Dow tumbles; Disinformation board killed; Biden's baby formula order; gains by both Russia and Ukraine; student loan payments still on ice; GOP PA Senate race?; Philadelphia Phillies and brain cancer
Hurricanes ahead; Ex NY Mayor to run for Congress; a ridiculous House hearing; Twitter ex mocks Musk's Asperger’s; the U.S. Sec. of Health has COVID; NBC's This is Us has its most emotional episode
Good Thursday morning!
My take: I recognize Public Service is a virtuous calling but I have always wondered about those who want to stay on the public payroll. Take for instance Bill de Blasio the former mayor of New York City. While serving as Mayor he ran a pitiful canopying for President. After that campaign failed, de Blasio toyed with the idea of running for Governor of New York. He immediately dropped that hair-brain scheme. Now he is set to announce a run for a New York Congressional seat. It started making me think of others who want to remain on the public payroll. Disgraced former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens is back in the game running to be a United States Senator. How about Charlie Crist? He now has been through three parties and his political movements are dizzying. He was the Florida Governor. Then good time Charlie chose to run for Senate and not Governor. He lost. Charlie made a comeback running for a House seat and won. Now being bored with that, Charlie is running for yes, Florida Governor once again. Now nobody was better at this than former California Governor Jerry Brown. Brown initially served as California Secretary of State and Governor in the 1970s and 1980s. He then chose not to run for a third term of Governor and ran for the United States Senate which did not end well. Two other Presidential Campaigns were in there. After the 1992 Presidential campaign loss, Brown became a national talk show host for a number of years before running for Mayor of Oakland in 1999. Yes the former Governor then was a Mayor. After 8 years in that job, Brown won an election for California Attorney General and then four years later won the first of two terms for California Governor, once again. Public service is noble but you wonder about those who don’t term limit themselves from Public Service work and see another perspective of the country. How much is it the desire to serve people versus being on the public payroll or is it all just ego? I think its ego at the top of that list.
Now to your “1 to…”
The most important story not written about: Bad news for the 2022 hurricane season: The Loop Current, a fueler of monster storms, is looking a lot like it did in 2005, the year of Katrina.
NYU teaches a class on her songs: Taylor Swift tells NYU graduates, ‘My mistakes led to the best things in my life’: In her commencement address, Swift said that she had been “fed the message that if I didn’t make any mistakes, all the children of America would grow up to be perfect angels.”
Dow tumbles 1,160 points in worst trading day since June 2020: The old joke goes like this: Two friends are at a resort and one says, "The food here is really terrible." The other replies, "And the portions are so small!" Today, it's investors who dislike the taste of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes — but seemingly want more anyway. Markets have plummeted over the past month as the Federal Reserve telegraphed that it would regularly hike interest rates by half a percentage point for the foreseeable future to combat persistent inflation. On Wednesday, the Dow (INDU) shed more than 1164 points, or 3.6%, its biggest loss since 2020. The broader market lost 4%, putting the S&P 500 (SPX) on the precipice of bear market territory. The Nasdaq Composite lost 4.73%.
DHS Disinformation Board ‘paused’ following backlash: Proposed board to combat online disinformation drew opposition from critics who called it Orwellian.
Biden invokes Defense Production Act to address baby formula shortage: The move will get ingredients to manufacturers to help speed up production.
Ex-Minneapolis police officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in George Floyd's death: Thomas Lane entered a guilty plea to a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s killing, Minnesota's attorney general announced Wednesday.
Senate unanimously confirms Brink as Ukraine ambassador: After three long years, the U.S. finally has a Senate-confirmed top diplomat to the war-torn country.
The fall of Mariupol could conceal war crimes evidence from the world and give Russia's offensive a boost: After almost three months of intense bombardment, thousands of reported deaths and countless tales of horror and starvation, the battle for the city of Mariupol is nearing its conclusion.
Ukraine's military announced late Monday that its forces had completed their "combat mission" at the sprawling Azovstal steelworks plant, which was for weeks the last major holdout in a city otherwise occupied by Russian troops. Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were evacuated from the facility and efforts were underway to evacuate those still inside.
Ukraine says it has recaptured more territory in Kharkiv: The Ukrainian armed forces say they have recaptured another settlement in the Kharkiv region, as troops continue their counter-attacks in the area. They also reported heavy fighting in the Luhansk region, where Russian forces continue attempts to destroy Ukrainian defenses. In Kharkiv, the general staff said Wednesday that "as a result of the offensive of our troops, the settlement of Dementiivka was liberated." Dementiivka is about 20 miles (35 kilometers) north of Kharkiv.
Biden administration extends pause on federal student loan repayments through August: The Biden administration is extending a pause on federal student loan repayments through August 31. The repayment freeze, which has been in place since the beginning of the pandemic, had been scheduled to expire on May 1. In a statement Wednesday, President Joe Biden acknowledged that the economy is stronger than it was a year ago but that "we are still recovering from the pandemic and the unprecedented economic disruption it caused."
Senators announce bipartisan legislation to help veterans exposed to burn pits: Congressional bargainers announced Wednesday that they have reached a deal on legislation to boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. The agreement paves the way for passage of a bill that has become the top priority of veterans' groups seeking to help the increasing number of people with illnesses that they believe are related to toxic exposure. The top Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee reached an agreement after months of negotiations. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, quickly threw their support behind the measure. Passage could come in July.
New Pandemic peril? Pretending it's over as case numbers rise.
George W. Bush mistakenly condemned Putin's 'brutal, unjustified invasion of Iraq' instead of Ukraine, then blamed the slip-up on age: Former US President George W. Bush mistakenly denounced the "brutal, unjustified invasion of Iraq" at an event for The George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, when he was offering a critique of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The slip-up, first reported by the Dallas Morning News, happened at a Bush Center event called "Elections – A More Perfect Union," where guests, including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, spoke about the state of elections in the US and in Russia.
The G.O.P. Establishment scores a rare victory in ousting Madison Cawthorn: Mr. Cawthorn, 26, had alienated two powerful Republicans with a litany of political and personal errors and scandals: Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader, and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Oz, McCormick remain optimistic as Pa. Senate primary vote counting continues: Former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Oz, encouraged the celebrity TV doctor to "declare victory" even though votes are still being tabulated and a recount is possible.
Former NY Mayor Bill de Blasio eyeing run at newly drawn NY seat Jerrold Nadler has left behind: ust when you thought he was out …
Ex-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told a state lawmaker he plans to run for New York’s newly drawn 10th Congressional district — the seat entrenched Rep. Jerrold Nadler is vacating to fight it out with former longtime ally Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the rejigged 12th. De Blasio told state Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein (D-Borough Park) Tuesday afternoon that “he is committed to running in the race.” “He’s in, he’s running – he’s calling people,” said Eichenstein, telling The Post de Blasio had a list of donors and other elected officials to inform.
This is what our Congressional hearings sound like.
US cites ‘genuine possibility’ of North Korea missile, nuclear test during Biden trip: The Biden administration is preparing for the possibility that North Korea will conduct a missile or nuclear test near or during President Biden’s visit to the region. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday that U.S. intelligence suggests that such tests before, during, or after Biden’s upcoming Asia trip are a “genuine possibility.”
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra tests positive for Covid-19: “He is fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, and is experiencing mild symptoms,” a spokesperson said.
Buffalo shooter let some people see plans just before attack: Click to copy: Shortly before he opened fire, the white gunman accused of killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket allowed a small group of people to see his detailed plans for the attack, which he had been chronicling for months in a private, online diary. Discord, the chat platform where 18-year-old Payton Gendron kept the diary, confirmed Wednesday that an invitation to access his private writings was sent to the group about a half-hour before Saturday’s attack at Tops Friendly Market, which he live-streamed on another online service. Some of them accepted.
Clifton Blackwell gets 10 years in prison for 2019 hate crime acid attack: A man who disputed his victim's perceived immigration status before splashing drain cleaner on his face was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison. A Milwaukee County jury convicted Clifton Blackwell, 64, of first-degree reckless injury, with a dangerous weapon, as a hate crime, in April, rejecting his claim he acted in self-defense. It was the first convictions for a hate crime in Milwaukee County in recent memory.
Delphi killer took souvenir, may have ‘staged’ murder scene: A search warrant reveals new details of the investigation into the 2017 murders of Abby Williams and Libby German in Delphi. According to a search warrant obtained by the Murder Sheet Podcast and provided to FOX59, an FBI agent wrote that she had probable cause to search Ron Logan’s property in connection with the murders and believed evidence may have been found there.
Mom of Levi Caverly, teen killed in Jersey Shore sand hole collapse, speaks out: The mother of a teenager killed in a freak sand hole collapse on the Jersey Shore said Wednesday that she’s trying to accept the heartbreaking loss.
“It is what it is. You can’t change it,” Angela Caverly, of Union, Maine, told NJ.com of her 18-year-old son Levi Caverly’s death. The distraught mom said the family was on a trip to Toms River’s Ocean Beach 3 Tuesday when her son and 17-year-old daughter dug a 10-foot-deep hole that suddenly caved in and crushed Levi to death.
1st monkeypox case in US this year reported in Massachusetts: It comes after nine cases of monkeypox were detected in the U.K. this month.
Twitter exec recorded mocking Elon Musk for Asperger’s: A senior Twitter executive was secretly recorded mocking would-be owner Elon Musk for having Asperger’s syndrome — prompting the billionaire to call him out on the platform. “He has Asperger’s, so he’s special — you’re special needs. You’re literally special needs,” the honcho, identified by Project Veritas as lead client partner Alex Martinez, says in a video that the outlet released Tuesday.
“So I can’t even take what you’re saying seriously,” Martinez added as he moaned about the Tesla CEO’s mission to restore free speech to the social media giant.
Chris Wallace to anchor new show on CNN: Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's new parent company, plans to announce during its upfront presentation to advertisers on Wednesday that Chris Wallace will host a Sunday evening show on CNN. The longtime Fox News host had recently moved to CNN to launch a show on its now-defunct streaming service, CNN+. Wallace, who was hosting an interview show four days per week on the streaming service, will move to a weekly Sunday evening show on CNN's linear network, two sources tell Axios.
CNN struck a multimillion-dollar contract with Wallace last year. The move shocked the news industry, given Wallace's nearly two-decade career at Fox.
Later during the presentation, the network confirmed the move and noted that Wallace's same interview show from CNN+ will debut this fall on HBO Max and will be on CNN Sunday evenings.
What’s working for local TV stations on Facebook? Posting early, killing hashtags, skipping sports: Local TV stations have huge audiences on Facebook, but they’ll need new ways to reach younger Americans who associate the app with their parents.
Boost in nerve-growth protein helps explain why running supports brain health: Exercise increases levels of a chemical involved in brain cell growth, which bolsters the release of the 'feel good' hormone dopamine, a new study shows. Dopamine is known to play a key role in movement, motivation, and learning. Experts have long understood that regular running raises dopamine activity in the brain and may protect nerve cells from damage. In addition, past research has tied exercise-driven boosts in the dopamine-triggering chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and in dopamine levels to improvements in learning and memory. However, the precise way these three factors interact has until now remained unclear.
The Red Cross teams up with local fire departments to install free smoke detectors in homes: Off the heels of a massive structure fire in early May the Airway Heights Fire Department, along with volunteers at the American Red Cross, is helping give out free lifesaving alarms.
Ringling Circus is returning. lions, tigers and dumbo Are Not: Shuttered since 2017, Ringling Brothers will bring back its circus in 2023, but this time there will be no animal acts.
‘Pharma bro’ Martin Shkreli released from prison: Martin Shkreli, the infamous “pharma bro” who was sentenced to prison for securities fraud, was transferred to a halfway house operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons after finishing programs that allowed his jail time to be shortened, according to a statement issued by his attorney. Shkreli had been serving time in a federal prison in Allenwood, Pa., and was expected to be released in September. He remains in federal custody until Sept. 14, according to a spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons. There was no further comment from his attorney, Benjamin Brafman. Shkreli was twice previously denied an early release.
Mastercard launches tech that lets you pay with your face or hand in stores: Mastercard on Tuesday launched a program that allows retailers to offer biometric payment methods, like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning.
Users can authenticate a payment by showing their face or the palm of their hand instead of swiping their card. The technology could one day help with the development of payments infrastructure for the “metaverse,” an executive said.
Vogue magazine retracts request for Cornish pub name change.
Florida homeowner finds 11-foot, 550-pound alligator enjoying family pool: Because Florida homeowners just never know who's gonna stop by for a dip in their pool it's always good to check before diving in. A family in the Deep Creek community in Charlotte County was awakened by some loud noises on their lanai. They found an nearly 11-foot-long, more than 550-pound alligator enjoying their pool. The local reptile tore through the screen to get to the nice, cool water. Members of the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office and a state nuisance gator trapper captured the big fella and transferred him elsewhere.
Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr pay off student loans for Otis College graduating class: The school was given “the largest gift in the history of Otis College” through the Spiegel Family Fund, Otis College president Charles Hirschhorn said.
Order Up! Texas 2-year-old buys dozens of Cheeseburgers using mom's phone: Barrett's mom thought he was using her phone to take pics, but he had other plans.
This Is Us director breaks down Rebecca's final ride — and those surprise reunions: Ken Olin takes us inside the show's penultimate weeper, "The Train."
Mandy Moore says This Is Us's upcoming series finale is a 'beautiful way to wrap this Uup': "People waiting for things to be tied up perfectly in a bow with every single character and every single story need to abandon that idea because that's not the reality of life anyway," said Moore.
CBS announces new and returning TV Series for 2022-23 schedule.
New original series knocks Ozark out of Netflix top spot: Ozark has been a streaming juggernaut for Netflix ever since its first season was released, so it should come as no surprise that the Jason Bateman thriller has been a dominant performer in its final season. The last batch of Ozark episodes debuted on Netflix recently and the series has established itself in the number one spot on the Netflix Top 10 TV list ever since. That reign ended over the weekend, as a brand new Netflix original took over the charts. Friday saw the Netflix debut of The Lincoln Lawyer, the new TV adaptation of Michael Connelly's hit 2005 novel. The book was first turned into a movie back in 2011 with Matthew McConaughey in the lead role. Now, the story has been given a television makeover by Netflix, with Manuel Garcia-Rulfo behind the wheel, and it's clearly making some waves with subscribers.
The wine in Blue Bloods' family dinner scenes isn't what you think it is: The food on the Reagan dinner table is real. The prop master for the show, Jim Lillis, told People in an interview, "We give them real food on camera, but we try to keep it mildly seasoned because they have to do so many takes." While they can certainly eat, it's understandable that many actors in the cast choose to cheat their way around doing so. After all, a dinner scene can require a lot of takes, and if someone's not careful, they could wind up eating tons and tons of potatoes and whatever else is on the menu.
Chris Meloni shares sweet story behind ‘Law & Order’ set pics with Mariska Hargitay: Don't think we'll ever emotionally recover from this one.
Maggie Peterson, famous for ‘The Andy Griffith Show,’ dies at 81:
A post to her Facebook page said Peterson died in her sleep on Sunday with her family present.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: 25 years of financial advice books.
Spate of Phillies’ brain cancer deaths should be investigated: doctor.
Zach Davies’ estranged wife says MLB pitcher ghosted her for a year: The estranged wife of pitcher Zach Davies detailed the apparent dissolution of their marriage in a raw Instagram post, alleging the Arizona Diamondbacks starter has not spoken to her in over a year. In the message shared Monday, Megan explained how their marriage began to crumble, stating her husband “cut off all communication” and later “blocked” her. “In 2021 my world as I knew it completely fell apart,” she began. “My husband cut off all communication from me while I was back home in Arizona and he was in another state. He sent a text message at 6am in the morning and then blocked me.”
Yankees cut outfield prospect who allegedly stole from teammates and defrauded fans: The Yankees considered Jake Sanford a legitimate hitting prospect who could hit with power and play both corner outfield positions. Among his teammates, however, he was known for stealing. The Yankees cut Sanford over allegations that he repeatedly hounded teammates for their equipment to sell online, while also occasionally swiping it from their lockers, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
Is sleeping on your stomach good for digestion? Experts weigh in.
Have a great Thursday!