promoearn: 'Nasty lies'

Tuesday, June 21

Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, becomes emotional as she testifies before the committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol on June 21, 2022. Left is Ruby Freeman, Moss' mother.

How an election worker became a target.

COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 are finally here. But not all parents are jumping in line. And a giant sunspot is pointed toward Earth – but there's no need to panic.

👋 It's Laura Davis. It's Tuesday. Let's talk news, shall we?

🐩 But first, paws for a minute and check out these very fancy, very cool pups of all shapes and sizes: The best photos from the 146th Westminster Dog Show. You're welcome.

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🌤 It's the first day of summer! It's also the longest day of the year. Learn more about the summer solstice here, and check your local forecast here.

Jan. 6 hearings continue with emotional testimony from election workers

Tuesday's House hearings on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack focused on the pressure former President Donald Trump applied to state officials to overturn 2020 election results, including Trump's infamous call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Shaye Moss, an election worker from Fulton County, Georgia, testified about how she "became the target of nasty lies spread by President Trump and his allies" in the months after the 2020 election, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in the hearing. On Facebook, she received threats, including racist ones. "A lot of them are just hateful," she said. Her mother, Ruby Freeman, is a former election worker and business owner known to the community as Lady Ruby. She also received threats, and even left her home for two months on the FBI's advice. "Do you know how it feels to have the president of the United States target you?" she asked. "There is nowhere I feel safe. Nowhere."

•	Also on Tuesday: The committee learned through testimony that fake Michigan Republican electors planned to hide overnight in the Michigan Capitol so they could cast their votes in the statehouse chambers the next day.

Next session: The Jan. 6 committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. Thursday for its fifth hearing. Did you miss Day 4? Fake electors, Trump pressuring state leaders and more. Catch up here.

•	Takeaways: Threats, fraud claims, Trump camp slammed elector plan.
•	Is the Jan. 6 committee sitting on explosive evidence of Trump's role in the Capitol assault?

Parents taking 'wait and see' approach for kids' COVID-19 vaccines

Tuesday was the first day COVID-19 vaccines were available to children under 5. But not all parents are jumping in line. In polling data from April, 18% of parents said they would vaccinate their young child right away, while 27% said they definitely wouldn't and 38% said they'd wait and see. And some parents say the trials conducted among young children were too small to satisfy their safety concerns, said Grant Paulsen, an infectious disease pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Keep reading for more.

Leo Simon, 2, covers his eyes as registered nurse Reisa Lancaster administers a dose of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Children's National Hospital's research campus June 21 in Washington. Holding Leo is his mother, Brittany Head.

Patrick Semansky/AP

What everyone's talking about

•	👯‍♀️ Beyoncé hits the dance floor with new song, 'Break My Soul.'
•	Stephen Colbert talks 'Late Show' staffers arrest, slams Fox News.
•	Surge in small-town Prides helps LGBTQ folks find home. Is it enough?
•	Save with a shared Uber: Select cities now offering shared rides.
•	Elon Musk's child seeks name change to reflect gender identity, cut ties with father.

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Deshaun Watson settles 20 of 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has reached a confidential settlement with all but four of the 24 women who sued him and accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions, the women's attorney said Tuesday. The settlements end the women's litigation against him nearly 15 months after most were filed in 2021. Watson's attorney had said the women were lying and that Watson was seen as a "payday" after the women accused him of improper behavior, including exposing himself, causing his genitals to touch them and in some cases coercing sex. Read more.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson runs a play during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports

Could more lives have been saved?

Multiple police officers stood in a school hallway armed with rifles and at least one ballistic shield within 19 minutes of a gunman arriving at the Robb Elementary School campus in Uvalde, Texas, according to documents reviewed by the Austin American-Statesman, further raising questions whether more lives could have been saved during the deadly attack. Even as officers with high-powered weapons and ballistic shields massed inside the school, the gunman could be heard firing rounds, the documents show. Investigators say the latest information indicates officers had more than enough firepower and protection to take down the gunman long before they finally did. The massacre killed 19 children and two teachers. Much of the new information is expected to be presented at a Texas Senate hearing Tuesday, the first of two days of hearings that give members of the public an opportunity to address lawmakers. Keep reading for more from the documents.

•	74 minutes, 8 seconds: Inside the police response to the Uvalde shooting.
•	School shooter drills can have traumatic consequences. But do they work?

A memorial in the town square of Uvalde, Texas, for those killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.

Jack Gruber/USA TODAY

Real quick

•	Americans captured in Ukraine could face death penalty, Russia says.
•	Tampa Bay Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski announces retirement from NFL.
•	American Airlines ending service to 4 cities, citing pilot shortage.
•	Child stabbed in chest by catfish barb flown to Florida hospital.
•	La. governor signs abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest.
•	Colorado teen expressed concerns about co-worker before she was found dead in break room.

🤗 By the way, did you know I text The Short List daily? Yep, you can get the latest headlines right on your phone. Subscribe here!

Giant sunspot getting bigger

"No need to panic," scientists said, which for some reason, makes me want to panic even more. Here's the deal: A sunspot with the potential to cause solar flares captured the internet's attention Tuesday. But experts said the it is far from unusual, and eased concerns of how any potential flares would affect us. Active Region 3038, or AR3038, has been growing over the past week, said Robert Steenburgh, acting lead of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Forecast Office. The sunspot's size and growth rate are normal, he said. "This is what sunspots do," he said. "Over time, generally, they'll grow. They go through stages and then they decay." Okay, I'm convinced. No need to panic. Keep reading to learn more about sunspots.

•	What is a solar flare? The astronomical phenomenon, explained.

A sunspot, dubbed Active Region 3038 or AR3038, has the potential to cause solar flares.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Forecast Office

A break from the news

•	🏳️‍🌈 43 brands that are giving back for Pride Month 2022.
•	📚 How many have you read? Bestselling books of the past 10 summers.
•	🤷‍♀️ Advice: I feel like a single parent. How can I get my partner to help around the house?

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