Why is LIV Golf so controversial?
Survivors and victims' families will testify on gun violence before a House committee. The Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series has its first event this week, but controversy shrouds the competition amid allegations of human rights abuses by the Saudi Arabian government. President Joe Biden starts a tenuous Summit of the Americas. Russian-Turkish talks involve Ukraine grain exports. The first-ever Muslim superhero from Marvel premieres.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, and here's Wednesday's news.
🌅 Up first: Actor Matthew McConaughey delivered an emotional appeal to leaders in Washington to address gun violence in the White House briefing room Tuesday. McConaughey was born in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were massacred at an elementary school last month. "This moment is different," the actor said, adding that he came to Capitol Hill to share stories of the shooting's aftermath in his hometown. His wife, Camila, held in her lap a pair of green, high-top Converse sneakers with a heart on the right toe that belonged to one of the slain students. Read more
🔵 Matthew McConaughey for Paste BN Opinion: There's a difference between gun control and gun responsibility.
More news to know now:
❎ Former President Donald Trump's shadow didn't loom particularly large in Tuesday's primary elections in seven states.
💉 The FDA recommended a fourth COVID vaccine for use in the U.S. by Maryland-based company Novavax.
🔔 No candidate for Los Angeles mayor secured at least 50% of the vote in Tuesday's primary, meaning the race will head for a November runoff.
And also:
🐭 Bananas stress out male mice due to a compound in the fruit, according to a new study.
⚪ Italy seized $256 million of cocaine in a bust linked to a Colombian drug operation.
🌮 A first-of-its-kind Taco Bell with four drive-thru lanes debuted in Minnesota.
🍔 Here are 15 Father's Day grilling gifts for dads who grill.
🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, Washington Watchdog Fellow Rachel Looker examines how social media influences the way some people adopt kids. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
Uvalde and Buffalo survivors, families to testify before House committee
Nine witnesses will testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday about the mass killings at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and the racially motivated massacre of 10 people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in a Black neighborhood. Lawmakers are holding the hearing amid a scourge of gun violence that has resulted in more than 200 mass shootings this year, according to statistics compiled by The Washington Post. In the past three weeks, mass shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde and Tulsa in Oklahoma, have shocked the nation and driven debate. Witnesses will, most notably, include Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old who smeared herself with her slain friend's blood and played dead to survive the Uvalde shooting. Victims' parents, a pediatrician, gun safety advocates, the president of a teachers' union and the Buffalo police commissioner also are expected to participate. A package of gun-control legislation is expected to pass the House this week. But it will likely stall in the Senate. Read more
🔴 Shifting opinions: Half of Republicans now support stricter gun laws, poll says.
Biden's Summit of the Americas begins, with notable absences
President Joe Biden's Summit of the Americas kicks off Wednesday in Los Angeles, but is already off to a rocky start after Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced he would not attend the high-profile meeting of leaders from North, Central and South America. López Obrador's objection stems from the White House's decision to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the gathering because of their autocratic governments. Newly elected Honduran President Xiomara Castro indicated she would boycott the summit for the same reason. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden and the other leaders in attendance plan to discuss a wide range of policy issues, including the economy, climate change and migration. Biden will be the first U.S. president to attend the summit since 2015. Read more
🟧 "Documented Dreamers'': Children of immigrants fear deportation when they turn 21.
🟧 Previous coverage: April saw record encounters at the southern border, but some data points dipped. Here’s what that means.
Just for subscribers:
📰 The Texas AG is taking on Twitter bots for Elon Musk in the wake of the horrific school shooting in Uvalde.
🌈 Hiding behind rainbow flags: These companies' political donations don't match their support of LGBTQ issues.
🚩The Jan. 6 committee hearings will begin Thursday. Here's what we don't know about that day.
🔴 GOP views on gun laws are shifting. After the Uvalde shooting, could that push Congress to a deal?
These articles are for Paste BN subscribers. You can sign up here.
Are you already a subscriber and want all of the subscriber-only content emailed to you directly every day? We can do that! Sign up for the Your Day newsletter.
Russia's Lavrov in Turkey to discuss a plan to ship tons of Ukrainian grain
Top Russian official Sergey Lavrov will hold talks Wednesday with Turkish officials on a plan that could allow Ukraine to export its grain through the Black Sea amid an escalating food crisis. Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war and a Russian port blockade have halted much of that flow, endangering food supplies to many developing countries. An estimated 22 million tons of grain are sitting in Ukraine silos. Turkey is involved in the creation of a U.N.-led corridor for the Ukrainian grain shipment — and for Russia to export food and fertilizer. A top Russian official said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near Odesa for exports to resume. In other developments, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia is trying to procure more troops and equipment to overcome unexpected resistance as the "heroic defense of the Donbas continues." Zelenskyy appealed for more longer-range weapons that could counter Russia's missile strikes. Read more
🟡 More news from yesterday: Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it's sanctioning 61 U.S. nationals “in response to the ever-expanding U.S. sanctions against Russian political and public figures."
USGA will allow LIV golfers to compete at 2022 US Open
The United States Golf Association said Tuesday that players slated for the 122nd U.S. Open were allowed to participate in the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series outside London. The governing body said it's "not appropriate, nor fair" to pull players who earned a spot in the U.S. Open out of competition for their decision to play in another event. The move paves the way for Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and other players who have qualified for the U.S. Open and are playing in this week's LIV Golf event to participate. However, the USGA made it clear it does not endorse the new tour. Questions of ethics and morals are facing players and executives who have joined the new league, in light of multiple accusations against the Saudi Arabian government of alleged human rights violations. Read more
⛳ Dustin Johnson resigns his PGA Tour membership to play in Saudi league.
⛳ ''I'll be there'': Phil Mickelson plans on playing U.S. Open, all LIV Golf Invitational Series events.
⛳ Opinion: Here's why the LIV Golf Tour is so damn gross.
⛳ The LIV Golf Invitational Series press conference got heated before the inaugural event: Here's how it unfolded.
⛳ Who is Arlo White? And why is he a surprise announcer for the controversial LIV golf tour?
⛳ Opinion: Golfers taking Saudis' cash ignores the realities of a complicated world.
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday
📰 Family of Andrew Brown Jr., who was killed by North Carolina deputies, to get $3M settlement.
📱 European Union officials agreed on new rules requiring a uniform charging cord for smartphones and other devices.
⛽ Gas prices surged again to record highs, but the driver is refineries, not oil prices.
🟣 ''This is our time'': How women are taking over the labor movement.
🎵 Here's how to use the new Spotify Pie Chart feature, which allows users to see their top genres and artists.
⛸ Figure skating raised the minimum age for the 2026 Olympics to 17 on the heels of the Kamila Valieva saga earlier this year in Beijing.
📱 How are we doing? Paste BN just launched a subscriber-exclusive texting experience. By joining, you'll be able to discuss the news of the day, give feedback and participate in Q&As with some of our best reporters and editors. It's an up-close look at the newsroom curated by Paste BN Audience Editor Sallee Ann Harrison. Sound good? You can learn more here.
'Ms. Marvel': Disney+ show introduces first Muslim superhero
Iman Vellani stars as the first Muslim superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in "Ms. Marvel," which premiered Wednesday on Disney+. Vellani plays Kamala Khan, a Jersey City, New Jersey, teenager – and devoted Captain Marvel superfan – who mysteriously becomes endowed with superpowers and has to figure out how to use them. "Kamala just represents everything about nerd culture," says Vellani. "She's a fan just like us, which is why we root for her when she gets her powers." Kamala gets help from close friends Bruno (Matt Lintz) and Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) and her loving parents (Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur). Paste BN TV critic Kelly Lawler has "Ms. Marvel" as one of the six new TV shows you need to watch this summer. Read more
🔥 Heading to New Jersey: Take a look inside the school that inspired the "Ms. Marvel" Disney+ story.
🔥 Summer superheroes: All the superhero shows to watch this summer.
📷 Photo of the day: Class of 2022 graduates sport their customized caps during commencement ceremonies 📷
Graduation season is in full swing, and with the return of many in-person ceremonies comes the chance to see customized caps that celebrate graduates' hard work and personalities.
Click here to see more photos of unique graduation caps from this year's graduating classes.
Associated Press contributed reporting.