Monday, April 11, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Zelenskkyy Warns Of Coming Russian Offensive


As Ukraine continues to brace for a renewed, more focused Russian offensive in the eastern and southern part of the country, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in his nightly video message Sunday that the coming week will be as crucial as any in the war, stating, "Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state." In an interview from Kyiv aired on 60 Minutes last night, Zelenskyy said Ukraine's fate depends on getting more weapons and military supplies from the West, particularly mentioning the U.S. He said, "To be honest, whether we will be able to survive depends on this. I have 100 percent confidence in our people and in our armed forces. But unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need."
 
Meanwhile, U.S. and European officials said that Russia had appointed one a new military chief to oversee the invasion, after having no central war commander on the ground until now. General Alexander Dvornikov headed Russian forces sent to Syria in 2015 to back President Bashar Assad’s government during their civil war. U.S. officials say he has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and elsewhere, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN yesterday, "This general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians. And the United States . . . is determined to do all that we can to support Ukrainians as they resist him and they resist the forces that he commands."


Biden to Speak with India PM Modi: President Biden is set to speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, with a central topic to be the war in Ukraine. There have been concerns in the U.S. over India's netural stance on the war, and it continues to buy Russian oil and gas. India also recently bought advanced Russian air defense systems, leading the U.S. to consider sanctions.


➤FRANCE'S MACRON TO FACE FAR-RIGHT LE PEN IN RUNOFF ELECTION: French President Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen in a runoff presidential election after they advanced in the first round of voting yesterday. The two also faced off in 2017 an election Macron won by a landslide, but polls this time until now have shown a much closer contest. In yesterday's vote, Macron got 27 percent, Le Pen had just under 24 percent, and leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon was third with close to 22 percent, missing the two-candidate runoff. The deciding second-round vote will be in two weeks on April 24th.

➤TWO PALESTINIAN WOMEN KILLED BY ISRAELI FORCES AMID HEIGHTENED TENSION: Two Palestinian women were killed by Israeli forces in separate incidents in the West Bank Sunday amid heightened tensions after a series of attacks by Palestinian gunmen on Israeli civilians in recent weeks that have killed 14 people. In one incident, a 47-year-old woman was shot as she approached a checkpoint near the village of Husan, with the Israeli army saying she failed to stop when told to do so by soldiers as she approached. Soldiers fired warning shots in the air, and video appears to show her beginning to run as she moved forward, after which soldiers shot her. She was found to be unarmed. In the second incident, a Palestinian woman who stabbed a police officer in Hebron was shot and killed. The officer wasn't seriously injured. Israeli soldiers have been conducting sweeping operations in the West Bank after the attacks in Israel.
 

➤TWO KILLED, 10 WOUNDED IN IOWA NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING: Two people were killed and 10 others wounded, one of them critically, in a shooting at a crowded nightclub in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, early Sunday. Police Chief Wayne Jerman said investigators believe two men fired more than a dozen shots inside the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge just before 1:30 a.m. The police were searching for the suspects yesterday, with the gunmen having likely escaped as people ran out of the nightclub when the shooting began. Jerman said a motive hasn't been determined, but investigators believe one of the victims was targeted.

➤ABC NEWS..MOST AMERICANS BLAME PUTIN, OIL COMPANIES FOR HIGH GAS PRICES: Most Americans paying high gas prices who are looking to place blame are pointing at Russian President Vladimir Putin and oil companies, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll. Putin was blamed by 71 percent of Americans either a "good deal" or a "great amount" -- due to the war in Ukraine -- while 68 percent said the same about oil companies. When it comes to politicians, the Democrats get more of the blame, with 52 percent putting blame on Democratic party politics and 51 percent on President Biden, compared to 33 percent who blamed Republican party politics and 24 percent who blamed former President Donald Trump. Respondents were divided on how difficult gas prices increases have been for them, with 49 percent saying they've caused financial hardship for themselves or others in their household, while 50 percent say they haven't. Only just over one in five, 21 percent, said, it's causing them serious financial hardship.


➤MANHOLE EXPLOSION IN TIMES SQUARE SENDS PEOPLE RUNNING: A manhole explosion in New York's Times Square caused by multiple manhole fires sent people fleeing yesterday evening. Three manholes caught fire around 6:45 p.m. in the area, which is usually packed with tourists. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Fox News cited Fire Engineering magazine as saying manhole fires often happen when gas builds up underground and is ignited by an electrical short circuit, sending an explosion through the path of least resistance, which is usually a manhole.

➤REPORT: TIKTOK ACTS ON CHILDREN’S BRAINS LIKE A ‘CANDY STORE’ SHORTENING THEIR ATTENTION SPAN:   The effects of consuming social media aren’t all good, and a new report indicates that when children spend time on TikTok it negatively affects their attention spans. Researchers used MRI scans to show study participants had high activation in the addiction part of the brain when watching personalized (as opposed to general-interest) TikTok videos, and some users struggled to control when to stop watching. In general, activities that require sustained attention use the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and impulse control known as the prefrontal cortex. Kids can struggle with directed attention because their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed until age 25. Dr. Michael Manos with the Cleveland Clinic adds, “If kids’ brains become accustomed to constant changes, the brain finds it difficult to adapt to a non-digital activity where things don’t move quite as fast.” The Wall Street Journal reports that TikTok uses an algorithm to personalize the video feeds based on the time a user watches each video and then cycles similar content. But a TikTok spokesperson recently said the company is now working on ways for the algorithm to diversify its videos, and they’re also working on reducing excessive app time. Experts say your child needs practice to learn to pay attention, and some simple strategies to increase their attention-span include encouraging exercise and play time, but being sure not to deprive them of technology, and instead encourage them to reduce their use of it by building up other activities.

🚍YOUR NEXT AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT MIGHT BE ON A BUS:  This seems like an April Fools’ joke, but it’s not. Some American Airlines connecting flights will be transported on buses instead of planes according to an announcement made last week. The company took to Twitter to explain in part, “We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with @AmericanAir! Seamless connections between American’s Philadelphia hub to Lehigh Valley Airport (ABE), and Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) beginning June 3rd.” The switch comes amidst increasing fuel prices and a shortage of pilots that has mostly affected regional airlines. Flights from Philadelphia to Allentown and to Atlantic City currently take about 30 minutes each, and by bus, the trips would take about two hours.


🏌SCHEFFLER WINS MASTERS, WOODS FINISHES FAR BACK: American Scottie Scheffler, the world's top-ranked men's golfer, won the Masters Tournament on Sunday, capturing the green jacket at Augusta National for his first major. The 25-year-old finished at 10-under 278, three shots ahead of Rory McIlroy, who had a record-tying final round of 64 as he tried to win the final major he needs for a career Grand slam. As for Tiger Woods, after being just four shots back following the opening round Thursday, he faded over the next days as he competed in his first PGA Tournament since a February 2021 car crash in which his right leg was severely injured. He finished at 13-over 301, his highest 72-hole score at the Masters and furthest, at 23 shots, he ever finished behind the winner. But Woods said he's planning to play at the British Open in July, while not being sure about the next two majors, the PGA Championship in May or the U.S. Open in June.


🏀NBA PLAY-IN MATCH-UPS SET: The NBA's regular season came to an end Sunday, and the match-ups are now set for the play-in games before the first round of the playoffs. Up first will be Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Brooklyn Nets and the L.A. Clippers vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in the 7th Place vs. 8th Place games. On Wednesday, the Charlotte Hornets will play the Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs will face off against the New Orleans Pelicans in the 9th Place vs. 10th Place games.

🏀MAVERICKS' DONCIC STRAINS CALF AHEAD OF PLAYOFFS: Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic suffered a calf strain late in the third quarter of the team's last game of the regular season Sunday, with the playoffs just ahead. However, ESPN reported there's initial optimism that it's not a significant injury. Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said, "We'll know more tomorrow, and we'll go from there. Hopefully, it's not too serious." The Mavericks will be playing the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, beginning next Saturday.

🏀LAKERS TO FIRE HEAD COACH VOGEL: ESPN reported last night that the L.A. Lakers will fire head coach Frank Vogel, and that he will be notified as soon as today. The report said there's isn't a clear-cut frontrunner to replace him, and the search for a new head coach is expected to be, quote, "expansive and lengthy." The news came soon after the Lakers ended their disappointing 33-49 season with a 146-141 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. Vogel, who signed with L.A. in 2019, said after the game, "I haven't been told s*** . . . we'll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow."

🏀76ERS' THYBULLE WON'T BE IN PLAYOFF GAMES IN TORONTO, NOT FULLY VACCINATED: The Philadephia 76ers won't have Matisse Thybulle with them for their first-round playoff games against the Raptors in Toronto, Games 3 and 4, since he's not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and therefore won't be allowed into Canada. The defensive specialist told reporters Sunday that he got a first shot of the Pfizer vaccine, but didn't get the second after learning he could still be infected with Covid despite the vaccination. He stated that he was raised in a, quote, "holistic household," adding, "I felt like I had a solid foundation of medical resources that could serve me beyond what this vaccine could do for me."

🏒PENGUINS' CROSBY REACHES 1,400 POINTS, SEVENTH-FASTEST TO DO SO: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby reached 1,400 career points last night with the second of his two goals at 2:21 of overtime in a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Crosby is the seventh-fastest player in NHL history to reach 1,400 points. It was also his 77th game-winning goal, one behind Evgeni Malkin and Jaromir Jagr for the most in team history.

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