Dallas will become the epicenter of the national gun-control debate this weekend when the National Rifle Association holds its annual meeting starting Friday there…
Dallas will become the epicenter of the national gun-control debate this weekend when the National Rifle Association holds its annual meeting starting Friday there. The event, expected to draw about 80,000 gun owners and enthusiasts, will feature speeches by President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U. S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. But the gathering comes in the wake of horrific deadly shootings at a Las Vegas concert, a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and a high school in Parkland, Fla. A host of rallies calling for stricter gun control is also expected.
Arizona schools are preparing to reopen Friday after a walkout shut down schools across the state for six days. Arizona’s governor signed a budget bill Thursday morning that includes nearly $273 million aimed at giving teachers raises after state legislators debated for 13 hours to craft the state’s budget. Passage of the additional teacher pay was called the triggering event that organizers said would end the statewide teacher walkout, the largest in recent U. S. history.
Today is not just plain old May 4. It’s Star Wars Day, when fans of the franchise get to greet others with “May the Fourth be with you” in a nod to the classic movie line, “May the force be with you.” This year’s fan fest comes amid a frenzy for another film franchise: Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War last weekend made box-office history with a $250 million opening weekend, smashing the record previously held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But the return of the Jedi juggernaut isn’t far off. Solo: A Star Wars Story — the second standalone Star Wars film — hits theaters May 25.
A rebound in job growth is expected when the government releases its April employment report on Friday, and Wall Street will be watching the numbers closely for clues to the future of interest rates. A strong showing on job growth would be consistent with the Federal Reserve’s plan to raise interest rates this year. (The Fed stood pat on rates at its meeting Wednesday.) Payroll processor ADP reported Wednesday that businesses added a robust 204,000 jobs last month, and economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast the Labor Department will announce Friday that 195,000 jobs were added.
After a three-week break following the Masters, Tiger Woods was back on the golf course at the Wells Fargo Championship. Woods finished the first round at even par and six shots off the lead after missing some good chances for birdies due to struggling with inconsistency on the greens. Currently in the lead is John Peterson, who was six under par on Thursday. Round 2 of the Wells Fargo Championship starts at 7 a.m. ET on Friday, with TV coverage on Golf Channel starting at 2 p.m. ET.
