1. Broken hearts
The ability to own guns is a fundamental right in the United States.
Young people could quickly buy a rapid-fire gun there on the way from the basketball court to the pizza shop.
They could then use it to enter a school and open fire on the defenseless.
The crazy thing is: They do it too.
The latest crime scene is an elementary school in Uvalde, a town in quiet west Texas with a population of around 25,000, almost three quarters of whom are Latinos.
"The scenes have long been familiar to you, like a horror film that you've seen far too often," writes my colleague, our New York correspondent Marc Pitzke.
“Nevertheless, they're flickering across the screens again.
fleeing victims.
crying families.
Cops at the horrible forensics.”
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Grief and shock: relatives in Uvalde
Photo: Marco Bello / REUTERS
The bloody deed shocked, but hardly surprised.
"In the land of politically tolerated massacres," writes Marc, even young schoolchildren are no longer safe.
Ten years ago there was a primary school massacre in Sandy Hook that killed 20 children and six adults.
The current President, Joe Biden, was Barack Obama's Vice President at the time.
Even then, his fight for a tightening of gun laws was unsuccessful: A nationwide ban on assault rifles failed, also thanks to the resistance of Texas Republicans.
Since then, Biden said there have been more than 900 gun incidents in schools.
"Why?" he asked today in his very emotional speech.
“Why are we willing to live with this slaughter?
When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” America seems to have reconciled itself to the recurring orgies of violence.
It is an unprecedented civilizational failure.
Before the outbreak of the corona pandemic, I lived and worked in Denver, Colorado for two months on a scholarship.
My son, who was four at the time, went to a local kindergarten.
I still remember being stunned when I signed the supplementary agreement to the childcare contract, which – to put it bluntly – stated that I would not make any claims for damages against the kindergarten if my boy fell victim to a gunman during the regular childcare period.
What a degenerate society in which even small children in schools and day-care centers have to train how to behave when a shooter approaches instead of fire drills.
"I pray for the children, for the dead adults and for their families," Pope Francis said today.
His heart was broken.
Hopefully the children's families will find solace in his words.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz tweeted, among other things: "Our thoughts are with the injured and the survivors of the victims of this incredible massacre, for which words can hardly be found."
Basketball coach Steve Kerr found the best words so far.
At a press conference on Tuesday, he sounded angry and desperate.
Kerr, an American basketball legend and coach of the Golden State Warriors, didn't want to talk about sports.
“In the last ten days, elderly black people have been shot dead in a Buffalo supermarket.
Asian churchgoers were killed in South Carolina,” he listed.
'And now we have murdered children in a school.
when do we do something
I am tired.
I'm so exhausted coming up here and condoling to the devastated families.
I'm so exhausted from... Sorry!
I'm tired of the minutes of silence.
Enough!"
He's so right.
Read more here: When death came to Uvalde
2. War fatigue
Did you notice that in yesterday's "Evening situation" there was no war in Ukraine?
How I would like to be able to announce that Russia has stopped attacking, that there is a ceasefire or that peace negotiations are currently underway.
This is unfortunately not the case.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today warned of "war fatigue" in the western states.
"We have reached a moment of fatigue," said the Greens politician in Kristiansand after the conclusion of the Baltic Sea Council.
Sanctions against Russia and aid to Ukraine must be maintained.
Growing skepticism is also linked to the fact that the Russian war of aggression is leading to higher energy and food prices.
But this is precisely the tactic used by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
That's why it's so important to keep supporting Ukraine.
(Read the news blog on the Ukraine crisis here).
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Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet in a video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping
Photo: IMAGO/Yue Yuewei/ IMAGO/Xinhua
The fact that the bad news from Kyiv, Mariupol or Zaporizhia, which was hit by Russian rockets in the night, does not dominate the media as usual is also due to the fact that there is just as bad news elsewhere, but the news value is greater.
The best example is the revelations about the oppression of the Uyghurs in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.
Today the UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, who is currently on a multi-day trip to China, made a video call to President Xi Jinping, who defended the human rights situation in his country.
"Deviating from reality and copying the institutional model of other states not only fits badly with local conditions, but also brings disastrous consequences," the Xinhua news agency quoted the Chinese head of state as saying.
Did he mean the shooting of elementary school students with disastrous consequences, for example, should China import American democracy and basic American rights?
More background and news on the war against Ukraine can be found here:
The EU has so far frozen 10 billion euros in oligarch capital.
Now a dispute breaks out as to whether the assets can flow to Ukraine as compensation.
On their doorstep, Putin and NATO could suddenly come very close:
the border is closed, tourists from Russia stay away, the gas tap is closed.
What do the people in eastern Finland say about the planned NATO membership?
»Russia will always find buyers for its energy«:
maximum price, tariff or embargo?
EU adviser Daniel Gros considers the previous energy sanctions against Putin to be ineffective.
He is critical of Economics Minister Habeck's proposal for a cap on oil prices.
All current developments in the News-Bog.
3. Addicted to work
It is difficult to say whether the following news is good or bad.
Companies could be happy about that.
Their staff probably not.
Every tenth employee in Germany is workaholic.
This is according to a study funded by the union-affiliated Hans Böckler Foundation.
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According to the study, employees in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and horticulture in particular are considered "workaholics".
Photo: Ute Grabowsky / Photothek / Getty Images
Researchers from the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) evaluated representative data from 8010 employees from 2017 and 2018.
They come to the conclusion that managers in particular tend to work excessively above average.
How do you know if you're a workaholic?
According to my colleague Franka Quecke, addiction to work is based primarily on two conditions:
Employed people work excessively, i.e. they work long hours, work quickly and do different tasks at the same time.
They behave in a "driven" manner: they work hard even when it's not fun, they only take time off with a bad conscience, and they can't switch off and relax after work.
When workaholic employees are not working, they experience certain “withdrawal symptoms”.
By the way, tomorrow is a public holiday in Germany.
If you can't resist constantly checking your work emails that day, you should probably take Friday off spontaneously and not prepare the team meeting for Monday at the weekend either.
Addiction to work can lead to burnout, cause pain or even end in a heart attack.
In the new professional world, many slave away.
Modern technology is supposed to make day-to-day work easier, but it often has the opposite effect.
The SPIEGEL cover story tells you how you can do it better: Work until you drop?
There's another way.
(Would you like to receive the "Situation in the evening" conveniently by e-mail in your inbox? Here you can order the daily briefing as a newsletter.)
What else is important today
Federal Constitutional Court demands relief for large families:
The contribution rates for statutory long-term care insurance must be changed after a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court.
Parents should be relieved according to the specific number of their children.
Frankfurt Mayor Feldmann rejects resignation: Frankfurt Mayor
Peter Feldmann is accused of accepting benefits.
Most recently, his appearances as part of Eintracht's European Cup triumph caused outrage.
But he does not want to give up his position.
Harsh criticism of Johnson's political leadership in "Partygate" report: Top
official Sue Gray has handed over her investigative report on the "Partygate affair".
The report is also extremely embarrassing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson because of new photos.
He asked for understanding for his employees.
Nationwide problems when paying by card:
Sometimes it is an advantage to have enough cash with you in addition to your Girocard or credit card: There are currently problems at certain card payment terminals across the country.
What we recommend at SPIEGEL+ today
How Fynn Kliemann tried to save his business:
After dubious mask deals, Fynn Kliemann's career is in ruins.
New documents, e-mails, WhatsApp messages show how he wanted to avert damage from himself - and how he lost control as an entrepreneur.
The election lie is no longer effective:
in a Republican primary in Georgia, the base opposes the ex-president and nominates his opponent Brian Kemp for the governorship.
The result gives hope to Trump critics in the party.
No cuddling:
can pets also transmit monkeypox?
Experts urge prudence, but there is reason to be vigilant.
This applies to rodents and possibly also to Germany's most popular companions.
Which is less important today
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Herbert Grönemeyer (2019): No live performances for the time being
Photo: Ben Kriemann / POP-EYE / IMAGO
Everything stays different: Herbert Grönemeyer,
66, has Corona – and unfortunately has to cancel his anniversary tour “20 Years of Man”.
Eight performances were planned.
The start should take place on Thursday in Hanover.
"Unfortunately, the virus has unfortunately also infected employees, band members and Herbert," it said.
The performances in Hanover, Gelsenkirchen, Berlin, Leipzig, Hamburg and Munich will be canceled without replacement.
Purchased tickets can be returned at the pre-sale points.
"Despite all precautionary measures, we were not spared from the virus," said the statement from the artist management.
Everyone is deeply disappointed, Grönemeyer and his crew are doing “according to the situation, a mixture of sadness, anger and virus.”
Typo of the day
, now corrected: »Orbán has been accused for years of governing Hungary autocratically and using unfair means to hold on to the elections.«
Cartoon of the day:
Crisis as an opportunity
And tonight?
Ricky Gervais created The Office series.
He is a master at discovering the absurd in everyday life and has perfected the joke without punch lines.
Unfortunately, my colleague Arno Frank thinks his new Netflix special »SuperNature« isn't particularly successful.
"Laughter under the height of time" is the title of Arno's text.
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Ricky Gervais: Prefers to watch colleague Louis CK masturbate
Photo: Netflix
So I recommend a pasta dish with lots of cheese and plenty of pepper to get your strength back or to get some good thoughts tonight.
In his column "Cooking without charcoal", my colleague Sebastian Maas serves pasta cacio e pepe for only 1.80 euros per portion.
Tomorrow there will be no situation in the evening due to the holiday, which will hopefully be more celebrated than today.
I look forward to seeing you again on Friday.
A lovely evening.
Cordially,
your Anna Clauss
Here you can order the »Situation in the Evening« by e-mail.
