A nation grieves alongside Uvalde, Texas, as the names of the school shooting victims emerge. The baby formula shortage will drag on at least another month. And is “Stranger Things” a rip-off?
Hey, friends. Laura Davis here! I’m bringing you the news you need to know Wednesday.
But first, happy tears – at a time we really need it. 💝 Twin sisters gave their stepmom the Mother’s Day gift of a lifetime: they asked her to officially adopt them.
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Families mourn as names of Texas school shooting victims begin to emerge
Grief counselors, ministers and therapy dogs provided counsel and solace Wednesday in Uvalde, Texas, to a community in mourning after a gunman’s rampage killed 19 children and two teachers in one fourth grade classroom. It was the state’s deadliest school shooting in modern history and the nation’s third mass shooting within weeks. An 18-year-old male, armed with a rifle, shot his grandmother before driving to Robb Elementary School and overpowering a school officer, authorities said. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the gunman sent social media messages about his intentions half an hour before the deadly rampage, but his motive remains unclear. By Wednesday, the names of those killed in the massacre began to emerge. “There are no words,” said Audrey Garcia, a parent of teacher Eva Mireles’ former students. Mireles, 44, is one of the teachers killed in the attack. What we know about the victims.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke confronted Abbott on his gun record, then got into a heated exchange with officials gathered for a news conference at Uvalde High School. O’Rourke was ordered to leave by law enforcement.
🤝 How you can help: GoFundMe set up a hub for family aid with verified donation options. Volunteer attorneys are needed to help the shooting victims and their families with legal services. More ways to help.
👉 More news: Shooter locked victims inside one classroom. Follow along with our coverage here.
What everyone’s talking about
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FDA admits agency ‘too slow’ to act on baby formula shortage
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf admitted Wednesday that the agency has been “too slow” in responding to the baby formula shortage, a crisis that has hospitalized malnourished infants, emptied store shelves and driven desperate parents from store to store and across state lines in search of food for their babies. Califf and other FDA officials were excoriated as they testified before a frustrated panel of lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. To many questions from lawmakers on the agency’s work flow and timeliness, Califf simply said, “We don’t have a great answer.” It could take six to eight weeks for more baby formula to reach store shelves. Read more.
Love triangle killing suspect is on the move, officials say
Federal agents said Wednesday that Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, accused of killing cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson, who had dated her boyfriend, may have fled to New York days after Wilson’s death and remains at large. Austin, Texas, police issued a warrant for Armstrong on May 17 in connection with Wilson’s death. Wilson, 25, was found dead, the victim of gunshot wounds in an Austin home where she was staying before a race in Hico, Texas, northwest of Waco. An arrest warrant details a love triangle that includes a male professional cyclist and Armstrong, according to Austin police. U.S. marshals asked the public to call 800-336-0102 if they have any information about Armstrong’s whereabouts.
Real quick
Aspiring screenwriter sues Netflix over script similarities
“Stranger Things” just got a little stranger. Will Byers’ backyard on the first episode of Netflix’s streaming hit show made Jeff Kennedy suspicious. He studied the scenes. He studied the storyline and cinematography. While he was studying the credits, he noticed a familiar name. The next day, he binge-watched the entire season and came to a startling conclusion: “We were robbed.” The scenes felt familiar. Some of the characters were eerily similar, too, right down to their physical descriptions. “There were moments I’d have to wait a little bit, then sure enough, it’d come back to these primary, critical story elements pulled directly from ‘Totem,’” he said. “Totem” is the screenplay Kennedy wrote more than a decade ago to raise awareness about seizure disorders – and to honor his childhood best friend. In July 2020, Kennedy sued the creators of “Stranger Things” and Netflix, alleging they brazenly infringed on many elements of “Totem.” Attorneys for Netflix argued against Kennedy’s claims. See the comparisons for yourself here.
A break from the news
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