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

Friday,  May 20th, 2022 

Musk says he’s ditching Democrats and voting Republican Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday he is turning away from the Democratic Party and would now vote Republican. “In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party,” Musk tweeted. “But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican.” Musk, the world’s richest man, says he still plans to buy Twitter once it provides data on how many of the social media platform’s accounts are fake. He has said if the deal goes through he would lift the permanent ban on former President Donald Trump, a Republican. Tesla’s stock fell nearly 7 percent on Wednesday after Musk’s comments and Tesla’s removal from the S&P sustainability index. REUTERS 

SpaceX paid $250,000 to settle sexual misconduct claim against Musk SpaceX paid a flight attendant $250,000 in 2018 to settle a sexual misconduct claim against the space-flight company’s founder, Elon Musk, Business Insider reported Thursday. The attendant, who worked on contract for SpaceX’s corporate fleet, said Musk offered to buy her a horse in exchange for an erotic massage, exposed his erect penis to her, and rubbed her leg without her consent, Insider reported, citing interviews and documents it obtained. Some of the details about the alleged 2016 incident came from a declaration signed by a friend of the attendant. Musk told Insider in an email the report was a “politically motivated hit piece.” Musk tweeted late Thursday that the claims were “utterly untrue.”  REUTERS 

Tesla booted from S&P 500’s ESG Index The S&P 500 has kicked Tesla out of its ESG Index, which recommends companies to investors based on environmental, social, and governance data. A spokesperson for the index explained in a blog post on Wednesday that Tesla’s score suffered due to the electric-car maker’s “lack of a low-carbon strategy” and “codes of business conduct,” as well as allegations of racism and poor working conditions at its Fremont, California, factory. The change came as part of an annual update to the index. Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and energy giant Exxon Mobil held on to their spots on the list. Tesla’s stated mission is to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy, but it ranked 22nd on last year’s Toxic 100 Air Polluters Index. CNBC 

More experts warn U.S. economy on brink of recession A growing number of banks and economists are warning that the U.S. economy could be heading toward a recession in the next year, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Early this week, an ex-Goldman Sachs chief executive warned of the “very, very high risk of recession,” and Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said there was “no question” a downturn is coming. Former Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke warned of possible stagflation, combining a slowing economy and high inflation. “Recession risks are high — uncomfortably high — and rising,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told the Post. “For the economy to navigate through without suffering a downturn, we need some very deft policymaking from the Fed and a bit of luck.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Ukraine says that it has repelled a Russian advance on the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk in Luhansk Oblast. Authorities say that twelve people were killed in the offensive and that over 60 houses were destroyed. (AP) 

Ukraine’s chief military command orders all remaining troops in the Azovstal steel plant to stop defending Mariupol. (AFP via Le Devoir)  

Russia says that its forces have seized the Azovstal steel plant after the last remaining Ukrainian troops surrender. (BBC News) 

Russia announces that it will suspend its supply of natural gas to Finland beginning at 4:00 GMT tomorrow due to Finland’s refusal to comply with Russia’s demand that gas be paid for in rubles. (Reuters) ( 

Around 200 anti-government militants block a road in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan, which links the country to China. Some of the militants, armed with firearms and petrol bombs, later ambush a security convoy on the same road. Eight militants and one officer are killed, while 13 officers are injured and more than 70 militants are arrested. The Tajik interior ministry later say the attack was an attempt to “destabilise the social and political situation” in the region. (Reuters) 

Syrian state media says that Israeli airstrikes have killed three soldiers close to Damascus. (Times of Israel) 

Transport for London announces their intention to consult on an expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to cover almost all of Greater London beginning on 23 August 2023. (BBC News) 

The World Health Organization holds an emergency meeting in response to the recent monkeypox outbreak.  (The Globe and Mail) 

Spain confirms 30 monkeypox cases, becoming the country with the most reported cases. (La Vanguardia) 

The Philippines says that it has established coast guard outposts on three Filipino-controlled islands of the Spratlys in the South China Sea. (AP) 

An unusually strong and early heat wave increases temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) in Spain. Seville records a temperature of 41.0 °C (105.8 °F), beating its all-time high for May, while the hottest settlement, Andújar, ties the record with 42.3 °C (108.1 °F). Several settlements in France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and western Austria beat all-time high records for the month. (The Guardian)  

Morocco records its highest May temperature ever in Sidi Slimane, at 45.7 °C (114.3 °F). (The Washington Post) 

Biden hosts Finland, Sweden leaders to boost NATO bids President Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö at the White House on Thursday to discuss their applications to join NATO, a decision prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden and the leaders of the long-neutral Baltic nations called for NATO’s 30 members to quickly welcome Sweden and Finland into the Western military alliance. “Finland and Sweden make NATO stronger,” Biden said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Thursday that his country will oppose the NATO expansion. He says Finland and Sweden have supported groups Turkey considers to be terrorists, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. NATO said it is working to address Erdogan’s stated concerns. ABC NEWS 

Senate approves $40 billion Ukraine aid package The Senate on Thursday approved a $40 billion military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine. The measure now goes to President Biden for his signature. The package marks a major escalation of the U.S.’s commitment to helping Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion. It provides $24 billion for Ukrainian forces and $5 billion for countries hurt by disrupted Ukrainian crop exports. The Senate vote was 86 to 11, with some Republicans balking at the price tag. “Anyone concerned about the cost of supporting a Ukrainian victory should consider the much larger cost should Ukraine lose,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the vote sent Ukrainians the message that “help is on the way.” CNN 

Biden lands in South Korea on trip to reassure Asia allies President Biden arrived in South Korea on Friday, starting a five-day tour of Asia, the first of his presidency. Biden will use the trip to assure allies in the region of his administration’s support in response to China’s increasing influence. He is expected to start in his first speech in South Korea by calling for Congress to approve a bill seeking to boost U.S. competitiveness against China. The administration is trying to show “that America is back as a global leader,” said Georgetown scholar Evan Medeiros, who served as an Asia adviser to President Barack Obama. “It’s, ‘Hey, I’m not going to forget about you; this is not a choice between Europe and Asia.’” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Oklahoma legislature passes bill banning most abortions after fertilization Oklahoma state lawmakers on Thursday approved an anti-abortion bill that would prohibit all abortions after “fertilization,” allowing individuals to sue providers and anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion except when necessary to save the life of a pregnant person, or in cases of rape or incest. Abortion providers say the bill, the latest passed in Republican-controlled states, will be the most restrictive ban in the nation once Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signs it, as he has indicated he will. The 73-16 vote came after the leak earlier this month of a draft decision suggesting the Supreme Court’s conservative majority is poised to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established abortion rights nationwide. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

CDC signs off on Pfizer booster for children age 5 to 11 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday announced its final endorsement of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots for children ages 5 to 11. The decision came hours after a CDC advisory committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing the third vaccine dose for children in that age group. The CDC said they should get a booster at least 5 months after their second shot. The approval for the Pfizer booster, the first authorized for children under 12, came as the Omicron subvariant BA.2 and an offshoot called BA.2.12.1 fuel rising COVID cases. Vaccination rates for children ages 5 to 11 lag behind other age groups, “leaving them vulnerable to serious illness,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said. NBC NEWS 

Sri Lanka defaults on its debts Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debts for the first time in its history as it faces economic and political troubles triggered by COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, The Guardian reported Thursday. The governor of Sri Lanka’s central bank said it’s in a “preemptive default” after the deadline passed for making $78 million worth of payments to international creditors. A default, which occurs when a government is unable to repay some or all of its debt payments, can have a damaging effect on a country’s reputation, currency, and economy. “Our position is very clear,” central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said Thursday: “Until there is a debt restructure, we cannot repay.” THE GUARDIAN 

Senate approves bill to help low-income families get scarce baby formula The Senate on Thursday approved a bill by unanimous consent that aims to boost low-income families’ access to baby formula amid a nationwide shortage caused by supply-chain disruptions and the safety-related shutdown of the biggest U.S. formula plant. The House approved the bill, the Access to Baby Formula Act, on Wednesday, so it now goes to President Biden for his signature. The legislation authorizes the Agriculture Department to waive certain requirements to allow families to buy a wider array of baby formula with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits during a public health emergency, product recalls, and other supply-chain issues. CNN 

Red Power Ranger actor arrested for COVID fraud The red Power Ranger may be morphin his way to prison. Actor Austin St. John, who played the red Power Ranger on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has been arrested as part of an alleged scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 relief program. He was one of 18 people charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and prosecutors said the defendants submitted false information on their applications for loan money and then didn’t use it for the intended purpose, instead spending it “on various personal purchases.” They allegedly obtained 16 loans totaling at least $3.5 million. According to TMZ, “approximately 15 FBI agents in tactical gear rolled up to” St. John’s home to arrest him, and if he’s convicted, he could spend 20 years behind bars. The arrests were announced in a Department of Justice press release — which at one point actually refers to St. John as “the Red Power Ranger.”   TMZ 

Thursday, May 19th, 2022 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency says that a foreign vessel has been attacked off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen. (AP) 

The United States Senate votes 86-11 to pass a $40 billion package aimed at sending aid to Ukraine. The legislation will head to U.S. President Joe Biden for his signature. (Reuters) 

Sri Lanka defaults on its debt for the first time in the country’s history as it struggles with its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years. (BBC News) 

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) votes to recommend a third dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old. (CBS News) 

Bavarian Nordic announces that it will supply the Imvanex vaccine to Europe in response to the monkeypox outbreak. (GlobeNewswire) 

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterates that he will vote against the admittance of Finland and Sweden into NATO, effectively preventing their accession. Erdoğan has accused the two countries of supporting the Kurdistan Workers Party and the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, which Turkey considers to be terrorist organizations. (Yahoo! News) 

Two people are killed and seven wounded during a mass shooting near a McDonald’s restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, United States. (AP) 

An unusually cold spell of weather hits southern Brazil. A meteorological station in Gama noted the lowest temperature since the beginning of weather observations (1963) in the Federal District, which contains the capital, Brasília, at 1.4 °C (34.5 °F). Several locations in the area have also seen snowfall, which is very rare in the country. (France 24) 

U.S. reopens Kyiv embassy, confirms ambassador to Ukraine The United States has reopened its embassy in Kyiv, which it closed just before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday. “The Ukrainian people, with our security assistance, have defended their homeland in the face of Russia’s unconscionable invasion, and, as a result, the Stars and Stripes are flying over the Embassy once again,” Blinken said in a statement. Hours later, the Senate confirmed Bridget Brink as ambassador to Ukraine, giving the embassy its first confirmed chief since former President Donald Trump recalled Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch in May 2019 under pressure from Rudy Giuliani and his allies. CNN 

Turkey blocks talks on Finland, Sweden NATO membership Turkey on Wednesday blocked NATO from starting talks on admitting Finland and Sweden hours after the two Nordic nations formally applied to join the Western military alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan objects to what he calls Sweden’s sheltering of Kurdistan Workers’ Party members, which Turkey considers terrorists. “So you won’t give us back terrorists but you ask us for NATO membership?” Erdogan said in a speech. Turkey is seeking concessions before going along with the NATO expansion, which requires agreement by all 30 NATO members and ratification by their parliaments. Sweden and Finland have long held proudly to their nonaligned military status, but both decided to join NATO after nearby Russia invaded Ukraine. REUTERS 

Ex-officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in George Floyd killing Thomas Lane, the former Minneapolis Police officer who held down George Floyd’s legs, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree manslaughter under a deal with prosecutors. Lane, 39, is one of three officers accused of aiding and abetting in the killing of Floyd, who died after another former officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed a knee into the unarmed Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes. The officers detained Floyd in May 2020 after a store clerk said he had used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Under the plea deal, the state agreed to dismiss a second-degree murder charge. Defense lawyers and prosecutors jointly recommended a 36-month sentence for Floyd’s death, which triggered nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. CNN 

CDC: With COVID rising, a third of U.S. should consider indoor masks With COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations rising, areas with higher transmission risk that are home to a third of the U.S. population should consider issuing new calls for people to wear masks indoors, federal health officials said Wednesday. New U.S. cases have risen above 100,000 a day, up 26 percent in the last week. More than 22,000 people are now hospitalized with COVID-19. The Northeast and Midwest have been hit hardest, but other regions should be on alert, officials said. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, said at a White House briefing. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Dow, S&P 500 plunge in worst day since 2020 The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1,165 points, or 3.6 percent, on Wednesday in its worst day since June 2020. A disappointing quarterly earnings report from retail giant Target fueled fears that inflation will tip the economy into a recession. The S&P 500 fell just over 4 percent, also its worst single-day decline since 2020. The tech-heavy Nasdaq plummeted 4.7 percent, its worst drop since May 5. Stock futures fell sharply early Thursday. Target is one of many retailers and other large companies seeing their profits eroded by high transport and inventory costs. “It’s clear that transportation costs matter and they’re impacting [some of] the largest companies,” said Kim Forrest, founder of Bokeh Capital. “So I think investors are scratching our heads going, ‘So, who’s next?” CNBC 

U.S. Soccer reaches equal-pay deal with men’s, women’s players The U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams on Wednesday announced a collective bargaining agreement with the United States Soccer Federation that achieves women players’ years-long goal of equal pay. The new contracts, which run until 2028, call for pooling future World Cup earnings, and sharing endorsement money and other revenue 50-50. “To be able to say finally, equal pay for equal work feels very, very good,” women’s team captain Becky Sauerbrunn told Today. U.S. Soccer and the United States Women’s National Team Players Association reached a settlement earlier this year to end a gender discrimination lawsuit filed by the women players, who for years performed better than their male counterparts but made far less. CNN 

Biden invokes Defense Production Act to speed baby formula to stores President Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to accelerate infant formula production as part of an effort to ease a shortage worsened by the shutdown of the largest U.S. formula factory. The Defense Production Act order requires suppliers to fulfill orders from baby formula producers before other customers. Biden also authorized the Defense Department to use commercial aircraft to fly formula from other countries into the U.S. The White House is calling the effort “Operation Fly Formula.” Formula supplies were already tight due to global supply-chain disruptions, but the crisis deepened when Abbott Nutrition had to shut down its factory in February and recalled formula produced there over safety concerns. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Ringling Brothers to launch revamped circus  Feld Entertainment announced Wednesday that it will launch a new, revamped version of its Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus starting next year, five years after it said it was shutting down for good. The circus ended its 146-year run as it struggled with declining sales and increasing criticism from animal rights activists for its use of lion, tiger, and elephant acts. The new version of what Ringling Brothers long billed as the “Greatest Show on Earth” will have no animal acts. But the circus is actively recruiting ringmasters, clowns, and acrobats in preparation for a tour of more than 50 cities scheduled to start Sept. 28, 2023. USA TODAY 

Google’s Russian subsidiary announces its intention to file for bankruptcy after Russian authorities seize the company’s bank account. (Reuters) 

The United States confirms its first case of monkeypox in 2022, in a man from Massachusetts who recently traveled to Canada. (ABC News) 

Mozambique confirms its first polio case in 30 years in the northwestern province of Tete. (Reuters) 

The American embassy in Kyiv reopens for the first time since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters) 

The Russian Foreign Ministry expels 85 diplomats from France, Spain, and Italy in response to the expulsions of Russian diplomats from European Union nations. (Reuters) 

Finland and Sweden both formally apply to join NATO. (Reuters) 

Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney announces his intention to resign as leader of the United Conservative Party after a leadership review results in 51.4% approval of his leadership from party members. He will be replaced as leader and premier once a successor is named. (AP) 

The End