5 things to know Thursday

Funerals for Uvalde shooting victims continue

Funeral services for the 19 students and two teachers killed last week at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, began Tuesday and will continue through the next two weeks. A dozen funerals are planned this week, 11 for students and one for teacher Irma Garcia. The first two funerals were on Tuesday afternoon and evening, following visitations on Monday at the town’s two funeral homes where Amerie Jo Garza, 10, was remembered as an “outgoing and funny” child who “wanted to help everyone else out,” and Maite Rodríguez, 10, was described as “smart, bright, beautiful, happy” and dreamed of being a marine biologist. The services come as Uvalde grapples with law enforcement’s admittedly flawed response to the May 24 shooting.

Biden administration to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine

President Joe Biden said Tuesday his administration would send advanced, long-range rocket systems to Ukraine to combat Russian forces. The weapons would be part of a new $700 million security package that will be formally announced Wednesday. In perhaps the clearest statement yet of America’s role in the war, Biden promised more advanced weaponry and financial assistance for Ukraine and deeper isolation for Russia. But in a New York Times op-ed, Biden also spelled out what the US will not do: try to oust Russian President Vladimir Putin. Senior administration officials said Tuesday the United States would be sending HIMARS (High Mobility Rocket Systems) to Ukraine. The officials said in a call with reporters that Ukrainian officials assured the US the rockets would only be used to repel Russian forces in Ukraine and not to attack Russian territory. The officials said the Pentagon would also provide air surveillance radars, additional javelins and anti-armor weapons.

Atlantic hurricane season begins

the Atlantic hurricane season begins Wednesday, and forecasters expect yet another busy stretch in 2022. As many as 10 hurricanes could form, meteorologists said. An average season typically spawns seven hurricanes and peaks in August and September. If predictions hold true, it will be a record seventh consecutive year of above-normal activity. Overall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said 14 to 21 named storms will develop. These numbers include tropical storms, which contain wind speeds of 39 mph or higher. Of the predicted hurricanes, three to six could be major hurricanes, packing wind speeds of 111 mph or higher. The National Hurricane Center ran out of names for Atlantic storms in the past two years; there were a record-setting 30 named storms in 2020 and 21 last year. At least 11 people died and 20 were missing after Hurricane Agatha touched down in southern Mexico on Monday.

California California says slavery legacy requires ‘comprehensive reparations’

The harm to African Americans that started with slavery persists to this day through systemic discrimination that requires California to make “comprehensive reparations” and extensive reforms in housing, education and the justice system, according to a sweeping report scheduled for release Wednesday by a first-in-the-nation state reparations task force. The panel, whose recommendations pertain to California, also urged the creation of a special office charged with providing a pathway for financial reparations for Black residents, according to a draft version of the report examined by USA TODAY. The report, which runs 500 pages, will be the first government-commissioned study on harms against the African American community since the 1968 Kerner Commission report ordered by then-President Lyndon Johnson, task force Chair Kamilah Moore said. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation creating the task force in 2020, making California the only state to move ahead with a study and plan.

June ushers in Pride Month across the US

Wednesday marks the first day of June, and with it the start of Pride Month, a celebration of LGTBQ voices and experiences. Pride Month’s Roots go back to June 28, 1969, when New York City police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay club, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood. Frequent raids of gay bars had escalated frustration toward police and led patrons to fight back, sparking days of protests. Since then, cities around the world mark Pride Month as a celebration of the history and visibility of the LGBTQ community. this year, Pride will return to in-person events after being sidelined during the pandemic. It also returns amid a time of challenges for LGBTQ people, including hostile legislation such as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay Bill.”

Contributing: The Associated Press