Wednesday, May 4th, 2022 

Russia avoids default on the dollar-denominated bonds that were due in April by sending dollars to foreign investors just before the grace period expired. (Bloomberg) 

President Vladimir Putin signs a decree that will allow the Russian government to terminate any business and exports with entities and people that it deems “unfriendly”. (Reuters) 

E.U. proposes embargo on Russian oil European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed banning imports of Russian crude oil over six months in what could be the European Union’s costliest measure yet to punish Russia for invading Ukraine. The plan also calls for halting purchases of refined oil products by the end of the year. Slovakia and Hungary said Tuesday they would not back an E.U. embargo. The two countries said they were too dependent on Russian oil and natural gas, and would not be able to replace the lost supply. The trading bloc’s 27 members are expected to start discussing the embargo, part of a sixth E.U. sanctions package, on Wednesday. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

The United Nations says that 127 people have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal plant and nearby areas. (PBS News) 

Russian troops storm besieged Mariupol steel mill Russian forces started storming a Mariupol steel plant complex where the last Ukrainian defenders of the port city have been holding out for weeks. The assault came as more than 150 civilians who had been trapped in bunkers under the heavily bombed plant reached safety after a weekend evacuation effort. The civilians, including elderly people and at least 17 children, reached territory controlled by Ukraine. “You can’t imagine how scary it is when you sit in the shelter, in a wet and damp basement which is bouncing, shaking,” 54-year-old Elina Tsybulchenko said after the convoy of buses and ambulances carrying her and other evacuated civilians arrived in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, 140 miles northwest of Mariupol. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Ten people are killed after projectiles hit a coking plant in Avdiivka. (Reuters) 

Chief justice confirms leaked draft opinion is authentic Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday confirmed that a leaked draft opinion indicating the court was poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is authentic, but he said it doesn’t necessarily represent the case’s resolution. Roberts vowed to investigate the leak of the draft, written by Justice Samuel Alito and published by Politico, and condemned it as a “singular and egregious breach” of trust. Alito’s opinion, marked as a first draft, said the court’s conservative majority had determined that Roe, which established the constitutional right to abortion nationwide, was “egregiously wrong and deeply damaging.” Alito wrote that the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision, which limited abortion rights without eliminating them, prolonged the court’s error. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

The U.S. Supreme Court confirms the authenticity of the draft opinion indicating that the court would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Chief Justice John Roberts condemns the leak and says that an investigation into the leak will be launched.  (Reuters) 

Biden says it would be ‘radical’ for high court to strike down Roe The leaked draft of a Supreme Court ruling suggesting the conservative majority had voted to overturn Roe v. Wade touched off a political firestorm. President Biden said it would be a “radical decision” for the court strike down Roe, the case that legalized abortion and has stood for nearly 50 years. Biden called for Congress to cement abortion protections in law. Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama said the conservative majority’s draft decision would “relegate the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues.” Antiabortion activists and Republican politicians celebrated the opinion, written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito. “It’s a victory for the most basic right there is — the right to life,” tweeted former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade by 2-to-1 margin A majority of Americans said in a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted last week that the Supreme Court should uphold Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. Fifty-four percent of the survey’s participants said the Supreme Court, which a leaked opinion suggests is poised to overturn Roe, should uphold the landmark ruling, compared to 28 percent who said it should be struck down — roughly a 2-to-1 margin. The Supreme Court’s leaked decision, if it becomes official, would uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy and trigger automatic bans in a dozen other red states. The high court’s precedents currently guarantee abortion rights up to the point of fetal viability, roughly 24 weeks into a pregnancy. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Amazon offers employees abortion travel benefit Amazon has told employees that it will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses for some medical care, including abortions, if the procedures aren’t available within 100 miles of their home and no virtual-care alternative is available. The announcement came as Politico published a leaked first draft of a Supreme Court decision that could overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that established the constitutional right to abortion. If the conservative majority’s draft is finalized, some Republican-controlled states plan abortion bans, and other strict state restrictions would go into force. Amazon said the benefit, which would cover all corporate and warehouse employees or their covered dependents, would take effect in January 2023. Other procedures covered would include cardiology, cellular gene therapies, and substance-abuse disorder services. USA TODAY 

Governor Kevin Stitt signs a heartbeat bill, i.e. a bill banning abortion after heartbeat in a fetus is detected, which is at the age of about 6 weeks (except in cases of medical emergencies) and also adopts Texas-style enforcement to pursue offenders. The bill takes effect immediately. (CNN) 

In California, an anti-abortion activist is detained by the San Francisco Police Department after climbing to the top of the 61-story Salesforce Tower. (KRON-TV)  

Based on its preliminary findings, the European Commission accuses Apple of violating the EU’s competition law by blocking its competitors from accessing the technology used for the Apple Pay service, and threatens to fine the company up to 10% of its global revenue. (BBC News) 

American bank Citigroup says that the flash crash that affected several European stock markets yesterday was caused by an error from one of its traders. (BBC News) 

Job openings, quits hit record highs Job openings and the number of people quitting jobs hit record highs in March, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. There were a seasonally adjusted 11.5 million job openings, up from 11.3 million the previous month. Quits hit 4.5 million, an increase of 152,000 from February. Job openings exceeded the number of available workers by 5.6 million. The new data showed that the hiring market remains tight as employers continue to face a shortage of available workers. Food services, arts and entertainment, and other consumer-facing industries had the highest rate of openings, with health-care openings also near record levels. ZipRecruiter said openings at businesses with more than 5,000 workers had more than doubled since February 2020. CNBC 

Hawaii legislature passes $18 minimum wage Hawaii lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill to raise the state minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2028, up from the current rate of $10.10. Proponents say families struggling to pay rising food and housing costs badly need the raise. Some businesses have said they can’t pay that much and would have to cut staff or close. The minimum wage would be the highest out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, although some states have automatic cost-of-living increases, so inflation could push their rates higher by 2028. The state Senate also has passed the measure, so it goes next to Gov. David Ige (D), who is expected to sign it. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

The European Parliament votes in favour of an election law overhaul, to be confirmed and possibly amended by the European Council, that will create a 28-seat pan-EU constituency and introduce elections of the President of the European Commission by popular vote. The reform will also create the European Electoral Authority, introduce postal voting for all EU residents, lower the minimum age of candidates to 18 and fix elections on Europe Day, May 9. (Euractiv) 

J.D. Vance wins Ohio GOP Senate primary with late boost from Trump Author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance won Ohio’s Republican primary in the race to fill retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman’s seat, beating several other candidates with similar views. The contest was widely seen as a test of the influence of former President Donald Trump, who boosted Vance with a late endorsement. Vance, a Never Trumper turned Trump loyalist, tried to unify the party after a tough primary, saying the GOP stood for “working people all across the state.” Vance will face Democratic nominee Rep. Tim Ryan in the general election. Ryan, whose campaign calls Vance a “phony” and an “elitist,” easily won his primary against Morgan Harper, a former attorney at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CLEVELAND.COM 

U.S. classifies WNBA star Brittney Griner as ‘wrongfully detained’ in Russia The U.S. has classified WNBA star Brittney Griner as “wrongfully detained” in Russia, State Department officials confirmed to ESPN and Yahoo Sports on Tuesday. The designation signals a likely intensification of efforts by the Biden administration to bring Griner home, as it opens the door for the government to actively negotiate her return instead of waiting for her case to be decided in court. Griner was arrested at a Moscow area airport, and accused of carrying hashish oil in her luggage. “Our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home,” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said in a statement. ESPN 

Kim Kardashian wears actual Marilyn Monroe dress to the Met Gala Who are you wearing? Why, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, of course! At Monday night’s Met Gala, Kim Kardashian showed up wearing the actual dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she famously sang “Happy Birthday” to John F. Kennedy in 1962. “It is a stunning skintight gown adorned with more than 6,000 hand-sewn crystals by costumier Jean Louis,” she said. Kardashian thanked Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum for lending her the dress, which sold at auction for almost $5 million in 2016. Speaking to Vogue, Kardashian explained she went on a diet specifically to wear the dress because it initially didn’t fit her — a discovery she made after guards brought the dress to her from a vault. “I didn’t starve myself,” she said, “but I was so strict.” In the end, Kardashian only wore the dress for a few minutes before changing into a replica, apparently not enough time to bust out a rendition of “Happy birthday, Mr. Davidson” six months early. VOGUE 

A new ‘Jackass’ series is headed to Paramount+ Hi, I’m Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to streaming! A new Jackass series is officially in the works for the streaming service Paramount+, the company announced Tuesday. This comes after the latest film in the wince-inducing stunt franchise, Jackass Forever, performed well at the box office, and it will mark Jackass‘ return to television following its run on MTV. It hasn’t been confirmed who will return for the show, but Jackass Forever introduced a new generation of performers who will presumably be involved, including the first female cast member. As for Johnny Knoxville, he has said he’s retiring from “big stunts” after nearly dying in the fourth film when a brutal bull encounter left him with a brain hemorrhage. We’re not convinced he’ll be able to resist a return, though, so don’t be surprised to one day see Jackass: Retirement Home, in which old age makeup is no longer required.  VARIETY 

Carlos Guillén Tatis, the agriculture counselor at the Dominican Republic’s embassy in Haiti, is kidnapped in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. (AP) 

The End Wednesday 

Tuesday,  May 3rd, 2022 

Russian President Vladimir Putin will reportedly undergo cancer surgery and temporarily hand power to Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. (Business Standard) 

Russia avoids default on the dollar-denominated bonds due in April by sending dollars to foreign investors (instead of Russian rubles, as it did initially) just before the grace period was to expire. (Bloomberg) 

A Ukrainian Air Force Bayraktar TB2 drone destroys two Russian Raptor-class patrol boats near Snake Island in the Black Sea. (CBS News) 

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov accuses Hungary of having advance knowledge of the Russian invasion, saying that Hungary was warned by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that Hungary had plans to annex parts of Western Ukraine. (Ukraine Today) 

A Russian missile hits a dormitory in Odessa, killing a 14-year-old boy and wounding a 17-year-old girl, according to Ukrainian officials. An Orthodox Church was also damaged in the missile strike. (Reuters) 

U.S. says Russia to claim eastern Ukraine regions Russia plans to annex the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk plus the southern city of Kherson, in a bid to solidify gains despite continuing battlefield setbacks, U.S. officials said Monday. It was not immediately clear how Ukraine would respond, but the move could “thrust the conflict into an unpredictable, even more explosive phase,” according to The Washington Post. Russia resumed shelling of the battered Mariupol steel plant where about 200 civilians, including 20 children, are hiding out with the last Ukrainian defenders of the besieged port city. Dozens of civilians managed to evacuate the steel plant over the weekend. A convoy of buses was supposed to shuttle out more on Monday, but the plan stalled. THE WASHINGTON POST 

The resumption of civilian evacuations from the Azovstal steel mill which was expected to begin at 8 a.m. local time does not occur, as Russia begins a non-stop barrage of airstrikes and bombings following the departure of Red Cross personnel, who had left the previous day after the evacuations were suspended. (CNN) 

Germany’s acceptance clears path for E.U. Russian oil embargo Germany said Monday it is prepared to join a European Union embargo on Russian oil to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine. The move is expected to drive up fuel prices in Germany. “It is a heavy load to bear but we would be ready to do that,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck said before E.U. ministers met in Brussels to discuss Russia. The decision marked a shift for Germany, Russia’s biggest energy customer in Europe. The change could clear the way for the E.U. to ban Russian oil within days. Ukraine has called for an embargo, saying without it European countries are providing hundreds of millions of dollars per day in funding for Moscow’s war effort. REUTERS 

Leaked opinion suggests Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade The Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established abortion rights nationwide, Politico reported, citing what it said was a leaked initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito. “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Alito wrote in the draft opinion published by Politico. Hours after the report was released, scores of protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court to rail against the decision, which, if released by the court, would uphold Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and trigger stricter abortion bans in a dozen states. The court’s decisions aren’t final until published, and justices sometimes change their votes as they circulate draft opinions. If authentic, this is the first high court draft leaked in the court’s modern history. POLITICO 

A draft opinion leaked to Politico indicates that the U.S. Supreme Court is set to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. (Reuters) 

Retired NYPD officer convicted of Jan. 6 police assault A federal jury on Monday found former New York City police officer Thomas Webster guilty of assaulting an officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters. Webster was the first person prosecuted for assault in connection with the riot. He is also the first to claim self-defense. Webster, 56, testified that he used a metal flagpole to strike a “rogue cop” who punched him in the face. He also accused the Metropolitan Police Department officer, Noah Rathbun, of starting the clash. A juror told reporters the jury “unanimously agreed that there was no self-defense argument here at all.” Webster is scheduled to be sentenced in September. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Philadelphia officer who fatally shot 12-year-old charged with murder Philadelphia authorities said Monday that the former Philadelphia police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Thomas “TJ” Siderio in March has been charged with murder. The officer, Edsaul Mendoza, was with three other plainclothes officers in an unmarked police vehicle when Siderio appeared to have fired a gun at the vehicle. The other officers took cover, but Mendoza, 26, started a “tactically unsound” foot chase, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said. He fired three shots at Siderio. Investigators said he fired the final, fatal shot into Siderio’s back from a half-a-car length away when Siderio no longer had a gun and was face-down on the ground. Evidence suggested the boy might have been turning to surrender before he was killed. NBC NEWS 

Supreme Court rules Boston rejection of Christian group flag unconstitutional The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Boston violated the Constitution by refusing to raise a Christian group’s flag in a city hall ceremony because the city had never turned away anyone else. The city government argued that its ceremonial flag-raising program was a form of government speech, so it could choose which flags it would fly. Lower courts agreed the city was within its rights. Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the unanimous high court, rejected that logic. He said the flags weren’t government speech because the city had no role in “the crafting of their messages.” That meant the flag raisings amounted to private speech, so rejecting a lone group constituted a violation of its First Amendment free-speech protections. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Amazon workers reject union push at N.Y. warehouse Amazon workers have voted down a proposal to unionize at a second warehouse on New York’s Staten Island, according to the Monday vote count. The 618 to 380 vote, conducted over four days last week, marked a setback for the Amazon Labor Union. The union was formed by a former warehouse supervisor, Chris Smalls, and co-worker Derrick Palmer, who got workers at a massive Staten Island fulfillment center to vote in favor of the union last month. At that warehouse, the first Amazon facility to unionize, 55 percent of those voting backed the nascent union. The vote at the second warehouse came as Amazon announced that it was ending its COVID-19 sick leave policy, which gave staffers infected with the coronavirus 10 paid days off. Now staffers will get up to five unpaid but excused sick days. NPR 

Fed starts 2-day meeting expected to end with half-point rate hike The Federal Reserve on Tuesday starts a two-day policy meeting expected to conclude with a half-percentage-point interest rate hike. The Fed has telegraphed the move as part of its accelerating efforts to fight inflation, which has surged to a 40-year high. A half-point increase would be the central bank’s sharpest hike since 2000. The Fed is expected to follow up with another half-point hike at its next meeting, in June. Another could come in July, with further increases later in the year. Economists also expect the Fed to announce that it will start reducing its Treasury and mortgage-bond holdings, which it piled up as it pumped money into the economy to boost the recovery from the pandemic-induced 2020 recession. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

10-year Treasury yield reaches 3 percent The 10-year Treasury yield, which rises when bond prices fall, reached 3 percent on Monday for the first time since 2018. The yield rose as high as 3.008 percent before settling at 2.995 percent, up from 2.885 on Friday. The surge came as the Federal Reserve prepared to start a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday that is expected to end Wednesday with a half-percentage-point interest rate increase to help fight the highest inflation in decades. Bond prices have fallen this year in anticipation of the Fed’s efforts to roll back the near-zero interest rates and bond purchases it has used to boost the recovery from the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

European Commission says Apple broke antitrust laws European Union regulators on Monday accused Apple of breaking antitrust laws by unfairly boxing out competitors of its Apple Pay payment service, The New York Times reported. The European Commission says Apple abused its dominance by denying PayPal and other rivals access to its Apple Pay technology in the iPhone and Apple Watch. The U.S. tech giant could be fined up to 10 percent of its global revenue in the case, although Apple also could reach a settlement with regulators. Apple will have an opportunity to respond before any final judgment on the charges, which Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission executive vice president in charge of antitrust enforcement, announced in Brussels.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Five Russian troops are allegedly killed during a supposed incursion into the steel plant. (CNN) 

Explosions are reported in the city of Belgorod, Belgorod Oblast, Russia. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov states that “there were no casualties or damage”. (Reuters via NDTV) 

Spanish authorities announce that Pegasus spyware was found on the cell phones of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Minister of Defense Margarita Robles. (Al Jazeera) 

Drew Barrymore apologizes for ‘making light’ of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial “It has come to my attention that I have offended people,” a pained Drew Barrymore said on Instagram after being criticized for “making light” of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial. On her talk show, Barrymore recently described the legal battle between Depp and Heard, which centers around allegations of domestic abuse, as a “seven-layer dip of insanity.” After facing pushback for that characterization, she took to Instagram to “deeply” apologize. “This can be a teachable moment for me in how I move forward and how I conduct myself,” she said, promising to “grow and change” while thanking fans for “helping me” do so. Surely, it’s the last time anyone will say something about this trial that makes people upset, right?  VARIETY

Netflix cancels an animated series from Meghan Markle Netflix cancellations have officially hit the Royal Family. The streamer scrapped an upcoming animated series created by Meghan Markle that it announced “with fanfare” last year, Deadline reports. The show was set to follow a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by “extraordinary women throughout history,” as Meghan previously said she was “delighted” to announce. This was the second project that was ordered as part of a deal between Netflix and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But after the streamer recently saw its stock tank following a loss in subscribers, the company announced layoffs and scrapped a number of projects — including some animated shows that didn’t have a non-working royal attached. Harry and Meghan’s production company had also set a docuseries at Netflix called Heart of Invictus, which is apparently still in the works. We’ll have to see which high-profile projects get the ax next. Watch out, Obama.  DEADLINE

Bill Murray speaks out about inappropriate behavior allegation What did Bill Murray do on the set of his new movie that led it to suspend production? We still don’t exactly know, though Murray is now speaking out about it. Being Mortal, a new movie directed by Aziz Ansari, recently suspended production after Murray was allegedly accused of inappropriate behavior on set. Speaking to CNBC, the Ghostbusters star claimed this was all a matter of having a “difference of opinion” with a woman he was working with. ” I did something I thought was funny and it wasn’t taken that way,” he said. Murray didn’t specify what he did, but he said he’s “trying to make peace” with the woman and that the whole situation has been “quite an education for me,” as “what I always thought was funny as a little kid isn’t necessarily the same as what’s funny now.” It’s unclear when production on Being Mortal might resume and whether Murray will still be involved when it does.  CNBC

India-Pakistan heatwave tests ‘limits of human survivability’ Temperatures in parts of India and Pakistan have soared to record highs, the Indian Meteorological Department said Monday. The average maximum temperature for northwest and central India reached 96.62 degrees and 100 degrees Fahrenheit in April, the highest since record-keeping started 122 years ago. New Delhi last month recorded seven straight days over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat was severe enough to put millions of lives at risk, damage crops, and, in the words of one climate researcher, test “the limits of human survivability.” It also has forced authorities to close schools, and strained energy supplies. The cities of Jacobabad and Sibi in Pakistan’s southeastern Sindh province recorded highs of 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday. CNN 

The End Tuesday 

Monday,  May 2nd, 2022 

Russia hit with barrage of cyberattacks Russia has been hit by a wave of cyberattacks since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The unprecedented attacks have targeted Russians’ financial data, defaced websites, and compromised government emails dating back decades. One survey found that more passwords and user data from Russia had been exposed online in March than from any other country. The surge marks a sharp turnaround for Russia, where hackers, including members of criminal gangs, have targeted U.S. politicians and organizations, and international companies, for years. In the last year and a half, Russian hackers have shut down hospitals already overwhelmed by the pandemic, and disrupted the crucial Colonial pipeline. THE WASHINGTON POST 

E.U. ministers discuss 6th round of Russia sanctions European Union energy ministers are meeting Monday to discuss possible new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. They also will talk about how to respond to Russia’s decision to halt natural-gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland. The E.U. has imposed five rounds of sanctions targeting Russian officials, oligarchs, banks, and other companies. The European Commission plans to include restrictions on Russian oil in its next sanctions, although Hungary, Slovakia, and other Russia-dependent countries are resisting. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has said it could handle a loss of oil through an embargo or a shutoff by the Kremlin. But the country gets 12 percent of its oil imports from Russia, and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the transition to other sources would be “bumpy.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Dozens of civilians evacuate Mariupol  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that another 100 civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal steel factory in the besieged port city of Mariupol. The civilians had sheltered in tunnels under the plant along with hundreds of other civilians and Ukrainian fighters still defending the city against Russian forces. Zelensky said the freed civilians would be taken to a “controlled area” as the United Nations and other international groups try to get more people out. A couple dozen civilians were evacuated on Saturday. Meanwhile, Russia intensified attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Russian forces were close enough to pound Kharkiv with artillery fire, but Ukrainian fighters battled to retake surrounding villages that had fallen under Russian control.THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Biden’s approval ratings edge up from February low President Biden’s approval ratings rebounded slightly from his low point two months ago, with 42 percent of respondents in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll saying they approve of the way he is handling his job as president. That’s up from 37 percent in February. Fifty-two percent expressed disapproval in the new poll, down from 55 percent in February. Fifty-one percent said they approved of Biden’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, while just 28 percent gave him positive ratings on the economy. Forty-four percent said they were “upset” about inflation, which reached a 40-year high in recent months. More than 90 percent said they were at least concerned about inflation. THE WASHINGTON POSTTHE HILL 

Birx says U.S. should prepare for possible summer COVID surge Former Trump administration coronavirus task force leader Deborah Birx warned Sunday that the United States should prepare for another potential COVID-19 surge this summer. She noted that cases have ticked higher in South Africa. “That tells me that natural immunity wanes enough in the general population after four to six months that a significant surge is going to occur again,” Birx said on CBS’s Face the Nation. In South Africa, new daily cases reached about 5,700 on Saturday, far below the country’s winter peak but well above the roughly 1,400 daily cases it reported in early April. U.S. cases have risen recently, with a slight increase in hospitalizations. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Mexico moves lucrative trade link due to Abbott’s border inspections Mexico is moving a long-planned cross-border trade railway from Texas to New Mexico in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) 10-day-long “enhanced” safety inspections of commercial trucks crossing the border, The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday. Abbott issued an order on April 6 requiring state troopers to inspect commercial trucks entering Texas from Mexico. He argued the move would deter human and drug smugglers. Mexico said Abbott was using the inspections as a “political tool.” It has rerouted many trucks through a crossing in New Mexico, just over the Texas state line. The Waco, Texas–based Perryman Group has estimated that delays at border crossings during Abbott’s inspections cost the Texas economy $4.2 billion. THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS 

Alabama search continues for corrections officer and murder suspect Alabama authorities on Sunday extended their search for a state corrections officer, Vicky White, and capital murder suspect Casey Cole White after they disappeared from a prison more than two days earlier. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to $10,000 for information leading to their capture. The pair left Lauderdale County jail on Friday morning. Vicky White, who is not related to the inmate, had told jail employees to prepare Casey White for transport to the county courthouse for a mental health evaluation, although he was not really scheduled for one, Sheriff Rick Singleton said. Casey White was awaiting trial on murder-for-hire charges stemming from the 2015 killing of Connie Jane Ridgeway. AL.COM 

Italy, Greece ease travel restrictions Italy and Greece announced Sunday that they are relaxing some COVID-19 restrictions on international visitors ahead of the crucial summer tourist season. Greece’s civil aviation authority lifted COVID-19 rules for international and domestic flights, except for a mask mandate on flights and at airports. The country previously required travelers to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID test, or a recovery from a recent infection. Italy said it would no longer require people arriving in the country to complete the European Union passenger locator form, which had caused check-in bottlenecks. “It’s much better,” said Andrea Bichler, a domestic tourist visiting Rome. “Let’s say it’s a return to life, a free life.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Moderna ‘confident’ COVID variant booster ready by fall Moderna Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton said Sunday that the drugmaker is “confident” it will be able to provide large amounts of its vaccine booster against the Omicron and other COVID-19 variants by the fall. Moderna announced last month that preliminary data indicated its new booster was more effective against coronavirus variants than its current version. Butron, speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, encouraged people to get a booster dose to restore immunity as the effectiveness of the initial two doses wanes. “People are eligible now to get boosted. I would absolutely recommend it,” he said. THE HILL 

Some civilian evacuations begin from the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol. Officials believe that up to 1,000 people have sought refuge at the plant, which has been the target of Russian airstrikes for days. However, evacuations are suspended until 8 a.m. tomorrow due to “security concerns”. (The Washington Post) (CNN) 

Five people are killed by Russian shelling in the town of Lyman. (Times of Israel) 

A fire reportedly occurs at a military facility in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, slightly injuring one person and damaging seven houses. (Reuters) 

Ukrainian intelligence officials report that Russia is poised to launch a second front from the breakaway area of Transnistria in order to take over the rest of Moldova. (The Times) 

The Islamic State claims via the Al-Naba newspaper that Israel killed a senior jihadist commander in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. (Times of Israel) 

Hungary, a member of the European Union, says that it will veto any sanctions that would restrict energy imports from Russia. Unanimity among the 27 EU members is required to introduce sanctions. (Bloomberg) 

The End

Sunday, May 1st, 2022 

Nancy Pelosi meets with Zelensky in Kyiv Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Ukraine since the war began in February when she met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv in Saturday. Her trip to Kyiv comes on the heels of last week’s visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Accompanying Pelosi was a delegation that included Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), and Jim McGovern (Mass.). Zelensky awarded Pelosi with the Order of Princess Olga, a decoration honoring women for “personal merits” in several “spheres of social activities.” The delegation’s next stop is Poland, where they will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda. CNBC 

‘Some guy named Brandon’ is having a ‘good year,’ Biden quips at White House Correspondents’ Dinner President Biden mocked his predecessor at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, referring to former President Donald Trump’s administration as “a horrible plague followed by two years of COVID.” Saturday marked the first time in six years that a president had spoken at the star-studded fundraiser, due to the pandemic and Trump’s acrimonious relationship with the press. In his speech, Biden praised the journalists in attendance as “guardians of truth.” The president also made light of the slogan “Let’s go Brandon” — a right-wing euphemism for “F–k Joe Biden” — quipping that “some guy named Brandon” is having “a really good year.” NPR 

About 20 civilians escape besieged Mariupol steel plant About 20 women and children were evacuated from Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steel plant on Saturday. As many as 3,000 Ukrainian troops and civilians may remain trapped inside. On April 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory in Mariupol and ordered his troops to seal off the steel plant, which represents the last bastion of resistance inside the city, instead of storming it. The Azovstal plant’s defenders have refused multiple Russian demands for surrender. Russian media claim that 25 civilians — including six children under the age of 14 — escaped the plant on Saturday. Sviatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of Ukraine’s Azov Battalion, said the civilians would be evacuated to Ukrainian-controlled territory. BBC 

Russia’s offensive in the Donbas is ‘not succeeding,’ Ukrainian military says Russian forces pressed the attack in eastern Ukraine on Saturday but failed to capture their three main objectives, the Ukrainian military said. Per the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces, the Russians were attempting to capture the city of Lyman in the Donetsk Oblast and the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in the Lukahsk Oblast. The Pentagon said Russian forces are making minimal progress in the face of intense Ukrainian resistance. REUTERS 

GOP is a ‘hot mess’ that’s ‘tinkering on fascism,’ DNC chair says The Republican Party is a “hot mess” built on “fear” and “fraud,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said on MSNBC Saturday. “They are tinkering on fascism right now in the Republican Party,” he added. Harrison’s comments came during a discussion with MSNBC host Tiffany Cross, who asked him how “millions of voters” could be “so eager to turn this country over to the right-wing extremists that now comprise the GOP.” To counter Republican messaging, Harrison said, the Democratic Party “has to be a party that is about hope.” FOX NEWS 

Biden’s Disinformation Governance Board draws comparisons to Orwell’s ‘Ministry of Truth’ Former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard denounced President Biden’s new Disinformation Governance Board as “the kind of thing that you see in dictatorships” during an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity on Saturday. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department will oversee the Disinformation Governance Board, said last week that the board’s mission would include combating the threat of Russian misinformation. Gabbard was not the only one to criticize the board. Fox News host Tucker Carlson compared it to the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 and suggested that the parents of Nina Jankowicz, the disinformation expert who will head the board, had “failed” and should feel “shame.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Amazon to stop offering paid leave for employees with COVID-19 Amazon told workers on Saturday that it will stop offering paid leave for employees with COVID-19. The online retail giant originally offered two weeks of paid time off for COVID before reducing the amount of paid leave to 40 hours in January. Under the new policy, which takes effect on Monday, U.S. employees will get five days of unpaid leave to recover from the virus. Amazon said the change stems from the widespread availability of COVID vaccines and revised guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We can continue to safely adjust to our pre-COVID policies,” the company said. REUTERS 

Rand Paul says he’ll investigate COVID lab leak theory if GOP retakes the Senate Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said at a campaign rally in Kentucky on Saturday that he plans to launch an investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 virus if Republicans retake the Senate after the midterms. “When we take over in November, I will be chairman of a committee and I will have subpoena power. And we will get to the bottom of where this virus came from,” Paul said, adding that “the evidence points to this virus being a leak from a lab.” Paul, an eye surgeon and a libertarian, has frequently clashed with White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci over the government’s COVID restrictions and the politically fraught question of the virus’ origins. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Country singer Naomi Judd dead at 76 Country singer Naomi Judd has died at the age of 76, her daughters announced Saturday. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” Ashley Judd wrote on Twitter. Naomi Judd formed one half of the Grammy-winning family duo The Judds, in which she provided harmonies for her daughter Wynonna. The two performed at the CMT Music Awards in April and were set to embark on a stadium tour this fall. Naomi Judd’s death came just one day before The Judds’ official induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young said the induction ceremony will still take place. CNN 

Saturday, April 30th, 2022 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that sanctions must be lifted as part of the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. (Reuters) 

Governor of Kursk Oblast Roman Starovoyt says that shells have been launched at a border checkpoint from the direction of Ukraine. (Reuters) 

Around 20 civilians have left the steel plant, a deputy commander of the Azov Battalion says. (The Times of Israel) 

At least one person is killed and three others injured when a van explodes in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Reuters) 

A tornado strikes Andover, Kansas, United States, inflicting heavy damage. As part of the same weather system, three storm chasers are killed in a car accident due to aquaplaning. (BBC News) (USA Today) 

Five people are rescued and dozens of others remain trapped after a building collapses in Changsha, China. (BBC News) 

It is announced that Beijing residents must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter public spaces as part of a major tightening of restrictions in the Chinese capital. (BBC News) 

Taiwan reports a record for the third consecutive day of 15,419 new COVID-19 cases. (Focus Taiwan) 

Hamas warns that, if another attempt to storm the al-Aqsa Mosque is made by Israel, war could break out. (France24) 

A natural gas pipeline is blown up in Bir al-Abd, Egypt by suspected jihadist militants. (Times of Israel) 

Russia is making ‘slow and uneven’ gains in Ukraine at ‘significant cost,’ U.S. and U.K. assess Russia fired missiles at locations across Ukraine on Thursday, but “the Battle of Donbas remains Russia’s main strategic focus,” Britain’s Ministry of Defense said early Friday. “Fighting has been particularly heavy” around Izium, but “due to strong Ukrainian resistance, Russian territorial gains have been limited and achieved at significant cost to Russian forces.” On Thursday, a senior Pentagon official said, “We would assess that Russian forces are making slow and uneven and, frankly, we would describe it as incremental progress in the Donbas.” The official also described a lot of “back-and-forth in the Donbas in terms of territory gained and/or lost by, frankly, both sides.” U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Sean Hannity warned Mark Meadows about ‘fing lunatics’ advising Trump, texts show Fox News host Sean Hannity exchanged more than 80 texts messages with Mark Meadows, then-President Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff, between Election Day 2020 and President Biden’s inauguration. According to messages released Friday by CNN, Hannity strongly supported Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, telling Meadows it was “mathematically impossible” for Biden to have received as many votes as he had. Hannity also warned Meadows about some of the “fing lunatics” pushing Trump’s stolen election claims. “They are NOT helping [Trump]. I’m fed up with these people,” Hannity wrote. CNN 

Biden requests $33 billion for Ukraine fight as Congress passes ‘lend-lease’ arms authorization The House on Thursday cleared a bill that will allow President Biden to more easily supply weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russia’s invasion, using a 1941 lend-lease law created to arm allies against Nazi Germany. “President Zelensky has said that Ukraine needs weapons to sustain themselves, and President Biden has answered that call,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said. The Senate passed the bipartisan Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act by unanimous consent earlier this month, and the House sent it to Biden’s desk on a vote of 417 to 10. Hours earlier, Biden had asked Congress for another $33 billion for the Ukraine fight. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Former U.S. Marine killed while fighting in Ukraine Former U.S. Marine Willy Joseph Cancel was killed while fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine. Cancel, age 22, reportedly volunteered to travel to Ukraine and fight after Russia invaded. He had reportedly been working in Ukraine since mid-March with a private military contracting company and was killed Monday. His family confirmed his death, while a U.S. Department of State official said they “are aware of these reports and are closely monitoring the situation,” but declined to comment further “due to privacy considerations.” His body has not yet been found. ABC NEWS 

The S&P 500 is down 13.8 percent in 2022, the worst year-to-date performance since World War II The stock market plunged on Friday, with the Dow Jones industrial average down 939.18 points, or 2.8 percent. Tech stocks were particularly hard hit, with the Nasdaq down 4.2 percent. The S&P 500 lost 9.1 percent of its value in April, closing out its worst month since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020 and marking its worst year-to-date performance since World War II. “The economy is fundamentally soft: The Fed is going to hike next week, the situation in Ukraine is not getting better, and high inflation is cutting into costs,” said Joe La Vorgna, who served as a White House economic adviser under former President Donald Trump. THE WASHINGTON POST 

U.K. should suspend local government in the British Virgin Islands, report recommends A report released Friday by the United Kingdom’s government recommended suspending the constitution of the British Virgin Islands, dissolving its elected government, and ruling the Caribbean archipelago through its crown-appointed governor. The governor, John Rankin, ordered the report in 2021 to shed light on “corruption, abuse of office, and other serious dishonesty.” On Thursday, the islands’ elected premier, Alturo Fahie, was arrested in Miami, Florida, on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The British Virgin Islands, which have a population of around 30,000, have been autonomous since 1967 but remain a British overseas territory rather than a sovereign country. REUTERS 

Elon Musk reportedly eyes new ways to monetize tweets as he lines up next Twitter CEO Elon Musk doesn’t officially own Twitter yet, but he’s already eying some changes. Days after Twitter reached a deal with Musk, the Tesla CEO has told banks he’s looking to “develop new ways to monetize tweets.” According to the report, Musk says he’s, in particular, looking to introduce “new ways to make money out of tweets that contain important information or go viral,” with one idea being to charge websites a fee if they want to quote or embed tweets from verified accounts. Musk has also reportedly said he has lined up a person to be the next CEO of the company but has declined to reveal who it is. REUTERS 

Airbnb to allow employees to permanently work from home Most Airbnb employees never have to return to the office again, as the company has announced it will allow workers to permanently work remotely. “You can work from home or the office — whatever works best for you,” CEO Brian Chesky said. Airbnb previously planned to have employees return to the office in September 2022. But Chesky said the new policy was informed by the fact that Airbnb had its “most productive two-year period” ever while employees worked from home during the pandemic. “This is where the world is going,” Chesky said. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

MLB suspends Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for 2 seasons over sexual assault allegation Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has been suspended by Major League Baseball for two seasons after he was accused of sexual assault. The league announced Friday that following an investigation, Bauer has been suspended for 324 games, two full seasons, for violating its policy against domestic violence. In 2021, a woman filed for a restraining order against Bauer, alleging he sexually assaulted her. On Friday, Bauer denied violating the MLB’s domestic violence policy in the “strongest possible terms” and said he will appeal the decision. His two-season suspension is reportedly the most severe punishment the MLB has ever imposed over a violation of its domestic violence policy. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 

The End

Friday,  April 29th, 2022 

Forty-two Palestinians are injured as the Israeli police storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in response to crowds within the mosque throwing rocks and fireworks in the direction of Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall. (Al Jazeera) 

Ten people are killed and 15 others are injured when a mosque is bombed in Kabul, Afghanistan. (National Post) 

The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Russia surpasses 800,000. (Reuters) 

South Korean government announces that it will lift outdoor mask mandate from May 2 due to decrease of the number of COVID-19 cases, despite criticism from incoming Yoon Seok-yeol administration regarding the mandate. (France 24) 

Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts an invitation to the upcoming G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also invited to the summit. (FirstPost) 

The premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Fahie, is arrested for alleged drug smuggling and money laundering in the United States. (BBC News) 

British MP Neil Parish is being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after two MPs allegedly claimed that Parish was watching pornography in the House of Commons. (The Guardian) 

A high court in Malawi convicts five people of killing an albino man and seven more people of selling the man’s body parts. It is believed that albino body parts bring luck and wealth. (Voice of America) 

Biden asks Congress for $33 billion Ukraine aid package President Biden asked Congress for $33 billion in military, humanitarian, and economic aid to Ukraine as Russia’s invasion enters its third month and Russian forces intensify their offensive in eastern Ukraine. The package, which would include more than $20 billion in military and security assistance, is bigger than most nations’ annual defense budgets and by far the largest funding proposal for Ukraine since the war started. The Biden administration, which this week announced $800 million in artillery, armed drones, and other weapons for Ukraine, also is asking for new authority to rapidly transfer arms to Ukraine from the Pentagon’s arsenal. “It’s not cheap,” Biden said. “But caving to aggression is going to be more costly.” POLITICO 

Russia strikes Kyiv with missiles during U.N. chief visit Russia hit Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with cruise missiles on Thursday, killing at least one person and injuring several others in its most intense attack on the city since Russian forces retreated from the area two weeks ago. The shelling occurred an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a news conference with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who called Ukraine under Russia’s invasion “an epicenter of unbearable heartache and pain.” Russian strikes also targeted other areas far from its ground offensive in eastern Ukraine. Witnesses reported explosions in Polonne in the west, Chernihiv near the Belarus border, and the southwest railway hub of Fastiv. Air defenses in the southern city of Odesa intercepted rockets. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

U.S. economy shrank in 1st quarter  The U.S. economy shrank by 1.4 percent on an annualized basis in the first quarter of 2022, the first such retreat since early in the pandemic. About 0.8 percent of the dent stemmed from decisions by businesses to buy goods aggressively before the 2021 holiday shopping season so they wouldn’t get caught short by supply shortages during the winter coronavirus surge, which let them restock slowly in the new year. Economists said the slowdown was unlikely to build into a recession, because economic fundamentals remained strong despite high inflation, the war in Ukraine, and ongoing pandemic worries. Rising wages resulted in strong consumer spending, and companies were able to make big investments thanks to higher profits. FOX BUSINESS 

FDA proposes ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes and all cigar flavorings. It said the policy could significantly reduce tobacco disease and death by “reducing youth experimentation and addiction.” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the proposed rules would “help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit.” Erika Sward, assistant vice president of national advocacy for the American Lung Association, said the plan would reduce youth smoking and “save lives, especially in Black and brown communities.” A spokesperson for tobacco company Altria said the ban would push flavored products into “unregulated criminal markets.” NPR 

U.S. says Russian intelligence behind attack on newspaper editor The United States has concluded that Russian intelligence was responsible for an April 7 attack on Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Prize-winning editor of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, The Washington Post reported, citing a U.S. official. Muratov, a critic of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, was preparing to take a train from Moscow to Samara, Russia, when someone threw a mixture of red paint and acetone at him, causing chemical burns to his eyes. The assailant made reference to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, shouting, “Muratov, here’s one for our boys!” Muratov was traveling and not immediately available to comment on the U.S. intelligence assessment, a Novaya Gazeta spokesperson said. THE WASHINGTON POST 

China unveils measures to ease economic harm from lockdowns China’s leaders this week announced measures to ease the economic impact of lockdowns imposed to fight an increasing number of COVID-19 outbreaks. Many companies will get to suspend unemployment insurance payments as long as they don’t resort to mass layoffs. The measures also include reduced electricity and internet charges for businesses, more passes for truck drivers to bypass COVID-19 roadblocks, and government allowances for migrant workers unable to find jobs. “We need to place greater importance on stabilizing employment,” Premier Li Keqiang said after a cabinet meeting late Wednesday. “The new round of COVID flare-ups has hit employment quite hard.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

BVI premier, port director arrested on drug charges British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie was arrested Thursday in Miami on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The criminal complaint filed in the U.S. Southern District of Florida said Fahie and the director of the British Virgin Islands’ ports, Oleavine Pickering Maynard, were accused of agreeing to help a man who said he worked for the Sinaloa Cartel, but was really a confidential federal source, ferry cocaine through the tiny island territory in exchange for a $500,000 upfront payment. Maynard and her son Kadeem Stephan Maynard also were charged. BLOOMBERG 

USPS faces lawsuits over plan to buy gas-guzzling delivery trucks Sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and environmental activist groups have filed lawsuits seeking to block the U.S. Postal Service from buying 148,000 gas-powered delivery trucks over the next decade. The USPS resisted pressure to renew its fleet with electric vehicles to help the Biden administration achieve its goal to reduce the federal government’s carbon emissions in the name of fighting climate change. Suits by the state attorneys general, Earthjustice, and the Natural Resources Defense Council argue that the Postal Service relied on bad calculations to defend the decision to buy trucks getting 8.6 miles per gallon, barely more than its current 30-year-old vehicles. The agency’s plan to run just 10 percent of its fleet on electric power is far below the targets of private delivery companies. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Only curbing emissions can prevent mass extinction in oceans If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, warming waters and oxygen loss in seas could lead to a mass extinction of sea life as bad as the five worst catastrophes in the planet’s history, scientists said in a paper published Thursday in the journal Science. The devastation could wipe out much of the species diversification seen since the event that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Sharply reducing emissions could cut extinction risks by 70 percent, and curbing ocean pollution, overfishing, and other stresses could save even more ocean life. “If we turn around our emissions quickly, we could still lose something like 5 percent of marine species,” says co-author Curtis Deutsch, a climate scientist at Princeton University. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 

Thursday, April 28th, 2022 

Seven people are killed and four more injured in Abu Khashab, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria, inside the home of a former Syrian Democratic Forces official during the Ramadan iftar. The Islamic State is suspected. (AP) 

At least nine people are killed and thirteen injured by two bombs exploding on a pair of Shia-majority buses in Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh Province, Afghanistan. (Reuters) 

Two major explosions hit Kyiv, Ukraine after Russia conducts missile strikes. (Reuters) 

A pair of explosions are witnessed in southern Belgorod, Russia. It is unclear whether or not they were intentional. (Reuters) 

Moderna requests emergency use authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine in American babies, toddlers and young children. (The Washington Post) 

Joshua Jacques, who is suspected of being the perpetrator of a mass stabbing in Bermondsey, London, United Kingdom, three days earlier, is charged with four counts of murder. (Met Police) 

A small meteor travelling at an estimated 55,000 km/h explodes above east Mississippi, causing several sonic booms. (NBC News) 

EU, Ukraine call Russian gas shut-offs ‘blackmail’The European Union and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday accused Russia of “blackmail” after Russia’s state-controlled gas company, Gazprom, shut off natural gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria. The Kremlin warned it would cut off other countries if they didn’t comply with its demand they pay in roubles, which would help boost the Russian currency in the face of Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Poland and Bulgaria got enough natural gas from other EU members to maintain normal supplies to customers, but that could change if Russia shuts off supplies to Germany and Italy, much bigger customers. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been threatening to cut supplies to “unfriendly countries” for weeks. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Fauci says pandemic in new phase, not over Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the coronavirus crisis has eased since the unprecedented winter surge, but “by no means does that mean the pandemic is over.” Fauci this week told The Washington Post that the country had exited the “full-blown explosive pandemic phase.” He told the AP “we’ve now decelerated and transitioned into more of a controlled phase.” He said with new COVID-19 cases and deaths far below their winter peak, and nearly two-thirds of the population vaccinated, the challenge is learning to live with new and unpredictable variants. The pandemic’s U.S. death toll is expected to reach 1 million within weeks. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Moscow releases former U.S. Marine in prisoner swapThe United States and Russia said Wednesday they had made a prisoner exchange, with Moscow releasing former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed and the U.S. freeing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted on drug smuggling charges. The swap followed lengthy negotiations kept separate from tensions over Russia’s Ukraine invasion. Reed, who served on Camp David security duty during the Obama administration, was accused of endangering Russian police officers during a drunken night out, which he denies. At least two well-known Americans remain in Russian jails. Former Marine Paul Whelan was arrested in 2018 on espionage charges; WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow-area airport in February and accused of carrying hashish oil. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Southern California adopts emergency water restrictions Authorities in Southern California have imposed unprecedented water restrictions in response to the state’s worst drought on record, now in its third year. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California approved the emergency regulations on Tuesday. The rules will affect 6 million people in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties. Under the order, people who depend on water from the State Water Project will be limited to outdoor watering one day a week. The limits on non-essential water use, under penalty of fines, are designed to reduce consumption by 35 percent. More than 95 percent of California is in severe or extreme drought, up from about 66 percent three months ago. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Prosecutors charge Archegos leaders over ‘historic’ stock manipulation scheme Federal prosecutors on Wednesday arrested Archegos Capital Management owner Bill Hwang and his former chief financial officer, Patrick Halligan, on racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud charges. The leaders of the once-obscure private investment firm are accused of a stock manipulation scheme that “was historic in scope,” said Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Archegos allegedly misled banks to borrow money and place huge bets on a small number of stocks, inflating their values. When the scheme unraveled, Archegos collapsed, $100 billion in shareholder value vanished, and Wall Street banks suffered $10 billion in losses. Hwang was released on a $100 million bond. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

GOP lawmakers tell Mayorkas border ‘out of control’ Republican lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee grilled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday over the Biden administration’s immigration policies. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said the U.S.-Mexico border situation is “out of control.” Mayorkas said the Biden administration “inherited a broken and dismantled system” already under strain, and had handled the flow of migrants since taking over. “We have effectively managed an unprecedented number of noncitizens seeking to enter the United States and … disrupted more smuggling operations than ever before,” he said, conceding that there were problems but saying “only Congress can fix this.” Mayorkas is expected to face questions on plans to handle an expected influx of migrants when the Title 42 pandemic-related border restrictions end. CNN 

SpaceX launches crew with 1st Black woman making long-term ISS mission SpaceX on Wednesday launched four astronauts on a NASA mission to the International Space Station. The crew of three Americans and one Italian included Mission Specialist Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman to make a long-term spaceflight. The astronauts will conduct a science expedition in microgravity at the space station. SpaceX, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private spaceflight company, has sent five crews for NASA into orbit in the last two years, as well as two private groups, including a flight chartered by millionaires that splashed down two days before Wednesday’s launch. The three businessmen on that mission were NASA’s first private guests at the space station. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Facebook gains more users than expected Facebook parent Meta Platforms on Wednesday posted its slowest revenue growth since it went public a decade ago, but it also added more users than expected in the first quarter, sending its stock jumping more than 18 percent. Facebook said Russia’s war in Ukraine was partly to blame for the revenue problems. Meta’s stock plunged in February after it reported a worse-than-expected decline in late 2021 quarterly profits, as well as a weak revenue forecast. After that report, the stock fell 26 percent in its worst one-day plunge ever, wiping out more than $230 billion in market value. Before Wednesday’s gains, Meta shares had fallen nearly 44 percent since February’s dismal report. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Prosecutors charge Archegos leaders over ‘historic’ stock manipulation scheme Federal prosecutors on Wednesday arrested Archegos Capital Management owner Bill Hwang and his former chief financial officer, Patrick Halligan, on racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud charges. The leaders of the once-obscure private investment firm are accused of a stock manipulation scheme that “was historic in scope,” said Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Archegos allegedly misled banks to borrow money and placed huge bets on a small number of stocks, inflating their values. When the scheme unraveled, Archegos collapsed, $100 billion in shareholder value vanished, and Wall Street banks suffered $10 billion in losses. Hwang was released on a $100 million bond. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Government expected to report slow 1st-quarter growth The Commerce Department is expected to report Thursday that economic growth slowed sharply in the first quarter of 2022, with inflation-adjusted gross domestic product barely rising at all after robust growth late last year. But economists noted that the numbers, reflecting the impact of the winter Omicron-variant coronavirus wave, will be misleading. The COVID-19 surge hurt spending on restaurants and travel, but the report is expected to show solid gains in overall consumer spending and business investment, signaling resilience. “This is one of these reports where the headline is kind of a head fake,” said Ethan S. Harris, head of global economics for Bank of America. “It’s actually a pretty good quarter if you look at the underlying data.” REUTERSTHE NEW YORK TIMES 

Disney’s self-governing body says Florida can’t dissolve it without paying off debt Disney World’s self-governing body, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, says Florida can’t go ahead with its plan to dissolve it without paying off its $1 billion in bond debts, under a provision in the law that established the district. Florida created Reedy Creek in 1967 to allow Disney governmental control over development and public works in the area housing its central Florida theme parks. Reedy Creek’s statement came as Florida Republicans last week passed legislation to dissolve the district at the urging of Gov. Ron DeSantis in response to Disney’s criticism of the state’s Parental Rights in Education law, which critics call the “don’t say gay” bill. Disney hasn’t publicly commented on the law. CNN 

The End