Friday,  May 27th, 2022 

Winnie the Pooh goes on a rampage in new horror movie  Here’s … Winnie! A new horror movie in the works, called Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, will see the beloved cartoon bear made into a horrifying slasher villain. In one still image released from the movie, a woman is chilling in a jacuzzi while a blood-thirsty Pooh and Piglet stand behind her, preparing to go in for a Jason-like kill. Director Rhys Waterfield told Variety the film involves Pooh and Piglet “going on a rampage” after Christopher Robin abandons them, leading them to “become feral.” Obviously, Disney has zero role in this project, which is legal because the original Winnie the Pooh stories became public domain this past January. On a related note, Mickey Mouse is currently slated to enter public domain in 2024, at which point we’re anticipating R-rated Mickey movies will just become an entire, disturbing subgenre.  BLOODY DISGUSTING 

Students stage walkouts to protest gun violence Students at schools across the United States staged walkouts on Thursday to protest gun violence in response to this week’s mass shooting of 19 4th graders and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. Students left classes for demonstrations at Oxford High School in Michigan, where four students died in a November shooting, and Saugus High School in California, where two died in a November 2019 shooting. Students from several Providence, Rhode Island, schools lay down for three minutes outside the Rhode Island State House. “Students don’t have to be quiet about it just because they’re a kid,” said Emma Janoff, a New York 11th grader and member of Students Demand Action, a national organization against gun violence. ABC NEWS 

‘Abbott Elementary’ creator slams people asking for ‘a school shooting episode’  The creator of Abbott Elementary will thankfully be ignoring fans’ absolutely awful idea for an episode. Quinta Brunson, who created and stars in the uplifting ABC sitcom set in an elementary school, said on Twitter it’s “wild how many people have asked for a school shooting episode” of the show in the wake of the horrific massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead in Texas this week. “People are that deeply removed from demanding more from the politicians they’ve elected and are instead demanding ‘entertainment,’” Brunson wrote, and she shared a bizarre message she received from a fan suggesting the series should end with a shooting in order to “get our government to understand why laws need to pass” — something real tragedies can’t even accomplish, let alone fictional ones. “We’re not okay,” Brunson concluded. “This country is rotting our brains.” PEOPLE 

The United States Department of State approves the sale of the M142 HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system to Australia. (Reuters) 

Seven people are killed by Russian shelling in downtown Kharkiv, according to local authorities. (Ukrinform) 

Russia expels five Croatian diplomats. (Reuters) 

The Russian defense ministry says that civil vessels are allowed to use a maritime humanitarian corridor to access the port of Mariupol, which Russia captured last week. (Reuters) 

The US seizes a Russian operated oil tanker carrying Iranian crude oil in Greece. The seizure is theorized to be part of US sanctions on Russian oil smuggling. (Reuters) 

British Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces a 25% levy, a so-called windfall tax, on the profits of energy companies in order to help fund emergency economic support amid a cost of living crisis in the UK. The extra support includes increased welfare payments for low-income households, disabled people and pensioners, as well as a universal grant of £400 towards energy bills. (BBC News) 

Fiji announces that it will become the 14th member of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific, amidst a visit by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to Kiribati. (Al Jazeera) 

New York court denies Trump appeal to avoid questioning A New York state appeals court ruled Thursday that former President Donald Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, must submit to questioning under oath as part of a civil investigation into their business practices. Trump’s lawyers had sought to block the testimony, arguing that the investigation being conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office was politically motivated. The legal team also said Trump and his children shouldn’t have to talk to James’ investigators because the operations of the family property business, the Trump Organization, are the subject of a criminal investigation as well. The court found that the Trumps were not being unfairly singled out. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

‘Goodfellas’ actor Ray Liotta dies at 67 Ray Liotta, the actor best known for his lead role in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, has died. He was 67. Liotta died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film Dangerous Waters. Authorities did not immediately release a cause of death. Liotta played gangster Henry Hill in the classic 1990 mob film Goodfellas, starring alongside Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci less than 10 years after making his acting debut in The Lonely Lady. Liotta’s other notable films included Field of Dreams and Hannibal. More recently, he appeared in Marriage Story and The Many Saints of Newark. He also won an Emmy for a guest role on ER. DEADLINE 

Macy’s, Dollar Tree report strong sales Shares of major retailers surged on Thursday after Macy’s and Dollar Tree reported strong quarterly sales despite high inflation. Shoppers increased spending on clothes for work and special occasions, and bought necessities at discount stores to save as fuel and food costs jumped. Dollar General reported flat sales but raised its full-year outlook. Shares of Dollar General and Dollar Tree jumped 14 percent and 22 percent, respectively. Retailers said despite the strong quarter, rising prices remained a growing threat. “Consumers are still spending, but headwinds are getting increasingly fierce,” Macy’s Chief Executive Jeff Gennette told The Wall Street Journal. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Broadcom agrees to buy VMware in $61 billion deal Semiconductor maker Broadcom announced Thursday it has agreed to buy the software company VMware. The $61 billion deal would be the world’s second-biggest proposed acquisition of the year behind Microsoft’s $75 billion offer for video game maker Activision Blizzard, according to Dealogic data. Buying VMware would give Broadcom computing tools popular with many corporations, and give it a strong position in data-center and cloud computing technology. VMware has more than 500,000 global customers, including cloud-computing giants Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Home supply rises as owners rush to sell before market cools  The supply of homes for sale increased by 9 percent last week compared to the same time a year ago as sharply higher mortgage rates triggered a sudden drop in home sales, according to Realtor.com. “Rising mortgage rates have caused the housing market to shift, and now home sellers are in a hurry to find a buyer before demand weakens further,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at real estate brokerage Redfin. Numerous signs have indicated recently that the market is softening after people seeking more space during the pandemic took advantage of low mortgage rates and drove prices higher. Pending home sales dropped nearly 4 percent in April compared to March. CNBC 

The value of the Lebanese pound falls to 35,600 pounds against the U.S. dollar, its lowest value ever. (Al Jazeera) 

The US seizes a Russian owned oil tanker carrying Iranian crude oil in Greece and has transferred the cargo to another ship destined for the US. It is unclear if the seizure was due to US sanctions against Iran or US sanctions on Russia. (Reuters) 

Italian fossil fuel company Eni signs an agreement with Algerian state-owned company Sonatrach to both explore up to 3 billion cubic meters of gas and launch a pilot green hydrogen project in the Algerian desert. The agreement comes as Italy looks to decrease its dependence on Russian gas in light of the conflict in Ukraine. (Al Jazeera) 

Quebec will begin offering the Imvamune vaccine after 25 cases of monkeypox were confirmed in the province. (Montreal Gazette) 

The UK Health Security Agency says that it has procured 20,000 doses of a smallpox vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic as part of an effort to combat the increase in monkeypox cases. (Reuters) 

The Iraqi parliament prohibits all attempts at normalizing relations with Israel with the punishment of life imprisonment or capital punishment. The law was introduced by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose party won the most seats in the last election. (Reuters)  

The Polish Parliament passes a law replacing the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court, established by a controversial judicial reform bill, with a new body, in order to allow the European Union to unfreeze €35 billion in COVID-19 recovery funds earmarked to the country. (Reuters) 

Thursday, May 26th, 2022 

Coronavirus vaccines offer limited help against long COVID Coronavirus vaccines may provide only limited protection against long COVID, according to a new paper published Wednesday in Nature Medicine. Six months after an initial COVID-19 diagnosis, vaccinated patients were 15 percent less likely than unvaccinated people to get long COVID, which the CDC says affects 1 in 5 adult U.S. COVID survivors. The research showed that vaccination reduced the risk of lung and blood clot disorders, but not other symptoms. “This was disappointing,” said lead author Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development service at VA Saint Louis Health Care System. “I was hoping to see that vaccines offer more protection.” The data confirmed that vaccination significantly reduced the risk of serious illness and death, though. THE WASHINGTON POST

The US seizes a Russian operated oil tanker carrying Iranian crude oil in Greece. The seizure is theorized to be part of US sanctions on Russian oil smuggling. (Reuters) 

Russian lawmakers remove maximum age for military service Russian lawmakers on Wednesday rushed through a law eliminating the upper age limit for contractual military service. The State Duma, or lower house, passed the bill on three readings in a single session. The upper house, the Federation Council, promptly approved the bill, sending it to President Vladimir Putin for his signature. The move comes as Russian forces suffer heavy casualties in Ukraine, which Russia invaded three months ago. Until the change becomes official, only Russians aged 18 to 40 and foreigners aged 18 to 30 can enlist as professional Russian soldiers. The bill’s authors said the change would help attract medical personnel, engineers, and other specialists with “required skills.” REUTERSRADIO FREE EUROPE 

Fed minutes point to more rate hikes to tame inflation    Federal Reserve officials said in their policy meeting earlier this month that they might have to raise interest rates high enough to weaken the economy to accomplish their goal of bringing inflation down from a four-decade high, according to minutes of the meeting released Wednesday. Policymakers said they could “assess the effects” of rapid rate hikes after several months, and slow the pace of the increases, depending on the state of the economy. During the May 3-4 meeting, the Fed raised its benchmark short-term interest rate by a half-point, instead of the usual quarter-point shift. Most of the central bank’s leaders said further half-point hikes “would likely be appropriate” at June and July meetings. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Heavy fighting between DRC forces and the M23 movement continues in Rumangabo and Kibumba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters) 

The Caliph of the Islamic State Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi is arrested in Istanbul, Turkey. (Bloomberg) 

Quebec will begin offering the Imvamune vaccine after 25 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the province. (Montreal Gazette) 

The UK Health Security Agency says that it has produced 20,000 doses of a smallpox vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic in an effort to combat the rise of monkeypox cases. (Reuters) 

American actor Kevin Spacey is charged by UK prosecutors with four counts of sexually assaulting four men. (Reuters) 

The Canadian national soccer team cancels a match with Iran following criticism because of the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by the IRGC. (Sportsnet) 

CBO warns inflation will remain high through 2022 High inflation could ease but will likely remain uncomfortably high for the rest of 2022, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. The nonpartisan agency forecasts that the consumer price index will rise 6.1 percent for the entire year, down from a current four-decade high of 8.3 percent. The CBO said the rate would slow to 3.1 percent in 2023, still above the 2.3 percent long-term baseline, and wouldn’t fall to targeted levels until 2024. “People’s desire to consume more goods than businesses can produce is leading to a rise in prices,” said Adam Ozimek, chief economist at the Economic Innovation Group. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Ex-reality TV star Josh Duggar sentenced to 12 years on child pornography charges A judge in Arkansas on Wednesday sentenced former reality TV star Josh Duggar, 34, to more than 12 years in prison for his convictions on federal child pornography charges. Duggar, who appeared on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, was arrested in 2021 and accused of downloading photos and videos of sexual child abuse. His legal team had requested a five-year sentence. Prosecutors had asked for 20 years. “While this is not the sentence we asked for, this is a lengthy sentence,” U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes said Wednesday. Duggar’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who appeared with their 19 children in the TV series from 2008 to 2015, said they will “never stop praying for Joshua, and loving him.” TODAY 

Wendy’s shares surge on news of possible sale, merger Wendy’s shares jumped 11 percent on Wednesday, a day after the burger chain’s chairman, Nelson Peltz, said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the company’s board would consider a possible sale or merger. Peltz’s management fund, Trian Partners, initiated the search for a potential deal. “Our board is committed to continuing to act in the best interests of the company and its stockholders,” Wendy’s said in a statement. “Consistent with its fiduciary duties, the board will carefully review any proposal submitted by Trian Partners.” Trian is Wendy’s largest shareholder, owning more than 19 percent of its shares. The stock is down 23 percent in the last 12 months. CNN

Big-city populations shrink further in pandemic migration Big-city populations continued to fall last year as Americans, many newly free to work remotely, moved to smaller towns where they could afford bigger homes, according to census figures released Thursday. In nine cities with more than one million residents, populations fell by 1.7 percent. New York City, the nation’s largest, lost 3.5 percent of its population. Los Angeles and Chicago, the nation’s No. 2 and No. 3 cities, lost 1 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. In the large city category, only Phoenix and San Antonio gained residents. Midsize cities with 500,000 to one million people lost a smaller percentage of their populations, 0.7 percent. Growth was flat in cities with 250,000 to 500,000 people, while those with 100,000 to 250,000 grew 0.1 percent. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

The End

Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 

Gas prices continue to rise, hit $4.71 per gallon The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline reached $4.71 nationwide, up 33 cents in the past two weeks, industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday. She said the increase was due to rising crude oil prices and limited gasoline supplies. The fuel market has been roiled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has disrupted distribution networks and prompted a U.S. embargo on Russian oil. The current U.S. price is up $1.61 from the same time last year. The average price of diesel jumped 9 cents in the last two weeks to $5.66 per gallon. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

NATO calls Russia’s Ukraine invasion a ‘big strategic mistake’ NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told participants at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “made a big strategic mistake” by ordering his military to invade Ukraine. Tuesday marked three months of fighting, with no immediate hope for peace. Russia has suffered huge losses and abandoned an attempt to seize the capital, Kyiv. It is now focusing on expanding areas in eastern Ukraine that pro-Russian separatists controlled before the war. Russia intensified its offensive in the Donbas region, and tried to surround Ukrainian fighters in Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Rubizhne. Russian forces are bombarding Severodonetsk mercilessly, local commanders report. If Russia captures the city, it will control the Luhansk region, Britain’s Foreign Ministry said. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Former President of Moldova Igor Dodon is arrested for charges including corruption and treason. (Euronews) 

The Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk is hit by Russian missiles, wounding several people. (AP) 

A Russian cruise missile strike destroys a shopping centre and several homes in the city of Zaporizhzhia, killing one person and wounding three others. At least 62 homes were damaged, according to local officials. (Ukrinform) 

Marks & Spencer announces that it is permanently closing all of its 48 stores in Russia, which employ 1,200 people, saying it is a “values-led business”. (Sky News) 

Russian Ground Forces seize control of Svitlodarsk in Donetsk Oblast, according to regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. (Reuters) 

Russia’s State Duma approves a bill removing the upper age limit for contractual service in the Russian Armed Forces. The bill will now head to President Vladimir Putin to sign into law. (Reuters) 

The United States Department of Treasury announces that it will not renew the sanctions exemption which permits Russia to service its sovereign debt to American investors. Allowing the exemption to expire increases the likelihood that Russia will default on that debt this summer. (The Wall Street Journal) 

Woody Harrelson ‘doesn’t believe in the germ theory’ Not since his Reddit Ask Me Anything has a Woody Harrelson interview gone so off the rails. In a conversation with Vanity Fair, the actor bemoaned “absurd” COVID-19 protocols on film sets, calling them “not very conducive to good work” and proclaiming he finds them ridiculous “as one who doesn’t believe in the germ theory.” Harrelson went on to argue that during the pandemic, states that “didn’t do the protocols fared better by far than the states that did,” and he slammed “idiocy” that came from “top medical officials in the U.S., like Fauci.” The Zombieland star can assure us he’s an expert in this field, though, because “it’s been seven and a half years since I got sick” due to his immune system being strong. “I’m internally clean,” he said. Who needs medical advice from Dr. Fauci when you can get it from the cast of Venom: Let There Be Carnage?  VANITY FAIR 

Florence Pugh slams rumors she’s dating Will Poulter The death of Florence Pugh and Zach Braff’s relationship has been greatly exaggerated. Pugh has shut down rumors she’s dating Will Poulter, her co-star in Midsommar, after fans raised eyebrows over photos of them at the beach. The 26-year-old Little Women star said she and Poulter were there with their friends, who “are always about a half a metre away from us in every picture” but were “cleverly cut out” of the ones that went viral to make it seem like there’s something romantic going on. “I understand that the nature of this job is that you sometimes get your privacy completely bulldozed by paparazzi,” she wrote, “but to fabricate this stuff actually does more damage than good.” Pugh, who’s been dating Braff for a few years, thanked everyone for “saying we look sexy” but stressed that this “doesn’t mean we’re doing the sexy.” Sometimes celebrity gossip can be a beach.  PAGE SIX 

M23 fighters besiege a military base in Rumangabo, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters) 

Fighting breaks out between Arab and Tama gold miners in the Kouri Bougoudi district of Northern Chad. The rebel Front for Change and Concord in Chad group says that over 200 people have been killed. (Reuters) 

Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt signs HB 4327 into law, making Oklahoma the first state in the United States to completely ban abortion. (ABC News) 

At least five people are killed when a bomb explodes at a Shia mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Reuters) 

Nine passengers are killed when improvised explosive devices hidden inside a group of minivans detonate in Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh Province. (AP) 

Colombian and Venezuelan intelligence officials confirm the death of Miguel Botache Santillana, alias Gentil Duarte, top leader of the FARC dissidents. (Caracol Radio) 

Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik is sentenced to life in prison by a special Indian court. (Reuters) 

A series of bomb threats were made via email to schools and government institutions in Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, prompting evacuations. No bombs have been found. (N1) 

Gunman kills 19 students, 2 adults at Texas elementary school A gunman killed at least 19 students and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, in the deadliest elementary-school shooting in Texas history. Police identified the attacker, who was killed in a shootout with law enforcement officers, as Salvador Ramos, 18. Investigators said Ramos shot and wounded his grandmother and fled in a car that crashed outside the school. Armed with two rifles, he allegedly entered the school of about 600 2nd- to 4th-graders and opened fire. Ambulances rushed several wounded people to hospitals. President Biden offered assistance to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and renewed a call for gun reform. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage?” Biden asked. SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWSTHE TEXAS TRIBUNE 

University of California to pay record settlement in sexual abuse case The University of California system agreed Tuesday to pay another $374.4 million to settle lawsuits filed by hundreds of women who accused a former UCLA gynecologist of sexual assault. The agreement covers 312 former patients who say the doctor, James Heaps, abused them during what were supposed to be medical examinations between 1983 and 2018. The latest settlement brings the total payouts in cases involving Heaps to nearly $700 million, the most ever paid by a public university to settle sexual abuse allegations. Heaps specialized in cancer treatment. Some of the plaintiffs were cancer patients. A few had late-stage, terminal cancers. One died before a Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the settlement. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Biden expected to sign police reform executive order President Biden on Wednesday is expected to sign an executive order to reform federal policing, two years after the death of George Floyd. Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who pinned him to the ground for nine minutes, restricting his breathing. Biden will direct federal agencies to revise their use-of-force policies and create a database of officers fired for misconduct. He will also restrict the transfer of most military equipment to police agencies, The New York Times reported. The White House started working on the order last year when police reform failed in the Senate. A leaked draft reportedly drew an angry reaction from policing groups, but the White House made the final version more centrist. CBS NEWS 

NOAA predicts 7th straight unusually active hurricane season The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned Tuesday that the looming Atlantic hurricane season will likely be unusually active. The agency’s annual hurricane season outlook predicted 14 to 21 named storms, with six to 10 reaching hurricane strength. Three to six could become major hurricanes, Category 3 or greater. This would be the seventh straight year of above-average activity. The last two seasons used up the list of 21 storm names, an unprecedented burst of activity. The 2020 season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record. This year’s forecast is based on increasing Atlantic and Caribbean temperatures, plus a La Niña event bringing cooler waters to the tropical Pacific. AXIOS 

U.S. births edge higher after pandemic plummet U.S. births increased by 1 percent last year compared with 2020, although there were still fewer births than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit, according to a government report released Tuesday. There were nearly 3.7 million births reported in the U.S. last year, up from 3.6 million the year before but 86,000 fewer than in 2019. U.S. births were falling for more than a decade before the coronavirus crisis started. Officials speculated that last year’s rise was partly due to couples who had delayed trying to get pregnant early in the pandemic. Deliveries were extremely low in January but picked up later in the year, said Brady Hamilton of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Airbnb halts rentals in China Airbnb will stop offering homes and experiences inside China and instead focus on helping Chinese tourists find accommodations in other countries, an Airbnb official said Tuesday. The announcement also confirmed a Monday report by CNBC that Airbnb would maintain an office in Beijing with hundreds of employees. San Francisco-based Airbnb launched operations in China in 2016 but has faced increasing domestic competition. The company also saw a sharp drop in bookings due to China’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns, which are still affecting many cities. Other foreign internet companies such as Yahoo and eBay previously withdrew from China due to the dual challenges of local rivals and government regulations. CNBC 

MSNBC hires Jen Psaki Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has joined MSNBC, where she will appear on cable and streaming programs and host her own show, the network said Tuesday. Psaki’s program, scheduled to launch in early 2023, will “bring together her unique perspective from behind the podium and her deep experience in the highest levels of government and presidential politics,” MSNBC said. “Breaking down the facts and getting to the bottom of what’s driving the issues that matter most to people in this country has never been more important,” Psaki tweeted. Psaki, who served in the White House for President Biden’s first 16 months in office, is also expected to participate in NBC and MSNBC coverage of the midterms and the 2024 presidential election. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Pfizer to offer 23 drugs, vaccines at low cost in poorer countries Pfizer said Wednesday it will sell 23 products, including its COVID-19 vaccine, at not-for-profit prices to some of the world’s poorest countries. The drugmaker said it will charge only enough to cover manufacturing and “minimal” distribution costs for the drugs, which will also include its COVID treatment Paxlovid. Pfizer — which announced the program at the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland — said the other drugs would include medicines and vaccines to treat infectious diseases, cancers, and other conditions. The initiative is part of an effort to increase health equity in 45 countries, mostly in Africa but also including Haiti, Syria, Cambodia, and North Korea. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

FTC examines industry role in baby formula shortage The Federal Trade Commission announced Tuesday that it is investigating industry’s role in the shortage of baby formula in the United States. “The FTC is launching a public inquiry to identify the factors that contributed to the shortage or hampered our ability to respond to it,” FTC chairwoman Lina M. Khan said in a statement. “Learning from this experience can help determine how we can minimize the risk of similar shortages in the markets for other life-sustaining products.” The agency said it would examine how industry consolidation affected supply, and whether online resellers had taken advantage of the crisis to unfairly profit at the expense of families desperately searching for enough formula to feed their infants. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Glencore to pay $1.5 billion to resolve bribery cases Commodities firm Glencore said Tuesday it will pay $1.5 billion in penalties to resolve corruption allegations in the U.S., Britain, and Brazil. The company said $700 million would go to settling a bribery inquiry in the U.S. Another $486 million will resolve market manipulation allegations, and $166 million in fines are earmarked for an investigation by the British Serious Fraud Office. Glencore has indicated it will plead guilty to U.K. bribery charges next month. The Anglo-Swiss company also agreed to pay $40 million in a Brazil bribery case. The U.S. Justice Department said its case against Glencore involved a “decade-long scheme” to “make and conceal corrupt payments and bribes” in Africa and Latin America. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Ricky Gervais sparks backlash for jokes about trans people Netflix is facing yet another trans jokes controversy, and this time, Dave Chappelle isn’t even involved. In his new special that debuted Tuesday on Netflix, comedian Ricky Gervais makes numerous graphic jokes about transgender people. Mere minutes in, he jokes about ” old fashioned women,” the “ones with wombs,” which he contrasts with “the new women,” the “ones with beards and c–ks.” As part of a tirade against cancel culture, Gervais also complains that saying “women don’t have penises” can get you “canceled on Twitter.” Later, he assures viewers that “in real life, of course I support trans rights,” though this just leads to another graphic punchline: “But meet me halfway, ladies: Lose the c–k.” The special quickly sparked significant backlash online, with the LGBTQ website PinkNews labeling it “an anti-trans garbage fire” and Variety‘s Daniel D’Addario saying it proves that Netflix is “not on anyone’s side but its own.” And with that, Netflix’s rocky year just got even rockier.  VARIETY 

Seth Green’s NFT show hits a snag after his Bored Ape is ‘literally kidnapped’ It would appear there might be some issues with building entire shows around NFTs other than nobody wanting to watch them. Seth Green has been developing a show called White Horse Tavern, which is based on characters in his NFT collection. But Green has run into a problem: a scammer has stolen four of his NFTs, meaning “he lost the commercial rights to his show’s cartoon protagonist, a scruffy Bored Ape named Fred Simian, whose likeness and usage rights now belong to someone else,” BuzzFeed News reports. Green says he bought the ape last year and spent the “last several months developing and exploiting the IP to make it into the star of this show.” But “days before he’s set to make his world debut,” Green said, “he’s literally kidnapped.” Hey, if getting his beloved Fred back doesn’t work out, at least Green may have just stumbled upon a great plot for Taken 4.  BUZZFEED NEWS 

Tuesday,  May 24th, 2022 

Ukrainian authorities say that about 200 dead people are found in the rubble of an apartment building in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. (AP) 

Hungary declares a state of emergency over the war in Ukraine and problems in the Hungarian economy caused in part by the conflict. (Reuters) 

Eleven people are killed during a mass shooting at a hotel in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. (Reuters) 

Twenty-one people are killed in a shootout between Brazilian police and the Comando Vermelho gang in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. (Reuters) 

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers votes to go on a national strike in the United Kingdom for the first time since 1994 after demanding a “decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies”. (BBC News) 

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announces that Germany has ordered 40,000 doses of the smallpox vaccine as a precaution, after the country reported its first case of monkeypox. (Axios) 

Nineteen children and two teachers are killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, United States. The perpetrator, a local 18-year-old high school student, is killed by police. The gunman had also shot and critically wounded his grandmother earlier in the day. (ABC News) 

The Russian State Duma passes a bill that will allow state prosecutors to close Russian bureaus of media outlets from countries that Russia deems “unfriendly”. The bill will now need to be passed by the upper house and receive President Putin’s signature. (Reuters) 

Anglo-Swiss commodity trading company Glencore pleads guilty to fraud charges related to bribery and price manipulation when pursuing preferential access to oil contracts. The company expects to pay total fines of $1.5 billion. (Swissinfo) 

The Premier League approves the sale of Chelsea F.C. to a U.S. consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich decided to sell the club after he was sanctioned over his connections to the Russian government. (BBC Sport) 

theweek.com/speed-reads/1013808/russia-is-seeing-localized-successes-in-eastern-ukraine-growing-criticism-at 

Three people are killed when a drone is shot down in Sanaa. (AP) 

Eleven people are killed in a mass shooting in Celaya, Guanajuato. (Reuters) 

Eleven people are killed in a shootout between Brazilian police and the Comando Vermelho crime gang in a Rio de Janeiro favela. (Reuters) 

Ukrainian authorities say that about 200 dead bodies were found in the rubble of an apartment building in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. (AP) 

Sri Lanka increases fuel prices to help public finances and combat a debilitating economic crisis. Acting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warns that “there is a possibility that inflation will increase further”. (CNA) 

The Korean Central News Agency reports that North Korea has a total of 3 million cases of COVID-19. (Korea Herald) 

The Czech Republic confirms its first case of monkeypox. (Reuters) 

England detects 14 more cases of monkeypox, bringing the case toll to 70 in the country. (Reuters) 

Hungary announces a state of emergency over the war in Ukraine and problems in the Hungarian economy caused in part by the conflict. (Reuters) 

The Russian State Duma passes a bill that allows state prosecutors to close Russian bureaus of media outlets from countries Russia deems “unfriendly”. The bill awaits passage through the upper house and President Putin’s signature. (Reuters) 

Zelensky calls for ‘maximum’ Russia sanctions in Davos address Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday delivered a virtual speech to world leaders attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, urging them to impose “maximum” sanctions on Russia for invading his country. Zelensky said more nations should embargo Russian oil and block its banks, and foreign companies should pull out of Russia. He added that Ukraine needs at least $5 billion per month in aid. “We need to rebuild entire cities and industries,” Zelensky said. He added that if other nations had provided all the weapons and other aid Ukraine needed in February, when Russia invaded, “the result would be tens of thousands of lives saved.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Biden tells Indo-Pacific leaders Ukraine war is a shared challenge President Biden on Tuesday told fellow Indo-Pacific leaders in Tokyo that they are all “navigating a dark hour in our shared history” as they respond to Russia’s “brutal and unprovoked” invasion of Ukraine. “This is more than just a European issue. It’s a global issue,” Biden said at a summit of the “Quad” countries — the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. Biden’s remarks “appeared to be pointed, at least in part, at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” leader of the only Quad country that “has not imposed sanctions or even condemned Russia, its biggest supplier of military hardware,” The Associated Press reports. In his comments, Modi mentioned several trade programs but didn’t bring up the war in Ukraine. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DOJ revises use-of-force policy The Justice Department has revised its policy on the use of force by requiring federal law-enforcement agents to intervene if they see someone using excessive violence. Attorney General Merrick Garland detailed the change in a memo circulated on Friday and posted on the department’s website Monday, two days before the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died when a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee onto his neck for nine minutes as other officers helped or looked on without intervening. The case fueled protests over police killings. “It is the policy of the Department of Justice to value and preserve human life,” Garland wrote. State and local police are not required to follow the federal standard. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Russian diplomat resigns over Ukraine war Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev resigned Monday from his post in the United Nations office in Geneva to protest the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. “Never have I been so ashamed of my country as on Feb. 24 of this year,” Bondarev wrote in his resignation message, which was also posted on LinkedIn. He called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “aggressive war” a crime against both the Ukrainian and the Russian people. Bondarev’s “scathing letter is one of the most high-profile critiques of the war” from within the Russian government, The Washington Post reports. The Kremlin didn’t immediately comment, but Putin previously dismissed people expressing dissent as “scum and traitors.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Pfizer says COVID booster effective in kids under 5 A booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine produces a strong immune response in children under 5, Pfizer said Monday. The company said a trial examining a third dose of its vaccine in young kids found its efficacy to be 80.3 percent in children between six months and under 5 years old. Children in the trial received a third shot, a smaller dose than adults receive, two months after the second dose. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company hopes to soon ask regulators to approve the booster for young children. BioNTech founder Ugur Sahin said the booster appears to provide “high level of protection against the recent COVID-19 strains.” CNN 

Anaheim mayor resigns under federal corruption investigation Anaheim, California, Mayor Harry Sidhu resigned Monday amid a federal public corruption investigation connected to the $320 million sale of Angel Stadium. Six City Council members had called on him to step down. Sidhu’s attorney, Paul Meyer, said the mayor denied wrongdoing and was stepping aside to let the city “move forward without distraction.” In an affidavit filed earlier this month, the FBI said Sidhu gave the Angels confidential information at least twice during the city’s talks with the team on selling the stadium. He allegedly hoped the team would make a million-dollar donation to his campaign. The affidavit also accused Sidhu of obstructing an Orange County grand jury investigation. He hasn’t been charged. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Starbucks announces it’s leaving Russia Starbucks announced Monday that it is leaving Russia after operating in the country for 15 years. The coffee giant joins a rising number of companies from the United States and other countries that have decided to exit the Russian market over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. McDonald’s, Exxon Mobil, and British American Tobacco have already announced they are ending operations in Russia. Starbucks said it would pay its nearly 2,000 Russian employees for another six months and help them find other jobs. Starbucks had already suspended its Russia business activities on March 8, closing cafes and halting shipments of Starbucks products. CNBC 

Snap shares drop after it warns it will miss estimates  Snap shares plunged by more than 30 percent in after-hours trading after the Snapchat parent warned Monday that its second-quarter revenue would probably come in below its earlier guidance because the economy has “deteriorated further and faster than anticipated.” The company said in late April it expected revenue to grow between 20 percent and 25 percent compared to a year earlier, but it now expects something short of the low end of that range. The company said in a memo reported late Monday by The Wall Street Journal that it would slow hiring and seek other cost savings for the rest of 2022, saying this remains “a significant investment year” as it follows through with plans to add 500 employees by the start of 2023. MARKETWATCH 

28 Activision Blizzard workers to join union Workers in Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software subsidiary voted Monday to join the Communication Workers of America union in the video game industry’s most high-profile successful labor organizing win. Under the 19-to-3 vote, 28 quality assurance testers who work on the company’s popular Call of Duty game series will be forming a union they’ll call the Game Workers Alliance. “Our biggest hope is that our union serves as inspiration for the growing movement of workers organizing at video game studios to create better games and build workplaces that reflect our values and empower all of us,” alliance members said in a statement. Activision Blizzard spokesperson Kelvin Liu said the company respects “the right of all employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union.” NPR 

Monday,  May 23rd, 2022 

Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev says that he has resigned in protest following the invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters) 

Eleven people are killed and dozens are injured when a building collapses in Abadan, Iran. (BBC) 

Telangana reports its first case of the Omicron BA.5 variant in an 80-year old person with no history of travel. (The Indian Express) 

Beijing extends its stay-at-home order for workers and students and also orders mass COVID-19 testing amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city. (ABC News) 

Pfizer and BioNTech say that their COVID-19 vaccine is 80% effective in young children. (The Washington Post) 

England reports 36 more monkeypox cases, thereby bringing the total number of cases in the country to 56. (Reuters) 

The U.S. CDC says that American health officials are in the process of releasing Jynneos vaccines to combat monkeypox cases. (Axios) 

Pakistan launches a new anti-polio drive after a third case of the disease is reported in the country. (The Register Citizen) 

President of the United States Joe Biden states that American troops would defend Taiwan militarily in the event of a Chinese invasion, a departure from a traditional policy of strategic ambiguity. (The New York Times) 

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatens to launch a new military incursion into northern Syria, targeting US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and expanding its occupation zone along Syria’s northern border with Turkey. (Al-Monitor) 

In the first trial for war crimes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin, a Russian soldier, is sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting a 62-year-old civilian. (CNN) 

A security guard is killed at the Qatari embassy in Paris, France. (Reuters) 

Russian soldier sentenced to life in 1st Ukraine war crimes trial  A Ukrainian court on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for killing a Ukrainian civilian, in the first war crimes trial since Russia invaded Feb. 24. Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin pleaded guilty to fatally shooting the civilian, 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov, as he was pushing his bicycle in a northeastern Ukraine village near the Russian border early in the invasion. Shishimarin testified that an officer ordered him to fire, saying the civilian might have been using his cellphone to tell Ukrainian forces where the Russians were. Shelipov “died on the spot,” yards from his home, said Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova. During the trial, Shishimarin asked the victim’s widow to forgive him. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Biden says U.S. would defend Taiwan against China President Biden said Monday the U.S. would defend Taiwan militarily if China ever invaded. “That’s the commitment we made,” Biden said. The statement veered from the traditional U.S. “strategic ambiguity” on how far the U.S. would go to protect Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province. “We agreed with the One China policy, we signed on to it,” Biden said, “but the idea that [Taiwan] can be taken by force is just not appropriate.” He said the need to stand up for Taiwan was “even stronger” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act calls for the U.S. to make sure Taiwan has the means to defend itself, but doesn’t require U.S. intervention. A White House official insisted Biden was merely reemphasizing the 1979 pledge to help Taiwan defend itself. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Polish leader visits Kyiv as Ukraine rules out ceding land to Russia  Polish President Andrzej Duda on Sunday made his second visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv since April. Duda said Ukraine does not have to make concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian officials ruled out ceding territory in any ceasefire deal, and Duda expressed support, saying, “Only Ukraine has the right to decide about its future.” Duda’s visit came as Russia pushed to expand the territory Russia-backed separatists have held in the Donbas region since 2014. Russia has declared full control over the strategically important port city of Mariupol, where the last Ukrainian defenders surrendered at a steel plant last week. CNBC 

Biden unveils Asia-Pacific trade deal President Biden on Monday announced a trade deal with 12 Asia-Pacific nations to counter China and boost economic engagement in the region, five years after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the sweeping Trans-Pacific Partnership. Biden, making his first trip to Asia as president, announced the new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity in Tokyo after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. “Biden hopes IPEF will blunt criticism that he had not included a trade component in his security-heavy Indo-Pacific strategy,” the Financial Times reports. The agreement includes India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. FINANCIAL TIMES 

Military jet brings 1st baby formula shipment from Europe U.S. military aircraft flew from Germany to Indianapolis with 78,000 pounds of baby formula on Sunday. The 132 pallets of hypoallergenic, prescription Nestlé Health Science formula will go to babies who are intolerant of protein in cow milk in parts of the country facing the most severe shortages of infant formula, a Biden administration told CNN. The shipment, which was trucked from Switzerland to Germany before being loaded onto the U.S. C-17 cargo jet, will feed 9,000 babies and 18,000 toddlers for a week. “It is a large shipment of very specific and specialized formula,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who was present for the delivery in Indianapolis. CNN 

Australia swears in Anthony Albanese as prime minister Australian Governor-General David Hurley swore in Labor leader Anthony Albanese as Australia’s 31st prime minister on Monday, after Australians voted Saturday to replace the center-right Liberal Party with the center-left Labor Party after nine years. Albanese took over as votes were still being counted to determine whether his party, which so far has 72 seats in the 151-seat House of Representatives, will have a majority or need to cobble together a coalition government. Albanese will travel to Tokyo with new Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the first foreign-born Australian foreign minister, to meet with President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the leaders of the so-called Quad nations. BBC NEWS 

Florida health officials investigating nation’s 3rd possible monkeypox case Health officials in Florida announced Sunday they were investigating a “presumptive” monkeypox case, the third possible U.S. case of the rare virus. The Florida Department of Health in Broward County said this case appears to be related to international travel. The first case was reported in a Massachusetts man who tested positive for monkeypox after visiting Canada. Monkeypox spreads via close contact with an infected individual. Early symptoms usually include fever, chills, exhaustion, headache, and muscle weakness, followed by swollen lymph nodes. President Biden told reporters on Sunday that the cases are something “to be concerned about.” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the U.S. has a supply of vaccines that can be deployed to treat monkeypox. ABC NEWS 

The End

Sunday, May 22nd, 2022 

Over 50 people are massacred by suspected Boko Haram fighters in Rann, Nigeria. (Reuters) 

The Russian-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, is severely injured in an explosion. The cause of the blast is unclear. (Reuters) 

Oman announces that it will repeal all COVID-19 restrictions, including its mask mandate. (AP) 

An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps colonel is assassinated in Tehran, Iran, by unknown gunmen riding on motorcycles. (AP) 

American professional golfer Justin Thomas wins the PGA Championship, making it his second since 2017. (ESPN) 

Biden gives a succinct ‘hello’ to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Asked what message he had for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Biden on Sunday offered up a simple, short response: “Hello … period,” he answered, speaking with reporters in Seoul before heading to Japan on the second leg of his trip to Asia. Biden also said he was “not concerned” about North Korean missile tests, and that the U.S. is prepared for “anything North Korea does.” Both American and South Korean intelligence has suggested North Korea is preparing a missile or nuclear test to coincide with the timing of Biden’s visit. REUTERS 

U.S. looking into monkeypox vaccines, Biden says President Biden on Sunday said the U.S. is investigating what vaccines are available to protect against monkeypox, a relatively rare, smallpox-like virus. “We’re working on it hard to figure out what we do and what vaccine if any might be available for it,” Biden said. Advisers “haven’t told me the level of exposure yet, but it is something that everybody should be concerned about,” he went on. “It is a concern in that if it were to spread it would be consequential.” So far, the World Health Organization says it has been notified of 92 lab-confirmed monkeypox cases and 28 suspected cases in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and some European countries. Studies have indicated the smallpox vaccine to be at last 85 percent effective against monkeypox. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Zelensky: War will end in ‘diplomacy’ The end of the war in Ukraine will come about through diplomacy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, speaking on Ukrainian TV. “We did not start this war. But we have to finish it,” he told viewers. “Victory will be bloody in battle. But the end will be in diplomacy. We want everything back. Russia does not want to give anything away.” Zelensky also in his remarks praised the performance of Ukrainian forces, commending how well they’ve fought against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military, which he said is “one of the strongest armies in the world.” THE INDEPENDENT 

Biden signs large $40B aid package for Ukraine President Biden on Saturday signed legislation to provide Ukraine with another $40 billion in aid as the Russian invasion rages on. The package had passed Congress with bipartisan support. The funding is intended to support Ukraine through September, and provides $20 billion in military assistance, $8 billion in general economic support, $5 billion to address possible resulting global food shortages, and over $1 billion to assist refugees. The president also on Saturday signed the Access to Baby Formula Act. CNBC 

Mitt Romney: ‘We must prepare for Putin’s worst weapons’ In an op-ed for The New York Times published Saturday, GOP Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) ruminated on the possibility of Russia resorting to nuclear warfare, and urged the U.S. to take President Vladimir Putin’s threats seriously. “We should imagine the unimaginable,” Romney wrote, “specifically how we would respond militarily and economically to such a seismic shift in the global geopolitical terrain.” The senator went on to align himself with much of President Biden’s decision-making thus far, while also offering up a few possible ways to respond to Putin, including NATO engagement in Ukraine. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Tiger Woods pulls out of PGA Championship Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship on Saturday after having posted the worst score of his career in the event. The championship announced Wood’s exit after the third round, in which he shot a nine-over par 79. “Tiger Woods has informed us that he is withdrawing from the 2022 PGA Championship,” PGA of America President Jim Richerson wrote in a statement. “We admire Tiger’s valiant effort to compete here at Southern Hills and wish him the best as he continues to recover from his injuries.” The championship was Wood’s second major golf event since his serious car accident last year. NPR 

Saturday, May 21st, 2022 

Russia declares victory in capturing the city of Mariupol. (The Guardian) 

United States President Joe Biden signs into law a bill that would provide $40 billion in military and economic aid for Ukraine, replenish stocks of U.S. equipment sent to Ukraine, fund European Command operations, and address the global food crisis. (Reuters) 

Russia’s Gazprom suspends natural gas exports to Finland over Finland’s refusal to comply with Russia’s demand that gas be paid for in rubles. (Reuters) 

At least nine people are dead after a derecho moves across portions of Central Canada. (CP24) 

ABC News Australia declares that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the current government have been defeated by Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party. However, the number of seats to declare a majority or minority government is uncertain. (ABC News Australia) 

An unusually early heat wave in Southern France continues to set all-time high records for May, with some communities reporting temperatures as high as 36.7 °C (98.1 °F). (La Dépêche du Midi) 

An early heat wave in the United States sets all-time high records for May 21 in several cities in Texas, Mississippi, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, and ties them for some other areas, particularly in the Northeast. (The New York Times) 

Russia claims to have taken Mariupol Russia on Saturday claimed to have taken complete control of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, potentially notching a huge victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing offensive. There was no immediate confirmation of the news from Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that a final 532 Ukrainian soldiers had been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant and taken to Russian-controlled territory, rounding out a weeks-long attack that killed thousands. At this point, the supposed capture is mostly symbolic, considering Moscow already effectively controlled the area, military analysts said.  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Russia cuts off gas supply to Finland Russia on Saturday cut off national gas supplies to Finland after the latter reportedly refused to pay for the fuel in rubles, as Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered; Poland and Bulgaria last month lost access to Russian supplies for the same reason. Gasum, Finland’s state-owned gas wholesaler, shared news of the decision on Friday morning, noting the company has been prepared for this to happen and that there will be “no disruptions in the gas transmission network.” The dispute also happens to coincide with Finland’s decision to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alongside neighboring Sweden, much to Russia’s dismay.  BLOOMBERG 

CDC recommends adults 50 and older receive 2nd booster  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended all adults ages 50 and older receive a second COVID-19 booster if at least four months have lapsed since their third dose. The agency had previously encouraged the additional shots only for those 65 and older or with underlying medical conditions, though those over 50 were still eligible. The change in guidance arrives alongside a rise in infections over the last month, as well as a “substantial increase” in hospitalizations for older Americans, the CDC said.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

G7 nations pledge nearly $20B in aid for Ukraine The Group of 7 economic powers on Friday agreed to a $19.8 billion economic aid package for Ukraine, as the country continues to defend itself against a ruthless Russian-led invasion. The backing will come in a mix of grants and loans, and is intended to keep Ukraine’s government functioning. “We will continue to stand by Ukraine throughout this war and beyond and are prepared to do more as needed,” the G7 finance ministers said in a statement. The International Monetary Fund has said Ukraine needs about $5 billion per month to maintain basic government services. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Meta employees reportedly restricted from discussing abortion at work Per a new report, a Meta executive on Thursday told company employees they may not discuss abortion on the company’s internal version of Facebook, known as Workplace, for fear of fostering a hostile work environment. The policy, which forbids employees from talking about things like the merits and availability of abortion, was reportedly enacted in 2019. In the wake of a leaked opinion suggesting the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, however, some employees are calling for the policy’s end. Otherwise, the Meta executive said, staffers may only discuss abortion at work privately, with a trusted colleague, or in a small group.  THE VERGE 

San Francisco archbishop denies Pelosi communion over support for abortion rights  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic Democrat from California, can no longer receive communion in San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s archdiocese due to her support for abortion rights, Cordileone announced Friday. In a public notification, Cordileone said he’d warned Pelosi in April that she must drop her support of abortion rights or cease referring to her faith to justify them. He also said Pelosi declined to meet with him. “After numerous attempts to speak with Speaker Pelosi to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, [and] the danger to her own soul she is risking, “Cordileone wrote on Twitter, “I have determined that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”  THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE 

The End