US to require background checks for gun shows and online sales | First Thing

Historic action closes loophole and bolsters Biden administration's fight against gun violence. Plus: the true price of Indonesia's booming nickel industry

Good morning.

The US will require mandatory background checks on the sale of firearms on the internet and at gun shows, the US justice department announced on Thursday, closing a loophole that previously exempted private transactions from restrictions that apply to licensed dealers.

How often did people take advantage of this loophole? The White House estimates that about 22% of guns owned by Americans were acquired without a background check.

How have conservatives responded to the announcement? Republicans were lukewarm to near-identical proposals by Barack Obama in 2016 and, with a current House majority, have been resistant to calls for meaningful gun control measures since. However, Republican support is not actually necessary for this new rule to go through.