Sunday, May 8th, 2022 

The Airline Operators of Nigeria announces that all of their airlines will suspend their domestic flights beginning on Monday, in protest of rising fuel prices caused by the war in Ukraine. (BBC News) 

Frank Langella says he’s ‘been canceled’ after Netflix firing Frank Langella has penned an essay on being fired by Netflix, and it takes no more than three words before cancel culture comes up. “I have been canceled,” he opens a piece for Deadline. “Just like that.” The Oscar-nominated actor was fired from Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher after allegedly being accused of misconduct on set. In the essay, he admits he ignored instructions from the intimacy coordinator and touch a female co-star’s leg during a love scene in a way they hadn’t agreed upon. “Legislating the placement of hands, to my mind, is ludicrous,” he claims. Langella says he was advised to show contrition and apologize in the wake of his firing, advice he also ignored by promptly complaining about cancel culture instead. “Cancel culture is the antithesis of democracy,” he writes. If the actor hasn’t already been contacted to appear on The Joe Rogan Experience, the invitation is surely coming.  DEADLINE 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine is open to continue peace talks with Russia if they guarantee the restoration of preinvasion borders, return the Ukrainians who were forcefully evacuated to Russia, and if Russian troops withdraw from the country. (Axios) 

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko claims that the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov was struck with Neptune anti-ship missiles off of Snake Island. Russia denies having any information of the strike. (Newsweek) 

Four Russian missiles strike the Ukrainian port city of Odessa. (Reuters) 

Thirty-five civilians are killed during an attack on a gold mine by CODECO rebels in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters) 

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly make an unannounced visit to Kyiv to meet with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (CTV News) 

U.S. First Lady Jill Biden makes an unannounced visit to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, and holds a Mother’s Day meeting with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska.  (CNN) 

The European Union recommends that the United States remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps from their terrorist organization blacklist. (Times of Israel) 

The office of Wisconsin Family Action, an anti-abortion group in Madison, Wisconsin, catches fire and is looted. Police discover a molotov cocktail and begin an arson investigation.  (ABC News) 

John Lee is elected as the 5th Chief Executive of Hong Kong. (The New York Times) 

Carlos Alcaraz defeats defending champion Alexander Zverev to win the men’s singles tennis title at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open. (BBC Sport) 

Up to 60 feared dead after Russia bombed Ukrainian school, local governor says  As many as 60 people may have been killed when Russian forces bombed a Ukrainian school, the local governor said Sunday. The school, located in Bilohorivka in the Russian-claimed Luhansk Oblast, was reportedly bombed on Saturday afternoon as around 90 people took shelter inside. “The fire was extinguished after nearly four hours, then the rubble was cleared, and, unfortunately, the bodies of two people were found,” Governor Serhiy Gaidai wrote on Telegram. The full death toll will not be known until the rubble is cleared. As of Sunday morning, 30 people had been rescued. REUTERS 

NYC subway shooting suspect indicted on terrorism charge Frank James, who allegedly shot 10 people in a New York City subway platform last month, has been indicted on two federal charges: committing a terrorist attack on a public transit system and discharging a firearm while committing a violent crime. Federal law considers violent attacks against mass transit to be inherently terroristic, meaning prosecutors will not need to prove a particular ideological motive. James could face life in prison for either charge. On his social media accounts, James said he struggled with mental health, criticized Mayor Eric Adams’ plan to expand the presence of mental health professionals on the subway, and asked “black Jesus” to “kill all the whiteys.” CNN 

Muslim women in Afghanistan must wear head-to-toe coverings in public, Taliban orders The Taliban government of Afghanistan announced Saturday that Muslim women would be required to wear head-to-toe coverings in public. “This is not a restriction on women but an order of the Quran,” said Akif Muhajir, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The new rule only allows a woman’s eyes to be exposed, meaning women must either wear a burqa or combine a veil and headscarf with a long robe called an abaya. Punishments for breaking the rule will be inflicted not on the women, but on their male guardians. Observers note that the Taliban’s treatment of women could make it more difficult to secure badly needed foreign aid. NPR 

Abbott is ‘attacking the people of Texas,’ O’Rourke says after Houston abortion rights rally Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke attended a large rally in Houston on Saturday to protest the Supreme Court’s draft decision that would overturn the constitutional right to an abortion. Thousands of people gathered at Discovery Green, a park in downtown Houston. Speaking to journalists after the rally, O’Rourke accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who is running for a third term and supports the state’s near-total ban on abortion, of “attacking the people of Texas” and ignoring the will of “the vast majority of Texans” who “want to protect the right of every woman to make her own health care decisions.” ABC13 

Nationalist party Sinn Fein wins in Northern Ireland Sinn Fein on Saturday secured a plurality of seats in Northern Ireland’s legislative assembly, becoming the first Irish nationalist party to do so. The party, which originated as the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, took 27 of the assembly’s 90 seats with the Democratic Unionist Party — which supports remaining with the United Kingdom — in second place with 24. Sinn Fein plans to appoint party leader Michelle O’Neill as first minister and has no plans to take immediate steps toward unifying Ireland. In 2019, O’Neill said that the U.K.’s departure from the European Union would lead to Irish unification “within a generation” and that the “genie is out of the bottle on Irish unity.” THE EVENING STANDARD 

At least 32 dead and 19 still missing after Havana hotel explosion, Red Cross official says Workers spent Saturday night searching for survivors amid the rubble of Cuba’s Hotel Saratoga after an explosion ripped through the Havana landmark on Friday. Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, an official from Cuba’s health ministry, said Saturday night that at least 27 people had been killed, while Gloria Bonnin of the Red Cross told state media the death toll was at least 32 and said 19 people were still missing. Izquierdo added that 81 people were injured and that among the dead were four children and a pregnant woman. Authorities say the explosion was caused by a gas leak. CNN 

Harris warns graduates of ‘unsettled’ world in commencement speech at HBCU Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the commencement address at Tennessee State University, a historically Black school, on Saturday. She told graduates that the “world that you graduate into is unsettled” and that “long-established principles now rest on shaky ground.” As examples, she cited the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade (1973), and the spread of online misinformation. She also praised graduates for persevering in their education during the COVID-19 pandemic and told them “there is no limit to your capacity for greatness.” ABC NEWS 

Security official who led crackdown on protesters wins rigged Hong Kong election John Lee, Beijing’s chosen candidate to replace Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, was elected to office on Sunday with more than 99 percent of the vote following an election in which he was the only candidate. Votes were cast by a 1,500-member committee, the members of which were carefully vetted by China’s central government. As a high-ranking security official, Lee led the crackdown against pro-democracy protesters in 2019 as the Chinese Communist Party sought to bring Hong Kong, which had continued to enjoy relative autonomy and Western-style freedoms since rejoining China in 1997, under direct control. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Rich Strike beats 80-1 odds to win Kentucky Derby Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, beating 80-1 odds to pull off the biggest upset since 1913. Rich Strike almost didn’t compete at all and was entered into the race only after another horse was “scratched out” — removed from competition due to signs of unsound condition — on Friday. Epicenter and Zandon finished second and third, respectively. Former President Donald Trump attended the race, where a super PAC supporting him was throwing a $75,000-a-head political fundraiser. Trump’s appearance on the big screen overlooking the track was greeted with cheers, boos, and a brief “U.S.A.” Chant. YAHOO! SPORTS 

Saturday, May 7th, 2022 

Ukrainian counteroffensive may drive Russians back from Kharkiv A Ukrainian counteroffensive could drive Russian forces back from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, according to the Institute for the Study of War. “The Ukrainian counteroffensive north and east of Kharkiv city secured further gains in the last 24 hours and may successfully push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days,” the U.S.-based think tank said Friday, adding that the Ukrainian operation “is developing into a successful, broader counteroffensive — as opposed to the more localized counterattacks that Ukrainian forces have conducted throughout the war.” Kharkiv, located in northeastern Ukraine, has been under constant threat since the war began. CNBCINSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR 

Ukraine says that all women, children, and elderly have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant. (Reuters) 

Sofia Sapega, the girlfriend of Belarusian activist Roman Protasevich, with whom she was detained when their flight was diverted by the Belarusian Air Force last year, is sentenced to six years in prison for “inciting social hatred”. The exiled Belarusian opposition condemns the verdict. (Reuters) 

Russian forces bomb a school in Bilohorivka, Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast. Only two deaths are confirmed but sixty people are believed to have been killed. (Reuters) 

Two colonels, two soldiers and four al-Qaeda insurgents are killed during clashes in Dhale Governorate, Yemen. (AP) 

Ten soldiers and one officer are killed during an attack at a checkpoint at a water pumping station in the Suez Canal, Egypt. (Reuters) 

Eight people are killed and 17 others injured during wildfires in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Siberia, Russia, that destroy hundreds of buildings in 16 settlements. The Federal Agency for Forestry blames high winds for worsening the fires and impacting firefighting efforts. (Reuters) 

The Taliban passes a law ordering all women in Afghanistan to cover their faces in public with a burqa. (Reuters) 

Iran preemptively shuts down the internet in Khuzestan province amid protests against a 200% increase in bread prices. (Iran International) 

One person is killed and six others injured in a mass shooting in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. (AP) 

Irish republican party Sinn Féin win the most seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly with 29% of the first-preference vote, marking the first time that a unionist party did not win the most seats since Northern Ireland’s establishment in 1921. (The Guardian) 

Former president of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announces his candidacy for the upcoming Brazilian presidential election in October, launching his candidacy with a message of “hope” and stating that he is ready to make “the greatest peaceful revolution” in the history of Brazil. (EFE) 

The 148th Kentucky Derby is held in Louisville, Kentucky with a full capacity for the first time since 2019 after two years of COVID-19 capacity restrictions. American thoroughbred Rich Strike wins the Derby in one of the largest upsets in history with an 80–1 odds to win. (CBS News)  

Trump wanted to kill Iranian military officer to boost reelection campaign, memoir alleges Former President Donald Trump wanted to kill a high-ranking military officer shortly before the 2020 election to boost his own campaign, former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper alleges in his forthcoming memoir, Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Defense Secretary in Extraordinary Times. According to Esper, who served as defense secretary from July 2019 until just after the 2020 election, the proposed strike “was a really bad idea with very big consequences” and had likely been pitched to the president as a way to “create news” that would benefit him politically. Esper also claims Trump asked him if the U.S. military could “quietly” fire “missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs.” THE GUARDIAN 

U.S. economy added 428,000 jobs in April Amid inflation concerns, the U.S. economy added more jobs last month than expected. The Labor Department said Friday the U.S. added 428,000 jobs in April, more than the roughly 400,000 that experts were predicting. The unemployment rate stayed at 3.6 percent. “Job growth was widespread, led by gains in leisure and hospitality, in manufacturing, and in transportation and warehousing,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Last month, the Labor Department said 431,000 jobs were added in March, though this number was revised down on Friday to 428,000. Friday’s report was released in the wake of U.S. gross domestic product contracting 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2022, the worst quarter since the pandemic began. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

News stories about the U.S. sharing intel with Ukraine are counterproductive, Biden tells officials President Biden told senior intelligence and defense officials on Friday that news stories about the U.S. sharing intelligence with Ukraine to aid in the fight against Russia have been counterproductive and that the leaks should stop. On Thursday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused Biden administration officials of “bragging about” sharing intelligence that helps Ukraine kill Russian soldiers in order to intentionally escalate the war. “Why would you tell people you are doing that? There is only one reason: because you want war with Russia,” Carlson said. Some administration officials have also reportedly expressed concerns that public disclosures about intelligence sharing could provoke Russia. NBC NEWS 

Federal judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Twitter U.S. District Court Judge James Donato dismissed former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Twitter on Friday, though Trump’s lawyers will have a chance to submit an amended complaint by May 27. Trump sued Twitter for banning him from the platform after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, claiming that Twitter violated the First Amendment, that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is unconstitutional, and that Twitter engaged in “deceptive and misleading” practices. Trump said last month that he would not rejoin Twitter even if new owner Elon Musk offered to reinstate his account. FOX BUSINESS 

Battle for early-state status in Dems’ 2024 presidential primary begins  A number of states and at least one territory have submitted applications to the Democratic National Committee to be considered for coveted early-state status in 2024’s Democratic presidential primary. The 16 applicants include New Jersey, Washington, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. Iowa, which has held the country’s first presidential nominating contest in every election since 1972, has applied to retain that slot. In shaking up the election’s early states, Democrats hope to eliminate caucuses and give more power to voters of color. POLITICO 

NLRB files complaint accusing Starbucks of over 200 violations at Buffalo stores  The National Labor Relations Board issued a compliant Friday accusing Starbucks of over 200 violations of federal labor law at its stores in Buffalo, home to the first Starbucks to unionize. “Starbucks will be held accountable for the union-busting minefield they forced workers to walk through in fighting for their right to organize. This Complaint fully unmasks Starbucks’ facade as a ‘progressive company,’” Starbucks Workers United said in a statement. The company denies that it broke the law. “We believe the allegations contained in the complaint are false, and we look forward to presenting our evidence when the allegations are adjudicated,” Starbucks spokesperson Reggie Borges said. CNBC 

Explosion at hotel in Cuba leaves at least 22 dead and more than 60 hospitalized  At least 22 are dead and more than 60 have been hospitalized after a Friday explosion ripped through Havana’s iconic Hotel Saratoga. Witnesses described a “massive blast” that destroyed buses and cars outside. The explosion, which tore off the hotel’s facade, is believed to have been caused by a gas leak. “It was not a bomb or an attack. It was an unfortunate accident,” said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who has visited the site of the explosion. BBC 

Harry and Meghan aren’t invited to appear on Buckingham Palace balcony during queen’s Jubilee Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will officially return to the U.K. to attend Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee, but they won’t be joining her on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Buckingham Palace said Friday the queen has decided that when she and other members of the royal family make an appearance on the palace balcony during the celebration of her 70th year on the throne, only those “who are currently undertaking official public duties” on her behalf will join her. That means Harry and Meghan aren’t invited, nor is Prince Andrew, who stepped back from public duties over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and has been accused of sexual assault. THE WEEK 

Friday,  May 6th, 2022 

The Orlando Police Pension Fund files a class-action lawsuit in the Delaware Chancery Court against Twitter Inc and Elon Musk, seeking to delay the acquisition of Twitter to 2025. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and eighteen others are injured when an explosion occurs in a residential building in Madrid, Spain. (AP) 

At least 26 people are killed and at least 74 others are injured by an explosion caused by a suspected gas leak at the Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba. (AP) 

Iran detains a Swedish man who was travelling as a tourist, allegedly in response to Sweden prosecuting Hamid Nouri, an Iranian official considered to be responsible for the mass killings of political prisoners in 1988. (AP) 

The U.S. Senate passes 62–33 a non-binding resolution barring the Biden administration from removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. (Haaretz) 

The Sri Lankan government declares a state of emergency in response to massive anti-government protests. (Reuters) 

Liam Neeson references his racism controversy in ‘Atlanta’ cameo Remember that time Liam Neeson casually admitted he once wanted to commit a racist murder? Allow him to remind you. On the latest episode of Atlanta, Neeson plays a fictional version of himself and has a conversation with Brian Tyree Henry’s character about “my transgression” — as in, that time the real Neeson in 2019 revealed that when a friend of his was raped by a Black man, he roamed the streets with a weapon hoping to get into a fight with a random Black person so he could kill them. In the episode, the fictional Neeson apologizes, but the scene takes a turn when Henry’s character forgives him and says it’s good to hear he doesn’t hate Black people. “No, no, no, no, I can’t stand the lot of you,” Neeson says. “Well, now I feel that way because you tried to ruin my career.” Clearly, poking fun at himself is included in Neeson’s very particular set of skills.  THE DAILY BEAST 

Kim Kardashian changed from Marilyn Monroe dress into a 2nd Marilyn Monroe dress Kim Kardashian is apparently going around assembling every dress that Marilyn Monroe ever wore like they’re Infinity Stones and she’s Thanos. The reality star made headlines when she went to the Met Gala this week in the actual dress Monroe wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to JFK in 1962. But on Friday, Kardashian said she changed out of that dress into … another Marilyn Monroe dress, this time the one she wore to the Golden Globes in 1962. In her “quest” to find the “Happy Birthday” dress, Kardashian said she came across this other one — and, get this, she also got her hands on the Golden Globe award that Monroe received that night. Kardashian received a lock of Monroe’s hair, too, so it’s looking suspiciously like some sort of demonic ritual to bring her back to life is about to happen. PAGE SIX 

Kevin Hart says Chappelle attacker getting his ‘a– whipped’ sent an important message What happened with Dave Chappelle this week was “one of those things that needed to happen,” comedian Kevin Hart says. Wait, let him explain. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the comedian spoke about Chappelle getting attacked on stage while performing stand-up this week, declaring this is something that “needed” to happen — specifically, the attacker ending up in the hospital. “Somebody getting their a– whipped sends a message to other people that were like, ‘You know, I was thinking about doing that, but after seeing that, I don’t really want to do that,” Hart said. Chappelle, meanwhile, spoke about the incident again on Thursday night, revealing he has spoken with the alleged attacker and learned his motive was apparently to “draw attention to” gentrification. “At least you got smacked by someone of repute,” Chapelle also joked to Chris Rock. “I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair.” Rock’s response? “I got smacked by the softest [N-word] that ever rapped.”  VARIETY 

Selena Gomez to make her debut as ‘SNL’ host Selena Gomez has her plans for next Saturday night set. The pop star and actress will make her debut as Saturday Night Live host on the May 14 episode, which will feature Post Malone as the musical guest. This will also be Post Malone’s first time on the show. “Mom … I think I’ve made it,” Gomez wrote on Instagram. “So grateful and so excited.” She’ll be following Benedict Cumberbatch, host of tomorrow night’s episode. The SNL appearance will come ahead of the second season of her Hulu comedy Only Murders in the Building, which teams her up with Steve Martin and Martin Short. Perhaps she can get some hosting advice from the former Martin, a member of the five-timers club? Last month, Gomez revealed she has been disconnected from the Internet for four years, so there’s a decent chance at least one joke of the Extremely Online variety goes slightly over her head.  DEADLINE 

The End