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Friday, April 29, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Russia Strikes Kyiv

NY Post photo

Russia launched strikes against Kyiv on Thursday, the first on Ukraine's capital since Russian forces retreated from the area weeks ago. The strikes, which killed one person and wounded others and hit a residential high-rise and another building, came barely an hour after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a news conference with visiting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who toured some of the destruction in an around Kyiv and condemned the attacks on civilians. Guterres met in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin earlier this week.


There were also explosions in other locations across the country, and Ukrainian authorities reported "intense" Russian fire in several places in the eastern Donbas region that Moscow has refocused on as its main objective, and near the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Still, Russia continues to have so far made only minor gains, and Britain’s Defense Ministry said Friday that the limited territorial gains by Russia have come at significant cost to their forces.

Biden Asks Congress for $33 Billion for Ukraine: President Biden asked Congress yesterday for a $33 billion aid plan for Ukraine, signaling a longer U.S. commitment as the war continues. It includes some $20 billion in defense spending for Ukraine and U.S. allies in the region, $8.5 billion to keep Ukraine's government providing services and salaries, and $3 billion in global food and humanitarian programs, including money to help Ukrainian refugees and to encourage U.S. farmers to grow wheat and other crops to replace the large amounts of food Ukraine normally produces. Administration officials estimate the package will last five months. The initial $13.6 billion aid package passed early last month is now almost depleted.

➤MODERNA ASKS FDA FOR APPROVAL FOR COVID-19 VACCINE FOR CHILDREN UNDER AGE SIX: Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday to approve low-dose shots of its Covid-19 vaccine for children under six years old, what would be the first Covid vaccine approved for that age group. Moderna submitted data showing two low-dose shots can protect these youngest children, although the effectiveness isn't nearly as high in children tested during the omicron variant surge than it was earlier in the pandemic. Moderna said the two doses are about 40 to 50 percent effective at preventing symptomatic Covid. Currently, only children ages five and older can be vaccinated in the U.S., using Pfizer's vaccine.



➤SOUTHWESTERN STATES BRACING FOR RETURN OF WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT FUEL WILDFIRES: Even as firefighters were continuing to make progress against wildfires in the southwestern U.S. yesterday, they were bracing for the return today of the same weather conditions that fueled the fires last week, quickly spreading them. Amid drought conditions in the region, winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour are forecasted for today, with fire behavior specialist Stewart Turner saying at a briefing last night near the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico, "It's a very, very dangerous fire day tomorrow." Red flag warnings are in place for all of New Mexico and parts of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Firefighters were battling wildfires in Arizona and New Mexico Thursday, with the biggest wildfire currently burning in the U.S. in northeastern New Mexico after beginning on April 22nd.

➤JUSTICE DEPT. SUES MANAFORT FOR NEARLY $3 MILLION: The U.S. Justice Department filed suit against Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort yesterday, seeking to recover nearly $3 million from undeclared foreign bank accounts. The suit asks a judge to require Manafort to pay fines, penalties and interest after prosecutors say he failed to file federal tax documents for more than 20 offshore bank accounts and to disclose the money on his tax returns. Manafort's attorney said in a statement, "Mr. Manafort . . . has tried for months to resolve this civil matter. Nonetheless, the Government insisted on filing this suit simply to embarrass Mr. Manafort." Manafort was convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for financial crimes related to his political consulting work in Ukraine. Then-President Trump pardoned him in December 2020.

➤BIDEN BLASTED FOR DISINFORMATION PLAN: President Biden came under fire Thursday for the creation of a “dystopian” disinformation bureau created under his Homeland Security department, which critics are blasting as just a way for the government to police free speech online.

The NY Post reports Conservatives slammed the Department of Homeland Security’s Orwellian new “Disinformation Governance Board” – with some suggesting the timing is convenient given Elon Musk vowed to make Twitter a free speech haven after his $44 billion takeover of the social media platform notorious for selectively censoring right-leaning points of view.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called the new board a “disgrace” that was designed to “monitor all Americans’ speech.”

 The newly formed panel will target supposed misinformation aimed at key points of vulnerability for Biden and Democrats such as southern border migrants, as well as monitor and prepare for Russian disinformation threats as this year’s midterm elections near, the DHS said.

The board will be led by Nina Jankowicz – a disinformation expert who has been criticized for repeatedly casting doubt on The Post’s reporting about Hunter Biden’s laptop.

🚚POSTAL SERVICE SUED BY 16 STATES, UNION OVER NEW DELIVERY TRUCKS:
Sixteen U.S. states, two large climate organizations, and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union are suing the U.S. Postal Service in an effort to block its purchase of more than 140,000 new mail delivery trucks over environmental issues, according to The Washington Post. The new vehicles would improve working conditions for USPS workers, but they wouldn't significantly improve fuel consumption or carbon emissions. The suit cites the potential environment impact of the new fleet and the USPS paying Wisconsin contractor Oshkosh to begin production without first conducting a thorough climate-based analysis, according to the Post. The UAW joined the suit after Oshkosh announced it would build the new mail trucks in South Carolina rather than a union state. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in announcing the suit that the USPS is, quote, "doubling down on outdated technologies," stating, "Once this purchase goes through, we'll be stuck with more than 100,000 new gas-guzzling vehicles on neighborhood streets, serving homes across our state and across the country, for the next 30 years."

➤FDA TO BAN MENTHOL CIGARETTES, FLAVORED CIGARS: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its plan yesterday to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, citing the health effects on Black smokers and young people. Menthol cigarettes make up about one-third of cigarettes sold in the U.S., and are particularly used by Black smokers and young smokers. The cooling effect of menthol masks the throat harshness of smoking, which makes it easier to start smoking and harder to quit. The FDA also plans to ban cigars with menthol and other flavors like grape and strawberry, which are increasingly popular with young people, especially Black teenagers. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement, "The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit." The FDA proposals are unlikely to be finalized until next year

➤STUDY: LONELINESS LEADS TO A HIGHER RISK OF FUTURE UNEMPLOYMENT: Being lonely could be bad for your financial future. University of Exeter researchers found people who reported “feeling lonely often” were significantly more likely to encounter unemployment later. They also confirmed the reverse to be true—people who were unemployed were more likely to experience loneliness later. Study co-author, Dr. Ruben Mujica-Mota says, “While previous research has shown that unemployment can cause loneliness, ours is the first study to identify that lonely people of any working age are at greater risk of becoming unemployed. Our findings show that these two issues can interact and create a self-fulfilling, negative cycle. There is a need for greater recognition of the wider societal impacts of loneliness in the working age population.”


➤TEENAGERS’ BRAINS START TUNING OUT THEIR MOTHERS’ VOICES AROUND THE AGE OF 13: Talking to a teenager can sometimes feel like talking to a brick wall, and a new study confirms that's how it is for parents. Stanford University researchers used brain scans to find that teenagers’ brains start tuning out their mothers’ voices around the age of 13 because they no longer find it “uniquely rewarding.” Lead study author Daniel Abrams explains, “Just as an infant knows to tune into her mother’s voice, an adolescent knows to tune into novel voices. As a teen, you don’t know you’re doing this. You’re just being you: You’ve got your friends and new companions and you want to spend time with them. Your mind is increasingly sensitive to and attracted to these unfamiliar voices.” And though the study found that in some ways, teens’ brains are more receptive to all voices, it also found that the reward circuits and the brain centers that prioritize important stimuli are more activated by unfamiliar voices than by those of their mothers. Senior study author Vinod Menon adds, “A child becomes independent at some point, and that has to be precipitated by an underlying biological signal. That’s what we’ve uncovered: This is a signal that helps teens engage with the world and form connections which allow them to be socially adept outside their families.”  

🏀NBA PLAYOFFS: Results from first-round games yesterday:
  • Philadelphia 76ers 132, Toronto Raptors 97 - Philadelphia wins series 4-2
  • Phoenix Suns 115, New Orleans Pelicans 109 - Phoenix wins series 4-2
  • Dallas Mavericks 98, Utah Jazz 96 - Dallas wins series 4-2

🏀PHILLY, PHOENIX, DALLAS WIN FIRST-ROUND NBA PLAYOFFS: The Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks all wrapped up their first-round NBA playoffs to advance last night, each winning their games for 4 games to 2 series victories. The 76ers routed the Toronto Raptors 132-97, the Suns topped the New Orleans Pelicans 115-109, with Chris Paul going 14 for 14 in the best shooting night in NBA playoff history, and the Mavericks edged the Utah Jazz 98-96. Philadelphia will play the Miami Heat in the second round, and Dallas will take on the Suns.

🏈JAGUARS TAKE TRAVON WALKER WITH NUMBER ONE NFL DRAFT PICK: The Jacksonville Jaguars took Georgia defensive end Travon Walker with the Number One overall pick in the NFL draft last night in Las Vegas, kicking off the event at which it was the first time in 31 years that no offensive player was taken in the first five picks. Another defensive end, Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson, was taken with the second pick by the Detroit Lions, and the Houston Texans chose LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. third. Rounding out the top five, the New York Jets took Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner fourth, and the New York Giants chose Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux fifth. No quarterbacks were taken until the 20th pick, when the Pittsburgh Steelers took University of Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett.
 

🏈TITANS TRADE STAR RECEIVER BROWN TO EAGLES FOR DRAFT PICKS: The Tennessee Titans traded star receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday for the 18th and 101st overall picks in the NFL Draft that began last night. The 24-year-old Brown, who was entering the final year of his rookie deal with the Titans, agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal with the Eagles. Tennessee used the 18th pick to take Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks.

⚾CARDINALS' ARENADO, CABRERA SUSPENDED OVER BRAWL WITH METS: St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado and pitcher Génesis Cabrera were suspended by MLB yesterday over a benches-clearing brawl with the New York Mets Wednesday. Arenado was suspended for two games and Cabrera for one, and both were fined. Arenado ducked away from a high fastball from Mets reliever Yoan López in the eighth inning and shouted at the pitcher. Arenado then threw aside catcher Tomás Nido as players from both dugouts rushed the field. Cabrera grabbed the Mets' Pete Alonso by the collar during the brawl, contributing to him falling. López was fined over the pitch, which came an inning after Mets hitter J.D. Davis was hit on the foot.

🏌REPORT: TIGER WOODS PLANS TO PLAY IN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Tiger Woods plans to play in the PGA Championship next month, Golf Digest reported yesterday, citing a source as saying he'll compete, quote, "barring any setbacks" from the serious leg injuries he suffered in a February 2021 car crash. Woods played in the Masters earlier this month, his first competitive tournament since the accident, finishing in 47th place. The PGA Championship is from May 19th to 22nd at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 



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