The truth about the gun debate

View this email in your browser Brought to you by USATODAY.com It's not just about the weapons The mass shooting in Las Vegas again brings to light the battle over guns in America and how to regulate them. The argument over gun control isn't merely about safety, it's also about identity. For guns rights activists, guns symbolize freedom, power and self-reliance. For guns control advocates, they symbolize aggression, violence and mistrust. The fight over guns isn't just about facts, it's about our fears. On Wednesday, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump met with survivors of Sunday night's shooting. When a reporter asked the president if he would offer any gun policy proposals, he said simply, "We are not going to talk about that today." Rex Tillerson takes the mic It was the question on everyone's mind when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a news conference Wednesday. Did you really call President Trump a "moron" during a meeting at the Pentagon? "I'm not going to deal with petty stuff like that," he said. Do you want to resign? "There has never been a consideration in my mind to leave." The televised statement followed a tense weekend, with Trump tweeting that Tillerson is "wasting his time" by trying to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But their emails ... After repeated calls on the 2016 campaign trail to lock up Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server, President Trump is facing his own email controversy. A USA TODAY review of Internet registration records showed Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump re-routed their personal email accounts to computers run by the Trump Organization. They made the move after special counsel Robert Mueller asked the White House to turn over records related to his investigation of Russian election interference and possible collusion with Trump associates. Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr said Wednesday that his committee is continuing to investigate potential collusion with Russian agents . Burr also said the committee "hit a wall" in trying to assess the credibility of a dossier compiled by a former British spy that alleged Russian operatives had compromising information about Trump. Meet, Nate ... The death toll from devastating Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico rose to 34 Tuesday night. President Trump pitched the idea of helping the U.S. territory by forgiving its massive debt and personally tossed out paper towels to a crowd in a town just south of San Juan during his visit Tuesday. And the ferocious 2017 hurricane season shows no signs of letting up. A tropical depression now spinning in the Caribbean Sea is forecast to move north into the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday. The storm would be named Nate. Tropical storm warnings are in effect along the coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras. This is Google's answer to the iPhone X The tech giant introduced two smartphones Wednesday — Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL — in a renewed push to release hardware "made by Google." So what makes them so special compared to Apple's iPhone X, available next month? First, they are cheaper, starting at $649 and $849 respectively, while the iPhone X starts at $999. The Pixel 2 features a 5-inch screen while the XL has a 6-inch screen. Like last year with the Pixel, owners of these phones get free, unlimited cloud storage for photos and videos. Sure beats scrambling to delete apps. What else is happening this week? Bookmark our calendar. This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. Invite others to enjoy The Short List newsletter. Thank you for subscribing to the The Short List. Got some feedback, a tip or just want to say hello? Email us at newsletters@e.usatoday.com. USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Unsubscribe from the The Short List Why did I get this? Update my subscription preferences USA TODAY 7950 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22102

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