The Capitol riot hearings begin

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·6 min read
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Hearings begin in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol. The LIV-PGA contention continues. And a Michigan police officer was charged with murder in death of Patrick Lyoya.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. It's Thursday, and we've got a lot of news, so let's get going!

But first, a video from Mom is nice, but there's nothing like the real thing. 💞 This Army mom wasn't going to miss her daughter's graduation for anything. See the sweet moment this mother and daughter were reunited.

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☀️ Get outside today, because this weekend is going to be a scorcher. A dangerous heat wave is headed to the Southwest – and some places could exceed 110 degrees. Check your local forecast here.

What will happen during the Jan. 6 hearings? 

The Jan. 6 hearings are here. The House Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol is holding its first public hearing Thursday in prime time. Since its formation last year, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol – as it's formally known – has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and subpoenaed almost 100 allies of former President Donald Trump, as well as other individuals and businesses deemed responsible for events surrounding the attack on the Capitol. The hearings will examine the evidence the committee has gathered to answer simple questions: What happened that day? Who was involved in the planning and execution of the insurrection? And how can future attacks be prevented? And there's a lot we still don't know. Follow along live here.

Questions + answers: When will the hearings begin and end? What has the committee already learned? Here's what we know.

Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for governor in Michigan, was charged by the FBI on June 9 with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. This Reuters photo was provided in court documents.
Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for governor in Michigan, was charged by the FBI on June 9 with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. This Reuters photo was provided in court documents.

More controversy in the golf world 

Seventeen golfers playing in the LIV Golf Series have been suspended for an unspecified period, the PGA Tour announced Thursday. The announcement came roughly 30 minutes after the Saudi-funded upstart tour teed off in London for its first 54-hole, team-oriented tournament. The PGA said the players made their choice to play in the LIV league for "financial-based reasons." Those who choose to participate in the future will also be suspended. The LIV Golf Series responded Thursday with a statement saying the suspensions were "vindictive" and that it "deepens the divide between the Tour and its members." The LIV tour is backed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia and has already landed big names like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Lee Westwood.

Players practice on the driving range ahead of the forthcoming LIV Golf Invitational Series event at The Centurion Club in St Albans, north of London.
Players practice on the driving range ahead of the forthcoming LIV Golf Invitational Series event at The Centurion Club in St Albans, north of London.

What everyone's talking about

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Foreign fighters in Ukraine sentenced to firing squad

Two Britons and a Moroccan were sentenced to death by firing squad Thursday by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine for fighting on Ukraine's side. The Supreme Court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic found the men guilty of working toward a violent overthrow of power, an offense punishable by death in the republic recognized only by Russia – and only days before the invasion in February. The men were also convicted of mercenary activities and terrorism. Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Saaudun Brahim have a month to appeal.

👉 More news: 'Endless caravan of death' in Mariupol; Moscow's chief rabbi in exile after refusing to support the invasion. Thursday's latest Ukraine war updates.

A dog poses for its owner on top of a destroyed Russian main battle tank that has been put on display in Saint Michael's Square for public viewing on June 04, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. A sense of normality has increasingly returned to Kyiv as Russia's assault has focused on the eastern Donbas region.
A dog poses for its owner on top of a destroyed Russian main battle tank that has been put on display in Saint Michael's Square for public viewing on June 04, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. A sense of normality has increasingly returned to Kyiv as Russia's assault has focused on the eastern Donbas region.

Michigan officer charged with murder in death of Patrick Lyoya

A prosecutor filed a second-degree murder charge Thursday against the Michigan police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was on the ground when he was shot in the back of the head following an intense physical struggle recorded by a bystander. Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker announced his decision against Grand Rapids officer Christopher Schurr, who killed Lyoya minutes after a traffic stop on April 4. Lyoya, who was 26 at the time of his shooting, was a Congolese refugee. His death sparked protests in Grand Rapids and beyond over the police department’s conduct and prompted discussions over the city’s commitment to racial equity, something it had pledged to improve in the wake of racial injustice protests in 2020.

Real quick

Do police in schools do more harm than good? 

The Uvalde, Texas, school shooting has rekindled a long-simmering debate over the presence of police in schools. The killing of George Floyd fueled a movement to end policing in schools, which critics said targeted Black children for arrest and criminalized childhood behavior. Now, school leaders and lawmakers around the country are looking to boost, not cut, the ranks of school resource officers since Uvalde. But researchers have found that campus policing does not reduce gun violence. Keep reading.

On Sept. 19, 2019, Kaia Rolle was arrested at her Orlando school after throwing a tantrum and hitting several staffers. She was 6 years old. She was charged with battery. Though the charge was dismissed, Kaia was traumatized by the experience and now has post-traumatic stress disorder, along with a litany of other mental health problems.
On Sept. 19, 2019, Kaia Rolle was arrested at her Orlando school after throwing a tantrum and hitting several staffers. She was 6 years old. She was charged with battery. Though the charge was dismissed, Kaia was traumatized by the experience and now has post-traumatic stress disorder, along with a litany of other mental health problems.

What is this thing? A chupacabra? A person with a weird hat who likes to walk at night? A coyote on its hind legs? Whatever it is, the creeptacular image captured by a security camera inside the Amarillo Zoo in Texas has everybody stumped (and some of us are just plain freaked out 👀). Do you know what it is?

Around 1:25 a.m. May 21, security cameras inside a perimeter fence at the Amarillo Zoo captured a strange image outside the zoo.
Around 1:25 a.m. May 21, security cameras inside a perimeter fence at the Amarillo Zoo captured a strange image outside the zoo.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jan. 6 hearings, Patrick Lyoya, LIV Golf Series, police in schools. It's Thursday's news.