The Full Belmonte, 5/31/2022
Visitors place flowers yesterday at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
“The first funerals are being held this week for the victims of the Uvalde school shooting. Families of the victims have received custom caskets provided at no cost, and two funeral homes in Uvalde have vowed to cover all expenses. Meanwhile, questions remain about the response by law enforcement to the shooting. The gunman who killed 19 students and two teachers was on the premises for up to an hour before officers forcibly entered a classroom and killed him, officials said last week. School police chief Pedro ‘Pete’ Arredondo has faced criticism from those who feel officers should have acted quicker to subdue or eliminate the gunman. The Uvalde city council separately announced it would postpone its meeting today, where several new members -- including Arredondo -- were set to be sworn in. Arredondo has not been seen by the press since the shooting.” Read more at CNN
Uvalde police chief Pete Arredondo speaks at a press conference following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.Mikala Compton, Austin American-Statesman-USA TO
“As Russia remains defiant in the face of sanctions from the West, the European Union has dealt another blow to the Kremlin by partially banning Russian oil imports to the EU. The ban ‘immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine,’ European Council chief Charles Michel said in a in a tweet yesterday. A sixth package of sanctions was also recently discussed by EU leaders, which could contain other hard hitting measures, including cutting off the largest Russian bank from the SWIFT network, banning more Russian state-owned broadcasters, and sanctioning individuals responsible for war crimes in Ukraine. On the ground today, Russia is ‘focusing on establishing control’ over Severodonetsk and is hammering the region with constant shelling, the Ukrainian military says.” Read more at CNN
“There have been 257 confirmed monkeypox cases and about 120 suspected cases in 23 nations, including the US, the World Health Organization announced in an update over the weekend. In the US, the CDC has reported 12 cases. In five African countries where monkeypox is commonly found, the WHO said it has received reports of 1,365 cases and 69 deaths from December through May due to the virus. No deaths have been reported in nonendemic countries. The WHO said the global public health risk level is moderate, but could become high if the virus spreads to groups at higher risk of severe disease, such as young children and immunosuppressed persons.” Read more at CNN
“It was a chaotic holiday weekend for those traveling by air. Since Friday, upwards of 6,000 global flights were canceled with hundreds more fights delayed, according to flight tracking data. Delta Air Lines was heavily affected by the cancellations, with more than 500 domestic and international flights flights axed from Saturday through yesterday. The carrier blamed Saturday's cancellations on bad weather and ‘air traffic control actions’ that took place on Friday, saying it is trying to preemptively cancel flights at least 24 hours in advance. The most affected airports over the weekend included the ones in New York City and in the Washington, DC areas.” Read more at CNN
“A tabernacle worth $2 million was stolen from a Catholic church in Brooklyn, New York City police said Monday, in what church officials described as a “brazen crime of disrespect and hate.”
The bejeweled tabernacle — a container that houses the Eucharist used in the rite of Communion — is ‘irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value,’ the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn said in a statement.
The heist at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood was discovered on Saturday by Father Frank Tumino, a pastor there, who said in the statement that the tabernacle was the ‘central focus of our church outside of worship.’
Tumino had been on his way to hear confessions at a parish up the street when he passed by St. Augustine and noticed that one of the doors was ajar, according to the Tablet, a publication by the diocese.
When he entered the church, he came across the destruction, finding the Eucharist — commonly unleavened bread or wafers — strewn about the altar. The sight made him feel ill, he said, adding in the statement that the Eucharist in the tabernacle had been used in Communion for the sick and homebound.
Church officials said the burglary happened Friday, while police gave a wider window, saying it occurred between 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m. Saturday. There were no witnesses, and surveillance footage was not available, New York City police said in an email. Tumino said that while the church has security cameras in its interior and exterior, parts of the surveillance system were also taken during the burglary.
A metal casing on the altar was ‘forcefully cut open’ with a power saw, police said, allowing the tabernacle to be snatched. Statues of angels on either side of the tabernacle were ‘decapitated and destroyed,’ as well, the diocese said. An empty safe was also cut open.
Police had no leads on potential suspects as of Monday evening and asked anyone with information about the burglary to contact the department’s crime unit. Tumino speculated that multiple people were involved in the heist, considering the immense weight of the tabernacle.
Although police said the tabernacle was solid gold, Father Robert Whelan said in a 2013 program about the church that it was solid silver coated in 18-karat gold.” Read more at Washington Post
“At least 91 people have been killed due to heavy rain in northeastern Brazil, according to the Civil Defense, as residents brace for more floods and landslides. A further 26 people are still reported missing and many more people could be unaccounted for, officials said yesterday. Since heavy rains began on Wednesday, nearly 4,000 residents have lost their houses, according to CNN Brazil. Fourteen municipalities have declared a state of emergency. Some areas have registered more rain in a 24-hour period over the weekend than the total volume expected for the month of May.” Read more at CNN
“Agatha is expected to dissipate over southeastern Mexico by late Tuesday after touching down in the country's southern coast as the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in May in the eastern Pacific. Agatha touched down as a Category 2 hurricane Monday about 5 miles west of Puerto Angel in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Late Monday, it was downgraded to a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The National Hurricane Center said Agatha was expected to dissipate overnight, but warned that the system's heavy rains still posed a threat of dangerous flash flood.” Read more at USA Today
“BEIJING (AP) — Shanghai authorities say they will take some major steps Wednesday toward reopening China’s largest city after a two-month COVID-19 lockdown that has throttled the national economy and largely bottled up millions of people in their homes.
Full bus and subway service will be restored as will basic rail connections with the rest of China, Vice Mayor Zong Ming said Tuesday at a daily news conference on the city’s outbreak.
‘The epidemic has been effectively controlled,’ she said, adding that the city will start the process of fully restoring work and life on Wednesday.
Schools will partially reopen on a voluntary basis for students and shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores will continue to reopen gradually with no more than 75% of their total capacity. Cinemas and gyms will remain closed.
Officials, who set June 1 as the target date for reopening earlier in May, appear ready to accelerate what has been a gradual easing in recent days. A few malls and markets have reopened, and some residents have been given passes allowing them out for a few hours at a time. In online chat groups, some expressed excitement about the prospect of being able to move about freely in the city for the first time since the end of March, while others remained cautious given the slow pace and stop-and-go nature of opening up so far.” Read more at AP News
“PARIS (AP) — A man seemingly disguised as an old woman in a wheelchair threw a piece of cake at the glass protecting the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum and shouted at people to think of planet Earth.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said Monday that the 36-year-old man was detained following Sunday’s incident and sent to a police psychiatric unit. An investigation has been opened into the damage of cultural artifacts.
Videos posted on social media showed a young man in a wig and lipstick who had arrived in a wheelchair. The man, whose identity was unknown, was also seen throwing roses in the museum gallery to slack-jawed guests.
The cake attack left a conspicuous white creamy smear on the glass but the famous work by Leonardo da Vinci wasn’t damaged.
Security guards were filmed escorting the wig-wearing man away as he called out to the surprised visitors in the gallery: ‘Think of the Earth! There are people who are destroying the Earth! Think about it. Artists tell you: think of the Earth. That’s why I did this.’” Read more at AP News
“LONDON (AP) — After seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is widely viewed in the U.K. as a rock in turbulent times. But in Britain’s former colonies, many see her as an anchor to an imperial past whose damage still lingers.
So while the U.K. is celebrating the queen’s Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — with pageantry and parties, some in the Commonwealth are using the occasion to push for a formal break with the monarchy and the colonial history it represents….
The empire that Elizabeth was born into is long gone, but she still reigns far beyond Britain’s shores. She is head of state in 14 other nations, including Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Bahamas. Until recently it was 15 — Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit.” Read more at AP News
“Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian band that won the Eurovision Song Contest, raised more than $1.2 million for the war effort by auctioning off its trophy and the pink hat won by its lead singer. Some of the money will pay for drones for the Ukraine army.” Read more at USA Today
Image: Nashville Public Library
“A limited-edition library card proclaiming ‘I read banned books’ is so popular that Nashville officials have decided to make it a permanent option, Axios Nashville's Adam Tamburin reports.
Why it matters: The Nashville Public Library unveiled the provocative design in April, after months of national and local debate about censorship and book banning.
The campaign launched days after state lawmakers approved legislation that gives a politically appointed panel the power to remove books from school libraries across the state.
Library leaders initially intended to make it available for only a month as part of a ‘Freedom to Read’ campaign.
What's happening: 4,200+ Nashvillians signed up for the card. That's nearly double the average monthly signups.” Read more at Axios
“RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nothing is fazing these New York Rangers, not multi-game series deficit nor playing in a building where no road team has won in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Instead, this resilient bunch is carrying an ever-growing confidence straight into the Eastern Conference finals, thanks to another Game 7 win and the latest strong performance from possibly the game’s best goaltender.
Chris Kreider scored twice, Igor Shesterkin was strong in net again and the Rangers ended Carolina’s perfect postseason run at home, beating the Hurricanes 6-2 in the decisive Game 7 of their second-round playoff series Monday night.
Kreider and Adam Fox had first-period power-play goals as the Rangers raced to a quick lead. The Rangers then rode Shesterkin’s latest offense-stymieing performance to win a fifth straight elimination game win in these playoffs.” Read more at AP News
Jeff Gladney was a star at TCU before his arrival in the NFL. Photograph: Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports
“Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney has died at the age of 25 in a car crash, his agent has confirmed.
‘We are asking prayers for the family and privacy at this most difficult time,’ his agent, Brian Overstreet, said in a statement to the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram.
The crash occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, and a 26-year-old female passenger in the vehicle is also believed to have died. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department said a vehicle had been speeding on the Woodall Rodgers Freeway when it clipped a vehicle in front of it and lost control before hitting a beam around 2.30am on Monday. The people in the other vehicle were unharmed.
‘We are devastated to learn of Jeff Gladney’s passing,’ the Cardinals said in a statement. ‘Our hearts go out to his family, friends and all who are mourning this tremendous loss.’
Gladney was a star at TCU before being picked by the Minnesota Vikings in the first-round of the 2020 NFL draft. He played in every game of his rookie season…
The Vikings released Gladney in April 2021 after he was indicted over allegations he had assaulted his girlfriend. He was found not guilty on those charges in March 2022 and the Cardinals signed him shortly afterwards.
Gladney is the second young NFL player to die in a traffic incident this year. In April, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was struck and killed by a truck after his car ran out of gas and he exited the vehicle on a freeway.” Read more at The Guardian
“Lives Lived: Kenny Moore, a two-time Olympic marathon runner, used his understanding of athletes to become a pre-eminent track writer at Sports Illustrated for nearly 25 years. He died at 78.” Read more at New York Times