"Congress Under Pressure to Tackle Gun Violence After Holiday Week Marred by Mass Shootings"

After a holiday week marred by multiple mass shootings, including one in Baltimore where 30 people were shot and two died, demands are growing for Congress to take action on gun violence. Baltimore's mayor, along with other lawmakers, is calling for measures such as universal background checks, banning assault weapons, and cracking down on gun trafficking. However, efforts to pass new gun control legislation face challenges in a divided Congress, with little bipartisan agreement on the issue. House Democrats have initiated discharge petitions to force a debate and vote on gun control measures, but they still need Republican support. The stalemate continues as the number of mass shootings in the US continues to rise.