Hi there. It's Wednesday, June 22 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start here
The Texas Department of Public Safety has called the police response to the Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers an "abject failure".
DPS Director Steven McCraw told a Texas Senate hearing that the onsite commander put the lives of officers over the children's lives and that responding officers didn't have enough training.
"There is compelling evidence that the law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary was an abject failure and antithetical to everything we've learned," he said.
Mr McCraw detailed the search for a key to the classroom door where the shooting occurred, saying police waited to enter while they sought a key despite the fact that the door was not locked and there is no evidence officers tried to see if it was secured.
He says the scene commander "waited for radio and rifles, and he waited for shields and he waited for SWAT. Lastly, he waited for a key that was never needed."
Something you'll be hearing about today
The Bureau of Meteorology says La Niña, the weather pattern that has lashed Australia with record rain and floods for months, has finally ended.
But we're still on "La Niña watch" — which means there's a 50-50 chance we could see it return before the end of the year.
The BOM's head of long-range forecasting, Andrew Watkins, says a La Niña watch doesn't change the outlook of above-average rainfall for much of the country over the next few months.
News while you snoozed
- Another hearing of the January 6 Committee was held early this morning, this time hearing from state and local officials who were pressured by Donald Trump to overturn votes and a former election worker who was harassed and sent death threats after being falsely accused of tampering with ballots.
- NFL icon Rob Gronkowski has retired for a second time after claiming his fourth Super Bowl championship last season. He first retired in 2019 after winning the Super Bowl three times with the New England Patriots but came out of retirement in 2020 to reunite with long-time teammate Tom Brady at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
What Australia has been searching for online
- Nick Kyrgios. The Aussie has had a win at the Mallorca Open overnight, defeating Serbia's Laslo Đere. He'll next face Roberto Bautista Agut early tomorrow morning.
- Hong Kong's floating restaurant. The famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant has capsized in the South China Sea after it was towed away from the city. The restaurant had reportedly been in financial trouble for several years.
One more thing
If life begins at 40, everything's looking up for Prince William.
The second in line to the throne took to the streets of London earlier this month to sell copies of the Big Issue, a magazine that supports people experiencing homelessness, and has pledged to "continue doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue".
"And while I may seem like one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause, I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling," he wrote.
"I plan to do that now I'm turning 40, even more than I have in the past."
We've taken a look back through his life in pictures — you can see that in full here.
You're up to date
Thanks for reading.
ABC/wires
