Memorial Day, Uvalde shooting response, Hurricane Agatha: 5 things to know Monday

Editors
·4 min read

Americans honor the fallen on Memorial Day

Americans will observe Memorial Day on Monday, a holiday that honors members of the U.S. military who died during service to the nation. Unlike Veterans Day, which honors all military members, Memorial Day honors those who have died in while serving in U.S. forces. Memorial Day was declared a national holiday through an act of Congress in 1971, and its roots date back to the Civil War era, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The origins of the holiday can be traced back to local observances for soldiers with neglected gravesites during the Civil War. The day that we celebrate Memorial Day is believed to be influenced by Illinois U.S. Representative John A. Logan, who believed Memorial Day should occur when flowers are in full bloom across the country, according to the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

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DOJ reviewing delayed response to Uvalde school shooting

The Justice Department is reviewing the delayed police response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead in one of the worst campus attacks in U.S. history. The federal action was requested by Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said. "The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events," Coley said. Last week, state police officials outlined a damning account of law enforcement inaction in which authorities waited more than an hour before storming adjoining classrooms at Robb Elementary School to take out the 18-year-old gunman, even as children made repeated 911 calls pleading for help.

Hurricane Agatha expected to hit Mexico. Is it a threat to the US?

Agatha, the first named storm of the eastern Pacific season, is expected to make landfall along the southern coast of Mexico on Monday after becoming a "rapidly intensifying" hurricane Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said. Maximum sustained winds were near 110 mph and were expected to intensify until landfall Monday. Hurricane Agatha is the earliest first hurricane in the eastern North Pacific since 2015, Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, wrote on Twitter. The hurricane comes as federal forecasters expect yet another busy Atlantic hurricane season in 2022: As many as 10 hurricanes could form, meteorologists said last week. The Atlantic season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

Thousands of flights canceled over Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day travelers may want to double-check their plans after a chaotic start to the summer travel season over the weekend. Thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed since Friday, including 900 on Sunday morning, according to the aviation tracking website FlightAware. Friday and Saturday combined saw more than 2,800 flight cancellations. Delta Air Lines, which eliminated 9% of its flights Saturday, blamed the situation on bad weather and "air traffic control actions" and said it was trying to give customers at least 24 hours notice for cancellations. The travel industry expects huge demand this summer as coronavirus restrictions have been rolled back.

Travelers queue up move through the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Denver.
Travelers queue up move through the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Denver.

Meteor shower to dazzle the night sky

Sky watchers, get ready — a meteor shower called tau Herculids could be a spectacular show of shooting stars Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The meteor shower’s peak activity is expected at 1 a.m. ET Tuesday. It's possible the event could be a dud if the cloud of fragments misses the Earth, but Joe Rao from Space.com noted the shower has the potential to be one of the most dramatic meteor displays in over 20 years. For ideal viewing of the night sky, experts suggest moving away from city lights, allowing yourself 15 to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust and being patient. It could be worth the wait!

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Memorial Day, Uvalde shooting, meteor shower: 5 things to know Monday