Biden and Bezos brawl; 1 million Americans die from COVID; booster authorized for children; Biden adds troops to Somalia; the Pentagon talks about UFOs; shootings in Buffalo, Milwaukee and California
Pence opposes Trump; Nestle to the formula rescue; an $810 tip; a nonspeaking autistic Valedictorian; a Kentucky school did what? couple sues children over no grandchildren; Judd suicide by gun, #61
Good Wednesday morning (or Tuesday night). Happy hump day. My hiatus was short-lived. Could not stay away.
My take: Random thoughts while wondering why we have a second President in a row on Twitter battling billionaires. Sad…Speaking of the President, we now have troops going back to Somalia. What is our national interest there? 1 million beautiful American lives lost to COVID. We need to figure out how this started…Thank you Nestle. Private business attacking another issue. This time the baby formula shortage…Children are authorized for the COVID booster. That means they are getting how many vaccines a year…Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who had a stroke last week, has won the Democrat nomination to run for Senate. A week of lows and highs for him…Gasoline prices are above $4.00 in all 50 states and are going nowhere south. Look for them to continue edging up…President Biden is right about the Buffalo shooter. He is a White Supremacist who spent his useless life hating Blacks, Jews, and anyone not like him…The war in Ukraine is a failure for Putin and has so minimized him in the eyes of world leaders. Think if he had it to do all over again would he? I bet not!..I still believe Musk will buy Twitter…Trump seems to be at war with multiple Republicans and not the ones he calls Rhinos. Gov. DeSantis and Gov. Kemp are just two who have no use for the ex-President, similar to former VP Pence…This is one of my favorites, “they did what,”: elderly couple sues their only child and his wife for not providing them with a grandchild…Secondly in that category, the ignorance of a Kentucky school having students writing essays to convince individuals not to be gay is astounding…Check out the best scenic drives in every state…Leave it to me to have a video on bowel moments and another article on 9 “dirty” words with appropriate secondary definitions…UFOs are like the early days of selling alcohol and marijuana. Once it becomes mainstream, I am not sure it is as sexy to indulge…Should sports stars be paid all that we list below?…Read about the company that will pay $200 for every novel you finish.
Now to your “1 to…”
Start with a smile: US waitress gets $810 as tip on a bill of $48, biggest in her 20-year career: The restaurant in the city of Cranston in Rhode Island thanked the anonymous couple for their tip through a Facebook post.
Start with another smile: A nonspeaking valedictorian with autism gives her college's commencement speech: She didn't say a word — and that only made her message resonate more powerfully. Valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker recently delivered the commencement speech at Rollins College in Florida, urging her classmates to serve others and embrace the power of sharing. Bonker, who is affected by nonspeaking autism, hasn't spoken since she was 15 months old. But thanks to an accepting attitude from her peers and teachers and help from technology, she has overcome many challenges and graduated at the top of her class at the Orland0-area school.
The Lost Americans: Nearly one million people have died from Covid in the United States. Many of the loved ones they left behind are grieving in a nation that wants to move on.
Gasoline prices rise above $4 in all 50 states for first time ever!
Nestle flies baby formula supplies to U.S. from Europe to alleviate shortage:
Nestle is moving Gerber baby food formula to the United States from the Netherlands and Alfamino baby formula from Switzerland to the U.S.
FDA authorizes first COVID booster for children ages 5 to 11: The Food and Drug Administration Tuesday authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine booster for children ages 5 to 11. The authorization makes all children in that age group who received their second shot at least five months ago eligible to receive a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The companies requested the authorization based on a small study that the companies and FDA said demonstrated a third shot is safe and can significantly boost antibody levels, countering waning immunity and providing added protection against the virus, including the more contagious omicron variant.
The underreported story: Biden approves plan to redeploy several hundred Ground Forces into Somalia: The president also signed off on targeting about a dozen Shabab leaders in the war-torn country, from which Donald J. Trump largely withdrew in his final weeks in office.
From CNN: Jeff Bezos and Joe Biden are having the stupidest fight ever.
At House hearing, videos of unexplained aerial sightings and a push for answers: Pentagon officials testified at a rare public hearing about unidentified phenomena, and lawmakers pledged to bring transparency to an investigation of unexplained reports by military pilots and others. Pentagon now reports about 400 UFO encounters: 'We want to know what's out there': Officials are "reasonably" sure pyramid-shaped objects in one video were drones.
Super flower blood moon – in pictures: Dramatic total lunar eclipse coincided with a super moon, when the moon is at its closest point to Earth and reflects a red and orange light.
Americans’ concerns about war in Ukraine: wider conflict, possible U.S.-Russia clash: Share of adults saying the U.S. isn’t providing enough support to Ukraine has declined since March.
Ukraine: drone footage shows destroyed bridge and vehicles at Donbas river crossing – video.
Ukraine IDs Russian ‘war criminal’ soldier accused of gang-raping child: Bulat Fassakhov, 20, a native of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, carried out the crimes in the early weeks of the war in March, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the county’s Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said.
Fassakho, who is serving in the 30th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, 2nd Guards Combined Army of the Central Military District of the Russian Federation, allegedly barged with three comrades into a private home in a village in the Brovary district near Ukraine’s capital.
Mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket leaves at 10 dead in 'racially motivated' attack: A shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York left at least 10 dead as police say the suspect possibly live-streamed his actions on social media.
Mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket was a racist hate crime, police say: The 18-year-old suspected of opening fire at a Buffalo supermarket Saturday told authorities he was targeting the Black community, according to an official familiar with the investigation. The alleged gunman made disturbing statements describing his motive and state of mind following his arrest, the official said. The statements were clear and filled with hate toward the Black community. Investigators also uncovered other information from search warrants and other methods indicating the alleged shooter was "studying" previous hate attacks and shootings, the official said.
A 'hero' security guard, a former fire official's mother and a teacher were among the 10 people killed at a Buffalo grocery store: Thirteen people were shot -- 10 fatally -- at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket Saturday in a massacre authorities believe was racially motivated. Eleven of the victims were Black and two were White, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Saturday.
The victims range in age from 20 to 86, police said. Among them were a former police officer who tried to stop the gunman, the octogenarian mother of the city's former fire commissioner and a long-term substitute teacher.
Biden gives emotional speech after Buffalo shooting: 'White supremacy is a poison'.
Milwaukee downtown curfew worked after weekend violence, neighbors say: Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman, who represents the downtown district where 21 people were hurt in three separate shootings Friday night, May 13, had strong words Monday in the wake of the violence. What he said resonated with some, who said living so close to the entertainment district should be attractive, not dangerous, but others felt his comments were more of a knee-jerk reaction, calling Friday's shootings "isolated" and not indicative of this area as a whole.
With Twitter deal on hold, Musk says a lower sale price isn't 'out of the question’: The Tesla exec continues to spar with Twitter leadership in public.
One dead, five injured, man detained in shooting during Asian church reception: Congregation members grabbed and hogtied a man in his 60s who is now being held for questioning , Orange County authorities said.
Biden's new recipe for the midterms: Less honey, more vinegar
Among his inner circle, there has been a hankering for sharper elbows.
Mike Pence backs opponent of Trump's pick in Georgia primary race: In his latest break with former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence will rally with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) a day before the state's May 24 primary, NPR reports. Kemp, who is up for reelection, is being challenged by the Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue (R), who ran for Senate and lost in 2020. Catherine Davis, Kandiss Taylor, and Tom Williams are also vying for Kemp's spot.
Budd will face off against Beasley in North Carolina Senate contest, per AP race calls: Rep. Ted Budd, who was supported in the Republican primary by former President Donald Trump, will face off against Democrat Cheri Beasley in the closely watched North Carolina U.S. Senate election, according to race calls by The Associated Press. In the GOP primary, Budd fended off opponents including former Gov. Pat McCrory. Beasley, who was the first Black woman to serve as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, faced light opposition for the Democratic nomination. She coasted to the top after her main primary competitor dropped out of the race in December.
Pennsylvania Senate candidate Fetterman hospitalized with stroke: “The doctors have assured me that I’ll be able to get back on the trail,” he said. Breaking: John Fetterman wins Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary.
Charted: U.S. Consumer debt approaches $16 trillion.
Pope at Canonization: Like new saints, let's live God's dream joyfully: During the canonization Mass, Pope Francis proclaims ten new saints in St. Peter's Square. In his homily, he reminds the faithful to recognize how God loves us unconditionally and how the path to holiness is "so simple" and requires seeing Jesus in others.
Hostage Business: How a Virginia Businesswoman escaped her kidnappers in Iraq — and later returned to finish her work.
Elderly couple sues their only child and his wife for not providing them with a grandchild: An elderly couple in India is suing their only child and his wife for not providing them with a grandchild. Sanjiv Ranjan Prasad and his wife Sadhana Prasad are seeking Rs 50m ($646,968.35). “We didn't care about gender, just wanted a grandchild,” Mr. Prasad said, according to The Independent.
In India, women are often expected, even forced, to produce children within the first few years of their marriage.
Persuade your friend to stop being gay: A homework assignment given to several middle-schoolers at Christian Academy of Louisville encourages students to persuade an imaginary friend to reject homosexuality. And parents, members of the LGBTQ community and others aren't pleased. The assignment, which was due Thursday, came to the light Friday, when JP Davis, a Kentucky-based business owner, posted screenshots of the assignment on social media.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan dies aged 73: The United Arab Emirates president died at the age of 73, Emirati state news agency WAM reports.
How Italy is bringing its rustic villages back to life: Take a photographic tour through the country’s effort to revitalize its rural towns.
The best scenic drive in every state: The vastness of the American landscape cannot truly be fathomed until you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, staring down a massive thunderstorm as it engulfs a distant mountain. Or whizzing along a pristine coastline dotted with palm trees and crystal waters that emerge after a long drive through a rocky canyon. In some states, you can experience multiple ecosystems in rapid succession: In Oregon and Washington, for example, you could transition from craggy coast to rainforest, mountaintop, and high desert all before stopping for lunch. You can drive 12 hours and see nothing but Texas, but said Texas includes various ecosystems and a dope wine country.
This group decided to clean up Lake Tahoe. They found more than 25,000 pounds of submerged trash: Lake Tahoe, known for its picturesque views, is also home to a major garbage problem: A team of scuba divers this week collected more than 25,000 pounds of trash from its deep-blue waters.
Colin West started the ambitious project in May 2021. A friend told him about the 600 pounds of litter that he had pulled from the lake, and West, 35, decided to dive deep to add to the total.
Great grey Owl lands on Wildlife photographer’s camera: Trépanier had ventured out on a photo expedition with fellow photographer Thomas Pham-Van and other photographer friends to the Côte-de-Beaupré area north of Quebec City, Canada. She says she spotted the giant grey owl sitting on a fence and while she stopped to take a few photos, it suddenly flew over to her position.
Let’s talk about bowel moments.
McDonald’s to sell its business in Russia: The fast-food chain first arrived in the country more than 30 years ago.
Confessions of your company’s Chief Happiness officer: Keeping workers satisfied is tough these days, so some companies are putting executives in charge of employees’ happiness.
Cryptocurrency infrequently named as best investment: Eight percent of U.S. adults choose cryptocurrency as the best long-term investment from a list of six investment options. Cryptocurrency is on par with savings accounts or CDs (10%) but well behind real estate (45%), stocks (18%) and gold (15%). Americans are least likely to say bonds are the best investment.
Miami leads nation with 58% rent spike during the pandemic: Sun Belt cities overtook Big Tech hubs in rate hikes in past two years, report shows.
The strategy behind Balenciaga’s destroyed sneaker stunt: Demna’s latest campaign, which showcases an extremely tattered version of Balenciaga’s new Paris Sneakers, was met with contention online — which was likely the point.
Want to read more books? A company will pay $200 for every novel you finish: Calling all bookworms—if you love reading, then you're in luck as one company will now pay you $200 for every novel you can finish. WordsRated, a website that studies and analyzes book content, is looking for a slew of "bibliophiles-at-large" to devour popular reads. The lucky applicants will be paid the handsome sum for every book they finish, after logging a few important details.
Designing the perfect piece of chocolate: We like some foods, and dislike others. Of course, the way food tastes is important, but mouthfeel, and even the sound that food makes when we bite it, also determine whether we enjoy the eating experience. Is it possible to design edible materials that optimize this enjoyment? Physicists and food researchers show that indeed it is. In research that was published in Soft Matter this week, researchers from the University of Amsterdam, Delft University, and Unilever, demonstrate that the mouthfeel of an edible substance can be designed, just like properties of many other materials can. That is: they create metamaterials, materials that are not found in nature but that are carefully constructed in the lab. Their building material of choice is not wood, concrete or glass -- they build their materials from chocolate.
China discovered rare dinosaur embryos from 66 million years ago: Fossilized dinosaur embryos are the very best kind.
Bracing for her future: Baby giraffe fitted with orthotic: Over the past three decades Ara Mirzaian has fitted braces for everyone from Paralympians to children with scoliosis. But Msituni was a patient like none other — a newborn giraffe.
Why are there continent-sized 'blobs' in the deep Earth?: In a strange corner of our solar system live two alien blobs. With sprawling, amorphous bodies the size of continents, these oddities are thought to spend their time lying in wait for their food to rain down upon them – then simply absorbing it. But their natural habitat is, if anything, even more unusual than their diet. It could be described as "rocky" – all around, there are exotic minerals in unknown shades and forms. Otherwise it's fairly barren, except for a glittering sea in the far distance – one so large, it holds as much water as all of Earth's oceans put together.
Iron Age arrow found on Norway mountain still has feather fletching on it: It's even more spectacular than Ötzi the Iceman's arrows.
The Untold Story of the White House’s weirdly hip record collection: Jimmy Carter’s grandson is unlocking its mysteries.
Country music star Naomi Judd died of self-inflicted gunshot wound, Ashley Judd reveals: Naomi Judd, matriarch of the country music duo the Judds, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound a day before being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, her family said on Thursday. Judd, 76, suffered from mental illness, a disease that tells victims “you are not loved, you are not enough, that you are not worthy,” her daughter Ashley Judd said in an interview aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Eric Clapton tests positive for COVID-19 and postpones shows after vaccine criticism: "We very much hope he will be sufficiently recovered by the end of the week to be able to perform the remainder of the planned performances," Clapton's Facebook post read
Cannes Film Festival 2022 preview: 12 movies not to miss: From Elvis to Ziggy Stardust, Tilda to Viggo, these are a few of Cannes' favorite things.
Kendrick Lamar drops first album in several years: Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is already receiving critical acclaim.
'L.A. Law' Sequel not moving forward at ABC: Blair Underwood was set to reprise his role as Jonathan Rollins.
Fred Ward, star of 'Tremors' and 'The Right Stuff,' dies at 79: The versatile actor and Air Force veteran also had notable roles in "Short Cuts" and HBO's "True Detective."
Macklowe $922 million art collection becomes most expensive ever sold at auction: Sale the result of a bitter 2018 divorce between billionaire real estate developer Harry and his former wife Linda.
Letter to my younger self: Dear 17-year-old Tarik,
The world’s highest-paid athletes 2022: Lebron scores $127 million: The Los Angeles Lakers fell well short of expectations on the court this season, despite LeBron James, 37, continuing to defy Father Time with the second-highest scoring average in the league and second-highest of his career. Off the court? King James crushed it. The 18-time All-Star earned $127 million during the past 12 months from the Lakers and his expanding off-court empire, according to Sportico estimates. It is the highest tally of his two-decade career and more than any other athlete on the planet.
Maria Taylor will host NBC’s ‘Football Night in America’: NBC viewers were already seeing a lot of Maria Taylor on Sundays. Now they can be assured of seeing even more. Taylor, the up-and-coming sportscaster who left ESPN last year for NBC Sports, was named host of “Football Night in America,” the show that precedes “Sunday Night Football” and garners one of the network’s biggest weekly audiences. She becomes the series’ first full-time female host, and becomes the latest in an impressive series of sports announcers to fill the role, including Bob Costas and Dan Patrick.
Idaho man runs half marathon while wearing 111 T-shirts: An Idaho man broke a Guinness World Record by running a half marathon while wearing 111 T-shirts. David Rush, who has broken more than 200 Guinness World Records to promote STEM education, said it took about 25 minutes for his support team to dress him in the 111 shirts before Saturday's YMCA Famous Idaho Potato Marathon at Lucky Peak State Park Sandy Point.
Dog interrupts Soccer game and forces everyone to watch him pee
How much time we spend alone and with others: Oftentimes what we’re doing isn’t so important as who we’re spending our time with. The chart below, based on data from the American Time Use Survey, shows a simulated day for 100 people.
9 dirty words with completely appropriate secondary definitions: Some words sound dirty but actually aren’t. Others don’t sound dirty, but their etymology suggests otherwise. And then there are those words that usually are considered dirty—though only in certain contexts. From titty to boner, here are nine inappropriate words whose lesser-known definitions don’t ruffle any feathers.
Have a great Wednesday!