Around 70 Extinction Rebellion members, including canoeist Etienne Stott and sailor Laura Baldwin, are detained after gluing themselves to a Shell oil tanker near the Marble Arch at Hyde Park in London. (BBC News)
Wednesday, April 20th, 2022
Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych says Ukraine is blocking an attempted Russian advance on Sloviansk. (Reuters)
The Pentagon announces that Ukraine has received fighter aircraft and aircraft parts to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force. The number of aircraft sent or their origin are not disclosed. Both Poland and Slovakia have previously offered Ukraine their aircraft. (Euractiv)
One person is killed and four more are injured when an IED blast hits a bus in Bursa, Marmara, Turkey. (Reuters)
At least six people have been killed and five have been injured in a bombing in north-western Antioquia, Colombia. (BBC News)
Five people are dead and seven remain trapped after a coal mine explosion in the Pniówek Coal Mine, Poland. (Reuters)
The United States signs an agreement with Panama to help stop undocumented immigration. (The Jerusalem Post)
Judge Paul Golspring of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court refers to Home Secretary Priti Patel to sign the extradition order to the United States of Julian Assange in relation to publications on his WikiLeaks website, which in 2010 and 2011 exposed human rights abuses at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp as well as during the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan. (eldiario.es)
Ukraine, allies counter Russian offensive Russian forces have taken control of their first city in eastern Ukraine — Kreminna, population 18,000 — as part of their new offensive in the Donbas region, the governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, said in a Tuesday briefing. He said the defenders “have entrenched themselves in new positions and continue to fight the Russian army.” Ukrainian officials rushed to evacuate civilians from densely populated areas in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as Russia confirmed that it had launched a new phase of its war. The U.S. and other countries rushed to get more military aid to Ukraine. Russia gave Ukraine’s last defenders in the besieged port city of Mariupol another deadline to surrender, but they vowed to keep fighting. THE GUARDIAN
Biden administration to expand access to student-loan forgiveness program The Education Department announced Tuesday that it would make it easier for millions of lower-income student-loan borrowers to get their debts forgiven by using a federal program that already exists. President Biden this month extended a pandemic-related pause in federal student loan payments until Aug. 31, but few people have been able to get their debt erased altogether. Progressive Democrats are pressuring Biden to forgive student-loan debt for more people. Under the changes announced Tuesday, about 3.6 million people, or about 10 percent of student-loan borrowers, will be able to get three years of credit toward debt forgiveness. The program lets people pay a percentage of their income for up to 25 years, then their balance is forgiven. THE NEW YORK TIMES
Independent autopsy confirms officer shot Patrick Lyoya in head Patrick Lyoya, a Black man killed by a Grand Rapids, Michigan, police officer during a traffic stop, was fatally shot in the back of the head, independent forensic pathologist Werner Spitz, who was hired by Lyoya’s family, said Tuesday. The autopsy indicated that the officer shot Lyoya, a refugee from Congo, as his gun was pressed to the unarmed 26-year-old’s head. “That is now scientific evidence of this tragic killing where his family believes was an execution,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said. Lyoya’s family is calling for charges against the officer, who has not been publicly identified. In police video, the officer can be heard telling Lyoya to take his hand off the officer’s Taser. REUTERS
Biden to again require agencies to consider projects’ climate impact The Biden administration is reinstating key pieces of a “landmark” environmental law requiring federal agencies to consider climate implications and speak with local communities before breaking ground on highways, pipelines, and other such projects, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported Tuesday. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump rolled back parts of 1970’s National Environmental Policy Act’s implementation to cut down on “mountains and mountains of bureaucratic red tape.” Under his changes, many projects were exempted from review and agencies skipped considering “indirect” climate impacts, the Post reported. Under Biden’s changes, regulators will have to consider how government actions contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and burden communities — particularly poor and minority ones subject to disproportionate pollution levels. THE NEW YORK TIMES
Uber, Lyft end mask requirement after judge’s ruling Uber and Lyft decided Tuesday to stop requiring U.S. drivers and riders to wear masks following a Monday decision by a federal judge in Florida that struck down the Biden administration’s COVID-19 face-covering mandate in planes and public transit. “Remember: Many people still feel safer wearing a mask because of personal or family health situations, so please be respectful of their preferences,” Uber said in a statement. “And if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can always cancel the trip.” Uber also said it would allow passengers to ride in the front next to the driver, lifting a requirement that they ride in the back to provide social distance and reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
DeSantis tells Florida lawmakers to consider ending Disney self-governing status Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said at a press conference on Tuesday that he was directing the state legislature to consider abolishing the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was created in 1967 and grants Disney the powers of a local government in the area around Disney World. The legislature is already in a special session to determine how Florida’s congressional districts should be redrawn and will simply add DeSantis’ new request to the agenda, according to a Florida CBS affiliate. Last month, DeSantis signaled his willingness to consider stripping Disney of “special privileges” after the entertainment company vowed to push for DeSantis’ parental rights in education law — referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — to be repealed or struck down in court. NPR
Moderna says new booster helps against coronavirus variants Moderna reported Tuesday that preliminary data suggest its updated COVID-19 booster, which adds protection against the Omicron coronavirus variant to its original vaccine, shows promise in fighting Omicron and other coronavirus variants. Moderna hopes to offer a new version of the booster in the fall. It started developing the new version before the Omicron wave, aiming to combine protection against the original coronavirus and an earlier variant known as Beta. The company said people who got the combination vaccine produced more antibodies to fight Omicron and other variants than current, approved boosters did. The extra protection was limited, but Moderna hopes to fine-tune a booster to target Omicron specifically. “These results really give us hope,” said Dr. Jacqueline Miller, a Moderna vice president. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DOJ says it will challenge ruling if CDC says mask mandate is needed The Biden administration said Tuesday it would appeal a Florida judge’s ruling voiding the federal mask requirement on airplanes and public transportation if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decides the policy is necessary to curb rising coronavirus infections. The mask mandate applied to planes, trains, and buses, as well as airports and train stations. It was scheduled to expire on May 3. The decision by the Justice Department to hold off on an appeal even though it said it disagreed with the ruling will avoid sending the matter to a higher court, where a loss could set a precedent limiting the CDC’s authority to impose similar policies in the future. The judge said the CDC had overstepped its authority and failed to justify the mandate. THE NEW YORK TIMES
School bombings target Afghanistan Shiite community Back-to-back bombings at schools in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, killed at least six people and injured at least 11 others on Tuesday. The toll was expected to rise. Witnesses said dozens of wounded victims were rushed to hospitals. The explosions hit outside the prominent Abdul Rahman Shahid school as dozens of high school students were leaving morning classes. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted Kabul’s minority Shiite Hazara community, but the blasts were similar to previous attacks. “They want us to give up hope,” Reza Alizada, 18, who was wounded as he walked out the school gate with classmates, told The Washington Post. “But I want to go back, as soon as I can walk.” THE WASHINGTON POST
Netflix shares plunge after subscriber loss Netflix shares dropped by as much as 25 percent in after-market trading on Tuesday after the streaming video company reported that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, its first quarterly subscriber loss in more than a decade. Netflix, which has 221.6 million subscribers globally, had been expected to gain 2.5 million subscribers. The company said it was forecasting a loss of another 2 million subscribers in the second quarter. Netflix’s fourth-quarter profit was $1.5 billion, down from $1.7 billion in the same period a year earlier. Revenue was up 9.8 percent to $7.8 billion. Netflix’s stock has dropped 40 percent this year on concerns about its growth. CNN
Greece seizes Russian oil tanker Greece has seized a Russian-owned oil tanker in the Aegean Sea in accordance with European Union sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Greek coast guard spokesperson said Tuesday. The 750-foot oil tanker, the Pegas, had 19 Russian crew members on board when it was hobbled by engine problems and seized on April 15. The engine problems meant it had to be towed by tugboats toward Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, where its oil was to be transferred to another vessel. It was seized after rough seas forced the crew to moor the ship off Karystos, on the southern coast of the island of Evia. Greek authorities also have frozen bank accounts and other assets of Russians in the country. BUSINESS INSIDER
Tuesday, April 19th, 2022
Russia starts eastern Ukraine offensive Russia has started its expected major offensive in eastern Ukraine with a flurry of missile attacks on cities across the country, Ukrainian officials said Monday. Russia has been massing troops and material for an anticipated offensive in the Donbas region, parts of which are controlled by pro-Russia separatists. “It can now be stated that the Russian troops have begun the battle for Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “A very large part of the entire Russian army is now focused on this offensive.” Ukrainian security officials said their forces were “holding on” in the targeted areas. THE WASHINGTON POST
Four people are killed in a Russian missile strike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (AP)
Ukraine says that Russian forces have begun an anticipated military offensive in the Donbas with explosions reported in multiple cities. (BBC News) (Reuters)
A civilian is killed and several others are injured by an explosion in Kramatorsk. (Times of Israel)
The Iron Dome intercepts a Hamas missile fired into Israel’s Southern District from the Gaza Strip. (Times of Israel)
Israel fires missiles at a Hamas weapon depot in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack. No injuries are reported. (Reuters)
At least 40 Palestinians are injured after the IDF fires tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians protesting a march held by right-wing settlers near the former settlement of Homesh. (Al Jazeera)
At least six people are killed and many others are injured by a school bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Reuters)
One person is killed and 14 others injured after police fire live bullets at protesters in Rambukkana. (BBC News)
The Russian foreign ministry expels 21 Belgian diplomats, 15 Dutch diplomats and 4 Austrian diplomats as a reciprocal measure. (The Moscow Times)
Greece seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker Pegas/Lana off the island of Euboea as part of European Union economic sanctions on Russia. The ship had 19 crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Shipping. (Reuters)
Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi warns Israel that Iran will respond to any hostile action taken against it. (DW)
The foreign ministers of the People’s Republic of China and Solomon Islands sign a security pact. (Al Jazeera)
Jeune Afrique reveals that on 12 April the defence ministers of Russia and Cameroon signed a new military cooperation agreement, renewing a similar agreement signed in 2015. (Jeune Afrique)
The East Timorese people head to the polls for the second round of the presidential election between José Ramos-Horta and incumbent Francisco Guterres. (The Guardian)
The United States says it will ban anti-satellite missile tests. (BBC News)
Judge voids CDC public-transport mask mandate A federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s national mask mandate for planes and public transportation. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled that the CDC had overstepped its authority and failed to properly justify the policy. The mandate had been scheduled to expire on April 18, but the CDC extended it until May 3 to allow time to study the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2, which is spreading quickly in parts of the country. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the ruling was “disappointing.” The Transportation Security Administration stopped enforcing the mandate, but the Biden administration still recommends that travelers wear masks. CNN
Feds won’t charge against ex-officer over Laquan McDonald shooting Federal prosecutors announced Monday they would not file civil-rights charges against former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke for the 2014 fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager. Van Dyke served about three years in prison after being convicted on state second-degree murder charges for shooting the 17-year-old McDonald. Federal law requirements for proving civil-rights violations in such cases are “more stringent than the state charges on which Mr. Van Dyke was convicted,” a statement released Monday by U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s office said. Federal prosecutors would have to prove that Van Dyke did not act as “the result of mistake, fear, negligence, or bad judgment,” the statement said. Prosecutors made their decision after consulting with McDonald’s family, the statement said. CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Philadelphia reinstates mask mandate The city of Philadelphia started enforcing its new indoor mask mandate on Monday, making it the first major city in the country to reinstate a local face-covering requirement this spring due to rising coronavirus infections. The policy requires people to wear masks in all indoor public places. Businesses can require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for workers and customers instead. Some public health advocates said the move was wise given the spread of the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2. A business group sued on Saturday hoping to block the mandate. Bistro owner Shane Dodd told The New York Times he feared losing business to suburban restaurants not subject to the requirement. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
DeSantis defends Florida’s rejection of math textbooks Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Monday defended the state Department of Education’s rejection of 41 percent of 132 public-school K-12 math textbooks, saying they wasted space on “social and emotional learning” that diluted the essential subject matter. “Math is about getting the right answer,” he said. “It’s not about how you feel about the problem.” The state education department said some of the books discussed prohibited topics, including critical race theory. Democrats accused DeSantis of making muddy and dishonest allegations about school material to score points with conservative voters. “#DeSantis turned our classrooms into political battlefields and put kids in the crossfire to advance his presidential ambitions,” State House Rep. Carlos Smith (D) tweeted. NPR
Biden calls for using U.S. materials in infrastructure projects The Biden administration issued a new guidance on Monday requiring all projects, including bridges, highways, and internet networks, funded through the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package to use U.S.-sourced steel and other materials. The policy includes a process to waive the requirement if there is not enough domestic material, or if it is too expensive to get the job done. “There are going to be additional opportunities for good jobs in the manufacturing sector,” said Celeste Drake, director of Made in America at the White House Office of Management and Budget. President Biden reportedly hopes that increased domestic production will reduce price pressures to counter Republican arguments that the infrastructure package has driven up inflation. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Infowars files for bankruptcy Conspiracy website InfoWars has filed for bankruptcy as the company and its founder and host, Alex Jones, brace for massive penalties in defamation cases. Jones was sued by relatives of people killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting after he repeatedly called the massacre, in which 20 children and six educators died, a hoax. InfoWars, which described itself in filings to the Texas court as a “conspiracy-oriented website and media company,” said it had less than $50,000 in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities. Courts in Connecticut and Texas have found Jones liable in the defamation cases but damages remain to be determined. NPR
Hip hop pioneer DJ Kay Slay dies of COVID at age 55 Hip hop pioneer Keith Grayson, who performed as DJ Kay Slay, has died at age 55 from COVID-19 complications, his family confirmed in a statement released through New York radio station HOT 97, where he hosted The Drama Hour for more than two decades. Grayson became immersed in New York City’s early hip hop scene when he was growing up in Harlem. He started out as a graffiti artist in his teens and started selling bootleg mixtapes on street corners in the early 1990s. He released his first studio album, The Streetsweeper, Vol. 1, in 2003, and worked with numerous artists, including Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Jadakiss, and Busta Rhymes, on other albums. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mac Miller drug dealer sentenced to over a decade in prison A man charged in connection with rapper Mac Miller’s overdose death has been sentenced to more than a decade behind bars, Rolling Stone reported Monday. Thirty-nine-year-old Ryan Michael Reavis received a prison sentence of 10 years and 11 months on Monday, over three years after Miller’s death, Rolling Stone reported. Prosecutors were seeking over 12 years, while Reavis asked for five. Reavis pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl last November. Prosecutors said he distributed fentanyl-laced pills to Cameron James Pettit, who then distributed the drugs to Miller two days before his fatal overdose in September 2018. Officials determined that Miller “died from mixed drug toxicity,” including cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol. He was 26. ROLLING STONE
Kenyan runners sweep Boston Marathon Kenyan runners swept the top spots at the Boston Marathon on Monday as the world’s oldest annual marathon returned to its traditional Patriots’ Day spot for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020. Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, 28, won the women’s division after trading the lead eight times with Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia in the final mile, and finished in 2:21:01. Evans Chebet, 33, broke away from the pack with four miles to go to win the men’s race in 2:06:51 in his first major marathon victory. Daniel Romanchuk of Champaign, Illinois, won the men’s wheelchair title for the second time, and Manuela Schar of Switzerland took her fourth women’s title, and second in a row. THE WASHINGTON POST
Biden calls for using U.S. materials in infrastructure projects The Biden administration issued a new guidance on Monday requiring all projects, including bridges, highways, and internet networks, funded through the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package to use U.S.-sourced steel and other materials. The policy includes a process to waive the requirement if there is not enough domestic material, or if it is too expensive, to get the job done. “There are going to be additional opportunities for good jobs in the manufacturing sector,” said Celeste Drake, director of Made in America at the White House Office of Management and Budget. President Biden reportedly hopes that increased domestic production will reduce price pressures to counter Republican arguments that the infrastructure package has driven up prices. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TSA stops enforcing mask mandate for travelers after judge’s ruling The Transportation Security Administration said Monday it would stop enforcing the federal mask mandate on public transportation after a federal judge in Florida ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its authority. The CDC still recommends that travelers wear masks on planes and on public trains and buses. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2020, said the CDC did not adequately explain the reasons for its mandate. Critics of the policy, which had been scheduled to expire on April 18 before the Biden administration extended it into May, argued it made no sense to keep requiring masks in public transit when they aren’t mandatory in other public spaces. CNBC
Infowars files for bankruptcy Conspiracy website InfoWars has filed for bankruptcy as the company and its founder and host, Alex Jones, brace for massive penalties in defamation cases. Jones was sued by relatives of people killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting after he repeatedly called the massacre, in which 20 children and six educators died, a hoax. InfoWars, which described itself in filings to the Texas court as a “conspiracy-oriented website and media company,” said it had less than $50,000 in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities. Courts in Connecticut and Texas have found Jones liable in the defamation cases but damages remain to be determined. NPR
Judge orders Amazon to reinstate worker fired after protest A judge ruled Monday that Amazon must reinstate a former warehouse employee fired early in the pandemic after he led a protest calling for the online retail giant to increase worker protections against coronavirus infection. Gerald Bryson, who worked at an Amazon warehouse in New York City’s Staten Island borough, filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing Amazon of retaliation. Bryson led the April 2020 protest after participating in another demonstration led by Chris Smalls, another warehouse employee who was fired and now heads the Amazon Labor Union, which won an election this month to unionize the facility. Amazon said it “strongly” disagrees with the ruling, and that Bryson was fired for cursing a co-worker. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Is Drake teasing a collaboration with Taylor Swift? Is 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (Feat. Drake) (From the Vault) (Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire) on the way? Drake has sparked speculation he could be collaborating with Taylor Swift after posting a photo of himself with her on Instagram. The picture, which showed Drake with his arm around Swift and didn’t appear to be recent, was shared along with four other photos and the caption, “They too soft to understand the meaning of hard work.” Swifties will recall she mentioned Drake in her song “I Forgot That You Existed,” which includes the lyric, “I couldn’t get away from ya, in my feelings more than Drake, so yeah.” But on the Taylor Swift fan subreddit, not all Swifties seemed pumped about a possible team up, with one fan accusing her of “choosing to associate with sketchy people” and another describing their feelings using the barf emoji. If they do end uap putting out a song together, these Swifties can feel free to forget that it existed. TMZ
Kaley Cuoco ‘got b—h slapped’ by Sharon Stone 3 times Kaley Cuoco got slapped by Sharon Stone, and this time, it wasn’t because of a G.I. Jane joke. Stone plays Cuoco’s mom on the new season of The Flight Attendant, and Cuoco chatted with Jimmy Kimmel about working with her on a “very emotional” scene. At the end of it, Stone surprised Cuoco by going off script and slapping her in the face for real. “I said, ‘That was incredible!’” Cuoco said. “‘I just got b—h slapped by Sharon Stone.’” But this wouldn’t be the last time. They did two more takes, and while Cuoco assumed Stone wouldn’t slap her again since they got it the first time, she was very wrong. “Three times I got slapped!” Cuoco said — even though by the third take, “[the camera] wasn’t even on me.” Thankfully, Cuoco was cool with it, so this is one star-studded slap we don’t need to spend the next month sharing hot takes about. E! NEWS
Johnny Depp takes the stand in Amber Heard defamation trial Johnny Depp is once again denying Amber Heard’s domestic abuse allegations, this time on the stand as part of his lawsuit against her. The actor testified Tuesday in his defamation case against Heard, calling her claims that he abused her “heinous” and saying they came as a “complete shock.” He denied ever hitting Heard, saying he’s never “struck any woman in my life,” and he said her allegations have turned him from “Cinderella” into “Quasimodo.” From there, the testimony went surprisingly in-depth for over an hour reviewing Depp’s career highlights, for some reason — and at one point, he told the court he’s never actually seen the original Pirates of the Caribbean. “I’m obsessed with the truth,” Depp claimed. A judge in the U.K. previously ruled that a tabloid’s description of him as a “wife beater” was “substantially true.” DEADLINE
Monday, April 18th, 2022
Russian troops capture the city of Kreminna in Luhansk Oblast. Local authorities say that four refugees have been shot dead trying to escape the city. (Reuters)
The Russian defence ministry says that its forces have destroyed 16 Ukrainian military facilities, including five command posts, a fuel depot and three ammunition warehouses in “mass strikes” overnight. Russia also says that it shot down two Ukrainian MiG-29s and one Su-25. (Reuters)
Turkey launches a series of airstrikes on PKK targets in Duhok Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. (Reuters)
Two Palestinians are seriously injured after being shot by Israeli security forces in the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces say that the Palestinians were attacking Israeli troops. (Times of Israel)
Scotland lifts their law mandating face coverings in shops, restaurants and public transport. (BBC News)
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of the Middle District of Florida voids the Biden administration‘s mask mandate on airplanes and public transportation. Most U.S. airlines including Alaska Airlines and United Airlines subsequently end their mask mandates due to the ruling. (Bloomberg)
South Korea ends their COVID-19 restrictions two years after they were imposed. However, the mask mandate will remain in place. (Yonhap)
Igor Kastyukevich is appointed the de facto mayor of Kherson, the only Ukrainian Oblast capital captured during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Euromaidan Press)
United States officials plan to travel to Solomon Islands due to concerns that the country is making a security pact with China. The U.S. fears the proposed agreement could lead to Chinese troops being deployed to Solomon Islands. (Reuters)
The Houthi movement signs an agreement to stop using child soldiers. (AP)
Below posted
Monday, April 18th, 2022
Marathon Monday
Rivian CEO warns of looming EV battery supply crunch Rivian Automotive CEO RJ Scaringe is warning that a looming electric-vehicle-battery shortage could soon cause a bigger challenge for EV-makers than the ongoing computer-chip shortage plaguing all car companies. Automakers are racing to stock up on limited supplies of crucial battery materials, including cobalt, lithium, and nickel as they build battery plants so they can crank out more EVs. “Put very simply, all the world’s cell production combined represents well under 10 percent of what we will need in 10 years,” Scaringe told reporters last week during a tour of the company’s plant in Normal, Illinois, according to The Wall Street Journal. “Semiconductors are a small appetizer to what we are about to feel on battery cells over the next two decades.” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Russian missiles hit Ukrainian cities Russian missiles struck Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine, on Monday, killing at least six people as Russia continued to expand its attacks on major cities across the country. Strikes in Kharkiv injured four workers for the humanitarian group World Central Kitchen. Ukrainian forces braced for an all-out assault in the east. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, vowed that the last several thousand Ukrainian fighters holding out in a steel plant in the port city of Mariupol would “fight absolutely to the end” after rejecting Russia’s call to surrender or be “exterminated.” The fall of Mariupol, which is largely in ruins after a brutal siege, would give Russia its biggest victory since invading on Feb. 24. THE WASHINGTON POST
China economic reports show cost of outbreak China reported Monday that its economy expanded 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2022. The figure was slightly better than expected, but most of the growth came in January and February before the country’s worst COVID-19 outbreak yet forced mass quarantines and lockdowns that have shut down key industrial centers. Retail sales fell 3.5 percent in March compared to a year earlier, China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported Monday. Factory output expanded by 5 percent in March, slower than the rate in the first two months of the year, adding to evidence of the impact of China’s zero-COVID policy on the world’s second-largest economy. THE NEW YORK TIMES
Saudi Arabia pushed out Yemen’s president Saudi Arabia pressured Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi into stepping down recently and has kept him mostly incommunicado in his home since then, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing Saudi and Yemeni officials. Hadi handed power to a council representing various Yemeni groups on April 7, the Journal reported. The moves were part of a Saudi effort to end Yemen’s seven-year war with Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The fighting has caused a dire humanitarian crisis and stoked tensions between Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition battling the rebels, and the United States. Saudi Arabia’s day-to-day leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told Hadi that Yemeni leaders had agreed he should delegate his powers to the council. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Tax Day is here and millions are still rushing to file Tax Day arrived Monday, with millions of Americans still struggling to get their income tax returns filed. As of April 8, the Internal Revenue Service had received more than 103 million returns and issued refunds totaling $204 billion to more than 63 million taxpayers. Last year, more than 169 million people filed returns, meaning that at that point 40 percent or so still had yet to file. Those rushing to meet the deadline are “better off filing an extension,” said Nina Tross at the National Society of Tax Professionals. It has “zero effect” as long as you don’t owe the IRS any money. The IRS is under pressure, too, as it contends with its biggest backlog in history. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COVID adviser: Those over 60 should get 2nd booster People over age 60 should get a second COVID-19 booster shot, Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the new White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said Sunday. Jha said on Fox News Sunday that there was “pretty compelling” new data from Israel indicating that getting a fourth dose of a coronavirus vaccine significantly reduces the risk of infection and death in older people. The Food and Drug Administration in late March authorized second boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines for Americans 50 and up. The FDA said the authorization was meant to help older people restore waning immunity as the highly contagious BA.2 Omicron subvariant spreads rapidly in some parts of the United States. THE NEW YORK TIMES
3 mass shootings leave 2 dead, dozens injured Three separate mass shootings — one in Pennsylvania and two in South Carolina — left two dead and more than 30 injured over Easter weekend. Two young men were killed and at least nine other people were injured in Pittsburgh early Sunday in a shooting during a party at an Airbnb short-term rental property. In South Carolina, nine people were injured in a shooting at a Hampton County nightclub. Fourteen were hurt — nine by gunfire and five in a stampede of shoppers seeking safety — in a shooting at a busy Columbia, South Carolina, mall. A judge on Sunday ordered suspect Jewayne Price, to be placed under house arrest. Police said at least two people fired shots in the mall. THE ASSOCIATED PRESSUSA TODAY
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ has weakest opening of Harry Potter franchise Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore brought in $43 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, the lowest debut for a movie in the franchise. The previous low point for the franchise was The Secrets of Dumbledore‘s predecessor, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which opened with $62 million in 2018. That film also had the worst reviews yet for a movie set in the Wizarding World created by author J.K. Rowling. Since then, Fantastic Beasts has faced a string of controversies: Johnny Depp was asked to step down over allegations of domestic abuse; series star Ezra Miller was arrested for disorderly conduct shortly before The Secrets of Dumbledore‘s premiere; and, Rowling has faced criticism over her tweets about transgender people. DEADLINE
The End
artificial stupid 