it has been about solutions. it has not been about what can we do to prevent this. it's been about who holds the reins of power in washington and unfortunately we have a very divided congress, very much beholden to special interest and so they are not willing to actually do what their constituents want. even gun owners when they pole them and ask them do you agree we should have background checks for every sale of a gun, 75% of gun owners in america agree with that and yet it is not something we can actually get our congress to do, so yes it is an important debate, there is an important debate, there is certainly a range of opinions, americans definitely hold gun rights much more dearly than many other places however it is not something that the american people agree with the kind of inaction that our government has held for so long and i think that is what is so frustrating to me, is that we actually agree on a lot in this country when it comes to gun regulation and we still can't get the leaders in

washington and many states to take the action needed. texas holds the unfortunate record forfour holds the unfortunate record for four of the most devastating tragic mass shootings out of the last ten in this country, so it is really a state where you have terribly weak laws, you have the proliferation of far too many guns and this is the consequence. harell harold but there are more guns than they ever should be and there are more guns and shootings. it strikes me that we did hearfrom the shootings. it strikes me that we did hear from the texas senator ted cruz who described the shooting as truly horrific but he said that gun reforms were not the way to prevent such crimes. he said that restricting the rights of

law—abiding citizens does not work, it is not effect if and does not prevent crime. —— effective. does not prevent crime. -- effective-— does not prevent crime. -- effective. ., ., ., effective. california has those lows and it — effective. california has those lows and it has _ effective. california has those lows and it has lower- effective. california has those lows and it has lower gun - lows and it has lower gun shootings. the idea that gun regulations are not enhanced safety and reduce shootings is simply a lie. you know that is true in countries where you have such laws. he is simply telling lies. the research says they do work. if ted cruz and other politicians were serious about keeping guns out of the hands of those who should not have them, we should be passing a universal background check into this country so that every sale and transfer of a gun includes a background check and if you are someone who should not be getting access to a gun because you are a convicted felon, then you will not pass a background check and yet ted

cruz fight against background checks. on one hand he says we should work hard to keep guns out of the wrong hands but on the other he does not want a law to help do that. fix, law to help do that. a political debate inevitably taking place in the us. for those of you justjoining us, we have breaking news. at least 18 children and one teacher have been killed and elementary school in uvalde texas. the government has been named as salvador ramos, who has been shot dead. president biden is due to address the nation imminently. as you heard earlier about the

comments by ted cruz, discussing gun—control. we can listen now to his comments about gun—control when he gave this reaction to our partners at cbs. you know, evidently, when there is a murderer of this kind, you see politicians try to politicise it. you see democrats and a lot of folks in the media whose immediate solution is to try to restrict the constitutional rights of law—abiding citizens. that does not work. it is not effective. it does not prevent crime. we know what does prevent crime, which is going after felons and fugitives and those with serious mental illness, arresting them, prosecuting them when they try to illegally buy firearms. we will learn the circumstances of this mass murderer, but if you look to the past, we know what is effective and it is targeting the felons and fugitives and the bad guys but, as sure as night follows day, you can bet there are going to be

democrat politicians looking to advance their own political agenda rather than to work to stop this kind of horrific violence and to keep everyone safe. that was said cruz. we can speak it now to jacklyn corrin, from parkland, florida, one of the founders of the gun—control activist group, march for our lives. it was begun by the survivors of the parkland school shooting. thank you for joining us on the programme on what must be such an awful moment for you in terms of reminiscing about what happened during the parkland school shooting. what is your reaction to this devastating tragedy? thank you for having me. all i can say is i am absolutely

devastated. this is the worst school shooting in the united states since the shooting at my high school in 2018 that killed 17 people and i am devastated for the children we will never get to live out their lives. my heart is broken for the parents and loved ones whose children died. we are fortunate enough to —— they are fortunate enough to —— they are fortunate enough to live but they have to endure this trauma. my heart is broken for people in my country with people in power who would rather lie, with money in their pockets from special interest groups, ratherthan pockets from special interest groups, rather than putting in laws that would prevent children being murdered in their schools. we

children being murdered in their schools.— children being murdered in their schools. we had from senator ted _ their schools. we had from senator ted cruz _ their schools. we had from senator ted cruz earlier. i their schools. we had from | senator ted cruz earlier. he says what is needed is more investigations in terms of who the perpetrator was a on guns. what are your thoughts? i think thatis what are your thoughts? i think that is a cowardly thing to say. obviously, there are people in the united states who are hateful and they need a lot of help but focusing on the mental health of individual perpetrators is not going to help anything because the reality is, it is the gun laws in this country that have allowed people like that to get there hands on my arms when they absolutely should not. what we need are universal background checks to actually make sure that people are stable enough to own a firearm, focusing on the perpetrator is an out. he is disguising what is truly selfishness and a priority for money and he's

actually back either nra and receives a lot of money from them so he does not really care but would rather point fingers... but would rather point fingers- - -_ but would rather point fingers... but would rather point finuers... , ., fingers... sorry? sorry, to “um fingers... sorry? sorry, to jump in — fingers... sorry? sorry, to jump in that. _ fingers... sorry? sorry, to jump in that, on _ fingers... sorry? sorry, to jump in that, on your- fingers... sorry? sorry, to| jump in that, on your point about the kinds of weapons that young people or anybody rather have been able to have available to them. what we understand about the suspect, according to our partners in the united states, cbs news, he was armed with a handgun and an ar-15 was armed with a handgun and an ar—is semiautomatic rifle and that was apparently fun for him to do in the state of texas. what are your thoughts on that? it is very commonplace for an 18—year—old in this country to be able to go in eight games and by and ar—is semiautomatic rifle, the same gun that the shooter at my high school used to kill 17 people. honestly, it

is easier in the us to acquire a fire than it is to sometimes get a drivers license and that is quite frankly embarrassing, it is devastating and agonising. nothing has been done on the national level since the shooting at my high school 2018 to prevent these shootings from happening, whether at schools, on the streets, anywhere stop it is important that laws are instituted on a national level because there is a lot of gun trafficking in this country. evenif trafficking in this country. even if there are tighter laws in one state, it can only do so much because people can hop in their cars and bring firearms from other states. this is what we all have to eat together in this country and vote people out that prioritised money from the national rifle association. we were hearing from tracy walder who talked about the

difficulty getting people seeing eye to eye across the political divide and one of the things she said is perhaps the people were more moderate in their views on either side, there might be more of a chance of some kind of conclusion or resolution stop do you think if perhaps organisations like yours were to compromise, is there compromise available in this? i there compromise available in this? ., this? i would say there it should be _ this? i would say there it should be compromised | this? i would say there it i should be compromised but this? i would say there it - should be compromised but we have been asking for the most common sense, the most basic loss — universal background checks, to make sure that a person is not going to use a weapon for something bad. the fact we have not been able to pass something as simple as that on a national level, that is what compromise to meet with look like because there are things that we could do to take a step further, whether banning assault rifles outright. those

are the next steps. first we have to have universal background checks but we cannot even have that because they are locked in congress these laws by selfish politicians. i locked in congress these laws by selfish politicians.- by selfish politicians. i hear both the anger _ by selfish politicians. i hear both the anger and - by selfish politicians. i hear both the anger and the - by selfish politicians. i hear| both the anger and the brief by selfish politicians. i hear i both the anger and the brief in your voice today and i cannot imagine how difficult it must be when you talk about this given the fact of what your community has gone through as well. just picking up on that point about compromise, would your organisation compromise if it was to get to a point where they could be actual developments on this? i mean, much for our — developments on this? i mean, much for our lives _ developments on this? i mean, much for our lives as _ developments on this? i mean, much for our lives as an - much for our lives as an organisation has done so much to compromise. the organisation has done so much to compromise.— organisation has done so much to compromise. the mac i am so sorry we're _ to compromise. the mac i am so sorry we're going _ to compromise. the mac i am so sorry we're going take _ to compromise. the mac i am so sorry we're going take you - to compromise. the mac i am so sorry we're going take you live . sorry we're going take you live to presidentjoe biden who is speaking right now about this tragedy. speaking right now about this traced . ~ , ..,

tragedy. when i became president. _ tragedy. when i became president, i _ tragedy. when i became president, i hoped - tragedy. when i became president, i hoped i - tragedy. when i became l president, i hoped i would tragedy. when i became - president, i hoped i would not have to do this again. another massacre. uvalde, texas. an elementary school. beautiful, innocent, second, third, fourth graders and how many scores of little children who would most what happened that — witnessed, see their friends die as if they are in a battlefield, for gods sake. there is a lot we do not know yet. there is a lot we do know. the parent who will never see their child again, he will never have them jump in bed and cuddle with them, the

parent will never be the same. to lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away. there is a hollowness in your chest and you feel like you're being sucked into it and you're being sucked into it and you are never going to be able to get out, it is suffocating and it is never quite the same. it is a feeling shed by the sibling and grandparents and the community left behind. the scripture says, and we have talked about this in different contexts, the lord is nearer to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed spirits. so many crushed spirits. so many

crushed spirits. so many crushed spirits so tonight i ask the nation to pray for them and give the parents and siblings the strength in the darkness they feel now. as a nation we have to ask, when in gods name will we going to stand up to the gun lobby. when in. �*s name we do what we know in. �*s name we do what we know in our gut needs to be done. —— god's. 3448 in our gut needs to be done. —— god's. 31148 days, ten years since i stood up at a high school in connecticut, a great school in connecticut, a great school in connecticut, where another government massacred 26 people including 21st graders, in sandy hook elementary school. since then they have been over 900 incidents of gunfire reported on school grounds. parkland, florida,

santa fe high school, oxford high school in michigan, the list goes on and on and the list goes on and on and the list grows when we include machetes in places like movie theatres, places of worship. ten days ago at a grocery store in buffalo, new york. i am sick and tired of it. we have to act and tired of it. we have to act and don't tell me we cannot have an impact on this carnage. i spent my career as a senator and vice president working to pass commonsense gun laws. we cannot prevent every tragedy but we know they were can have positive impact. when we post the assault weapons ban, machetes went down. when the law expired, gun shootings tripled. the idea an 18—year—old kid can walk into a gunstock and by two assault

rifles is just wrong. gunstock and by two assault rifles isjust wrong. — — gun stop. what on earth you need them except to kill someone? they are not running through the forest with kevlar vests on, for god sake. it isjust sick and the gun manufacturers have spent decades aggressively marketing assault weapons which makes them the most and largest profit. we have to have the courage to stand up to the industry. most americans support commonsense laws, common sense gun laws. i'd just got off a trip from asia meeting with asian leaders. and i learned of this when i was on the aircraft. what struck me on that 17 hour flight, the aircraft. what struck me on that 17 hourflight, what that 17 hour flight, what struck that 17 hourflight, what struck me was these kinds of

mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. why? they have mental health problems. they have domestic disputes in other countries. they have people who are lost. but these kinds of mass shootings never happen with the kind of frequency they happen in america. why? why are we willing to live with this carnage? why do we keep letting this happen. where in god's name is auerbach own to have the courage to stand up to the lobbies? it is time to turn this pain into action, for every parent, for every citizen of this country. we have to make it clear to every elected official in this country, it is time to act. it is time for

those who have delayed or blocked the common sense gun laws, we need to let you know that we will not forget. we can do so much more. we have to do more. our prayer tonight, for those parents lying in bed try to figure out will either be able to sleep again? what do a say to my other children? what happens tomorrow? may god less the loss of innocent life on this sad day and may the lord be near the brokenhearted and save those crushed in spirit. because they are going to need a lot of help. a lot of our prayers. god love you.

joe biden there speaking in the aftermath of the tragedy and just to recap some of the things that he said in those moments, you could hear the passion in the heart rate in his voice, in his comments he is saying there is a lot we don't know yet, a lot we do know of course, talking about the parents who will never see their children again, can't jump their children again, can't jump into bed and cuddle with them again as he put it and he also talked about the fact that losing a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away, referencing of course his own personal tragedy when he himself has been through that. he said that it felt like your soul is being sucked away, feelings shared by siblings and grandparents and communities being left behind. president biden quoted scripture as well today, he often does that when he addresses the united states and he asked the nation to pray for the victims and the families of this awful tragedy.

he talked as well about the fact that he has spoken on this issue and tried to move the issue and tried to move the issue of gun control, gun reform bill forward, that ten years since he stood up in connecticut at sandy hook he said that there have been 900 incidents on school grounds and he also talked about the fact that he is sick and tired, as he put it and that it is time for action. he put it and that it is time foraction. he he put it and that it is time for action. he referenced the fact that he has just off that asian tour and on that 18 hour flight back to the united states he said that it struck him that these sorts of mass shootings don't happen in any sort of kind of frequency in other parts of the world as they do in the united states and for more on this now we can continue or we can go back rather to speak to former if vi special agent tracy walder —— former fbi special agent. having listened to what the president said just now what are your thoughts on how he

sounded? he are your thoughts on how he sounded?— are your thoughts on how he sounded? ,., ., , ., sounded? he sounded angry and riuhtl sounded? he sounded angry and rightly s0- he — sounded? he sounded angry and rightly so. he sounded _ rightly so. he sounded frustrated. we have to remember that president biden was vice president during sandy hook and he was really tapped by obama to get some of the legislation through congress or gun control. one of the points that he made that i thought was effect of is do you need to own two assault weapons? what are they for, other than for killing people? and i thought that that was a very heartfelt point. that that was a very heartfelt oint. . . , that that was a very heartfelt oint. ., , ., that that was a very heartfelt oint. ., _ ., ., that that was a very heartfelt oint. ., a ., ., ., point. tracy, one of the other thins point. tracy, one of the other things that — point. tracy, one of the other things that really _ point. tracy, one of the other things that really struck - point. tracy, one of the other things that really struck me i point. tracy, one of the otherj things that really struck me is the fact that he reference in other parts of the world, i think has exact word were, other countries also have people with mental problems and they also have people who are lost, as he put it yet they don't have the kinds of mass shootings that we see, as he

referenced, the mass shootings of this kind on a frequent nature, regular nature of this sort. what would you say to that? i sort. what would you say to that? 4' , sort. what would you say to that? ~ , ., , ,., y that? i think he is absolutely riuht. that? i think he is absolutely riht. it that? i think he is absolutely right- it is — that? i think he is absolutely right. it is all— that? i think he is absolutely right. it is all about - right. it is all about accessibility and yes there are folks that are suffering from mental illness all over the world, in every stretch of the globe stopping the us is not unique in terms of mental illness and it really comes down to accessibility. yeah, we have things called red flag laws here which if someone has been involuntarily committed to a mental institution they would then not be able to purchase a weapon but the reality is, is only about 15 states have red flag laws here in the united states, we have 50 states and here in texas we don't have red rag laws and there are so many illegal guns that really flood the market, what is to stop someone from getting their hands on them? so really the

fact that they are so highly accessible and the fact that really there's probably more than people, make it extremely easy for folks to get their hands on. easy for folks to get their hands on— easy for folks to get their hands on. , �* hands on. president biden in that speech _ hands on. president biden in that speech as _ hands on. president biden in that speech as you _ hands on. president biden in that speech as you pointed l hands on. president biden in l that speech as you pointed out tracy has said that it is time to turn this pain into action, calling for what he called common sense gun laws. do you think, as this debate continues in the aftermath of a tragedy like this, will there be any sort of action on this or is this again sadly rhetoric? that is a hard question. _ this again sadly rhetoric? t�*isgt is a hard question. because i want to say yes, they want to be optimistic and i want to say that we are going to have common sense gun legislation, but the reality is, is when we decided that we weren't going to act after 20 five and six —year—olds were killed at sandy hook, just don't necessarily see that happening here in the

united dates and i think the reality is, is that we are more partisan now than we were ten years ago, really, which is when sandy hook happen so we are really governing from these fringes and that becomes problematic really in getting any kind of legislation passed. a node that sounds pessimistic but i'm just being truthful. aha, but i'm just being truthful. a appreciate your honesty and they know how difficult it must be to have to be that honest in the face of a tragedy like that so thank you for that byjust wanted to ask you, as we come out of this tragedy and people today trying to make sense of what happened, parents who have lost their children in the most unimaginable way, what is that sense of soul—searching that will take place across the united states today, in homes like yours, homes across texas today? it like yours, homes across texas toda ? , , ., today? it is so funny, i have been participating _ today? it is so funny, i have been participating in - today? it is so funny, i have been participating in news l been participating in news interviews about this but my daughter is going to sleep in the room above me and so i am

thinking, do ijust want to give her one last hug before she goes to bed and it is really upsetting. it is upsetting to biden's point that many parents and other countries around the world don't have to worry about these kinds of things, but my worry about them and maybe it is because of the former training that i have had, i do worry when ice into my daughter after school, kind of always and now thatis school, kind of always and now that is exacerbated even more and we really have to think about what do we want schools to become? i'm in my mid— 40s, schools were a place of love and learning and happiness and light and now i'm afraid because we will not have common sense gun legislation that they have become fortresses upright tracy, thank you so much for joining us on the programme with those thoughts. i really appreciate the time that you have taken to speak to us in

the midst of this tragedy is copy that is all that we have for you on bbc news for now stopping there will be lots more on this story throughout the day on bbc news, just to stay with the network for the latest developments on this story for you. that's all now. tuesday was a very unsettled day, we had loads of showers across the whole of the uk, some impressive thunderclouds, this one spotted across the skies of west london and there were reports of some hail. lots of thunder and lightning and even a funnel cloud, like a tornado coming down the doesn't quite reach the ground stopping although there were loads of showers, thunderstorms really were concentrated across eastern areas of england. why? that was down to the jetstream. we have this trough moving across eastern areas of england, that is what the showers and made those thunderstorms where the ridge

the showers actually went very heavy at all stopping that trough feature has pinged all the way across into northeast europe and looking at the charts for wednesday, a strong jetstream will be pushing in this set of weather fronts stopping the fronts themselves not particularly active by the time they get within areas of england but it will be a blustery kind of day, certainly a different day compared with tuesday. northern ireland, western parts of england and wales, across scotland will push its way eastward, barely any rain left on by the time it reaches east anglia and south—east england, what follows is much brighter weather with sunshine and a few showers mainly across north—western areas of. temperatures about the de— 18 degrees lcs, it won't feel too bad and that strong may sunshine stop looking at the with a picture through wednesday night, many of the showers will fade away but then the cloud will start to rebuild in northern ireland as we head into the first part of thursday morning with that rain ducting to make inroads here. this is another weather front off the atlantic, a tiny bit of

uncertainty about where that is going, northern england and wales looks the favoured watts for seeing rain, scotland, sunshine showers more likely enter would northern england, variable cloud but there will be some sunny spells coming and going here. temperatures quite a range, coolair getting an across scotland and northern ireland, highsjustaround across scotland and northern ireland, highs just around 13— 15 degrees for some but warmer to the south—east for temperatures up to 20. and towards the end of the week and the all—important we can, the theory of high pressure is going to be building in from the with stopping the weather is set to settle down but we eventually are going to get some fairly brisk northerly winds and they will feed on some showers to northern scotland but otherwise a fair amount of dry weather with some sunny spells. that is the latest.

welcome to bbc news. i'm david eades the headlines: another mass shooting in the united states, at least 18 children and one teacher have been killed in a primary school in texas. police name the gunmen as salvador ramos who was shot dead. president biden has addressed the nation. tonight, i asked the nation to pray for them. to give the parents and siblings the strength in the darkness they feel right now.— feel right now. senator ted cruz expressed _ feel right now. senator ted cruz expressed his - feel right now. senator ted cruz expressed his horror l feel right now. senator ted l cruz expressed his horror but said gun controls were the wrong way to prevent such

crime. it wrong way to prevent such crime. ., , ., ., “ wrong way to prevent such crime. ., , ., ., ~ ,