Obama says new executive actions on guns will 'save lives'

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last updated 5 January 2016

On Tuesday, President Obama will announce executive actions focusing on curbing gun violence, clarifying existing laws that require anyone who makes a living by selling guns — including hobbyists and collectors — to register as a licensed gun dealer that must perform background checks.

White House officials said Monday the president will also instruct agencies to conduct more research on guns; encourage more federal prosecution of domestic violence cases; and ask for funding to hire 200 law enforcement agents, The New York Times reports. "This is not going to solve every violent crime in this country," Obama told reporters Monday. "It's not going to prevent every mass shooting. It will, potentially, save lives in this country."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.