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1. Ukraine

Ukrainian officials have condemned a Russian missile strike in Kyiv last night as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrapped up a visit to the Ukrainian capital. During his visit, Guterres called for the evacuation corridors in Mariupol to be opened, saying the besieged city was a “crisis within a crisis”. Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday and said Putin had agreed “in principle” on the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross in evacuating civilians from the Azovstal Mariupol steel plant – where Ukrainian fighters have been entrenched in the facility, which has been under siege by Russian forces for weeks. At least 150 workers have been killed at the plant and thousands are missing, according to Yuriy Ryzhenkov, managing director of Metinvest Holding, which owns the plant.

2. Coronavirus

Moderna said yesterday it was seeking an emergency license from the FDA for the Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years. To date, no Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for children under 5 in the United States – approximately 18 million people – and the timing of possible approval is not yet clear. However, Moderna officials said the FDA was expected to move quickly, and a Pfizer official suggested that the vaccine for younger children could also be available in June if approved. This comes days after Pfizer asked the FDA to give the green light for a booster dose of its vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Experts say vaccines for children are a high priority after studies have shown that the effectiveness of the vaccine has been significantly reduced in children amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

3. Recession

The US economy shrank unexpectedly in the first quarter of 2022. Gross Domestic Product fell at an annual rate of 1.4% in the first three months of the year – the worst quarter for the US economy since the pandemic struck in the spring 2020. However, economists say do not panic, because this is not a sign of an immediate recession. “The negative GDP figure is a surprise, but not a significant one,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told CNN. “The economy continues to grow dynamically and at a pace that continues to reduce unemployment.” On the plus side, consumer spending – the main driver of the US economy – accelerated in the first three months of the year. Business investment also grew at an annual rate of 9.2% in the first quarter, from 2.9% in the fourth quarter.

4. USPS

The U.S. Postal Service is facing lawsuits from 16 states, the District of Columbia and a coalition of environmental groups seeking to halt the purchase of thousands of petrol trucks – after the USPS pledged to reduce its environmental impact. According to Louis DeJoy General Post, the USPS does not have the necessary funding to increase the number of electric vehicles in its fleet. Postal Service spokeswoman Kim Fram told CNN yesterday that the service had conducted “a thorough and thorough review” before proceeding with its vehicle design and that more electric vehicles could be put into operation if funding was available. There is $ 6 billion earmarked for President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act to help the USPS transition to fully electric vehicles, but the bill has stalled in the Senate.

5. Elimination

Oklahoma lawmakers yesterday approved a six-week abortion ban under the controversial Texas Abortion Act, which allows individuals to sue abortion providers for law enforcement. The bill would ban abortions as soon as a doctor can detect early heart activity in a fetus or fetus, which can be up to six weeks after pregnancy – before many more women find out they are pregnant. Exceptions will be provided for medical emergencies. This comes amid a move by Republican-led states to severely curtail the process and as the Oklahoma legislature intensifies its push to limit abortion rights. The bill is now going to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, for final approval. Stitt has pledged to sign any bills that limit abortions arriving at his office.

BREAKFAST DESCRIPTION

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QUIZ TIME

Twitter agreed to be acquired by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk this week. How much is the deal worth? A. $ 4.4 million B. $ 440 million C. $ 4.4 billion D. $ 44 billion Take the CNN weekly news quiz to see if you’re right!

TODAY’S NUMBER

4,000 A 61-year-old man is going to row alone from the USA to France for so many miles. Peter Harley hopes to begin his voyage across the Atlantic next week. He told CNN yesterday that he estimated the feat would take three to four months.

TODAY QUOTE

“We were not elected by the people of this state to avoid doing what some might call controversial.” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Republican, for signing several education bills yesterday, including a law banning the teaching of “divisive concepts” related to race in the classroom. The law, known as the “First Student Protection Act,” is part of a wider movement by conservative lawmakers across the country to restrict the way race is taught and discussed in schools. Kemp also signed Law HB 1178, known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights”, which provides greater transparency to parents and legal guardians about what their students are taught, and SB 226, which prohibits literature or books that are considered offensive. nature from school libraries.

THE WEATHER TODAY

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AND FINALLY

If cute babies competed in the Olympics Honestly, this may be one of the cutest, most hilarious 2 minute videos ever. Enjoy a good laugh this morning! (Click here to view)