Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Biden Wants Bipartisan Action After Texas Shooting


President Biden suggested yesterday that there's an opening for bipartisan action after the horrific Texas school shooting, telling reporters, "I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope." Biden's comments came the day after he traveled to the town of Uvalde and met with the families of the 19 children and two teachers who were killed. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators talked over the weekend to see if they could reach agreement on even some modest gun legislation measures, such as encouraging "red flag" laws to prevent those with mental health problems from being able to get guns, and their discussions will continue. Biden said he didn’t know where the negotiations stand, but stated, "there’s realization on the part of rational Republicans" that "we can’t keep repeating ourselves." Biden also said on gun rights, "The Second Amendment was never absolute. You couldn’t buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed."



➤CANADA MOVES TO STOP SALES, IMPORTING OF GUNS: The U.S. may struggle to pass any gun legislation, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government introduced legislation yesterday that would make it illegal to "buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada." Trudeau said, "We are capping the number of handguns in this country." The measure is expected to be enacted this fall, with the ruling Liberals and leftist opposition New Democrats in Parliament having the votes to do so. This latest action comes as Canada already has plans to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms and offer a mandatory buyback program that will begin at the end of the year.

➤RUSSIAN FORCES BATTLING FURTHER INTO KEY EASTERN UKRAINIAN CITY: Russian forces advanced further into the key eastern city of Sievierodonetsk in Ukraine Monday (May 30th), fighting Ukrainian troops in street battles as it intensifies its assault. Sievierodonetsk is important to Russia's drive to capture the eastern Donbas region, where Russia refocused its efforts after its attempt to take Kyiv and the entire country after the initial invasion failed. Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said that the city, once home to 100,000 people, has been, quote, "completely ruined," words that recall the devastation wrought by Russia in the southern city of Mariupol. AP cited analysts as saying Russia is trying to move quickly before more Western weapons arrive to bolster Ukraine, although President Biden yesterday dismissed reports that the U.S. was considering sending long-range rockets systems to Ukraine, saying yesterday, "we are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Monday that Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports is preventing it from exporting 22 million tons of grain, leading to a famine threat in countries dependent on the grain. He charged, quote, "this is something the Russian leadership clearly seeks," accusing Russia of, quote, "deliberately creating this problem."


E.U. Agrees to Ban Most Russian Oil Imports By End of Year: The European Union agreed yesterday to ban most Russian oil imports into the 27-nation bloc by the end of the year. The embargo applies to Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. That exemption was crucial to getting agreement from Hungary to the decision, which required all the member nations to approve. The head of the E.U.'s executive branch, Ursula von der Leyen, said the move will, quote, effectively cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the E.U. by the end of the year."

French Journalist Killed: French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff was killed in Ukraine Monday, with French news broadcaster BFM TV saying the 32-year-old was hit by shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian civilian evacuation operation.

🎥'TOP GUN: MAVERICK' SOARS HIGH WITH $151 MILLION BOX OFFICE OPENING:  Tom Cruise has a lot to celebrate this Memorial Day. The Risky Business actor had his best domestic box office opening ever with Top Gun: Maverick. The film brought in an impressive $151 million.

CEO of IMAX Rich Gelfond said, “If you thought movies were dead, go see Top Gun: Maverick and then let me know what you think. This film heralds the return of the summer blockbuster, and is a catalyst that will accelerate demand for moviegoing like an F-18 breaking the sound barrier.”
Box Office Numbers From Friday, May 27th through Monday, May 30th:

1. Top Gun: Maverick, $151 million
2. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, $21.1 million
3. The Bob’s Burgers Movie, $15 million
4. Downton Abbey: A New Era, $7.5 million
5. The Bad Guys, $6.1 million
6. Everything Everywhere All at Once, $3.189 million
7. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, $3.12 million
8. The Lost City, $2.3 million
9. Men, $1.53 million
10. F3: Fun and Frustration, $1.2 million

🌞SURVEY SHOWS DANGEROUS RISE IN SUN TANNING AS MYTHS PERSIST:  Tanning and getting a sunburn are both dangerous for the skin. A new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) found a sharp rise in both tanning and number of sunburns people reported getting in 2021, compared to 2020. Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand, a Dallas-based dermatologist explains, “A tan is your body’s response to injury. When you tan, you are intentionally putting your health at risk. If you want to look tan, consider using a self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.” The AAD recommends seeking shade, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun’s rays are strongest. You should also wear sun-protective clothing, such as a lightweight long-sleeved shirt and pants, and a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection. You should also apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all exposed skin. In this most recent survey, 63 percent of respondents reported getting a suntan last year, up from 54 percent in 2020, and about 33 percent were sunburned in 2021, compared to 25 percent in 2020. Also, nearly half of respondents believed one or more tanning myths—22 percent believed that a base tan will prevent a sunburn, and 18 percent said it would decrease skin cancer risk. Also, 20 percent said they believed tanning was safe as long as they didn’t burn, while 13 percent even thought tanning was healthy. Houshmand adds, “Both tanning and sunburning are very concerning. Both tanning and sunburning damage your skin. The more you tan and sunburn, the more this damage builds up over time, increasing your risk of premature skin aging, including age spots, sagging and wrinkling.

🏊NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF LIFEGUARDS IN U.S.: Americans wanting to hit beaches and pools with the unofficial arrival of summer this past Memorial Day weekend are finding delayed openings, reduced hours, closures, and "swim at your own risk" warnings as the country is facing a nationwide shortage of lifeguards. CNN reported that it could affect up to half of America’s 300,000 public swimming pools, not to mention beaches, accrding to estimates from the American Lifeguard Association. There had already been a declining number of lifeguards for years, and now with labor shortages in other industries, young people are going for higher pay in restaurants and retail. The lifeguard workforce has also been disrupted by the pandemic, which caused hiring freezes and limits on the number of trainees allowed in classrooms.

⚾MLB GIANTS' MANAGER BREAKS NATIONAL ANTHEM PROTEST: San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler began not standing during the national anthem before his MLB team's games last Friday in protest of the direction of the nation, acting in the wake of the Texas school shooting. However, he stood during the anthem before the Giants' game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Memorial Day yesterday. He said on his blog yesterday, "Today, I'll be standing for the anthem. While I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country's service men and women who fought and died for that right." Kapler wrote on his blog Friday about the school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, and which came just 10 days after a supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York, in which 10 Black people were killed by a gunman driven by racist hatred. Kapler wrote, "Every time I place my hand over my heart and remove my hat, I'm participating in a self congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place." Kapler said yesterday that he wasn't ready to announce whether his protest will resume tonight, stating, "I want to have my thoughts perfectly formulated. I will formulate them and I will share them."

🏒RANGERS DEFEAT HURRICANES 6-2 MAKE CONFERENCE FINALS: The New York Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in the deciding Game 7 of their second-round playoff series last night in North Carolina to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Chris Kreider scored twice for the Rangers and goalie Igor Shesterkin had 36 saves, keeping the shutout until well into the third period. New York came back to win the series after dropping the first two games to Carolina. The Rangers will play the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the conference finals, with Game 1 on Wednesday.

 

🎾SWIATEK WINS, MEDVEDEV AND TSITSIPAS UPSET IN FRENCH OPEN'S FOURTH ROUND: Top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland won in the fourth round at the French Open Monday, defeating China's 74th-ranked Zheng Qinwen to make the quarterfinals. Swiatek has won her past five tournaments, going unbeaten since February for the WTA’s longest such stretch since Serena Williams had a 34-match run in 2013. There were two signficant upsets on the men's side, with 20th-seeded Marin Cilic downing Number 2 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets and fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas falling to unseeded Holger Rune 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

🏈CARDINALS CORNERBACK JEFF GLADNEY KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT AT AGE 25: Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney was killed in a car accident early Monday morning in Dallas. He was 25. The Cardinals said in a statement yesterday, "We are devastated to learn of Jeff Gladney's passing. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and all who are mourning this tremendous loss." Gladney had just signed with the Cardinals in March after a jury found him not guilty on a felony assault charge. He'd been a first-round pick in 2020 by the Minnesota Vikings, who released him in August after he was indicted for assault involving a former girlfriend in April 2021.

🏀PELICANS' MCCOLLUM SIGNS ON AS NBA ANALYST FOR ESPN: New Orleans Pelicans player CJ McCollum has signed on as an NBA analyst for ESPN, the network announced Monday. It will be a multi-platform deal for McCollum, who's also the NBA Players Association president and has made past appearances as an analyst on ESPN. McCollum is one of a growing number of players who are year-round analysts while still playing.

⚽CHELSEA SALE COMPLETED FOR $3.2 BILLION, HIGHEST EVER FOR SPORTS TEAM: The sale of English soccer team Chelsea was completed yesterday for $3.2 billion, the most ever paid for a sports team. Buying Chelsea was a cosortium led by L.A. Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly that also includes Dodgers principal owner Mark Walter. The team had been owned for 19 years by Roman Abramovich, but the Russian oligarch was forced to sell in March after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the British government sanctioning him for what it called his enabling of the invasion. The British government approved the sale last week after ensuring that Abramovich couldn't profit from it, and said the proceeds of the sale will be used for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.

➤HURRICANE AGATHA MAKES LANDFALL AS STRONGEST EVER IN MAY IN EASTERN PACIFIC: Hurricane Agatha made landfall on the Pacific coast of southern Mexico yesterday afternoon, becoming the strongest hurricane recorded to come ashore in May in the eastern Pacific. It made landfall as a strong Category 2 storm in Oaxaca state, along a sparsely populated stretch of small beach towns and fishing villages. It had only formed on Sunday and quickly gained power. Agatha rapidly lost strength as it moved inland, and was downgraded to a tropical storm late Monday.



 

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