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The Atlantic
A Culture That Kills Its Children Has No Future
The grieving people of Uvalde, Texas, a town in the Hill Country about 80 miles west of San Antonio, now confront the irreplaceability of life in one of its most ghastly and unnatural incarnations: the murder of at least 19 children and two adults, with several more injured. In their mourning they will join dozens of other communities scattered throughout the country where school shootings this year alone have injured or killed people, and in their special torture—these children were elementary schoolers; they still had the faintly round faces of babies—they will join the families of the children murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in another episode of stochastic annihilation only 10 years ago.
Yet somehow that brief report of conditions on the ground understates both the scope and the nature of the problem. The nature of the problem, as best I can tell, is that American life isn’t about what is good but is rather about nothing at all (which is, at least, broadly inoffensive and inclusive of most tastes and creeds) or about violence itself. The scope of the problem includes every facet of life that culture touches, which means most every element of daily life.
Violence begets injury begets death, and any culture debased to vacillating between violent struggle and idle nihilism is shuddering toward its end as a culture of death. And a culture of death is like a prophecy, or a sickness: It bespeaks itself in worsening phases. Right now, we find ourselves foreclosing upon our own shared future both recklessly and deliberately—and perhaps, gradually, beginning to behave as if there is no future for us at all; soon, I sometimes worry, we may find ourselves faced with a darkening present, no faith in our future, and a doomed tendency to chase violence with violence.
Vox
[…] Guns now kill more kids than car accidents, in part because, through design changes and new regulations, cars have gotten safer while guns have only become more accessible and lethal.
But this country’s inability to support and protect its own kids extends far beyond gun deaths, which can also be seen as part of a broader failure to prioritize the well-being of children and families.
“From the very beginning of life, we expect families to take care of their own children,” Jessica Calarco, a sociologist at Indiana University who studies child and family policy, said. “The government is essentially telling families: You’re on your own. We don’t care.”
Many of these failures are long term. But the past few months have made them inescapable. Less than six months ago, Congress allowed the expanded child tax credit — one of the most successful policy experiments in reducing child poverty in US history — to expire. Children are still waiting for a Covid-19 vaccine, as frustration with the regulatory agencies overseeing that process grows. And America is currently importing baby formula from Europe because its own market has allowed an enormous shortage to develop in the last year, putting the health of infants and children at risk.
Los Angeles Times
Two days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School here, survivors are recounting stories of the horrifying moments they endured as they were attacked.
Some children hid from the killer under tables, while others faked their deaths by smearing blood on themselves. Some were shot multiple times.
They watched as their beloved teachers, Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles, were killed while they shielded others from gunfire.
AP News
Police: Texas gunman was inside the school for over an hour
[…] On Thursday, authorities largely ignored questions about why officers had not been able to stop the shooter sooner, with Victor Escalon, regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, telling reporters he had “taken all those questions into consideration” and would offer updates later.
The media briefing, called by Texas safety officials to clarify the timeline of the attack, provided bits of previously unknown information. But by the time it ended, it had added to the troubling questions surrounding the attack, including about the time it took police to reach the scene and confront the gunman, and the apparent failure to lock a school door he entered.
After two days of providing often conflicting information, … they sketched out a timeline notable for unexplained delays by law enforcement.
BBC News
Texas school shooting: Husband of killed teacher dies 'of grief'
The husband of one of the teachers slain in Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas has reportedly died of a heart attack just two days later.
Joe Garcia was the husband of Irma Garcia, who taught for 23 years at Robb Elementary School. Mrs Garcia was one of the two teachers killed by a gunman that left 21 dead - including 19 children.
The couple - who were married for 24 years - is survived by four children. On Twitter, a nephew of Mrs Garcia, John Martinez, said that Mr Garcia "passed away due to grief" in the wake of his wife's murder.
The Dallas Morning News
Texas Gov. Abbott going to Uvalde — not NRA — on Friday
Gov. Greg Abbott is returning to Uvalde on Friday, and will skip the National Rifle Association convention in Houston. But before returning to the South Texas city still grieving from this week’s school massacre, Abbott will videotape remarks for airing at the gun group’s event, a spokesman said.
Roll Call
House update: 9 races move toward GOP, only 1 the other way
While a century of midterm election trends and President Joe Biden’s static disapproval rating continue to point to a big 2022 for House Republicans, delays in the redistricting process and the lack of district-level data make it more difficult to make individual race ratings and specific projections about how many seats the GOP will gain.
With less than six months before Election Day, however, the House battleground is starting to crystallize, no thanks to cartographers in New Hampshire, New York and Florida. And GOP prospects are improving in at least a handful of seats.
There’s still a chance for Biden to regain some of his political footing. But pervasive economic issues from inflation to high gas prices to supply chain disruptions — as well as crime — continue to dominate the conversation, and voters are poised to punish Democrats in power for the lack of progress on solutions.
CNN
Senate Republicans block domestic terrorism prevention bill in key vote
Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a bill designed to combat domestic terrorism from advancing in a key vote. The vote comes as lawmakers are under intense pressure to take action in the wake of multiple recent episodes of horrific gun violence.
The final tally of the vote was 47-47. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer changed his vote from an “aye” to a “no” at the end in a procedural move to be able to bring the bill back up again in the future if he wants.
The bill passed the Democratic-controlled House last week following a tragic mass shooting at a supermarket in a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. But Republicans have pushed back against the measure put forward by Democrats, describing it as partisan and unnecessary.
ITV
On the ground in Ukraine with the last evacuation team out of an encircled town
As Russia's scorched earth policy continues, Ukrainian forces scramble to evacuate civilians who are surrounded on three sides in Lyman… The scramble to rescue those surrounded on three sides by the Russian army in Lyman has become more urgent with each passing day.
On Thursday, the last Ukrainian soldiers finally pulled out and blew up the only bridge into town as Russian artillery continued to hammer it… Ukraine’s 13th Assault company of its territorial defence force … braved the shelling to evacuate the dwindling number of civilians left in the town.
Among them was 68-year-old Alexander Tretyakov, who along with his wife Vera, 72, and their son, packed up what they could, including their cat and a litter of kittens, born one month into the war.
EuroNews
Ukraine: Nine dead in Kharkiv, as Donbas fighting at 'maximum intensity'
Ukrainian commanders say fighting is at "maximum intensity" in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces step up their offensive in the Donbas region. Meanwhile in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv at least nine people have been killed after a renewed Russian bombardment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West will fail in its attempts to isolate Russia. Speaking to the Eurasian Economic Forum, Putin said that western countries were facing their own economic challenges, and criticized them for seizing Russian assets, describing it as "theft."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly rebuffed those in the West who have suggested Ukraine cede control of areas occupied by Russian forces for the sake of reaching a peace agreement.
Reuters
U.S. and Ukraine discuss danger of escalation as new arms extend Kyiv's reach
As the United States and its allies provide Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated arms, Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, U.S. and diplomatic officials tell Reuters.
The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces. But the conversations have sought to reach a shared understanding of the risk of escalation, three U.S. officials and diplomatic sources said.
"We have concerns about escalation and yet still do not want to put geographic limits or tie their hands too much with the stuff we're giving them," said one of the three U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bloomberg
Putin Ties Grain Exports to Demand That Sanctions on Russia Go
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he’s willing to facilitate grain and fertilizer exports as global concern mounts about food shortages and rising prices—but only if sanctions on his country are lifted.
Putin didn’t specify if he was referring to Russian exports or those from Ukraine that have been stopped by Moscow’s blockage of ports since its invasion began in late February. The U.S. and its allies would be highly unlikely to agree to remove the extensive sanctions placed on Russia for its actions in Ukraine in response to the Russian leader’s move to link it to the growing food crisis. […]
Nations including Estonia and Lithuania are pushing for a system where grain freighters are escorted through the Black Sea by warships from allied nations in order to get Ukrainian exports flowing again. But that requires mines around the ports to be cleared first, and for Russia to agree to allow the vessels safe passage. […]
Ukraine wants guarantees that safe passage wouldn’t allow Russian forces to enter the harbor in Odesa and attack the city, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a press conference in Davos this week.
The New York Times
As Russia Diverges From the Global Economy, Soviet-Style Scarcity Looms
Gripped by heavy economic sanctions and increasingly isolated from Western suppliers, Russia worked on Thursday to keep its factories and businesses running and stave off a return to Soviet-era scarcity.
As the central bank slashed interest rates again in an effort to prop up the economy, its chairwoman, Elvira Nabiullina, warned that the coming months would be “difficult for both companies and citizens” as the fallout on the Russian economy deepens more than three months into the invasion of Ukraine.
The economic toll on Russia, though difficult to quantify, has spread widely, from its largest companies to its small shops and workers.
Basic items, from paper to buttons, are in short supply. Prices of consumer goods have been soaring, with the inflation rate rising to 17.8 percent last month before dipping slightly. Sales in the lucrative energy sector, while still high, are projected to fall as European customers begin to pivot away from Russian oil. Airlines, cut off from Western manufacturers, are searching for spare parts.
The Times of Israel
Israel refused US request to transfer anti-tank missiles to Ukraine — report
Israel recently turned down a US request to approve the transfer of its advanced anti-tank Spike missiles from Germany, where they are made under license in an Israeli-owned factory, to Ukraine for use against Russia’s invasion forces, the Axios website reported Wednesday
Israel was reportedly concerned over the impact such a move would have on its relations with Russia. Specifically, an Israeli official said, Israel is worried “Russian soldiers will be killed by Israeli-made weapons, which could lead to Russia harming Israeli security interests in Syria.”
Under the term of the license, Israel must approve the transfer of the missiles to a third party, according to the report that cited two US and Israeli officials.
CNN
The Israeli military says it is not clear who fired the fatal shot [that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh]. In a preliminary inquiry, the army said there was a possibility Abu Akleh was hit either by indiscriminate Palestinian gunfire, or by an Israeli sniper positioned about 200 meters (about 656 feet) away in an exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen — though neither Israel nor anyone else has provided evidence showing armed Palestinians within a clear line of fire from Abu Akleh. […]
But an investigation by CNN offers new evidence — including two videos of the scene of the shooting — that there was no active combat, nor any Palestinian militants, near Abu Akleh in the moments leading up to her death. Videos obtained by CNN, corroborated by testimony from eight eyewitnesses, an audio forensic analyst and an explosive weapons expert, suggest that Abu Akleh was shot dead in a targeted attack by Israeli forces.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Herschel Walker‘s response to Texas shootings reflects on his own history with guns
As Republican U.S. Senate nominee Herschel Walker launches his general election campaign, he is struggling to talk about guns.
Twice in recent days Walker has fumbled questions on gun control: In one interview he seemed to suggest monitoring young people’s social media activity, and in another he dodged the question altogether. […]
The topic is sensitive for Walker. Like many Republicans, he is an ardent champion of gun rights. But firearms have also played a big role in his own turbulent personal history.
Walker’s ex-wife, Cindy Grossman, said he repeatedly held a gun to her head and threatened to blow her “brains out.” A Dallas County judge was worried enough about the possibility of violence that in 2005 he temporarily took away Walker’s guns when he granted Grossman a restraining order. Walker has chalked up the violent episodes to a mental illness he said has now been treated.
Mother Jones
We’re Living Through the Backlash
Two years on, George Floyd’s death has culminated in stalled reforms and a reinvigorated, revanchist right. […]
The murder outraged the public, setting off a summer of pepper spray, rubber bullets, and torched police vehicles. It was a time of mourning and recrimination that also seemed to contain a real sense of possibility. People of all races, across the nation, joined rallies against police brutality. The Overton window seemed briefly to widen, with criminal justice advocates releasing wish lists of reforms that had previously been unthinkable. One of them became notorious: defunding the police.
Democratic lawmakers rushed to channel the energy of the protests into the upcoming elections. Conservative media figures thundered about lawlessness and warned their viewers that the dark-skinned figures on the screen would “come for you.” The left saw an opportunity for systemic change.
But for all the cries of the dangers of defunding the police, and of the radical agenda set off by the rage of two summers ago, we have not seen much concrete progress. In fact, we’ve often seen the opposite. Just as the radical edge of the 1960s sowed fear and spurred on the organization of a conservative movement—one that arose in the 1970s and attained full power in the next decade—we are again seeing the rise of a political force ruthlessly opposed to any attempt to create a different, more equal America.
That is to say, two years on, it’s clear: The backlash has arrived.
Al Jazeera
Climate change ravages Iraq as palm trees make way for desert
Southern Iraq was once known as the “black land” – the vast swaths of palm trees blocking out everything else, and providing food, shelter, and shade.
But the palm trees, as well as fruit trees and vegetable farms, have now mostly disappeared in and around the southern port city of Basra. Instead, real estate projects have taken over, as well as deserts.
The effect of climate change on agricultural land in Iraq, including rising water salinity and higher temperatures, has forced many farmers to turn to building and selling houses – but while that can lead to profits and cash in the short term, it is also deepening Basrawis’ vulnerability to climate disasters.
Farmers said they have no choice.
The Guardian
Antony Blinken says US is not seeking ‘cold war’ with China
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has called for a vigorous defence of the existing global order, but stressed that Joe Biden’s administration did not seek a “cold war” with China.
“President Biden believes this decade will be decisive,” Blinken said in a China policy speech on Thursday. “The actions we take at home and with countries worldwide will determine whether our shared vision of the future will be realised.” […]
“China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order – and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do it,” he warned…
Marketplace
With helium in short supply, scientists are worried
[…] Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometers, or NMRs, help researchers determine the molecular structure of everything from new medicines to building materials. Liquid helium is the only substance on earth that can keep the magnets as cold as they need to be: 450º below zero.
Another thing that’s unique about helium is that it’s extremely light. So, when it evaporates out of these instruments, it disappears into the atmosphere forever. And lately, replacing it isn’t easy. […]
Most of the helium in the U.S. comes from a federally run plant in Texas, according to Phil Kornbluth, president of Kornbluth Helium Consulting. That plant has been offline since January because of understaffing and safety concerns.
“That’s taken more than 10% of the world’s supply off the market,” Kornbluth said.
NBC News
Supreme Court won’t block Biden rule on societal cost of greenhouse gases
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to block a Biden administration rule for figuring the costs of greenhouse gas pollution when the government makes decisions affecting the environment.
Ten red states, led by Louisiana, asked court to put a hold on a January 2021 White House executive order that directs an interagency working group to generate estimates for the societal costs of increased emissions of carbon, methane and nitrous oxide. The estimates are to be used to figure the monetary value of changes in these emissions resulting from government actions.
The states filed their emergency application to Justice Samuel Alito, who handles appeals from that region of the country. He referred the case to the full court, which denied the request without comment.
The Washington Post
EPA proposes protections for world’s biggest sockeye salmon fishery
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will protect waters in Alaska that are home to one of the world’s biggest salmon spawning grounds, the culmination of a long-running dispute that pitted Alaska Natives against mining interests.
The proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency is a potentially fatal blow to a plan to mine in the Bristol Bay watershed for gold, copper and other valuable metals.
Bristol Bay, which sustains an annual run of 37.5 million sockeye salmon, helps support a $2 billion commercial fishing industry as well as a way of life for Alaska Natives, who have vigorously opposed the construction of the Pebble Mine.
Gizmodo
Exxon Will Have to Face Climate Lawsuits After ‘Free Speech’ Defense Fails
In a last-ditch effort to avoid a Massachusetts lawsuit, Exxon claimed being sued violated its First Amendment right to free speech. On Tuesday, that motion to dismiss the suit was thrown out in the state’s Supreme Judicial Court. The lawsuit, which accuses Exxon of lying for decades about the climate impacts of fossil fuels, will now move forward. Earlier this week, another lawsuit against big oil progressed in Rhode Island, too.
The Massachusetts lawsuit was first brought by the state’s attorney general, Maura Healy, in 2019 and amended with more allegations in 2020. Although there’s lots of stuff Exxon could and should probably be held accountable for, Healy’s complaint focuses on the company’s decades of deception surrounding its environmental impacts.
Exxon has known about climate change since at least the 1970s. But, as alleged in the lawsuit, “Exxon systematically and intentionally has misled Massachusetts investors about material climate-driven risks to its business and has deceived consumers about the central role its fossil fuel products play in causing climate change.”