Democratic presidential contenders on Saturday urged Congress to take action to curb gun violence following mass shootings last weekend in Texas and Ohio that left 31 dead. Speaking at a hastily convened forum in Iowa, they called for the imposition of universal background checks on gun buyers, so-called "red flag" laws, and ultimately a ban on military-style assault weapons. The candidates took questions from gun-control advocates and shooting survivors at a program sponsored by Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group founded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
