Deadly weather kills at least 19 and Tesla lobbies for a $56 billion Musk paycheck: Morning Rundown
Millions are hit with severe weather over Memorial Day weekend. America's child care shortage pushes military families to a breaking point. And dozens are killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp for displaced Palestinians, Gaza officials say.
Here’s what to know today.
At least 19 dead as severe storms wreak havoc across the country
People in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee were hit with twisters, heavy winds and flooding over the Memorial Day weekend.
At least 19 deaths have been reported as a series of storms and tornadoes battered the South and the Great Plains, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power. Seven storm-related deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas; eight in different counties in Arkansas; two in Mayes County, Oklahoma; and one in Louisville, Kentucky. The dead in Texas included two children, ages 2 and 5, and three family members who were found together in a home.
Violent storms overtook the region, overturning 18-wheelers, destroying homes, toppling power lines and crushing a Shell station in Cooke County, where 125 people were trapped for a period Saturday night. No serious injuries or deaths were reported at the truck stop, and officials said the people who were seeking shelter inside were evacuated by Sunday.
The severe weather is expected to continue to push east into the Midwest and the Ohio Valley, including Chicago; Indianapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; St. Louis; and Cincinnati. It will finish off today on the East Coast. A risk of severe weather was issued to the mid-Atlantic, including Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. In that region, 27 million people are at risk of experiencing strong to severe thunderstorms.
America’s child care shortage is pushing military families to a breaking point
Families across the country have been struggling with the rising cost of child care and waitlists after more than 100,000 workers left the industry. But for military families, the effects of those care shortages have been magnified, which could have wider consequences for the nation’s ability to retain its soldiers.
Military families — who frequently move on short notice, can be stationed in areas with few child care options and work unconventional hours — say the hardest thing to navigate in their careers has been finding child care.
“It puts a strain on the marriage and the family, and some of our service members are choosing not to re-enlist because of the child care challenges, among other things,” said Francisco Jamison, who spent nearly three decades working in military child care programs and is now the chief of military programs and strategy for Child Care Aware of America. The Pentagon now has the nation’s largest employer-run child care operation, providing subsidized child care to more than 200,000 children. But like other child care providers, it, too, has struggled to find enough workers since the pandemic, leaving families with limited options.
Israeli airstrike kills dozens after hitting tent camp for displaced, Gaza officials say
Dozens of people were killed in Rafah last night after an Israeli airstrike hit an area where displaced civilians were sheltering in tents. The strike sparked a fire that tore across the camp, local officials said.
The strike drew condemnation from United Nations officials and Arab leaders just days after the U.N.’s top court ordered Israel to halt its offensive on the southern Gaza city, where more than a million had sought refuge. Qatar warned it could hinder efforts to reach a cease-fire deal, while Israel’s military prosecutor said the “very grave” incident was under investigation. “This massacre is the largest in the city of Rafah in months,” Palestinian Civil Defense spokesman Muhammad Al-Mughir told NBC News. He stressed that the area that was hit was a designated “humanitarian area” next to U.N. warehouses.
The Israel Defense Forces said that it had targeted two senior Hamas leaders and that it would review reports of fire spreading to areas where civilians were sheltering.
Tesla shareholders get to vote whether Elon Musk be paid $56 billion
Nearly all owners of Tesla stock, including Wall Street firms and thousands of individual investors, are in the middle of a two-month battle over whether to reinstate a record $56 billion pay package for Elon Musk, months after a Delaware state judge struck down his compensation as having been improperly awarded. The shareholder votes aren’t public unless investors share how they voted. They are voting mostly online ahead of Tesla’s June 13 annual meeting in Austin, Texas.
The vote is unusual not only because of the fortune that Musk stands to gain — it’s 250 times larger than the median among Musk’s peers, according to the judge who voided it in January — but also because of the public and private jockeying. Tesla has bought advertisements and made a website trying to sway investors to vote for the package. Musk backers are also making videos and reaching out to potential swing voters one on one, as if it were an election for public office. Yet many investors released a joint letter this month telling fellow shareholders to vote down the package as excessive.
It is expected to be an ongoing test of investors’ continued faith in Musk, who has become an increasingly polarizing public figure.
Johnny Wactor, ‘General Hospital’ actor, fatally shot in L.A.
Actor Johnny Wactor, known for his work on the daytime drama “General Hospital,” was fatally shot when he interrupted a crime in Los Angeles, according to police and family. His mother, Scarlett Wactor, confirmed his death in the incident. He was 37.
Los Angeles police, who did not confirm the identity of the deceased, offered a narrative of the incident. The victim came upon three people removing a catalytic converter from a vehicle near Pico Boulevard and Hope Street, in the southwest corner of downtown Los Angeles, the police department said. One of the three opened fire, striking the victim, who was pronounced dead, police said. No one has been arrested.
Everyone you know is going on a cruise
Many vacationers flocking to a cruise this year are first-time passengers.
Cruise newbies have helped power the industry’s recent growth, with 27% of the cruise passengers over the past two years being first-timers, up 12% from the previous two-year period, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group. After it welcomed 31.7 million passengers last year, 7% more than in 2019, the industry expects volumes to swell to 34.7 million by the end of the year. Experts say a combination of newcomers, repeat bookers and younger travelers is powering the uptick.
“The cruise industry has been hard at work to launch new ships and experiences that are attractive to a younger, newer demographic,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, “whether that’s a big, new ship with eye-catching attractions for families or more bucket-list-worthy experiences like sailings in the Galapagos or Antarctica.” While the average age of a cruise customer is 46 industrywide, millennials now make up nearly the same share — 22% — as baby boomers and Gen Xers, who each comprise 24%.
And the vessels are getting bigger to handle the growing demand.
Politics in Brief
Libertarian National Convention: Hours after former President Donald Trump was booed and jeered at the Libertarian National Convention as he asked libertarians for their party’s nomination and votes, the party chair said he did not submit the appropriate paperwork. Activist Chase Oliver was selected as the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee later Sunday night.
Abortion rights: President Joe Biden’s campaign and allies hope to close the gap between support for a proposed abortion rights amendment and support for Biden in Arizona.
America’s economy: A push-and-pull of forces on household finances has distorted many people’s views of an otherwise stable economy.
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Staff Pick: It wasn’t the endless shrimp that pinched Red Lobster
When Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy, there was a prevailing notion that its endless shrimp promotions were a major reason. And they certainly contributed to the seafood chain’s woes, but this deep dive highlights how private equity was a much bigger culprit. The story is a great look at what’s known as “asset-stripping,” a financial technique that has affected a number of retail chains.
— Josh Feldman, weekend editor, platforms & social
In Case You Missed It
A Papua New Guinea government official has told the United Nations that Friday’s landslide is believed to have buried more than 2,000 people alive.
Pro golfer Grayson Murray’s family confirmed he died by suicide, just a day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
Lizzo shared a video of herself reacting to a joke on “South Park” referring to her in an episode about obesity.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have postponed coming shows in Prague and Milan because of “vocal issues,” Springsteen announced.
Six family members were sickened with a parasitic disease caused by roundworm larvae after they ate kebabs made of bear meat.
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
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