02:57:40 GMT
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
Friday, May 17 2013 5:54 PM EDT2013-05-17 21:54:45 GMT
The big game will be played in New Jersey but the big party will be in New York City. Organizers call it "Super Bowl Boulevard."
The big game will be played in New Jersey but the big party will be in New York City. Organizers call it "Super Bowl Boulevard": it will stretch from 44th Street on Broadway all the way to 34th Street.
Friday, May 17 2013 8:21 AM EDT2013-05-17 12:21:42 GMT
A new photo exhibit at an art gallery in Chelsea is drawing the ire of residents who are the artist's subjects, unknowingly.
A new photo exhibit at an art gallery in Chelsea is drawing the ire of residents who are the artist's subjects, unknowingly. The artist, Arne Svenson, is reportedly taking the photos through their TriBeCa building windows. In some photos, the residents are bending over, sleeping and cleaning.
Thursday, May 16 2013 6:06 PM EDT2013-05-16 22:06:34 GMT
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
