Friday, April 8th, 2022
A pair of Russian missiles strike a railway station in Kramatorsk, killing at least 50 people and injuring at least 87 others. (Reuters)
At least 12 soldiers and four paramilitary fighters are killed and 21 others are injured during an attack on an army base in Namissiguima, Burkina Faso. (U.S. News & World Report)
The Food and Agriculture Organisation‘s food price index increases by 13% in March to an all-time record of 159.3 points amid fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The price of vegetable oils increases by 23% and the price of cereals increases by 17%. (Reuters)
Japan expels eight Russian diplomats. (Jerusalem Post)
Two defendants in the case of an apparent plot seeking to kidnap Governor of Michigan, United States, Gretchen Whitmer due to her COVID-19 policies in October 2020 are acquitted by the jury of the charges of conspiring to kidnap. The trial of the other two defendants ends in a hung jury. (NPR)
The Russian Ministry of Justice revokes the registration of 15 foreign organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. No reason is given, but the revocations come days after HRW reported on war crimes committed by Russia during the invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
HD1, the farthest known galaxy, is discovered 13.5 billion light-years away from Earth. (Astronomy.com) (The Harvard Gazette) (Forbes)
Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court The Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, making her the first Black woman ever elevated to the high court. Three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — joined every Democrat in favor of President Biden’s nominee in the 53-47 vote. Jackson will be the first former federal public defender to serve on the court. The Supreme Court now will have two Black justices and four female justices for the first time. “Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation,” Biden tweeted. Jackson will replace liberal Justice Stephen Breyer when he retires this summer. The 6-3 conservative majority will remain unchanged. USA TODAY
U.N. suspends Russia from Human Rights Council The United Nations General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council in a rare rebuke of one of the five countries with veto power on the U.N. Security Council. Russia’s deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said after the vote that Moscow had pulled out of the Human Rights Council before the vote, saying the council had been taken over and politicized by countries with their own “blatant and massive violations of human rights.” The clash came as world leaders intensify efforts to isolate Moscow due to mounting evidence of war crimes by Russian troops in Ukraine. A Russian rocket strike hit a train station Friday, killing at least 30 civilians trying to flee. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senate approves suspending normal trade relations with Russia The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved bills that would suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban Russian oil imports. The House backed the latest versions of the proposals with minimal opposition, sending them to President Biden for his signature. Senate negotiators had haggled over a few provisions in the legislation for weeks, but the effort to pass the bills regained momentum after the surfacing of evidence of Russian atrocities in Ukraine. “It’s a big, big deal we are finally getting them done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. European Union countries approved new sanctions that include phasing out Russian coal imports, the fifth E.U. sanctions package since Russia invaded Ukraine. NBC NEWSTHE WASHINGTON POST
N.Y. attorney general asks court to hold Trump in contempt New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday asked a court to hold former President Donald Trump in civil contempt for allegedly refusing to hand over documents for her investigation of his business practices. State Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump in February to “comply in full” with James’ subpoenas. Engoron also told Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, to provide testimony to James, but they are appealing. James’ office said in a motion filed Thursday that Trump “did not comply at all” with the request for documents. Trump’s attorneys said Trump’s company couldn’t locate the documents James sought. James asked the court to impose a fine of $10,000 per day until Trump provides the material. CNN
Pelosi latest D.C. politician to test positive for COVID House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement Thursday that she had tested positive for COVID-19, although she was not suffering any symptoms. Pelosi, 82, attended a White House event also attended by President Biden on Wednesday, but the president is “not considered a close contact” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House said. Biden tested negative. Pelosi is the latest in a string of high-ranking Washington figures to test positive for the coronavirus recently. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo tested positive Wednesday several days after attending Saturday’s Gridiron Club dinner, a major D.C. media event. Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joaquín Castro (D-Texas) also tested positive after attending the event. AXIOS
Germany intercepts Russian talk of indiscriminate killings German intelligence has intercepted radio conversations in which Russian military personnel north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, discussed killing people after interrogating them, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing two officials briefed on the matter. The intercepts, first reported by German newsmagazine Der Spiegel, added to mounting evidence that Russian troops killed civilians in Ukrainian towns they occupied before withdrawing recently. The Kremlin has denied its troops targeted civilians, calling images of dead bodies, some with their hands bound, in the streets of the town of Bucha fakes that were circulated by Ukraine to foment international outrage against Russia. Germany also collected satellite images showing bodies in Bucha’s streets while Russians occupied the town. THE NEW YORK TIMES
Suspected Palestinian gunman kills 2 at Tel Aviv bar A suspected Palestinian gunman attacked a crowded bar in central Tel Aviv on Thursday, killing at least two people and wounding more than 10, according to local police and hospital officials. Mayor Ron Huldai said the shooting, the fourth deadly attack in Israel by Palestinians in three weeks, was carried out by a man with “nationalistic” motives. “A terrorist opened fire at short range and then fled on foot,” police spokesman Eli Levy said. Security forces killed the suspect in a shootout Friday after a manhunt. Authorities identified him Raad Hazem, 28, of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas praised the attack. REUTERSTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Appeals court upholds Biden federal-worker vaccine mandate A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine requirement for federal workers, reversing a lower court ruling against the mandate. Biden said in September that the vast majority of federal employees would have to get vaccinated or face discipline, but U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown in Texas blocked the policy in January, saying Biden couldn’t make workers “undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment.” At that point, 95 percent of federal workers were already vaccinated. A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans ruled 2-1 that Brown lacked jurisdiction, and ordered that the lawsuit challenging the mandate be dismissed. THE NEW YORK TIMES
Alabama lawmakers pass bill targeting transgender youth Alabama state lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill seeking to make it a crime to provide gender-affirming healthcare to transgender youth. Any medical provider found in violation could face up to 10 years in prison. The approval of the legislation by the Republican-controlled state House in a 66-28 vote sends it to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, although she has not said whether she would sign it. The bill is the latest in a series of restrictions that GOP-led states have adopted targeting transgender young people. GOP state Rep. Wes Allen said the bill was just a way to “protect children” from decisions that could hurt them. Opponents said the bill targeted trans youth for political gain. REUTERS
Woods launches Masters comeback 14 months after accident Tiger Woods shot a 1-under-par 71 on Thursday in the opening round of the Masters in a comeback just 14 months after he nearly lost his right leg in a car wreck. Woods walked with a slight limp and had trouble bending over to read putts, but he played well in his first competitive golf tournament since the accident, finishing tied for 10th, four strokes behind leader Sung-jae Im. He started the round with five straight pars, then made his first birdie on the par-three sixth hole. Woods is going for his sixth green jacket at Augusta National, which would tie him with Jack Nicklaus for the most ever. ESPNTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senate approves suspending normal trade relations with Russia The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved bills that would suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban Russian oil imports. The House, which initially approved the trade measure in mid-March, backed the latest versions of the proposals with minimal opposition, sending them to President Biden for his signature. Senate negotiators had haggled over a few provisions in the legislation for weeks, but the effort to pass the bills regained momentum after the surfacing of evidence of Russian atrocities in Ukraine. “It’s a big, big deal we are finally getting them done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. European Union countries approved new sanctions that include phasing out Russian coal imports, the fifth E.U. sanctions package since Russia invaded Ukraine. NBC NEWSTHE WASHINGTON POST
Appeals court upholds Biden federal-worker vaccine mandate A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine requirement for federal workers, reversing a lower court ruling against the mandate. Biden said in September that the vast majority of federal employees would have to get vaccinated or face discipline, but U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown in Texas blocked the policy in January, saying Biden couldn’t make workers “undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment.” At that point, 95 percent of federal workers were already vaccinated. A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans ruled 2-1 that Brown lacked jurisdiction, and ordered that the lawsuit challenging the mandate be dismissed. THE NEW YORK TIMES
U.N. agency’s food-price index jumps to record high World food prices surged by nearly 13 percent in March, hitting a record high as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted grain markets, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Friday. The agency’s food price index averaged 159.3 points last month, up from an upwardly revised record of 141.4 in February. The FAO’s cereal price and vegetable oil indexes jumped 17 percent and 23 percent, respectively, in March. The FAO said last month that the Ukraine conflict could drive up food and feed prices by 20 percent, increasing malnutrition risk. Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of wheat, corn, barley, and sunflower oil, but the war has halted Ukrainian exports via the Black Sea. REUTERS
Walmart raises truck drivers’ starting pay to at least $95,000 Walmart said Thursday it was raising starting salaries for its long-haul truck drivers to between $95,000 and $110,000 per year, up from an average of $87,000. The retail giant also is offering a three-month program to retrain existing supply-chain workers to get commercially licensed as drivers so they can join the company’s internal fleet. Walmart has about 12,000 truck drivers and it hired more than 4,500 drivers last year. But it needs more to keep goods flowing to its stores and e-commerce warehouses, and keep up with increasing online orders. The pay hike will “help us continue to hire aggressively to meet all-time high demand from customers,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNN in an email. THE WALL STREET JOURNALCNN
Will Smith banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years
Welcome to the season — and hopefully series — finale of the Will Smith Slap Saga. On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years after he slapped Chris Rock for a joke about his wife. “This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy,” Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said. The harsh punishment came a week after Smith voluntarily resigned from the Academy rather than be expelled, though this wouldn’t prevent him from attending the Oscars next year, as acting winners normally do. The Academy notably didn’t rescind Smith’s Best Actor award, though, and he technically is still eligible to be nominated going forward. But he won’t be able to attend the Oscars until the 2030s — though the ban might as well be permanent since 2033 definitely doesn’t feel like it’s actually a real year. THE WEEKTHE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Mads Mikkelsen says method acting is ‘bulls–t’ Mads Mikkelsen is here with the antidote to the increasingly insufferable Jared Leto method acting stories. The actor chatted with GQ and shared his hot take on the idea of method acting: “It’s bulls–t.” While Mikkelsen noted he does prepare extensively for roles and will sometimes learn new skills for them, he said there’s a point where “preparation, you can take into insanity.” The comments came after Leto’s latest method acting shenanigans were revealed, as he apparently had to be taken to the bathroom in a wheelchair in between scenes for Morbius — a movie that ended up getting terrible reviews. While not commenting on Leto directly, Mikkelsen asked, “What if it’s a sh-t film — what do you think you achieved?” Later, Mikkelsen offered this nugget of wisdom when asked to comment on the J.K. Rowling controversy: “I have a habit of not commenting on things that I don’t know anything about, and I actually think that that would suit the entire world.”
GQ
‘Dancing with the Stars’ will now be a Disney+ show Dancing with the Stars is dancing away from network television. In a shock move, the long-running competition show is leaving ABC after more than 15 years and will instead air on Disney+ in the United States and Canada. Going forward, new episodes will air live on the streaming service, which will make this the first live Disney+ show ever. Disney said the hope was for Dancing with the Stars to help Disney+ in “continuing to expand our demographic reach,” arguing its “broad appeal” makes the streaming service the “perfect home” for it. The show has already been renewed for two more seasons, and it will debut on Disney+ this fall. We look forward to the brand new season featuring contestants Jen Psaki and Baby Yoda. DEADLINETHE WEEK
Khloé Kardashian regrets not getting a nose job ‘sooner’ My only regret is that I have but one nose to job! Khloé Kardashian spoke with ABC’s Robin Roberts about getting a nose job back in 2019, a decision she feels pretty good about. “My whole life I would say, I’ve always wanted my nose done, forever,” she said. “But it’s in the middle of your face and it’s scary to think about. But I finally got the courage, and I did it, and I love it.” Indeed, in contrast to Bella Hadid admitting she regrets getting a nose job when she was 14, Kardashian told fans on Twitter, “My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.” She also responded to someone who said they had the “worst recovery ever” when they got one, something she couldn’t really relate to. “Stop!!!” Kardashian wrote. “Mine was a breeze. That’s crazy. It honestly was so easy for me.” E! ONLINE
Britney Spears has ‘never opened a computer’ Every day there’s another reason to be jealous of Britney Spears. First, Spears revealed she lives in a blissful world with no clue who Pete Davidson and Scott Disick are. Now, she claims she has never “opened a computer” in her life. On Instagram, after saying the “expectations to be perfect” on social media are “pretty crazy,” she writes, “We all seem to alienate behind our phones and computers … I’ve never opened a computer my whole life … just a phone.” Spears’ disinterest in computers goes back years, as she said in 2016 they’re just “not my thing” — though she ends her post by ominously musing, “I will probably buy a computer today.” No, Britney, don’t do it! Her revelation comes after Selena Gomez recently said she hasn’t gone online in over four years, so we’re expecting some celebrity to try to top them both by announcing they’ve never even heard of the internet. UPROXX
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2022 Thursday, April 7th, 2022
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The governor of Luhansk Oblast, Serhiy Haidai, reports that all hospitals in the province have been completely destroyed by Russian forces. Russia denies the claim, accusing Ukraine of destroying their own hospitals. (CNN)
Mayor Borys Filatov requests that all women, children, and elderly leave the city of Dnipro in preparation for a possible Russian attack. (The Guardian)
Three people are killed and 11 more are injured during a mass shooting at a bar in Tel Aviv, Israel. The attacker is killed during a shootout in nearby Jaffa. (BBC News)
The United States House of Representatives votes 420–3 to pass legislation to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine. Following this, the Senate also votes 100–0 to pass the legislation, sending it to President Joe Biden for approval. (San Francisco Chronicle) (Fox Business)
The Russian ruble goes above the pre-war level after falling as low as 150 rubles per US dollar in early March. (Bloomberg)
Eight people are killed and three more injured during an explosion at a bar in a military camp in Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The causes of the blast are unknown. (Reuters)
Around two million people in Puerto Rico are left without electricity after a fire occurs at one of the island’s largest power plants. (The Washington Post)
A DHL Boeing 757-200 cargo plane breaks into two parts after making an emergency landing at the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica. No one is injured. (Reuters)
Kazakhstan will lift their COVID-19 travel restrictions at the country’s borders with Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan. (Astana Times)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tests positive for COVID-19. (The New York Times)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that Minsk should be included in negotiations aimed at ending the war. (The Moscow Times)
The emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, with 93 votes in favor, 24 against and 58 abstentions. Russia is the second country to be suspended from the council, after Libya in 2011 during the final year of Muammar Gaddafi‘s rule. (CNN)
Former German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and former Interior Minister Gerhart Baum file a complaint with German federal prosecutors accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin, all 32 members of the Security Council of Russia, and members of the Russian Armed Forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine. (ABC News)
An unknown assailant throws acetone and red paint at Russian Nobel Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov as he traveled on a Moscow–Samara train, injuring him. A motive for the attack is unknown, but it is suspected to be a possible reaction to Muratov’s opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) (Reuters)
The government of Pedro Castillo announces that they have deployed the Peruvian Army to highways amid protests against inflation in the country. (Reuters)
Ketanji Brown Jackson is confirmed for the Supreme Court of the United States, following a 53–47 vote by the Senate. Jackson is the first black woman to be confirmed for this position and will replace justice Stephen Breyer after he retires in the court’s summer session. (The New York Times)
Over 5,000 new species of previously undiscovered RNA viruses were found in ocean-living organisms and proposed to group them into five new phyla, according to a paper published in Science. (The Independent)
The End Friday
Thursday, April 7th, 2022
China calls for investigation of deaths in Ukrainian town China on Wednesday called for an investigation into images of civilian deaths in the Ukrainian town of Bucha after Russian troops withdrew, calling the scenes “deeply disturbing.” The U.S. and its allies have worked to increase sanctions on Russia and aid to Ukraine in the wake of what they described as widespread civilian massacres by Russian troops. Russia says Ukraine faked the evidence. China declined to say who was to blame. “The truth and the cause of the incident must be verified,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. “All parties should exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations before a conclusion of the investigation is drawn.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Russia says that it will end their invasion if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agrees to conditions set during negotiations, specifically a legal guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO by changing the Ukrainian constitution to include such a provision. Russia also says that it suspended operations in Kyiv as a “goodwill gesture” in order to promote peace talks. (Hindustan Times)
Russian forces shell Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, setting ten high-rise buildings on fire. (The Guardian)
Ukraine braces for ‘new bloody wave’ of Russian attacks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing a “new bloody wave” of attacks in eastern Ukraine, and urged the West to increase pressure on Russia, including “a complete blockade” of Russian banks and oil. His government appealed to NATO for “weapons, weapons, weapons.” The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said a month of Russian attacks had killed more than 5,000 civilians, including 210 children. Mayor Vadym Boichenko said bombing by Russian forces destroyed more than 90 percent of the city’s infrastructure. Fifty people burned to death in a single bombed hospital. “This is the new Auschwitz,” Boichenko said. THE WASHINGTON POST
Senate to consider ending normal trade relations with Russia The Senate on Thursday will consider legislation to end normal trade relations with Russia and ban Russian oil imports over its invasion of Ukraine, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday. The House passed the trade suspension measure three weeks ago, but the legislation has been stalled in the Senate. The push to vote on the proposal in the Senate comes as global outrage rises over evidence of Russian atrocities against civilians. “It’s a big, big deal that we are finally getting them done,” Schumer said. Final approval of the trade suspension would clear the way for President Biden to raise tariffs on Russian imports. The Biden administration announced new sanctions on Wednesday, including an executive order banning new investment in Russia. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Biden bans new investment in Russia President Biden on Wednesday condemned what he described as “major war crimes” by Russian forces in Ukraine, and announced an executive order banning new investment in Russia. The latest U.S. sanctions targeted two of Russia’s biggest banks and two of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters. The European Union is considering tightening sanctions, including a ban on Russian coal imports, over allegations that Russian troops committed atrocities such as the murder and rape of civilians in Bucha and other towns they once controlled in northern Ukraine. The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote Thursday on a proposal to exclude Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council. REUTERS
A man dies after ramming his vehicle and setting himself on fire into the fence of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, Romania. (Reuters)
Two civilians are reported to have been killed by the Russian military in Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast. According to Ukrainian authorities, five people were injured. (Reuters)
Poland arrests two Belarusian citizens on charges of spying for Minsk. (Reuters)
Big Oil tells lawmakers it’s not responsible for high pump prices Oil executives defended themselves in a House hearing on Wednesday, saying their companies were not responsible for high gasoline prices. Gas prices surged after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent crude oil prices soaring. Since then, crude prices have dropped by 23 percent but pump prices have dropped just 4 percent from their March 11 record. Rep. Diana DeGette, the Democratic chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, said gas prices are “constraining our constituents’ budgets and patience. Chevron’s chief executive, Mike Wirth, said companies have little control over the market dynamics that determine fuel prices, and it takes time for competition at gas stations to bring prices down. REUTERS
Buffett’s Berkshire takes 11 percent stake in HP Billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has bought an 11 percent stake in PC and printer maker HP. The news sent HP shares jumping by more than 15 percent in pre-market trading on Thursday. Berkshire purchased nearly 121 million HP shares, worth about $4.2 billion at Wednesday’s closing price. HP has lagged behind other tech giants for years, with its stock rising by less than 50 percent since 2009 before the Berkshire news. The investment came as Berkshire was getting more active after holding back earlier in the coronavirus pandemic. The company last month announced a deal to buy insurance company Alleghany for $11.6 billion. It also has been buying shares of Occidental Petroleum. CNBC
Supreme Court reinstates Trump environmental rule Five conservative Supreme Court justices reinstated a Trump-era environmental rule that made it harder for states to block projects that could pollute rivers and streams. Chief Justice John Roberts, a member of the six-justice conservative majority, joined the court’s three liberals in calling the ruling an abuse of the court’s emergency powers. The majority granted the request from Louisiana, other states, and the oil and gas industry without explaining its reasoning, which is common with such emergency requests. Justice Elena Kagan, dissenting along with Roberts and Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor, said the majority was turning the emergency or “shadow docket” into just another place to rule on cases, but “without full briefing and argument.” THE WASHINGTON POST
Prosecutors won’t charge officers in Amir Locke killing Prosecutors have declined to file charges against Minneapolis police officers in connection with the fatal shooting of Amir Locke during a February raid under a no-knock warrant, the county attorney and state attorney general said in a statement Wednesday. “There is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case,” they said. An officer shot and killed Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, seconds after entering the apartment. Officers said Locke got up from a couch with a handgun and raised it toward an officer, which prosecutors said constituted a “specifically articulable threat” toward the officer, Mark Hanneman. An attorney for Locke’s family said after the decision that it was a “disappointing day for the family.” CNN
House votes to hold Trump aides Navarro, Scavino in contempt The House voted Wednesday to hold Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino, aides to former President Donald Trump, in contempt for defying subpoenas from the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Navarro says executive privilege shields him from testifying. The committee’s chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said Scavino and Navarro “must be held accountable for the abuse of the public trust and defiance of the law,” adding: “They are in contempt of Congress, which is a crime.” Jan. 6 committee members Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) were the only Republicans to vote with Democrats to send the prosecution recommendation to the Justice Department. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) called the vote “vindictive” and un-American. AXIOS
Israel coalition loses majority Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s governing coalition lost its majority on Wednesday when its chair, Idit Silman, resigned and called for the formation of a right-wing government to replace it. “I can no longer bear the damage to values that are our essence and right,” she wrote in a letter to Bennett. Silman did not refer to specific policy differences in the letter, although she recently expressed objections to several policies, including plans to liberalize some prayer rules at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. A Bennett spokesperson declined to comment. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Silman and urged other right-wing and religious lawmakers to “return to our home.” CNN
The governing coalition of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett loses its majority in the Knesset after coalition whip Idit Silman of the Yamina party defects to the opposition Likud party, raising the possibility of new elections in Israel for the fifth time in four years. (Axios)
Instagram failed to act against misogynist abuse The nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate said in a study released Wednesday that Instagram had failed to act on an “epidemic of misogynist abuse” in the Instagram DMs of high-profile women. The group partnered with five high-profile women, including actress Amber Heard, and reviewed more than 8,000 direct messages they received on Instagram, according to The Washington Post. The researchers found that one in every 15 of those direct messages broke Instagram’s rules against abuse and harassment, and criticized Instagram for its “failure to act on 89.5 percent of reports sent to its moderators.” Instagram refuted the findings, saying it doesn’t permit “gender-based hate.” THE WASHINGTON POST
Man convicted of abusing daughter’s college friends A Manhattan jury on Wednesday found Lawrence Ray, 62, guilty of sex trafficking and extortion of his daughter’s friends at Sarah Lawrence College by using threats, violence, and psychological manipulation. Ray moved into his daughter’s dorm in 2010 after his release from prison for a securities fraud conviction. He was accused of charming his daughter’s schoolmates, then using his influence over them to enrich himself. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Ray abused “a group of friends who had their whole lives ahead of them.” Ray’s lawyers declined to comment after the verdict was announced, and he was returned to custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16, and could face up to life in prison. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pete Davidson hangs out with North West after Kanye declared he’d ‘NEVER MEET MY CHILDREN’ Remember when Kanye West proclaimed to Pete Davidson, “YOU WILL NEVER MEET MY CHILDREN”? Well, Pete Davidson has officially met one of Kanye West’s children. The Saturday Night Live star was spotted hanging out with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s 8-year-old daughter, North West, as photos published by TMZ showed them riding around in a pink electric car together near Kardashian’s home. Needless to say, the photos probably won’t go over well with West. In a text message West shared publicly in February, Davidson said he hopes he’ll one day be able to meet the kids, but West publicly declared he would “NEVER” do so, demanding he “stay away from my children.” A source told Us Weekly Kardashian “loves how great Pete is with the kids,” and another source added he has “bonded with” her “entire family.” Presumably, West himself does not count. TMZ
Ezra Miller’s DC future in doubt after arrest and on-set ‘meltdowns’ Warner Bros. and DC need to talk about Ezra Miller. After the Flash actor was arrested for disorderly conduct, DC and Warner Bros. executives held an “emergency” meeting, and the “consensus in the room was to hit pause on any future projects involving Miller,” Rolling Stone reports. The report also alleged Miller had “frequent meltdowns” during production of the upcoming solo DC movie The Flash, with an insider saying, “Ezra would get a thought in his head and say, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.” Miller was arrested for alleged disorderly conduct at a bar in Hawaii after reportedly getting extremely mad at people singing karaoke, and a couple later filed a restraining order against Miller after the actor allegedly burst into their bedroom and threatened them. Miller looked set to have a bright future as a lead in a major Hollywood franchise, but the actor may have officially blown all that up — which we like to call pulling a Gina Carano. ROLLING STONE
Bob Odenkirk to star in another AMC series after ‘Better Call Saul’ If you’re an AMC executive looking for a hit series, you’d better call Bob Odenkirk. The Saul Goodman actor is reportedly set to lead another AMC series called Straight Man after the end of Better Call Saul. The new series is described as a “mid-life crisis” dramedy, in which Odenkirk plays the chair of the English department at an underfunded Pennsylvania college. “Bob Odenkirk is just as good as it gets,” AMC entertainment president Dan McDermott said. This will continue Odenkirk’s long-running relationship with AMC after he debuted on Breaking Bad in 2009 and then led his own prequel series, Better Call Saul, which is about to kick off its final season. Clearly, AMC hopes as little time as possible passes without Odenkirk on its airwaves, as Straight Man is being fast-tracked for a debut as soon as next year. At some point, should we consider renaming the network Bob-MC? VARIETY
Three missiles land near an oil refinery in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. Two American security personnel are injured. (Reuters)
Four Europeans go missing after a diving trip off the coast Mersing, in the Johor state of Malaysia. Authorities say that a searching operation is ongoing. (The Guardian)
Former President of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaoré is found guilty of complicity in the murder of the country’s first president, Thomas Sankara, and is sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment. Compaoré has been in exile in Ivory Coast ever since resigning to the presidency following the 2014 Burkina Faso uprising. (The Guardian)
The End
artificial stupid 