Texas school shooting kills 21; Biden addresses nation; Iraqi murder plot to kill President Bush foiled; more baby formula on way to U.S.; North Korea launches ballistic missiles; Kemp wins in Georgia
TIME 100 most influential people; best cities for early retirement; babysitting is the hot gig; the impatient dog who honks the car horn; the last NYC public payphone; Russian diplomat at UN quits
Good Wednesday morning! Happy hump day after a tragic Tuesday.
My take: Once again in America. Another shooting. It was a Buffalo supermarket last week where a man hunted down black citizens. It has been churches and synagogues in past years and often supermarkets. It is not safe anywhere. Yesterday it was another school shooting. Columbine, Littleton, Sandy Hook, Mississippi, Little Rock, Parkland and now Uvalde, Texas. My heart breaks that 8 and 9 year olds will not be going home tonight. Other children are scarred for life — the ones who climbed through windows to escape another mass murderer. Parents will never be able to hug their child again. We now hear that the death toll has risen to 21. This was supposed to be the last week of the school year in Uvalde. Instead, many will never return to school. The shooter purchased his assault rifles on his 18th birthday 8 days ago along with body amor. He was stopped and killed by a Border Patrol Agent who was nearby and himself was shot. Americans are now killing each other at a record pace. 50 percent more mass shootings than a year ago. America is the third world nation now. Not Central America, South America or Africa. This is one of the only nations that this happens to this extreme. The United States of America is broken. I am not here to write about strengthening gun laws. Our Congress has shown that they will not change gun laws. Knowing that, we need to be sure our schools are safe and have resource officers. We need to say something if we see something on social media. We need to put far more money into mental health concerns. Our nation is a failure in that area. We need to embrace our children, especially those who challenged and not feeling a part of a community. Our hearts breaks today. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Action is needed from our leaders to remake America and stop the killing. We must come together. The future of this nation depends on it.
Now to your “1 to…”
18 children, 3 adults dead in Texas school shooting: The death toll from a shooting at a Texas elementary school has risen to 18 children and 3 adults, according to a state senator. Sen. Roland Gutierrez told The Associated Press that he got the information from a briefing with state police.
'Senseless crime': Texas governor releases statement after elementary school shooting.
27 school shootings have taken place so far this year: A shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that has killed 18 children and two adults marks the 27th school shooting this year. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the shooter behind Tuesday's incident was killed. This comes just 10 days after a shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., that took the lives of 10 people.
Education Week has been tracking school shootings since 2018. According to its database, 119 such incidents have taken place since then. A gunman killed at least 18 children and 2 adults at a Texas elementary school. 2 people were killed and several injured in a shooting at a Texas elementary school. There were 27 school shootings with injuries or deaths this year.
Biden addresses nation on 'horrific' Texas school shooting: 'We have to act'.
Senator Chris Murphy, lawmaker from Sandy Hook district, pleads for action after Texas elementary school mass shooting: "What are we doing?"
A partial list of mass shootings in the United States in 2022.
ISIS affiliated suspect arrested for alleged plot to kill President Bush: The ISIS affiliated man appeared in a federal courtroom on Tuesday.
Take a break from the news for a smile:
End of an era: Last NYC public payphone removed.
Explainer: What to Know About Monkeypox.
North Korea launches at least three ballistic missiles, South Korea says: North Korea has fired at least three ballistic missile in an easterly direction on Wednesday morning local time, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The tests come on the heels of US President Joe Biden's first presidential trip to Asia. Last week, a US official warned that North Korea appeared to be preparing for an intercontinental ballistic missile test during Biden's trip, after satellite imagery revealed activity at a launch site near the capital, Pyongyang.
A Russian diplomat resigns: ‘Never have I been so ashamed of my country.’
NYT Columnist: On Taiwan, Biden should find his inner Truman.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp defeats David Perdue in a major repudiation of Trump: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp resoundingly defeated former Sen. David Perdue is challenging in a major blow to President Donald Trump's endorsement power — and the political potency of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
Herschel Walker will win the Republican primary for Senate in Georgia: Herschel Walker will win Georgia's Republican primary for Senate, CNN projects. He will face Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in November.
Walker, 60, who was urged to run by former President Donald Trump, is a political newcomer — but a celebrity in the state where he won the 1982 Heisman Trophy as one of college football’s greatest running backs of all time at the University of Georgia.
Biden administration is flying in baby formula. Here’s why the shortage happened: A factory shutdown triggered the crisis but supply was vulnerable, experts said.
Stormy repeat: NOAA predicts busy Atlantic hurricane season.
What's ailing long COVID patients? A new federal study looks for clues.
Smallpox vaccines can protect against monkeypox, and U.S. has 100 million doses: Two FDA-approved vaccines for smallpox are in the Strategic National Stockpile, one of many reasons this outbreak is nothing like the coronavirus.
New York subpoenas Trump’s longtime assistant in business dealings inquiry: Rhona Graff will be questioned about the former president’s involvement in the Trump Organization’s financial records.
Pelosi hits back at SF Archbishop who barred her from Communion: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has hit back at San Francisco’s highest-ranking Catholic after he said he’d deny her Communion for being pro-abortion. Salvatore Cordileone, a staunchly conservative archbishop, told parishioners Friday that he would ban Pelosi until she “publicly repudiate[s] her support for abortion ‘rights’” and confesses to perpetuating “grave evil.” But, speaking on MSNBC on Tuesday, Pelosi called Cordileone out for still giving Communion to politicians who support the death penalty.
Suspect in NYC subway shooting Andrew Abdullah charged with murder: The career criminal sought in the subway shooting death of Goldman Sachs employee Daniel Enriquez last weekend was busted by cops Tuesday, as a minister and his attorneys were negotiating his surrender at a Chinatown stationhouse, according to police sources and his lawyers. Andrew Abdullah, 25, was hit with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the 11:42 a.m. shooting aboard a Manhattan-bound Q train on Sunday morning, police said at a briefing.
'Idiots': Reed's father blames Marjorie Taylor Greene for delaying son's release.
Fired worker busted with weapons cache after stalking colleagues, cops say: A disgruntled employee who was fired from his job at a San Jose, California, construction company in January has been arrested for sending disturbing threats to his former co-workers, police said. Authorities seized a cache of weapons from Bryan Velasquez’s home on May 19, including “two AR pattern assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, tactical body armor, and materials to manufacture and assemble privately made firearms or ghost guns,” the San Jose Police Department said in a press release. In April 2022, cops had received a report about the 43-year-old’s alleged threats to his co-workers.
Crypto billionaire says he could spend a record-breaking $1 billion in 2024 election: Democratic cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried says he expects to spend “north of $100 million" in 2024, with “soft ceiling” of $1 billion.
Indiana lawmakers enact trans sports ban with veto override: Republican lawmakers in Indiana voted Tuesday to override the GOP governor’s veto of a bill banning transgender females from competing in girls school sports and join about more than a dozen other states adopting similar laws in the past two years. State senators voted 32-15 in favor of overriding Gov. Eric Holcomb following the same action in a 67-28 vote by the House earlier in the day. Holcomb had said in his veto message that bill did not provide a consistent policy for what he called “fairness in K-12 sports” when he unexpectedly vetoed it in March. The override votes were nearly party line and no lawmakers changed their votes from earlier this year. Four Republican senators joined all Democratic senators in voting to uphold the veto. In the House, three Republicans voted to sustain the veto, while one Democrat supported overriding it.
Airbnb is closing its domestic business in China, sources say: All mainland Chinese listings — homes and experiences — will be taken down by this summer, but Airbnb will continue to maintain an office in the country to focus on outbound travel. Airbnb formally launched its mainland China business in 2016 and has faced mounting competition from domestic players.
Stays in China have accounted for approximately 1% of revenue for the last few years.
Psaki's MSNBC streaming show will launch next year: She will also appear on NBC and MSNBC’s election programming through the midterm and 2024 presidential elections.
Pastor admits to 'Adultery' during service — but then female church member takes the Mmic: 'I Was Just 16': "This long-held secret first came to light when a woman in the church came forward," pastor John B. Lowe II's church said in a statement.
Millions displaced and dozens dead in flooding in India and Bangladesh: Heavy rains have washed away towns, villages and infrastructure, as extreme weather events become more common in South Asia.
Coca-Cola is discontinuing Honest Tea: First Coca-Cola cut Tab, Odwalla and Zico coconut water. Now, Honest Tea is getting axed. "The Honest teas product line will be phased out of The Coca-Cola Company's beverage portfolio at the end of 2022," the company said in a statement Monday, noting that the Honest Kids line, which is "quickly growing," will continue to be available. Even as the teas get discontinued, Coca-Cola said it will hang onto the Honest logo and brand, so it may opt to license other Honest products in the future.
Walmart recalls ice cream commemorating Juneteenth after receiving a heavy backlash, a report says: Walmart has faced heavy criticism over a Juneteenth-related ice-cream product. The retailer has pulled the ice cream from shelves and issued an apology, Fox 7 Austin reported. Roy Wood Jr. was among those ridiculing the product for appearing to capitalize on the holiday.
Best cities for an early retirement – 2022 study: Fewer Americans plan to work past the age of 62. In a March 2022 survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 49.2% of Americans plan to work past the age of 62, a figure that is 6.2% lower than two years prior. However, it can be difficult to make early retirement a reality. Stretching retirement savings long enough to live comfortably is challenging, but some cities are better than others for bringing early retirement plans to fruition. In this study, we determined the best places for an early retirement, comparing the 100 largest cities across four categories. They include tax friendliness, elderly care, affordability and livability.
Babysitters now raking it in amid red-hot labor market: As the pandemic gradually wanes and parents get out more, their go-to babysitters are commanding higher rates and getting other perks on top.
Google's new Street View camera is more portable (and looks weirdly cute): Since launching in five US cities in 2007, Google's Street View cars have been circling the globe, using roof-mounted cameras to map more than 10 million miles of imagery — pictures that have been stitched together to build a visual map of much of the world. Yet while these cameras have made it possible for Google to capture many far-flung places, they tend to be bulky, heavy, and require a bunch of computing power that has to be added on inside Street View cars.
Couple plans to spend their retirement years on Cruise Ships because it’s cheaper than a mortgage.
DARPA wants a better, badder Caspian Sea Monster: Liberty Lifter X-plane will leverage ground effect.
The Black Market Is Crawling With Spiders, New Study Finds: More than 1,200 species of spiders, scorpions and other arachnids are involved in the wildlife trade.
Kayakers find 8,000-year-old human skull in MBy Stephanie Pappas published 1 day ago: The skull belonged to a Native American man who likely lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
US Fishermen Catch Rarely Seen Jet Black River Beast In Texas, Internet Calls It "Terrifying": The images of the jet-black river beast have left internet users perplexed.
Invasive jumping worms have made their way into California, and scientists are worried: They clone themselves, they thrash violently like a rattlesnake when handled, they can jump a foot in the air, and now they're in California.
Beyond the jumping worm's gnarly appearance (the species is also referred to as Alabama jumpers, Jersey wrigglers and crazy snake worms, but officially named the Asian jumping worm), scientists are now concerned about the "significant threat" the invasive species may have on the state.
Migration Dashboard: Explore nightly migration data in your region. Learn more.
Steven Tyler relapses, Aerosmith cancels Vegas residency: ‘Thank you for your understanding’: Steven Tyler has had a long battle with sobriety, Aerosmith said in a statement.
CBS nixes ‘FBI’ season finale over school shooting plot line: CBS won’t air the season finale of “FBI” in the wake of Tuesday’s deadly shooting at a Texas elementary school. The episode of the drama series about federal agents involved a school shooting and a “deadly robbery” plotline, according to Deadline.
Lupe Fiasco To Teach Rap Course At The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology: He'll be part of the institution's MLK Visiting Professor Program later this year.
The most shocking moments on This Is Us through the years: From day one, the show tossed twists that viewers never saw coming. Here, a look back at some of the biggest. For more on This Is Us, pick up EW's special edition, on newsstands and Amazon.com now
Naomi Osaka exits French Open in first round, may skip Wimbledon: Naomi Osaka lost in the French Open first round, then said she may skip Wimbledon after the WTA and ATP tours announced last week they will not award ranking points because Wimbledon is barring Russia and Belarus players.
“I didn’t even make my decision yet, but I’m leaning more towards not playing given the current circumstances, but, you know, that might change,” Osaka said in an English answer to a question in Japanese that media on site reported to be about Wimbledon. “I’m not sure why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just like feels that way. Whenever I think like something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100%.”
Hundreds gather at Nebraska park for second annual pool noodle brawl over the name Josh: A couple hundred people grabbed their pool noodles and headed to a Nebraska park again this weekend to battle over the right to the name Josh. The event started as an online joke when Josh Swain from Tucson, Arizona, sent out a tweet challenging anyone who shared his name to fight over it. After it took on a life of its own, Swain turned it into a real event last year at the random coordinates he included in his original note, which happened to be in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Have a great Wednesday!