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