National

At least 75 people have been killed and 59 injured in attacks on Ukrainian health facilities and personnel since Russia began its unprovoked invasion, according to World Health Organization data this week.

Driving the news: The WHO has verified over 240 attacks on Ukrainian health care since Feb. 24. On Thursday, it passed a resolution condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine, particularly on the country's health system. 

The big picture: The resolution notes that Russia's invasion is "causing a serious impediment to the health of the population of Ukraine, as well as having regional and wider than regional health impacts."

It also urges Russia to "immediately" cease all attacks on health care facilities and to "fully respect and protect" personnel engaged in medical duties.

Between the lines: Russia had proposed a counter-resolution that expressed "grave concerns over the ongoing health emergency in and around Ukraine," but did not include its role in causing that emergency. 

WHO member-states rejected the resolution.

What they're saying: "As children and families seek safety, the medical services they rely on must be protected," the WHO in Ukraine said on May 5. 

"The disruption of health services across Ukraine has been catastrophic, compounded by displacement and the fact millions of people remain trapped in conflict areas unable to move," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a pledging conference for Ukraine this week. 

"This puts health workers, care workers, services and infrastructure, and the health of millions of health workers at severe risk," he added. 

"But even worse than disruptions to health services are attacks on health care. Let's be clear, attacks on health are a violation of international humanitarian law. This is utterly unacceptable."

 Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from the WHO. 

WHO condemns Russia for mounting attacks on Ukraine health facilities

The WHO has verified at least 245 attacks on Ukrainian health care since Feb. 24.

Picture of a destroyed Ukrainian hospital

A view of a heavily damaged hospital in Volnovakha city, one of the cities most affected by the war between Russia and Ukraine, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, on March 27, 2022. Photo: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia

At least 75 people have been killed and 59 injured in attacks on Ukrainian health facilities and personnel since Russia began its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unprovoked invasion" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/russia-ukraine-invasion-putin-live-updates-873196c6-15a2-47a0-8360-e3db5af96b3c.html" data-vars-content-id="0a2746e5-4502-4984-a385-944960c62a0e" data-vars-headline="WHO condemns Russia for mounting attacks on Ukraine health facilities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/russia-ukraine-invasion-putin-live-updates-873196c6-15a2-47a0-8360-e3db5af96b3c.html" target="_self">unprovoked invasion</a>, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Health Organization data" data-vars-click-url="https://extranet.who.int/ssa/LeftMenu/PublicReportList.aspx?start=2022-02-24&amp;end=2022-03-18&amp;countryList=229&amp;typeList=0" data-vars-content-id="0a2746e5-4502-4984-a385-944960c62a0e" data-vars-headline="WHO condemns Russia for mounting attacks on Ukraine health facilities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://extranet.who.int/ssa/LeftMenu/PublicReportList.aspx?start=2022-02-24&amp;end=2022-03-18&amp;countryList=229&amp;typeList=0" target="_blank">World Health Organization data</a> this week.Driving the news: The WHO has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="verified" data-vars-click-url="https://extranet.who.int/ssa/LeftMenu/PublicReportList.aspx?start=2022-02-24&amp;end=2022-03-18&amp;countryList=229&amp;typeList=0" data-vars-content-id="0a2746e5-4502-4984-a385-944960c62a0e" data-vars-headline="WHO condemns Russia for mounting attacks on Ukraine health facilities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://extranet.who.int/ssa/LeftMenu/PublicReportList.aspx?start=2022-02-24&amp;end=2022-03-18&amp;countryList=229&amp;typeList=0" target="_blank">verified</a> over <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="240 attacks" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/WHOUkraine/status/1522248505594683392" data-vars-content-id="0a2746e5-4502-4984-a385-944960c62a0e" data-vars-headline="WHO condemns Russia for mounting attacks on Ukraine health facilities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/WHOUkraine/status/1522248505594683392" target="_blank">240 attacks</a> on Ukrainian health care since Feb. 24. On Thursday, it passed a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="resolution" data-vars-click-url="https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA75/A75_ACONF6-en.pdf" data-vars-content-id="0a2746e5-4502-4984-a385-944960c62a0e" data-vars-headline="WHO condemns Russia for mounting attacks on Ukraine health facilities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA75/A75_ACONF6-en.pdf" target="_blank">resolution</a> condemning Russia&#x27;s attack on Ukraine, particularly on the country&#x27;s health system.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) "an absolute fraud" during remarks on the Senate floor addressing the Texas elementary school shooting that killed 19 kids and two adults.

Driving the news: After Beto O'Rourke confronted Abbott during a press conference on Wednesday over his support of gun rights, Schumer said the governor "asked people to put their agendas aside and think about someone other than themselves. My God, how dare he? What an absolute fraud the governor of Texas is."

"And this is the same Gov. Abbott who tomorrow ... will go speak at the [National Rifle Association] convention in Houston. Gov. Abbott, will you ask your MAGA buddies and NRA pals to put aside their agendas and think of someone other than themselves like you asked the families to do? ... Of course not," Schumer added.

"Gov. Abbott is more likely to outline some new plan to further loosen gun restrictions. No amount of bloodshed seems to be enough for MAGA Republicans."

The big picture: Schumer delivered remarks ahead of a Senate vote on a piece of legislation, the Domestic Terrorism Protection Act, aimed at combating violent extremism by white supremacists.

He had scheduled the Senate vote before the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, took place. The bill is instead a response to the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, that killed 10 people, which the FBI is investigating as a hate crime.

The bill, which already passed the House, needs 60 votes in the Senate to be sent to President Biden.

Schumer calls Texas Gov. Abbott "an absolute fraud"

"No amount of bloodshed seems to be enough for MAGA Republicans," Schumer said.

Texas

Politics & Policy

Axios Media Trends

In the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas shooting that killed 19 children and two adults, elementary school-aged survivors are appearing on local and national television to tell their stories. 

Why it matters: Although these children are younger, their media presence in the wake of this week's devastating tragedy is reminiscent of the Parkland shooting survivors, who went on to lead the nation through weeks of grief.

The young Uvalde children are not making calls to action on gun control, unlike the teenage Parkland students, but they are forced to bear witness to what they saw in their classrooms. 

"I have the fear of guns now because I'm scared someone might shoot me," 8-year-old Edward Timothy, a second-grade survivor, told CNN. He added that his school has been holding drills on what to do if there's a school shooting since kindergarten.

Another survivor, 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo, who witnessed some of the victims getting shot, told the outlet that she dipped her hands in the blood of a classmate who had been killed and smeared it on herself to play dead.

Miah and her classmates were watching "Lilo & Stitch" when her teachers got word of the shooter. 

"I know it might happen again, probably," 10-year-old Jayden Perez told CNN, remarking he was friends with "basically all" of those who died.

What they're saying: "It's messed up that these kids have to go on CNN, or MSNBC, or whatever it is, and talk about death," said Jaclyn Corin, a survivor of the Parkland school shooting and co-founder of March For Our Lives, a student-led organization that advocates for gun control laws.

Corin said that sharing her experience as a survivor "led to a lot of people feeling like it was okay to ask me intrusive questions down the line."

"I do think children telling their stories is incredibly impactful," she added, but "I hope that they're not taken advantage of moving forward because they are so young."

"It should not be our responsibility to speak out," Corin told Axios, adding how, after she survived the Parkland shooting at 17 years old, some elected officials and other adults would ask her what they should be doing. "It's quite ridiculous, but that's the expectation."

The big picture: Cable news outlets were created by adults for adults, which makes it jarring to see young children making regular appearances as the days following the shooting unfold.

Between the lines: Some parents and guardians are struggling to speak with their children about the Texas shooting. Uvalde survivors’ appearances across major television networks show how hard it may be for them to avoid the conversation.

 "All of it can be a trigger. It's important to focus on your own kids' sensitivities when sharing details, including any visuals of the actual kids," said Jill Murphy, editor in chief of children's media advocacy group, Common Sense Media. "We hope the intention of sharing these images isn't sensational, but to impact viewers to take action."

Go deeper: Remembering the victims of the Texas school shooting

"It might happen again": Uvalde's kid survivors tell their stories

"It's messed up that these kids have to go on CNN, or MSNBC, or whatever it is, and talk about death."

Picture of children visiting a memorial for the victims of the Uvalde shooting

Mourners visit a memorial for the vitcims of Tuesday's mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on May 26, 2022. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Guns

In the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas shooting that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="killed 19 children and two adults" data-vars-click-url="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiatrnY7f_3AhXOtoQIHTwhBwsQFnoECAIQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.axios.com%2F2022%2F05%2F25%2Ftexas-school-shooting-victims&amp;usg=AOvVaw3hM_RIh7D5t5viMnByh9Ir" data-vars-content-id="8cb71522-f64a-4159-8c7e-2971119b6688" data-vars-headline="&quot;It might happen again&quot;: Uvalde&#x27;s kid survivors tell their stories" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiatrnY7f_3AhXOtoQIHTwhBwsQFnoECAIQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.axios.com%2F2022%2F05%2F25%2Ftexas-school-shooting-victims&amp;usg=AOvVaw3hM_RIh7D5t5viMnByh9Ir" target="_blank">killed 19 children and two adults</a>, elementary school-aged survivors are appearing on local and national television to tell their stories. Why it matters: Although these children are younger, their media presence in the wake of this week&#x27;s devastating tragedy is reminiscent of the Parkland shooting survivors, who went on to lead the nation through weeks of grief.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has directed Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to work with Democratic lawmakers on a "bipartisan solution" to gun violence.

Driving the news: McConnell told CNN he "encouraged" Cornyn to work with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) "and others who are interested in trying to get an outcome that's directly related to the problem."

Between the lines: Senate Democrats had already expressed interest in having Cornyn as the point of contact for talks, given the shooting happened in his state, Axios' Alayna Treene reports.

Cornyn has shown compassion and willingness to work with Democrats on similar issues before.

The big picture: Senate lawmakers on both sides held small-group discussions to gauge bipartisan support for the passage of bills following the shooting at a Texas elementary school in which a gunman killed 19 kids and two adults.

Be smart: Any sort of gun-related legislation would need 60 votes to pass the Senate.

The latest: Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a bill that would have created new federal offices focused on domestic terrorism. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) had scheduled a vote on the bill in response to a shooting in Buffalo, New York, that resulted in the deaths of 10 Black people.

McConnell directs Cornyn to work with Democrats on gun legislation

Senate Democrats had already expressed interested in having Cornyn as the point of contact for talks.

Picture of Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn in 2018. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Mitch McConnell

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has directed Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to work with Democratic lawmakers on a &quot;bipartisan solution&quot; to gun violence.Driving the news: McConnell told <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CNN" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/26/politics/mcconnell-cornyn-democrats-bipartisan-effort-gun-violence/index.html" data-vars-content-id="a2f318ee-21aa-4850-99f7-fdbc09ecee57" data-vars-headline="McConnell directs Cornyn to work with Democrats on gun legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/26/politics/mcconnell-cornyn-democrats-bipartisan-effort-gun-violence/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> he &quot;encouraged&quot; Cornyn to work with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) &quot;and others who are interested in trying to get an outcome that&#x27;s directly related to the problem.&quot;

A court has ruled that former President Trump and his children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are obligated to testify under oath in New York state's investigation into the Trump Organization's financial dealings, state Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday.

Driving the news: A four-judge panel in the appellate division of the state’s trial court upheld a February decision enforcing James' subpoenas in the investigation. Trump's attorneys had argued that the attorney general's office was using them to unlawfully extract information for a separate criminal probe.

Details: "The existence of a criminal investigation does not preclude civil discovery of related facts, at which a party may exercise the privilege against self-incrimination," the panel wrote in their decision.

Additionally, the panel held: "[t]he civil investigation was initiated in March 2019 after testimony before Congress by Michael Cohen ... in which Cohen alleged that respondent The Trump Organization Inc. had issued fraudulent financial statements."

"This sequence of events suggests that the investigation was lawfully initiated at its outset and well-founded, apart from any parallel criminal investigation undertaken by the District Attorney."

What she's saying: "Our investigation will continue undeterred because no one is above the law," James said.

Between the lines: Trump's potential testimony could be used against him in the criminal probe conducted by the Manhattan district attorney, AP reports.

The big picture: James had said earlier this year that her office's investigation found that the Trump Organization allegedly used "fraudulent and misleading asset valuations to obtain economic benefits."

What we're watching: The Trump family could still appeal the panel's ruling to the New York Court of Appeals.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.

Court rules Trump must testify under oath in N.Y. state's investigation

"Our investigation will continue undeterred because no one is above the law," said the New York attorney general.

Donald Trump

A court has ruled that former President Trump and his children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are obligated to testify under oath in New York state&#x27;s investigation into the Trump Organization&#x27;s financial dealings, state Attorney General Letitia James <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/1529843635612790784" data-vars-content-id="b252cbe0-5ac6-4842-9a61-9243deef4053" data-vars-headline="Court rules Trump must testify under oath in N.Y. state&#x27;s investigation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/1529843635612790784" target="_blank">announced</a> Thursday.Driving the news: A four-judge panel in the appellate division of the state’s trial court <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="upheld" data-vars-click-url="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/trump_ad1_decision_05_26_22.pdf" data-vars-content-id="b252cbe0-5ac6-4842-9a61-9243deef4053" data-vars-headline="Court rules Trump must testify under oath in N.Y. state&#x27;s investigation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/trump_ad1_decision_05_26_22.pdf" target="_blank">upheld</a> a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="February decision" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/17/trump-investigation-testify-new-york" data-vars-content-id="b252cbe0-5ac6-4842-9a61-9243deef4053" data-vars-headline="Court rules Trump must testify under oath in N.Y. state&#x27;s investigation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/17/trump-investigation-testify-new-york" target="_self">February decision</a> enforcing James&#x27; subpoenas in the investigation. Trump&#x27;s attorneys had argued that the attorney general&#x27;s office was using them to unlawfully extract information <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="for a separate criminal probe" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/new-york-ag-trump-organization-criminal-investigation-bd66aba7-e357-4221-9e53-cae8a584238d.html" data-vars-content-id="b252cbe0-5ac6-4842-9a61-9243deef4053" data-vars-headline="Court rules Trump must testify under oath in N.Y. state&#x27;s investigation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/new-york-ag-trump-organization-criminal-investigation-bd66aba7-e357-4221-9e53-cae8a584238d.html" target="_self">for a separate criminal probe</a>.

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Stories

"It might happen again": Uvalde's kid survivors tell their stories

WHO condemns Russia for mounting attacks on Ukraine health facilities

McConnell directs Cornyn to work with Democrats on gun legislation

Court rules Trump must testify under oath in N.Y. state's investigation

Schumer calls Texas Gov. Abbott "an absolute fraud"