'I don't feel safe at school'

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·5 min read
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Lawmakers and advocates are sharing impassioned pleas to reform the nation's gun laws at a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing. Takeaways from the latest primary elections. And there's a new world record in town: 56 pubs in 24 hours.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. It's National Best Friends Day! Big shout out to my best friend, my nephew Peco! Here's Wednesday's news.

But first, celebrity besties! 🤗 From Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart to Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, take a look at some of the most famous friendships.

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Uvalde survivor testifies to address gun violence

Lawmakers and advocates – even actor Matthew McConaughey – are sharing impassioned pleas to reform the nation's gun laws, but one of the most powerful voices in the room came from a fourth-grader. Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old who survived the May 24 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, with unbearable ingenuity. She smeared her murdered friend’s blood on herself to play dead and stay alive. She called 911 for help, though help didn’t arrive for more than an hour. And Wednesday, she was one of nine witnesses testifying on Capitol Hill during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing to address gun violence. "I don’t feel safe at school," she said in a pre-recorded video. "I don’t want it to happen again." When asked whether she thinks it will happen again, she shook her head up and down and said "yes."

'Frustrated, heartbroken': Former teacher says inaction is acceptance; Uvalde victim's parents describe a frantic search for their daughter. Keep reading.

Miah Cerrillo, a fourth grade student at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and a survivor of the mass shooting appears on a screen during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday.
Miah Cerrillo, a fourth grade student at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and a survivor of the mass shooting appears on a screen during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday.

Armed man arrested near Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh's home

An armed man who allegedly made threats against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was arrested early Wednesday near the justice's suburban Washington, D.C., home, officials said. The suspect, identified in court records as Nicholas John Roske of California, was arrested after authorities say he called a local 911 dispatcher claiming to be armed, suicidal and that he had traveled to the area to "kill" a Supreme Court justice. Authorities later recovered a Glock pistol, a tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer and a crowbar from a pack he was carrying. The arrest comes after recent protests at the homes of several high court justices, including Kavanaugh's, since the leak of a draft opinion last month revealed that Roe v. Wade could be overturned.

Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

What everyone's talking about

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Buying a home could soon get easier

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are implementing big reforms aimed at helping disadvantaged communities become homeowners and making sure homebuyers of color stay owners. The initiative from the two federally backed home mortgage companies, announced Wednesday, is the most sweeping overhaul since the housing crash in 2008. Some of the big-ticket items exclusively reviewed by USA TODAY include assistance with down payments, reserve funding for homeowners' emergencies, and lower mortgage insurance premiums. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are also rolling out a new credit reporting system that factors rent payments into creditworthiness scores, one of the biggest systemic barriers experts say keep renters of color from being able to purchase a home. Keep reading.

Could California be a warning sign for Dems in the fall?

From New Jersey to California, primaries in seven states Tuesday took voters one step further in shaping the landscape for November's midterm elections and beyond. In particular, political observers took interest in the expensive race for Los Angeles mayor, where a billionaire mall magnate who switched parties seized the lead after pouring millions into the race. One thing missing was former President Donald Trump, who dominated the headlines of previous primaries — namely in Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania — in important state and federal campaigns through endorsements, rallies and other actions. But this time, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year – David Valadao of California – didn't even have a challenge from a Trump-endorsed opponent. Here are the big things to think about after Tuesday's results.

Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, of Mississippi District 3, votes at Brandon Baptist Church in Brandon, Miss., in the Mississippi Congressional primary, Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, of Mississippi District 3, votes at Brandon Baptist Church in Brandon, Miss., in the Mississippi Congressional primary, Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

Real quick

👉 News from Ukraine: War will cost Russia 15 years of economic gains; 'Elite' Russian regiment routed, but Ukraine struggles in Donbas. Keep reading for the latest.

New world record: 56 pubs in 24 hours

It's a hefty record, but somebody's gotta break it. Enter Gareth Murphy of Wales. He visited 56 pubs in 24 hours, snapping the previous pub crawl record of 51, according to a release from Guinness World Records. Murphy, a 29-year-old IT worker from Caernarfon, Wales, surpassed Englishman Matt Ellis' record set in 2021. According to Guinness, a person who dares to try to break the record must have video evidence and a logbook signed by an employee at every pub visited to confirm a drink was both purchased and consumed. "The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life," Murphy said in the news release. "The hardest part by far was the bloatedness of drinking so much. It didn’t help that I can’t make myself burp either." Hmm ... TMI. But hey, a cheers to Gareth! 🍻 Read on.

Gareth Murphy with a celebratory beer.
Gareth Murphy with a celebratory beer.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Uvalde victim testifies, Brett Kavanaugh, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It's Wednesday's news.