‘They’re gone and dead’

Nine members of a family were killed in an ambush by armed men in the Sonora mountains of Mexico.
Nine members of a family were killed in an ambush by armed men in the Sonora mountains of Mexico.

Voice messages give a harrowing account of the Mexico ambush. Donald Trump Jr. spars with Joy Behar. And Antonio Brown is (expletive) over the NFL.

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Messages paint a picture of agony and outrage after Mexico ambush

In a series of WhatsApp messages, relatives of the nine family members slain in an ambush in Mexico reacted with heartbreak and heroism as they discovered what happened. The conversation unfolded in a sequence of harrowing voice messages that were shared, cellphone to cellphone, on Monday after three mothers and six children were killed. The clips are extremely difficult to listen to. One voice message reveals what relatives discovered after gunmen attacked the convoy of travelers: "It’s on fire on the mountain with bullets all through it. We don’t know anything. People are hiding in the bushes. Pray mightily for my family.” Then a woman, her voice breaking and inconsolable: “Nita, the four kids, they’re gone and dead.”

Family members and friends console each other while they attend the funeral for Dawna Ray Langford and her two children Trevor, 11, and Rogan, 2, on Nov. 7, 2019. They were ambushed by gunmen in Sonora, Mexico.
Family members and friends console each other while they attend the funeral for Dawna Ray Langford and her two children Trevor, 11, and Rogan, 2, on Nov. 7, 2019. They were ambushed by gunmen in Sonora, Mexico.

Donald Trump Jr. vs. ‘The View’

There was a verbal spar on "The View" Thursday and Donald Trump Jr. sure didn't hold back. The president's son faced the co-hosts and discussed some pretty controversial topics (admit it, you’re here for this drama). The beef began when co-host Joy Behar began listing some of President Donald Trump's headline-making scandals. "(Trump) called some Mexicans rapists, he attacked the handicapped, he bragged about it," she said. Trump Jr. didn't take long to hit back. "We've all done things that we regret, I mean, if we're talking about bringing a discourse down, Joy, you've worn blackface," he clapped back. "No, I have not," Behar retorted. More drama ensued, and Trump's team took the squabble to Twitter, posting a side-by-side photo of the image of Behar that Trump Jr. mentioned.

What everyone’s talking about

Antonio Brown says he'll 'never play' in the NFL again

Antonio Brown had gone some time without speaking out against the NFL on social media. That changed Thursday. Brown, in separate Instagram and Twitter posts, disparaged the league and nixed the idea of any potential return. "(Expletive) @nfl I'm going down another path no more making money off my blood and sweat!" he wrote on Instagram. Brown's message on Twitter was similar: "Making money off my sweat and blood (expletive) the @nfl I'll never play in that (expletive) treat black people the worse! Clear my name and go (expletive) yourself." The league is investigating allegations of sexual assault against the four-time all-pro.

No more "sweat and blood," but Antonio Brown has plenty of bile left over for the NFL.
No more "sweat and blood," but Antonio Brown has plenty of bile left over for the NFL.

There's a new strain of HIV

A new HIV strain was detected for the first time in nearly two decades, a group of researchers announced in a study published Wednesday. It’s the first strain identified since guidelines of classifying HIV strains were developed in 2000. Interested in the science-y specifics? There are two main types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Within HIV-1, there are multiple strains. Group M is the strain that led in the global HIV epidemic. The new strain has been classified as subtype L in HIV-1 Group M. Forms of this new strain of the HIV virus could be circulating but are unclassified as of now.

Real quick

How did Zantac become a potential cancer risk?

The stomach-acid-blocking drug Zantac was prescribed more than 15 million times a year with little worry about the safety of the medication, available for decades. But it's been harder to get since September, when the FDA said testing showed versions of Zantac and its generic, ranitidine, contained a probable carcinogen. How did a drug routinely used by millions and available with or without a prescription become a potential cancer risk? Early studies show potential signs.

A break from the news

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mexico ambush, Donald Trump Jr., Antonio Brown, HIV: Thursday's news