Today’s Headlines: Criticism of the police response in the Texas mass shooting grows

By Laura Blasey and Amy Hubbard

Hello, it’s Friday, May 27, and here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:

TOP STORIES

‘Man, give me your vest! You’re not doing nothing with it!’

With criticism swelling about the police response to the Texas elementary school massacre in Uvalde, a law enforcement official said the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers entered Robb Elementary School “unobstructed” through an unlocked door 12 minutes after police were alerted about a man nearby with a rifle.

Those fateful minutes — and an hour in which the police took cover outside the classroom, apparently seeking to negotiate with an active shooter — have become the focal point of questions from parents and law enforcement experts about whether more could have been done to halt the unfolding tragedy.

“Everyone was like, ‘What’s going on?’ ” said one man who said he was outside the school Tuesday with a friend whose son is a Robb student. The friend was frantically trying to get police to go in — or go in himself.

More on the Texas shooting

• They smeared blood on themselves, hid and watched their teachers get shot. These are the survivors’ stories.
• Joe Garcia, whose wife, Irma, was killed, has died of a heart attack. Family members said he died of grief.
• The small town history that has kept so many in Uvalde, Texas, has been obscured this week by a deadly attack: “The devil was in the midst of us.”
• Commentary: The Onion devoted its entire home page to dozens of images from mass shootings dating back to 2014, accompanied by the same devastating headline: “‘No Way to Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.” The picture at the very top is of Robb Elementary and encapsulates every parent’s worst nightmare.
  

Senate Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill and gun policy debate

Democrats’ first attempt at responding to the back-to-back mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, failed in the Senate as Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on difficult questions surrounding hate crimes and gun safety.

More politics

• Could the winner of L.A.’s mayoral race be decided in the June primary? The speculation has grown louder as billionaire Rick Caruso’s spending on his campaign reached $30 million and several rivals dropped out of the race. The short answer is it’s possible but highly unlikely. We look at why.
  

For context, dish and occasional deep dives on local elections, sign up for our L.A. on the Record newsletter, sent to your inbox each Saturday.

Dozens of Ukrainian towns were under attack in a fierce battle for the Donbas

Ukrainian officials said the shelling came as Moscow intensified attacks in the nation’s industrial heartland and attempted to encircle key eastern cities. Now in its fourth month, Russia’s war on its neighbor has increasingly zeroed in on efforts to overtake the Donbas and install pro-Moscow local governments and pro-Russian public displays in regions it controls, including around the key southern cities of Kherson and Mariupol.

Meanwhile, Russia pressed for the West to lift sanctions imposed because of its war in Ukraine, claiming without proof that the punitive measures are preventing millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products from leaving Ukrainian ports, exacerbating a global food crisis.

These parts of California have the nation’s highest gas prices — and residents are reeling

This week, the five counties in California with the priciest fuel were all in its rural north: Mono, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Napa. Gas prices in these areas can reach nearly $7.50 a gallon. There are a number of reasons, including: It’s more expensive for fuel distributors to deliver to remote areas of the state, and there is less competition among gas stations, which set their own prices.

Rural Californians live in some of the state’s most economically distressed areas. They typically drive farther than their urban counterparts, and they have fewer choices for public transportation — if they have access to it at all. “You’re like, ‘Holy crap, where am I going to find the money to cover this gas?’” said one resident.

The leading coronavirus variant packs an Omicron-Delta punch

The variant that is now dominant in the U.S. is a member of the Omicron family, but scientists say it spreads faster than its Omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease. Why? Because it combines properties of both Omicron and Delta, the nation’s dominant variant in the middle of last year.

More top coronavirus headlines

• UCLA has reinstated an indoor mask mandate on campus, effective today, as coronavirus cases continue to climb in Los Angeles County.
• The White House announced more steps to make the antiviral treatment Paxlovid more accessible across the U.S. as it projected that COVID-19 infections would continue to spread over the summer travel season.
  

Stay up to date on variant developments, case counts and vaccine news with Coronavirus Today.

CALIFORNIA

Plans for expansion of the 710 Freeway have been dropped after decades of planning. A decades-old, $6-billion plan to widen one of America’s busiest cargo corridors was scrapped as the agency acknowledged it must find a new way to lessen traffic without adding lanes.

With a third year of drought, Southern California is facing a hot, dry summer. After three bone-dry months, precipitation during April gave Northern California a brief reprieve, but those springtime amounts fell far short of what is necessary to alleviate the prolonged drought.

L.A. is looking to buy 124 apartments in Chinatown. But will every tenant get to stay? For more than two years, tenant advocates have demanded that the Los Angeles City Council purchase an apartment building in Chinatown, saying such a move would spare dozens of families enormous rent hikes. But for some inside the 124-unit building, there could be a downside to that transaction.

Racial disparities persist at California regional centers for disabled kids, a report says. Racial and ethnic gaps in spending on services for California children and teens with developmental disabilities have persisted, despite California investing tens of millions of dollars in efforts to address such disparities.

NATION-WORLD

As monkeypox cases grow, so do fears of a return to gay blame and stigma. Gay and bisexual men, who appear to account for the majority of Europe’s monkeypox cases so far, worry they are once again in danger of being stigmatized as carriers of an exotic and frightening disease, just as they were during the AIDS crisis, although the monkeypox virus can affect anyone.

The author of ‘How to Murder Your Husband’ has been found guilty of murdering her husband. A jury in Portland, Ore., convicted the self-published romance novelist — who once wrote an essay titled “How to Murder Your Husband” — of fatally shooting her husband four years ago.

After months of optimism, the prospects for an Iran nuclear deal are ‘tenuous’ at best, the U.S. says. It’s only been a couple of months since U.S. and European officials said a renewal of the deal was “imminent.” But with little progress since then, the top U.S. envoy said this week that prospects had soured.

Fears of a Chinese invasion have Taiwanese civilians taking up target practice. For decades, Taiwan has lived under the specter of military aggression from mainland China. But it wasn’t until Russia invaded Ukraine that many Taiwanese started wondering what role they might play if a war broke out at home.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

Ray Liotta, star of ‘Goodfellas and ‘Field of Dreams,’ has died at 67. The actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic while shooting the film “Dangerous Waters,” his spokeswoman said. Though he was best known for “Goodfellas,” the actor excelled in a wide range of roles, writes The Times’ Mark Olsen and Ed Stockly.

Kevin Spacey’s legal woes are continuing as he faces sexual-assault charges in the U.K. The disgraced Oscar winner is now contending with four sexual-assault charges in the United Kingdom. Spacey, 62, is facing multiple allegations related to events from 2005 to 2013, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Review: ‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ makes for a hilariously tasty cinematic offering. The animated comedy is one of the funniest, smartest and most unique summer movies of the year, writes critic Katie Walsh, the kind of lighthearted, charming, low-stakes and incredibly intelligent entertainment that is all too rare.

BTS is headed to the White House. The South Korean boy band, a global pop sensation, will meet next week with President Biden to discuss the rise in anti-Asian violence and discrimination in the United States.

Here are 17 ‘Top Gun’ callbacks to watch for in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Warning: minor spoilers. Tom Cruise is back in the cockpit as U.S. Navy airman Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, 36 years after he flew to superstardom in the 1986 hit “Top Gun.” Along with a crop of new flying aces, he’s brought loads of fan service and flashbacks to the original film with him.

BUSINESS

Why are flights so expensive right now? Vacationers face a perfect storm this summer. People are venturing out again while airlines haven’t replaced all of the staff they lost during the pandemic. Fuel prices are up, too, with airfares at their highest in more than five years.

The DMV said it would investigate Tesla over self-driving claims. Then, crickets. The internet is filled with videos of the erratic and dangerous behavior of cars running Full Self-Driving. It’s been a year since the DMV first opened an investigation, with a second one opened nearly six months ago. What have those investigations turned up? The agency won’t say.

All Power Books, a West Adams resource in tough times, is facing its own uncertain future. It’s more than a bookstore: It’s a volunteer-run, community-supported radical space that includes a free store with food and toiletries, access to a computer, a restroom open to all, a space for activists to meet, and more. Last month, organizers learned their lease would not be renewed.

The Landmark Theatres chain has taken over Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 in Pasadena. The seven-screen, 1,300-seat venue, in the 600 block of East Colorado Boulevard, will reopen this summer following improvements, Los Angeles-based Landmark said. The art-house theater has been a fixture for L.A.-area cinephiles, and many worried it would close for good.

OPINION

California is poised to become a sanctuary for women from the 26 states that are certain or very likely to ban abortion if Roe is overturned. But the state’s capacity to take on this mission may be tested. By one estimate, California would be the place of the nearest provider for anywhere from 46,000 to 1.4 million people as other states impose abortion bans. Forty percent of counties in the state have no clinics providing abortion, and an influx could make access even more difficult for California women. It would be cruel to encourage people needing abortions to come here and then turn them away from overbooked clinics when they arrive.

The problem with college debt is that we never fix the causes. No matter what course President Biden takes on college debt relief, what’s missing is a plan to permanently reduce student debt through basic college reform. After all, today’s college graduates might get relief, but what about next year’s grads, and those in the years and decades to come?

SPORTS

It’s been a while since Mookie Betts last felt like, played like or looked quite like this. The Dodgers right fielder has catapulted himself into the early-season MVP discussion. Since April 27, he has a slash line of .354/.420/.737, and the last two weeks he has seven doubles, seven home and 17 RBIs in 13 games with a .400 batting average. Said Betts: “I had to take a look back and see what I was capable of.”

UCLA softball’s Megan Faraimo found her inner Kobe Bryant. Injury kept the pitcher out of the circle last year when the Bruins struggled at the Women’s College World Series. She then picked up Bryant’s “The Mamba Mentality” and channeled the legendary Laker’s famous mindset into a Pac-12 pitcher-of-the-year campaign. She leads the No. 5-seeded Bruins into a best-of-three super regional series against No. 12 Duke at Easton Stadium, beginning at 8 Pacific tonight.

YOUR WEEKEND

Takashi Murakami takes in the augmented reality at his Broad exhibition.

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Experience art and augmented reality at the Broad. Artist Takashi Murakami’s colorful, poppy imagery is inspired by Japanese manga and anime but brims with dark undertones. His exhibition at the Broad has AR elements. As seen on a phone screen: “Two enormous portals suddenly open on a nearby wall. Sci-fi-like demons stand in each one, shirtless and wielding clubs. They’re guarding the Murakami works inside the gallery. An AR version of Murakami and his beloved dog, Pom, greet visitors at the exhibition entrance.” Info here.

Visit Ojai, which has long been a spiritual retreat, but be prepared to spend. As more wealthy Angelenos make the 90-minute journey to this valley at the foot of Ventura County’s Topatopa Mountains, the lodgings of Ojai are getting trendier and spendier by the day. The city has banned short-term vacation rentals and national brands, so there are just 12 hotels within city limits. “For a weekend room under $250,” writes Times travel writer Christopher Reynolds, “your chances are better at the Hummingbird Inn, the Lavender Inn B&B (a converted 1874 schoolhouse) or one of Ojai’s retreat centers, which stress quiet and contemplation.” A bonus read: Meet the hotel “preservationist” behind two of Ojai’s most Instagrammed lodgings, the Capri Hotel and the Ojai Rancho Inn.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing.

Britain ended the horror of school shootings after one single massacre. A teacher and 16 children were killed in 1996 at a primary school in Scotland. A report from the public inquiry that followed the shooting said efforts should focus “on the sale and availability of guns, rather than on the fitness of a potential buyer.” In December 1997, lawmakers voted in legislation to effectively ban all handguns. “For young people in Britain ... the details of the Dunblane shooting may be quite vague. Their forgetfulness isn’t a shame. It’s a triumph for a country that understood immediately that a society that allows children to be shot in its schools is a society that is failing.” Quartz

Ever get lost in a good book? That’s not so different from hypnosis —a practice that got a bad rap over the years thanks to mesmerists and stage stunts. Some people are “highly” hypnotizable, experts say, even responding to a suggestion “to forget the name of a simple object, like a pair of scissors, and what it is for.” If asked to point out scissors, they’d be unable to do so. “If you then handed them a piece of paper and asked them to use the scissors, they would be perplexed.” Others fall into the medium or low hypnotizable range. Proponents say hypnotism deserves more attention from mainstream medicine as it has been used to treat anxiety, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and more. BBC

FROM THE ARCHIVES

May 27, 1921: The first women’s track meet was held at the school that later became UCLA.

(Los Angeles Times)

One hundred and one years ago today, on May 27, 1921, “the first annual track meet of the girl students of the University of California, Southern Branch [was] held on the campus.” The school, which became UCLA, had opened less than two years earlier.

The Times, with sexist language that fit with the era, ran the story under the headline “Shiny Nose Costs Record.” “If Violet hadn’t stopped to powder her nose yesterday she might have broken, single-handed, a world’s record. But despite her attentiveness to the whims of fashion, she assisted in shattering the national record for girls in the 440-yard relay race.” In other words, the university women had outstanding performances at their inaugural track meet.

According to the school, football tryouts were announced for male students on the very first day of classes in 1919. The former teacher training institution, however, also had an abundance of aspiring female teachers, a number of whom wanted to play sports. In 1919, the Women’s Athletic Assn. was created, and female students competed in basketball, baseball, tennis and track. “In the decades that followed, however, it was male athletes who would earn all the accolades and attention as intercollegiate athletics became part of the American sports landscape.”

We appreciate that you took the time to read Today’s Headlines! Comments or ideas? Feel free to drop us a note at headlines@latimes.com.