Biden takes action on gun safety measures following recent shootings.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order to close gun registration loopholes and move the U.S. closer to universal background checks. The order directs Attorney General Merrick Garland to close a gray area in existing gun sales laws that have allowed some vendors to operate without conducting background checks. The president’s move comes as state leaders renewed calls for federal action amid a violent start to 2023, which has already witnessed 164 victims in 110 mass shootings. Biden used his speech to re-up his calls for lawmakers to take further action on gun violence.