The Full Belmonte, 5/28/2022
The head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Steven McCraw, right, at a news conference yesterday.Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The New York Times
“Police said officers made the wrong decision in waiting to storm the gunman in Uvalde, Texas. The responding officers hesitated despite numerous 911 calls from children inside Robb Elementary School, the state Department of Public Safety director said, as authorities face an outpouring of grief and anger over law enforcement’s actions during the massacre. The commander on the scene believed that no lives were at risk and that it was better to wait until a tactical team could get keys to the classroom before entering. Salvador Ramos killed 19 students and two teachers.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
A map of the shooter's movements is shown at a briefing this afternoon. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
“An on-scene commander considered the Uvalde gunman barricaded and not an active shooter — despite frantic 911 calls from students inside the classrooms, a Texas official said today during a chaotic briefing.
Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, called it ‘the wrong decision — period’ not to breach the classroom sooner.
‘Obviously, based on the information we have, there were children in that classroom that were still at risk,’ he said.
McCraw said there were at least 19 officers in a hallway outside of the classrooms when the first call from inside one of the rooms was made around 12:03 p.m. Law enforcement didn't breach the classrooms until 12:51 p.m. — 48 minutes later.
The gunman shot more than 100 rounds.
Initial reports that a school security officer first confronted the shooter before he entered the school were false, McCraw said. The security officer wasn't on campus when shooting was first reported.
After arriving on scene, the security officer drove past the shooter and instead confronted a teacher, the director said.” Read more at Axios
Screenshot via CNN
“Elementary-school students who survived the rampage are appearing on local and national TV to tell their stories, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez and Sara Fischer report.
‘I have the fear of guns now because I'm scared someone might shoot me,’ 8-year-old Edward Timothy, a second-grade survivor, told CNN. He added that since kindergarten, his school has been holding drills on what to do if there's a shooting.
11-year-old Miah Cerrillo, who witnessed some of the victims getting shot, told CNN she dipped her hands in the blood of a classmate who had been killed and smeared it on herself to play dead.
Why it matters: The media appearances are reminiscent of the Parkland shooting survivors, who led the nation through weeks of grief.
The much younger Uvalde children aren't making calls to action on gun control. Instead, they're simply bearing witness to what they saw in their classrooms.” Read more at Axios
“Police in the U.S. responding to mass shootings are trained above all to confront the gunman.” Read more at New York Times
“Gun-Right Fights Move to the States, Amid Little Federal Action
The NRA has won the fight over gun rights in Washington — for now. With the US Senate far from the 60-vote majority either side needs to drive legislative change, the federal government is limited to executive orders, shifting the battleground to state courts and capitols, Neil Weinberg writes.” Read more at Bloomberg““The House oversight committee opened an investigation into five gun manufacturers after the Uvalde shooting. Go deeper.” Read more at Axios
“The gunman left multiple hints of his plans in the weeks before the massacre.” Read more at New York Times
“President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Uvalde, Texas on Sunday to meet with the families of victims of Tuesday's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 21 dead, including 19 children. The massacre was the deadliest school shooting since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. The White House said the Bidens would ‘grieve with the community that lost 21 lives in the horrific’ shooting. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president would meet with the community and religious leaders and victims' families. Biden called on lawmakers to ‘stand up to the gun lobby’ in remarks Tuesday following the shooting. ‘I had hoped when I became president, I would not have to do this again. Another massacre,’ Biden added. ‘Beautiful, innocent second, third and fourth graders.’” Read more at USA Today
“The National Rifle Association continues its annual convention this weekend in Houston, days after a school shooting across the state in Uvalde, Texas, left 19 children and 2 adults dead. The nation's largest gun-rights group has been beset by money and legal woes in recent years, but still holds considerable sway. The three-day event, showcasing 14 acres of the latest guns and gear, got under way Friday with a leadership forum with scheduled speakers that included former President Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Both men went after the Democratic party, with Trump accusing Democrats of trying to exploit the tragedy and demonizing gun owners while Cruz railed against Democrats' calls for universal background checks. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had been scheduled to appear in person but opted to go to Uvalde instead. Some featured performers, including ‘American Pie’ singer Don McLean, Lee Greenwood and T. Graham Brown also bowed out.” Read more at USA Today
“Vice President Kamala Harris is expected Saturday to attend the last of the funerals for the victims of the May 14 racist mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, as 86-year-old Ruth Whitfield is memorialized. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden traveled to Buffalo to visit with families and lay flowers at a memorial on May 17. On Friday, three other victims of the attack were laid to rest during a week filled with goodbyes for family and friends. Geraldine Talley, 62, Andre Mackniel, 53, and Margus Morrison, 52, were among the 10 people killed and three wounded when a white gunman opened fire on shoppers and employees at the Tops. Authorities said he chose the grocery store because it's in a predominantly Black neighborhood. ‘We cannot sit here today and cry for Geraldine and not make sure justice is done for Geraldine,’ civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton told mourners at Talley's service in Buffalo.” Read more at USA Today
“Human rights experts accused President Vladimir Putin of Russia of waging a genocidal campaign to wipe out part of the Ukrainian population.” Read more at New York Times
Firefighters at a factory in Bakhmut, a city hit by shelling in eastern Ukraine.
PHOTO: ARIS MESSINIS/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
“The Russian military made fresh gains in fierce fighting in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, engaging in street battles in the city of Severodonetsk. Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from Lyman, the latest city to fall to Russian forces in recent days, Ukrainian officials said. The Russian advances, if they continue, could encircle a large grouping of Ukrainian forces, which would be a major defeat for Kyiv. Meanwhile, Ukraine is calling on Western allies to urgently supply longer-range multiple-launch rocket systems, or MLRS batteries, to help defend Donbas against Moscow’s firepower.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Russian Land Mines Mean Northern Ukraine Can’t Return to Normal
Russian troops may have withdrawn from northern Ukraine but the land mines they scattered are preventing a return to life as usual. Rosalind Mathieson and Andrea Dudik speak to boxer-turned-Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko about how unexploded ordnance is killing Ukrainians.” Read more at Bloomberg“European Leaders in Davos Decry Russia Using Food as ‘Blackmail’
President Vladimir Putin is using food as a weapon by bombing grain warehouses, blocking Ukranian ships filled with wheat and hording Russia’s own food exports, European leaders said as they met in Davos, Switzerland. Natalia Drozdiak reports the measures are causing global food prices to skyrocket and leaving fragile countries at risk of famine.Resuming Ukrainian grain shipments will be time consuming given challenges that include mine-clearing in Black Sea ports and the need for cooperation from the very country that kicked off the war.” Read more at Bloomberg
Putin said he’s willing to facilitate grain and fertilizer exports if sanctions against Russia are lifted. The US rejected the proposal.
“Europe’s Push to Punish Putin Is Falling Short of the Rhetoric
Diplomats and officials are increasingly frustrated that the European Union may be reaching the limits of the short-term pain it can inflict on Russia. John Follain and Alberto Nardelli explain that members are failing to deliver on promises to hit President Vladimir Putin where it hurts: the lucrative energy industry.” Read more at Bloomberg“Johnson Urges Missiles for Ukraine to Hit ‘Crocodile’ Putin
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged in an interview with Bloomberg that Ukraine receive further military support. The needed weapons include long-range multiple rocket launch systems, Kitty Donaldson reports.” Read more at Bloomberg“Latin America’s Age of Discontent Faces Test in Colombia Vote
When Colombians vote Sunday, they may join the the anti-establishment mood sweeping Latin America and abandon the pro-business Washington-centered model they’ve embraced for decades. As Andrea Jaramillo and Matthew Bristow write, presidential frontrunner and former guerrilla Gustavo Petro has tapped into a yearning for radical change.” Read more at Bloomberg“Temperatures in India typically peak in May before the monsoon rains, but this year they hit well above 40C (104F) two months early. Chris Kay and Pratik Parija report how climate scientists’ dire predictions are already playing out in parts of India and Pakistan, providing a look at what awaits the rest of us as the rest of the world also gets hotter.” Read more at Bloomberg
A farmer pours water on himself in the Ludhiana district of Punjab, India. Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg
“Southern Baptist Convention leaders published a list this week of hundreds of church workers ‘credibly accused’ of sexual abuse.” Read more at New York Times
“ATLANTA — As many as 50 witnesses are expected to be subpoenaed by a special grand jury that will begin hearing testimony next week in the criminal investigation into whether former President Donald J. Trump and his allies violated Georgia laws in their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state.
The process, which is set to begin on Wednesday, is likely to last weeks, bringing dozens of subpoenaed witnesses, both well-known and obscure, into a downtown Atlanta courthouse bustling with extra security because of threats directed at the staff of the Fulton County district attorney, Fani T. Willis.
Ms. Willis, a Democrat, has said in the past that Mr. Trump created a threatening atmosphere with his open criticism of the investigation. At a rally in January, he described the Georgia investigation and others focusing on him as ‘prosecutorial misconduct at the highest level’ that was being conducted by ‘vicious, horrible people.’ Ms. Willis has had staffers on the case outfitted with bulletproof vests….
Ms. Willis emphasized the breadth of the case. As many as 50 witnesses have declined to talk to her voluntarily and are likely to be subpoenaed, she said. The potential crimes to be reviewed go well beyond the phone call that Mr. Trump made to Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, on Jan. 2, 2021, during which he asked him to find enough votes to reverse the election results.
Ms. Willis is weighing racketeering among other potential charges and said that such cases have the potential to sweep in people who have never set foot in Fulton or made a single phone call to the county.
Her investigators are also reviewing the slate of fake electors that Republicans created in a desperate attempt to circumvent the state’s voters. She said the scheme to submit fake Electoral College delegates could lead to fraud charges, among others — and cited her approach to a 2014 racketeering case she helped lead as an assistant district attorney, against a group of educators involved in a cheating scandal in the Atlanta public schools.” Read more at New York Times
“The SEC is investigating Elon Musk's disclosure of an ownership stake in Twitter, which came ahead of his agreement to acquire the company, Axios' Dan Primack reports. Go deeper.” Read more at Axios
“Former House Speaker Paul Ryan will stump for Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump. Go deeper.” Read more at Axios
“An Ohio jury on Friday found two fraternity members not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide in the March 2021 hazing death of a 20-year-old Bowling Green State University student, but convicted them of lesser offenses.
The two, Jacob Krinn, 21, and Troy Henricksen, 24, were convicted of hazing, obstructing official business and violating underage drinking laws — all misdemeanor charges — for their roles in the fraternity event that preceded the death of Stone Foltz, a sophomore. The legal drinking age in Ohio is 21.
Sentencing for Mr. Krinn is scheduled for July 8 and for Mr. Henricksen on July 29 before Judge Joel Kuhlman of Wood County Court of Common Pleas. Mr. Krinn faces up to 11 months in prison, and Mr. Henricksen faces a maximum of 18 months, prosecutors said.
Mr. Krinn had prodded Mr. Foltz to drink almost a full bottle of liquor as part of an initiation to Pi Kappa Alpha that was organized by Mr. Henricksen, Paul A. Dobson, the Wood County prosecuting attorney, had argued. A roommate found Mr. Foltz unresponsive in their apartment, prosecutors said. Three days later, he was dead.” Read more at New York Times
“Millions of Americans are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend.” Read more at New York Times
“Uber and Lyft are making changes, due to pressures from investors unhappy about hefty losses, fewer riders and a driver shortage. The ride-hailing giants are cutting costs, bringing back cheaper rides and looking for new ways to woo drivers. To deepen its pool of on-demand drivers, Uber has joined forces with its once-sworn enemy—taxis—while Lyft said it would hand out bigger bonuses.” Read more at New York Times
“Many species are suffering at the hands of a warmer world, but one California inhabitant seems to be enjoying hotter temperatures: the Pacific rattlesnake. Their populations across the south-west are thriving, according to a study by researchers at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the University of Michigan.
The study found that when given the choice, rattlesnakes – which cannot control their own temperature and rely on the environment for warmth – actually prefer to live in places where the climate averages more than 80F, suggesting they’re likely to do well as the planet gets hotter.” Read more at The Guardian
“After a hard-fought first six games that has seen both teams taking turns dominating the scoreboard, the Miami Heat will take on the Boston Celtics one final time Sunday in Game 7 the Eastern Conference finals at FTX Arena in Miami (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The winner will advance to the NBA Finals and take on the Golden State Warriors, the champions of the Western Conference. Holding a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6 Friday, the Celtics were poised to grab a home win and head to the Finals for the first time since 2010. But the Heat staved off elimination with a gutsy 111-103 victory in Game 6 behind a masterful performance from Jimmy Butler who scored 47 points and added nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. The Heat will now have the chance to make their second Finals appearance in three years if they can win Game 7 at home this weekend. The Celtics, however, have won two of the three games played in Miami and are 6-2 in the road in the 2022 playoffs.” Read more at USA Today
“BOSTON (AP) — Kyle Lowry listened politely while Jimmy Butler shared the credit for Miami’s Game 6 victory until his fellow All-Star took the humility too far and called his 47-point, elimination-avoiding performance ‘decent.’
‘It’s (expletive) incredible,’ Lowry corrected him, apologizing for his language to the TV cameras in the back of the room and begging not to be fined by the league. ‘It’s incredible to have a guy like him next to me. I’ve played with some great players, and he’s one of the best.’
Butler scored 47 points — a career playoff high and one of the best performances by a player facing elimination in NBA history — and the Heat forced the Eastern Conference finals to a decisive seventh game by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103 on Friday night.
Ten years after LeBron James scored 45 points in a Game 6 in Boston en route to the first of the Heat’s back-to-back NBA titles, Butler scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to top him and send the series back to Miami.” Read more at AP News
“Brazilian racing superstar Helio Castroneves will attempt to make history with a fifth victory at the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (noon ET, NBC). Last year, Castroneves became the fourth driver to take the checkered flag four times, joining A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears. But Castroveves will have plenty of competition: Scott Dixon holds the pole position, with Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay lining up beside him. Dixon turned in the second fastest four-lap average in race history in the final round of qualifying at 234.046 mph. Meanwhile, seven-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson makes his Indy 500 debut, fulfilling a lifelong dream.” Read more at USA Today
“FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — After a six-week trial in which Johnny Depp and Amber Heard tore into each other over the nasty details of their short marriage, both sides told a jury the exact same thing Friday — they want their lives back.
Heard ‘ruined his life by falsely telling the world she was a survivor of domestic abuse at the hands of Mr. Depp,’ Depp lawyer Camille Vasquez told the jury in closing arguments in his libel trial against his ex-wife.
Heard’s lawyers, meanwhile, said Depp ruined Heard’s life by launching a smear campaign against her when she divorced him and publicly accused him of assault in 2016.
‘In Mr. Depp’s world, you don’t leave Mr. Depp,’ said Heard’s lawyer, J. Benjamin Rottenborn. ‘If you do, he will start a campaign of global humiliation against you.’
Depp is hoping the trial will help restore his reputation, though it has turned into a spectacle of a vicious marriage, with broadcast cameras in the courtroom capturing every twist to an increasingly rapt audience as fans weighed in on social media and lined up overnight for coveted courtroom seats.” Read more at AP News