Hi there. It's Wednesday, May 25, and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start here: The mass shooting at a Texas school
Here's what you need to know:
- A gunman has killed at least 19 children and two adults during an attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, in the southern US state of Texas
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott named the gunman as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. He died during the incident
- Officials have not named a motive for the shooting
- It was the deadliest shooting at a US primary school since 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook in Connecticut almost a decade ago
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US President Joe Biden is vowing to act on the country's gun laws, saying now is the "time to turn this pain into action"
Democratic senator Chris Murphy — who was formerly a representative of a district which included Sandy Hook Elementary School — has begged his colleagues to pass gun-control legislation. Video of his impassioned speech has been seen around the world.
(Please note that he gave this speech when the official death toll was slightly lower)
If you want to know more about how the shooting unfolded, check out this piece on what we know so far.
News you may have missed
- More than 1.5 million Aussies will soon be eligible for a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. From May 30, eligibility for another shot will be extended to people with cancer, other complex health conditions and Australians living with a disability. Currently, a fourth dose is available to anyone aged over 65, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 50, and people who are severely immunocompromised. Healthy people aged 16 to 64 who do not fall into those categories are not advised to get a fourth dose at this stage
- Australia's new Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has clarified that the Labor government will formally advocate for workers on the minimum wage to get a pay rise. It comes as the Fair Work Commission reviews the minimum wage and the cost of living continues to increase. Dr Chalmers would not say when the government planned to make its submission to the commission, however
Here's what Australia has been searching for online
The Texas school shooting is today's BIG search trend, but others include:
- Steve Kerr. He's the coach of the Golden State Warriors NBA team and he gave an emotional speech about the Texas shooting during a pre-game press conference. It has since gone viral
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The French tennis veteran had a tear-jerking end to his match with Norway's Casper Ruud at the French Open. He's retiring from the sport at age 37. His 6-7 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 7-6 (7/0) defeat was capped off by a standing ovation from the Roland Garros crowd
- Snapchat's parent company Snap. Snap's share price has plummeted 43.1 per cent following a profit warning — its biggest single-day drop ever. It comes as other social media and tech stocks continue to slide on Wall Street
You're up to date!
We'll be back tomorrow to keep you in The Loop.
ABC/wires
