Seven US senators, led by Democrat Richard Blumenthal, have penned a letter to Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticising the use by the company of forced arbitration clauses in consumer and employee contracts. The senators argued such clauses prevent instances of discrimination and complaints about consumer safety from being aired in court. The letter also mentioned specific incidents of complaints, including those involving racial and sexual harassment, plus issues relating to Tesla vehicles and its Full Self-Driving Beta software.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz has received criticism for tweeting condolences after the recent mass shooting in Allen, Texas. Critics of Cruz have pointed out his opposition to measures to curb gun violence. Shannon Watts, who founded Moms Demand Action, noted that the senator had backed regulation of industries other than guns and called his prayers-only responses to mass shootings unacceptable. Democratic Representative Colin Allred announced last week that he would run against Cruz in 2024.
The gunman who killed eight people and injured seven others at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday has been identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. The shootings took place outside the Allen Premium Outlets in Dallas at around 3:30pm local time. Three of those injured remain in critical condition, with four considered stable. Reports suggest Garcia was dressed in black and wore a ‘Right Wing Death Squad’ patch on his clothing. He was killed by a police officer responding to an unrelated call. Footage has emerged of a US police officer frantically requesting back-up before neutralizing the shooter during a mall massacre in Allen, Texas. The shooting is the latest in a series of deadly incidents in the state which have resulted in calls for tighter gun controls. Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded by blaming rising anger over a plethora of issues in American society, rather than calling for increased gun regulations.