Monkeypox worry; will Biden run in 2024? COVID cases and hospitalizations climb; Oklahoma's abortion ban; Senate passes Ukraine bill; House passes gas gouging bill and what about them Mets?
Biden headed to Asia; North Korea COVID outbreak; U.S. Soccer's historic equal pay; Israel gov. falling apart; AOC to marry; cats know each other's names; mom set to give birth to baby for second time
Good Friday morning! TGIF!
My take: 10 predictions on a Friday before the weekend. 1. Monkeypox spreads far and wide; 2. Biden will not run in 2024 (I reserve the right to change that 😉); 3. COVID case numbers and hospitalizations are on the up and up and up; 4. Putin will need a face saving move pretty quickly; 5. The Biden trip to Asia will serve little purpose; 6. The January 6 committee will fizzle out; 6. Joe Manchin will continue to be a thorn in the President’s side; 7. The Republican Party will continue ripping itself apart. The results of the Georgia Republican Governor’s race election will enrage former President Trump; 8. The LA County DA will be called out again on the Chappelle case; 9. Oklahoma will not be the last state to pass new abortion bans; and 10. COVID will push North Korea to the edge.
Now to your “1 to…”
Should we be worried? 17 suspected monkeypox cases seen in Montreal, as European tally increases.
Speculation over whether Biden will run again heats up: Everywhere you go in Washington, people are wondering the same thing: Will Joe Biden run for reelection? The 79-year-old Democrat and his closest allies say he wants a second White House term and plans to run again. Biden told former President Obama he intends to launch another bid. But that hasn’t silenced the whispered questions about whether he will do so given his age — he will be 81 in November 2024 — and his rocky approval ratings.
Russia? Inflation? Americans facing record levels of stress: Americans are stressed out, quite possibly at record setting levels. A study released by the American Psychological Association shows that current events, such as the rapidly rising cost of gas and groceries, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have Americans stressed out, at levels not seen in years. Rising inflation and issues related to the war in Ukraine were significant sources of stress for more Americans than any other issues ever asked about since the APA survey began in 2007.
COVID-19 hospitalizations up in 45 states: COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 27 percent nationwide over the last 14 days, with 45 states and Washington, D.C., reporting an increase. Nationwide, COVID-19 cases increased 61 percent over the past 14 days, according to HHS data collected by The New York Times. Reported case counts may be directionally helpful at this point of the pandemic, given the use of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests that result in under-counting. "I think that we're dramatically undercounting cases," former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, told CBS News April 11. "We're probably only picking up one in seven or one in eight infections."
It's happening again: COVID-19 cases are back on the rise. There are 3 main reasons why.
CDC board votes in favor of recommending COVID-19 vaccine boosters for kids 5-11: Out of 15 members on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 11 voted in favor of recommending a third vaccine dose for children in the 5-11 age group, passing the motion.
This recommendation comes just two days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shot for children 5-11.
Oklahoma legislature passes bill banning almost all abortions: The legislation would be the nation’s strictest, and relies on lawsuits from private citizens to enforce it. If the governor signs the bill, it would take effect immediately.
Equal pay for all: U.S. Soccer reaches historic bargaining agreement with women's and men's teams: Under the terms, World Cup Prize money will be pooled between the men's and women’s teams and split equally among all players — a first in the soccer federation world.
Senate passes $40 billion Ukraine aid package: The Senate voted 86-11 Thursday to approve a $40 billion Ukraine aid package that would replenish U.S. stockpiles of weapons transferred to Ukraine and provide billions of dollars to help the Ukrainian government continue operating and for humanitarian assistance. President Biden is expected to sign the legislation, which exceeds his $33 billion request to Congress, immediately. The House passed the legislation overwhelmingly earlier this month in a 368-57 vote.
Manchin blasts Biden energy policies at budget hearing: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) claimed the Biden administration’s oil and gas leasing policies have “put America’s energy security at risk” during testimony by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Thursday. In a hearing on the Interior Department’s fiscal 2023 budget request, Manchin pushed back on the administration’s repeated references to the industry’s 9,000 unused leases to explain the energy crisis, arguing the administration has the power to pressure industry to use them.
House passes gasoline price-gouging bill: The House voted Thursday to pass Democrats’ bill aimed at combating “price gouging” on gasoline. The bill passed 217-207, with no Republicans voting for it and four Democrats voting against it: Reps. Stephanie Murphy (Fla.), Lizzie Fletcher (Texas), Kathleen Rice (N.Y.) and Jared Golden (Maine). The legislation is unlikely to gain traction in the Senate, where it would need the support of 10 Republicans to advance, but it’s part of a major messaging push by Democrats as they try to blame the oil industry for skyrocketing prices.
January 6 committee investigating Capitol tour given by GOP lawmaker on the eve of the insurrection: The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection said Thursday it has evidence that GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk led a tour of the US Capitol complex the day before pro-Trump rioters stormed the building, according to a letter requesting the Republican lawmaker's voluntary cooperation with their ongoing probe. The letter notes the committee has reviewed evidence that "directly contradicts" previous claims by Republican lawmakers who said security footage from the days before January 6 shows "[t]here were no tours, no large groups, no one with MAGA hats on" of the US Capitol complex.
Michigan election chief: Trump suggested I be arrested for treason and executed: Jocelyn Benson said she was told that the former president made the remark in a White House meeting. A Trump spokesman accused Benson of lying.
Top US general speaks with Russian counterpart for first time since Russian invasion of Ukraine started: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley spoke with his Russian counterpart, General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, by phone on Thursday, a readout of the conversation from Joint Staff spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said. This is the first conversation between the two leaders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. “The military leaders discussed several security-related issues of concern and agreed to keep the lines of communication open,” the readout of the conversation said. Milley’s conversation with Gerasimov comes six days after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin accused of war crimes pleads guilty to killing unarmed Ukrainian civilian: The first Russian soldier to face trial for war crimes in Ukraine pleaded guilty on Wednesday to shooting and killing an unarmed 62-year-old civilian. Vadim Shishimarin, 21, who was part of a Russian tank unit captured by Ukrainian forces in early March, just days after the war began, faces a possible sentence of life in prison. Shishimarin appeared Wednesday at a district court in Kyiv. At a preliminary hearing last week, prosecutors said Shishimarin had been driving in a private vehicle with other soldiers, which they had stolen in an attempt to escape after their column came under attack by Ukrainian forces a few days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 28.
Fiona Hill says Putin ‘had to keep explaining things’ to Trump: Former Trump White House national security official Fiona Hill said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “to explain everything to all the time” to former President Trump. “He had to keep explaining things, and Putin doesn’t like to do that,” Hill said this week, speaking at a Chicago Council on Global Affairs event in remarks reported by Insider. Hill added that Putin intentionally chose to invade Ukraine during President Biden’s tenure in the White House. “He thought that somebody like Biden, who’s a transatlanticist, who knows all about NATO, who actually knows where Ukraine is, and actually knows something about the history, and is very steeped in international affairs, would be the right person to engage with as opposed to somebody that you have to explain everything to all the time, honestly,” the former national security official added.
EU unveils $220bn plan to ditch Russian energy: Brussels plans to spend $314bn by 2030 to end its dependency on Russian oil and gas imports.
In White House visit, Finland and Sweden’s leaders talk Turkey: The heads of the Nordic nations said they were committed to resolving Ankara’s concerns about their potential NATO membership.
Biden wanted to prioritize China. 16 months later, he gets his shot: A trip to Asia brings the president back to where he started when he entered office.
North Korea: Covid outbreak a great disaster, says Kim Jong-un.
Israeli Government loses majority, raising prospect of election: Increasing tensions between Israeli authorities and Palestinians have put pressure on the government, leading to the possibility of a fifth election in three years. Meretz MK bolts Bennett's government: MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi's departure will give the opposition a majority of 61 to 59 MKs and could bring about an election in the fall.
Poll: Kemp leads Perdue by 32 points ahead of Georgia's GOP gubernatorial primary: Georgia's primary is next week.
Ocasio-Cortez calls on Maloney to resign DCCC chairmanship if he primaries colleague: Maloney announced on Monday that he'd run for reelection in a redrawn district comprised mostly of Rep. Mondaire Jones' constituents.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez confirms she's engaged to her longtime partner, Riley Roberts: 'Yep! It's true'.
Barnette blames Sean Hannity for loss in Pennsylvania: Failed GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Kathy Barnette took to Twitter to blame Fox News host Sean Hannity for her primary election loss. “Never forget what Sean Hannity did in this race,” she said in a video posted on Twitter Wednesday. “Almost single handedly Sean Hannity sowed deep seeds of disinformation, flat out lies every night for the past five days and that was just extremely hard to overcome.” Her comment comes after Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz said Tuesday Hannity has been giving him advice “behind the scenes.” “I want to thank Sean Hannity. Sean has been like a brother to me. When Sean punches through something, he really punches through it. He understands exactly how to make a difference and he’s been doing that this entire campaign,” Oz said.
Illinois becomes first Midwest state to ban 'ghost guns': Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 4383 on Wednesday, banning the so-called ghost guns, which are assembled from parts that can be purchased online without background checks.
Drew Peterson’s court date comes as lawyer may reveal case details: Convicted killer and former police sergeant Drew Peterson will attempt to overturn his sentence in the death of his third wife Kathleen Savio as his former lawyer says he is considering revealing intimate details of the case. Peterson, from the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, is serving a 38-year prison sentence in the 2004 killing of Kathleen Savio. He will follow that sentence with 40 more years after he was convicted in 2016 of plotting to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars. The case was set to be heard Wednesday but was postponed to a later date.
Man charged with qattempted murder in December stabbing is Chappelle attacker: Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that his office filed an attempted murder charge against a man for allegedly stabbing his roommate in December. Isaiah Lee (dob 6/24/98) faces one count of attempted murder. Earlier this month, the District Attorney’s Office referred a misdemeanor assault case involving Lee to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for an on-stage incident with comedian Dave Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl.
Police say Dallas Police officer repeatedly raped 14-year-old victim of sex trafficking: A Dallas police officer is in custody after allegedly taking in and repeatedly raping a 14-year-old girl who was a victim of sex trafficking. Officer Tyrone Williams Jr., 49, is charged with sexual assault of a child. According to the affidavit, the girl began living with Williams, a friend of her mother, in 2011 after spending a brief period of time in a juvenile detention center. The girl reported in the affidavit that Williams raped her on her first night in his home and would repeatedly assault her during his lunch breaks. She said that she feared Williams would kill her if she came forward. Dallas police began investigating her story after the cop was arrested on a separate charge of sexual assault of a child in June 2021 and placed on administrative leave by the Department. In that case, Williams turned himself over to authorities after the daughter of a family friend said that he assaulted her as she slept.
Casey White tipster getting reward — from GoFundMe campaign: The car wash manager who flagged the truck belonging to a fugitive couple from Alabama to local police will get a monetary reward, but it may not come from the source many would expect. Hours before investigators caught up with the escaped couple, James Stinson provided the U.S. Marshals Service with video of them at the car wash he manages. But more than a week after the manhunt ended, Stinson has not gotten any reward money. The owner of a GoFundMe set to benefit the family of Casey White’s alleged victim will give the money instead to Stinson — all with the family’s blessing.
Lockheed Martin given 'all clear' after deadly shooting, 'suspicious device,' police say: A bomb squad was handling a "suspicious" briefcase seen in the suspect's vehicle. Police in White Settlement say the briefcase was not an explosive device.
JPMorgan investors hand Jamie Dimon a rare rebuke with disapproval of $52.6 million bonus: Just 31% of investors participating in the New York-based bank’s annual shareholder meeting voted in support of a $52.6 million award that was part of Dimon’s 2021 compensation package. The bonus, in the form of 1.5 million options that Dimon can exercise in 2026, was designed to keep the CEO and chairman at the helm of JPMorgan Chase for another five years. While the results of the so-called “say on pay” vote are nonbinding, JPMorgan’s board said it takes investor feedback “seriously” and intended Dimon’s bonus to be a one-time event, according to a company spokesman.
Ten cities with highest median home list prices: U.S. housing prices have trended upward for decades, but they have spiked even more in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in particular places. Median housing prices across the U.S. in the first quarter of 2020 were at $329,000 and spiked to $428,700 by the first quarter of 2022, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the country.
Tesla cut from S&P 500 ESG Index, and Elon Musk tweets his fury: An S&P Dow Jones Indices executive told Reuters on Wednesday it has removed electric carmaker Tesla Inc from the widely followed S&P 500 ESG Index because of issues including claims of racial discrimination and crashes linked to its autopilot vehicles, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded with harsh tweets including that "ESG is a scam". In it changes, effective May 2, the sustainability index also added soon-to-be-Musk-controlled Twitter Inc and oil refiner Phillips 66 while dropping Delta Air Lines and Chevron Corp, according to an announcement.
Covid cut 2020 US wedding numbers to lowest since 1963: The Covid-19 pandemic took a toll on weddings in the United States, with only some 1.6 million marriages occurring in 2020 -- the lowest number since 1963, figures show. With many couples forced to postpone their nuptials, the number of unions in 2020 fell nearly 17 percent from the previous year, when some two million took place, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) said.
But fear not, romantics -- the dip should be followed by an explosion in people walking down the aisle, with nearly 2.5 million ceremonies expected this year, according to The Wedding Report, a group specializing in marriage statistics.
Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza finally returns to menus: Taco Bell's highly anticipated Mexican Pizza finally returns to menus Thursday following a roughly two-year hiatus. The beloved menu item was eliminated in November 2020 as part of a broader culling of Taco Bell's menu during the height of the pandemic. That helped Taco Bell shed complexities and costs. But now, the $4.49 menu item is back -- permanently -- after fans demanded it. The Mexican Pizza consists of a tortilla shell filled pizza sauce and either beans or ground beef. It's topped with another tortilla shell that's smothered with more sauce, cheese and chopped tomatoes. Taco Bell introduced the item in 1985 and originally called it the "Pizzazz Pizza."
Booze, Ja Rule, and 'Sports Pedicures': Inside a nail salon for dudes: The receptionist seemed genuinely taken aback when I declined whiskey. It was 11am on a weekday.
Google's Russian division is filing for bankruptcy: It's unable to conduct business in the country after officials seized its bank account there.
The man who controls computers with his mind: 16 years ago, Dennis DeGray was paralyzed in an accident. Now, implants in his brain allow him some semblance of control.
Dust-covered solar panels mean NASA Mars lander's mission is coming to an end: The NASA InSight lander, which has been revealing the mysterious interior of Mars since 2018, is coming to an end. Due to a decreasing power supply, the mission will cease scientific operations by the end of late summer, said Kathya Zamora Garcia, InSight deputy project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, during a news conference Tuesday.
A new underwater greenhouse could reveal the future of agriculture: It grows over 100 different fruits and vegetables.
Cats actually know each other's names, study suggests: Cats were confused by humans calling their feline friends names that didn’t match, in a study of 48 kitties out of Japan.
What your pedigree dog breed looked like centuries ago: Dachshunds, bulldogs and basset hounds have been cruelly overbred to have floppier ears and tiny legs – as vets warn obsession with flat-faces has left pugs enduring a 'lifetime of suffering': From German Shepherds to Basset Hounds, many breeds have changed following years of selective breeding. Pugs are an ancient breed of dog, with roots dating back to around 400 BC. The dogs' flat faces, curly tails and big eyes did not evolve naturally, and are the result of selective breeding
In a study this week, vets warned that pugs are up to 54x more likely to suffer health conditions. This includes brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, corneal ulceration and skin fold dermatitis
Mom set to give birth to her son twice: It doesn't matter if you look forward to your birthday with excitement or with dread, everyone marks their day of birth once a year, except one little boy who will get to do that twice a year. That's because he will have been born two times, and his mother shared the story of why on TikTok. Jaiden Ashlea, a Florida-based fashion, beauty and lifestyle vlogger, explained in a video that when she was 19 weeks pregnant, she learned her unborn son had spina bifida, a defect where the spine and spinal cord don't form correctly. She was at first told that there was "no hope" for her son, but Jaiden got a second opinion and found an Orlando-based medical team that operates on babies before they are even born. In what is called open fetal surgery, the specialists took out Jaiden's baby, repaired his neural-tube defect, and put him back inside her womb where he will continue to grow for the next 11 weeks.
Does every state have its own pizza style now? A very tasty investigation: With a new regional style seemingly popping up daily, it would appear as though distinctly different pies stretch from sea to shining sea. But is this all just one big cheese-and-grease-filled lie?
This Edible tape will keep your Burrito from spilling: The Johns Hopkins University students are about to revolutionize wraps as we know them.
Harry Styles takes over the TODAY plaza with unforgettable performances: The singer performed new songs from his upcoming album, "Harry's House," as well as some oldies but goodies for TODAY's Citi Summer Concert Series.
Oscars: Academy restores theatrical qualifying requirement, Sets other rule changes: The Academy's board of governors also capped the number of songs a film may submit for Oscar consideration and tweaked the names of its documentary awards.
J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek in Amazon’s ‘Night Sky’: TV review: The actors play a long-married couple who harbor a science-fiction mystery in their shed in a drama that's a bit like 'Outer Range' with fewer holes.
Minority GM, coach candidates invited to meet NFL owners: Something wasn't working. Even though the NFL attempted to enhance opportunities for minority candidates to become head coaches in a league whose players are 70% Black, there was a disconnect. Same thing for front office positions, although more improvement had been seen in recent years in that area. Those diverse prospects in many cases were strangers to the people making the hiring decisions. And when the number of minority head coaches on the 32 teams stagnated — it is six for 2022, including three Black men, one biracial, one Hispanic and one Lebanese — the NFL sought a different path for potential coaches and general managers.
Charles Barkley has vulgar exchange with heckler: I’ll ‘f–k your mama’.
MLB Reporter Kelsey Wingert hit in the head by 95 MPH line drive at Rockies game: Kelsey Wingert was transported to a nearby hospital, where she received internal and external stitches to her head.
John Stockton writes letter in support of Utah woman who pleaded guilty to Capitol riot charge: Former Utah Jazz star known of late for his promotion of right-wing causes says the wife of a former team chiropractor is “one of the kindest people I have ever known.”
Max Scherzer out up to two months with oblique injury in Mets disaster: Already living life without Jacob deGrom, the first-place Mets also will have to survive without co-ace Max Scherzer for a minimum of six-to-eight weeks.
An MRI revealed the $130 million right-hander suffered a “moderate to high-grade internal oblique strain” in Wednesday’s start against the Cardinals. Scherzer departed with two outs in the sixth inning after signaling to the dugout that he was “done” with a hand gesture across his neck. Few teams have had to attempt to pull off a next-man-up approach of this magnitude — losing a pair of aces with a combined five Cy Young awards in their careers — but Buck Showalter and the Mets have no other choice.
Radicalization rehab: A group helping people escape hate.
That’s a wrap for the week. Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate it. Have a great weekend unless you have something else to do. See you on Tuesday AM unless news breaks.