10 things you need to know today: May 30, 2022

1. Biden visits Uvalde, meets with victims' families

President Biden met Sunday with relatives of the 19 children and two teachers killed in last week's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Biden and first lady Jill Biden placed flowers at a memorial outside the school, and walked past a row of large photos of the dead, stopping to touch some of the pictures. They then attended Mass at a local church. "We must move forward together," Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller told the congregants, urging them to "resolve to support one another with respect for our differences." As the Bidens left the church, a man shouted, "Do something!" Biden, who has called on Congress to pass tighter gun-control laws, responded, "We will."

The Wall Street Journal

2. Russia steps up eastern Ukraine offensive as Zelensky visits front lines

Russian and Ukrainian forces fought in close combat Sunday as Russia intensified its shelling of cities in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow focused its invasion after being pushed back in other parts of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to front-line troops in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, to assess the strength of his country's forces after they pushed back Russian troops several weeks ago. He said Ukrainian troops were facing an "indescribably difficult" situation in Sievierodonetsk, a strategically important city Russian forces stormed after bombarding it and trying unsuccessfully to surround it. Ukrainian officials said 90 percent of the city's buildings had been damaged.

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The Associated Press

3. DOJ investigating police response to Uvalde school shooting

The Justice Department announced Sunday that it would review the police response to the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, which left 19 fourth-grade children and two teachers dead last week. Local law enforcement officials have faced harsh criticism for holding off on confronting the 18-year-old gunman for more than an hour. The attacker was killed by a tactical unit of Border Control agents. Col. Steven McCraw of the Texas Department of Public Safety said Friday that as many as 19 local and federal officers were in the hallway during much of the shooting, but did not go into the classroom where the shooter was because the commander on scene believed the shooter was barricaded inside and posed no threat to anyone elsewhere in the school.

NPR

4. Colombia presidential election headed to June runoff

Colombia's Sunday presidential election appeared headed to a June runoff between left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernandez, the populist former mayor of Bucaramanga. Petro, a former guerrilla fighter and mayor of Bogota, led in pre-election polls, and had just over 40 percent of the vote with 98 percent of the ballots counted, falling short of the 50 percent needed to win outright. Hernandez was in second with 28 percent, followed by right-wing candidate Federico "Fico" Gutierrez with 23 percent. The South American nation has been struggling with economic setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic and a deteriorating security situation, but there were no reports of violence during the election.

CNN

5. Hurricane Agatha to hit Mexico's Pacific coast

Hurricane Agatha, the first named storm in the eastern Pacific or Atlantic basins this year, headed toward an expected Monday landfall as a Category 3 storm near the town of Mazunte, Mexico. The Pacific coast of Mexico's Oaxaca state was placed under a hurricane warning. The National Hurricane Center said the storm rapidly strengthened Sunday, with top sustained winds of 110 miles per hour by early Monday. Forecasters warned it could cause "dangerous" coastal flooding and "life-threatening hurricane-force winds." Agatha could hit some areas with 20 inches of rain and cause "life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides" as it crosses southern Mexico, the center said. It also could possibly redevelop and threaten the Gulf of Mexico.

The Washington Post National Hurricane Center

6. Pelosi's husband charged with DUI

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol early Sunday in Napa County, California. He also was charged with driving with a blood-alcohol content level of 0.08 or higher, according to TMZ, which first reported the news. Both charges are misdemeanors. Paul Pelosi, 82, was arrested just before midnight Saturday and released a few hours later on $5,000 bail. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "will not be commenting on this private matter which occurred while she was on the East Coast," Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a statement. Speaker Pelosi delivered the commencement address and received an honorary degree at Brown University on Sunday.

TMZ The Washington Post

7. Tensions rise during Israeli nationalist flag march in Jerusalem

Thousands of Israelis marched through east Jerusalem on Sunday in an annual Jerusalem Day flag-waving procession commemorating Israel's unification of east and west Jerusalem after the 1967 Six-Day War. The crowds started out from the Damascus Gate, the main entry to the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, with some nationalist marchers dancing and chanting "the nation of Israel lives" and "death to Arabs." Israeli police in riot gear blocked surrounding streets and forcibly removed some Palestinian protesters. Seventy-nine Palestinians were injured by rubber bullets and pepper spray, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said. One reportedly was hit by live fire. Despite threats, Palestinian militants fired no rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, as they did last year.

CNN The Jerusalem Post

8. 16 injured in panic after false shooting rumor at New York's Barclays Center

Sixteen people were injured in a stampede during a boxing match at the Barclays Center in New York City early Sunday when members of the crowd panicked over false reports of an active shooter. A New York City Police Department spokesperson said people shouted that a shot had been fired as the Gervonta Davis-Rolando Romero bout was concluding, sending people in the crowd "attempting to flee everywhere." Seven people were taken to local hospitals; nine were treated on site. The panic ended after police were able to confirm that no shots had been fired. Tennis star Naomi Osaka was there, and tweeted that she "heard shouting and saw people running … and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors."

The Hill

9. Celtics beat the Heat to advance to NBA finals against Warriors

The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 100-96 in Game 7 to win the Eastern Conference finals 4-3, earning a spot in the NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 26 points. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart added 24 apiece. The Celtics never trailed in the game, but had to hold off a frantic rally by the Heat, cheered by a home crowd. Tatum, who was named MVP of the conference finals, and Brown have each made it to NBA conference titles several times, but this was the first time either made it to the championship series. The finals start Thursday in San Francisco.

Sports Illustrated The New York Times

10. 'Top Gun: Maverick' gives Tom Cruise his biggest opening weekend ever

Top Gun: Maverick vaulted into the top spot at the domestic box office over the weekend, bringing in $124 million in its first weekend in North America. By the end of the four-day Memorial Day weekend break, it is expected to have a total of a better-than-expected $151 million in ticket sales, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore. That would be the biggest debut ever for star Tom Cruise, who returns to his iconic role as Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a fighter pilot from the 1986 action film Top Gun. Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness slipped to No. 2, adding $16.4 million in its fourth weekend to bring its North American total to $370.8 million.

Los Angeles Times