Flags are lowered, sorrowful statements are issued, pleas to lawmakers are made, again.
In the wake of two mass shootings in California this week, U.S. President Joe Biden has followed a heartfelt and familiar script of outrage and grief over gun violence in America, coupled with a renewed call for Congress to pass legislation banning assault-style weapons.
Such a ban has little chance of passing the Republican-controlled House of Representatives or the Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats, political experts say.