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1. Ukraine
As part of the second phase of its invasion, Russian officials say they are actively trying to secure all of eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that any country intervening in Ukraine would face a “lightning fast” response from Moscow. This comes as Ukrainian officials say almost the entire territory of the Luhansk region has been bombed in the last 24 hours. In Kherson, there were reports that the Russians would hold some kind of referendum on whether the southern region should become an independent democracy, but a Russian-appointed official said its return to Ukrainian control was “impossible” and ruled out a referendum. decide his future. Separately, Canadian lawmakers voted unanimously yesterday to recognize “acts of genocide” committed by Russia in Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, continues to deny any involvement in the mass killings of Ukrainian civilians.
2. Coronavirus
The United States is in a “transitional phase” of the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN yesterday. The country’s leading infectious disease specialist noted that, in fact, Covid-19 cases are rising again, although not at all close to the rise we saw this winter with the Omicron wave. As new cases and hospitalizations return in most states, fewer people die from Covid-19 now than during most of the pandemic. Fauci said that although the coronavirus would not be eradicated, the level of the virus in society could be kept very low if people were vaccinated at intervals, probably every year. In Washington, DC, a White House official also confirmed yesterday that Vice President Kamala Harris had no symptoms of Covid-19 a day after the test. Harris completed the Moderna Covid-19 two-dose vaccine schedule in January 2021 and has received two booster doses.
3. Disney
Disney’s self-governing district, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, says Florida’s move to disband the district next year is illegal unless the state pays off the district’s large debts. Reedy Creek is a state-owned area created by state law in May 1967 that gives the Walt Disney Company government control over the land in and around Central Florida theme parks. With this power, Disney took on the responsibility of providing utilities such as electricity, water, roads and fire protection – but also waived taxes on services that benefited the general public. Reedy Creek currently has about $ 1 billion in bond debt, according to credit rating agency Fitch Ratings. Because of this promise, Reedy Creek said it expects to continue operating as usual.
4. Uprising in the Capitol
Rudy Giuliani, a key figure in former President Donald Trump’s failed attempt to overthrow the 2020 election, is expected to appear before a House committee next month to investigate the January 6, 2021 uprising, according to sources familiar with the matter. The expected appearance comes after months of negotiations between lawmakers and the former New York mayor, who served as Trump’s personal lawyer for much of his presidency. Giuliani’s upcoming appearance will occur while facing legal risk on many fronts. It also comes as many high-profile individuals from Trump’s inner trajectory have recently spoken to the committee voluntarily.
5. Drought
Residents of Southern California were called yesterday to reduce watering outdoors in an “unprecedented” series amid a historic drought. Officials are urging businesses and residents in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties to reduce their outdoor watering to one day a week because “they do not have enough water to meet normal water requirements.” 6 million people living in State Water. Project-dependent areas, “said a spokesman for the Southern California Metropolitan Area. The Metropolitan is urging locals to reduce their water consumption by 35% to avoid a total ban on watering later in the summer. The move comes as California faces persistent dry conditions due to a climate crisis that has led to severe water shortages, despite a record snowfall in early winter.
BREAKFAST DESCRIPTION
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TODAY’S NUMBER
$ 7 billion This is the value of the military equipment that the United States left in Afghanistan after its withdrawal from the country in 2021, according to a Pentagon report. The equipment is now in the hands of the Taliban – the very enemy that the United States has been trying to oust for the past two decades. The Department of Defense has no plans to return to Afghanistan to “recover or destroy” the equipment, according to a report to Congress.
TODAY QUOTE
“You are not letting these Americans go free. There is always a price, but for that, it was worth it.” – Bill Richardson, former US ambassador to the United Nations, on the release of Trevor Reed from Russia yesterday in the context of a prisoner exchange. Reed, an American and former US Marine, has been detained in Russia since 2019. After months of negotiations, President Biden yesterday approved the exchange of prisoners and released Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, a smuggler convicted of conspiracy to enter the United States. According to a senior US government official, the Russian government has long expressed interest in getting Yaroshenko back from the US, but it is unclear whether he is explicitly linked to the Kremlin.
THE WEATHER TODAY
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AND FINALLY
It is the National Day of Superheroes Are there any Marvel fans out there? This epic superhero battle scene from “Captain America: Civil War” has been one for centuries. (Click here to view)
