Good morning.
Two children were killed and 17 people wounded in a mass shooting on Wednesday at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
A shooter at the Annunciation Catholic school in south Minneapolis killed two children aged eight and 10 in church pews during morning mass. Fourteen more children aged between six and 15 were injured, two of them critically, but officials said they were expected to survive. The three injured adults were parishioners in their 80s, officials said. The shooter died by suicide.
The attack took place just before 8.30am during a service marking the first week of school. The shooter, who was identified as Robin Westman, 23, fired a rifle into the windows towards the children sitting in the pews.
What have the authorities said about motivations? The FBI said it was investigating the shooting as “an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics”.
Did the shooter obtain their weapon legally? Yes, Westman had lawfully bought a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol recently.
CDC plunged into chaos after ousted chief refuses to resign
The Trump administration is attempting to oust the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, but her lawyers said she would not resign and she was being “targeted” for being pro-science.
Monarez, who was sworn in less than a month ago, was pushed out on Wednesday evening, according to a statement posted on social media by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that offered no explanation for its decision. Her lawyers said she had “neither resigned nor received notification” from the White House of her termination.
It appears the administration is trying to drive Monarez out over a conflict with the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, after she refused to back changes to US vaccine policies, the Washington Post and the New York Times reported.
What has the reaction been? The HHS announcement triggered at least three other CDC leaders to publicly resign.
Trump serious about pursuing a third term, Gavin Newsom warns
Donald Trump is serious about running for a third term in breach of the US constitution, the California governor, Gavin Newsom, has said as he warned again that the president could try to cling to power.
Speaking during a live interview at a summit in Sacramento, Newsom said Americans needed to wake up to Trump’s disregard for democratic processes. “I don’t think Donald Trump wants another election,” he said. “This guy doesn’t believe in free, fair elections.”
Newsom said that during an Oval Office meeting with the president in February, Trump had raised the subject after pointing to a portrait of Franklin D Roosevelt, the only US president to serve more than two terms. “I said: ‘I know exactly what you mean.’ And then he went on and on about the third term.”
What has Trump said recently about 2028? Asked earlier this month if he would run again, Trump said: “No, probably not,” before adding: “I’d like to run. I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
In other news …
A wave of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv have killed at least 14 people and injured dozens in the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital in several weeks.
The UK, France and Germany are expected to reintroduce extensive sanctions against Iran after it refused to allow UN inspectors into all of its nuclear sites.
Argentina’s far-right president, Javier Milei, had rocks and bottles thrown at him by demonstrators protesting about a corruption scandal.
A Democratic candidate has defeated a Maga Republican in a state senate election in Iowa, claiming that voters are “waking up” to realize Donald Trump’s party’s policies are not working for them.
Stat of the day: TB drugs running out in Malawi, where 47% of cases are co-infected with HIV
Malawi’s stocks of tuberculosis medicines will run out by the end of September, health officials have warned. In the south-east African country, which has been badly affected by the recent aid cuts from the US, UK and other donors, 47% of TB cases are co-infected with HIV, according to the US CDC. The lack of medicine threatens to undo the progress made over the last decade, in which Malawi reduced TB cases by 40%.
Don’t miss this: What has the Netflix algorithm done to our films?
Netflix is churning out “algorithm movies” – films designed to appeal to such broad swathes of viewers that the result is bland and forgettable. In fact, they explicitly aim to feature obvious moments of exposition for the half-attentive viewer, to help those who are watching the films “in the background”. Phil Hoad looks at how we got here – and the effect generative AI could have on films and viewers.
Climate check: How coastal development and the climate crisis are affecting southern Malaysia’s sea people
The Orang Seletar community, one of Malaysia’s Indigenous communities along the coast of the southern state of Johor, rely on fishing. But as property development destroys the mangroves they fish in and the climate heats the waters, their catch is dwindling. Here is how some from the seafaring communities are adapting.
Last Thing: Would you pay $25 for a bottle of water? Meet the water sommeliers
When you go to a restaurant, how often do you think about what the water tastes like? Water sommeliers (yes, you read that right) want to change that, with more than a dozen restaurants in the US now offering a water menu. Simon Usborne heads to a restaurant in England that has a water sommelier at hand to explain the distinct taste notes offered by each choice – with one bottle costing as much as £19 ($25).
Sign up
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com
