Staff report
By the time this is published in the Redfield Press, we will be exactly three weeks in to Biden’s presidency. So far, President Biden has set into motion many drastic changes to America in the form of executive orders that will carry weight far into the future.
As Biden has signed orders to tighten gun restrictions, gun sales in the U.S. have reached an all-time high. The FBI conducted 4.3 million background checks for firearm sales in January of 2021, the most ever conducted in a single month, according to reports. Gun sales were up 80 percent in January, compared to December of 2020. Many stores are reporting having barely any weapons in stock and significant ammo shortages (this is also noticeable in stores in Aberdeen and Huron). It is obvious that many people are preparing to protect their livelihoods should more restrictions be put on the the American people.
Talk is also circulating about one of Biden’s most recent goals: raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. This is causing some businesses to worry about how they are going to afford to pay their employees in the near future. (Currently, the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.)
Biden said that individual states have shown their support for the wage increase by passing their own laws to boost the minimum wage to $15. States that have done so thus far are California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
Meanwhile, in Long Beach, California, two Kroger stores have closed their doors following a city order mandating a four dollar an hour wage increase for employees. Krogers responded that their “associates and customers will ultimately be the real victims of these forced closures because of the city council’s actions.”
This goes to show that some stores will not be able to maintain a pay increase of the proposed “$15 an hour by 2025.” If other cities follow Long Beach’s example, more closures could happen in the near future.
In Coronavirus news, Biden has not only established a plan to bring life “back to normal” through mass vaccination, but is looking into producing digital versions of coronavirus vaccine certificates. This is already being implemented in some European governments, such as Denmark. Denmark is planning to reveal - in the next three to four months - digital passports that show whether or not citizens have been vaccinated, according to a report from the Denmark government.
As for openness with the public, The Daily Beast reports that the Biden Administration has been asking reporters to provide questions before press briefings. According to reporters, the move undermines President Biden’s promise to respect a free press. It also gives the appearance that the Biden administration is less open with the public than portrayed. Reporters have been advised to ignore the requests.
