May 25, 2022

TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING | At least 19 children and two adults were killed yesterday when an 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and began shooting.

• Reports say at least 13 additional children were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, but their status remains unclear.
• The gunman, Salvador Ramos, who attended nearby Uvalde High School, was killed at the scene, and is reported to have shot his grandmother at a nearby house prior to the school shooting.
• In a televised address last night, President Biden called for action to be taken to prevent gun violence.

UKRAINE | Today is day 91 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated today that he would not hold talks on ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine with intermediaries, but would only meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. [more]
• U.S. Treasury Department officials say they will not renew a license that has allowed Russia to continue to make payments to debt holders through U.S. banks since the imposition of sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. [more]
• Russian news agency Interfax cites Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that arrangements could be made to allow shipments of grain and other crops from Ukraine, but that such a move would depend on the lifting of some sanctions against Russia. [more]

PACIFIC SECURITY | Reports say China is encouraging 10 small Pacific nations to endorse the "Common Development Vision," an agreement on regional security and trade. [more]

NATO | Delegations from Finland and Sweden are scheduled to meet with Turkish officials in Ankara today to discuss Turkish objections to the Nordic countries' applications to join the NATO alliance. [more]

NORTH KOREA | South Korean officials say North Korea conducted test launches of three missiles today, including one thought to be the North's largest intercontinental ballistic missile. [more]

PAKISTAN | Authorities in Pakistan have blocked major roads into the capital Islamabad in an effort to limit the size of planned demonstrations today by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan who are calling for early elections. [more]

TUNISIA | The U.N. International Organization for Migration says that 75 people are missing after a boat filled with migrants sank today off the coast of Tunisia while heading toward Italy. [more]

CALIFORNIA | The University of California system announced yesterday that it has agreed to pay $375 million to more than 300 women who accused former UCLA gynecologist Dr. James Heaps of sexual abuse. A previous settlement with other patients of Heaps resulted in a separate $316 million payment. [more]

HURRICANE SEASON | The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted yesterday that the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1, will produce 14 to 21 named storms, with 6 to 10 becoming hurricanes. [more]

MONKEYPOX | The United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia are the latest countries to report their first cases of monkeypox in the current outbreak of the disease. [more]

TRAVEL | German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said today that Germany will suspend its requirement that people show proof of vaccination, a negative test result, or recent recovery from COVID-19 to enter the country beginning June 1. [more]

MOLDOVA | Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon was arrested yesterday in connection with a judicial investigation into suspected treason, corruption, and illicit enrichment. [more]

U.S. MILITARY BASES | A congressionally-mandated commission has released its recommendations for renaming U.S. military bases currently named for Confederate military leaders in the Civil War. Among the recommended changes is renaming Fort Bragg in North Carolina to Fort Liberty. [full list of recommendations] [more]

BUSINESS | Global commodities firm Glencore has reportedly agreed to pay up to $1.5 billion in penalties to settle allegations of bribery and market manipulation in the U.S., U.K, and Brazil. [more]

SOCCER | U.K. officials have approved the $3.1 billion sale of the Chelsea football club to a consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly after determining that current owner Roman Abramovich, who is currently under sanctions linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, would not profit from the sale. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1787, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia, where 55 state delegates, initially charged with amending the Articles of Confederation, later drafted the Constitution of the United States of America.  [more history]