Monday, May 9th, 2022
First Lady in Ukraine, Electricity Shortage? & Wild Derby Win
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Indeed.com/newsworthy and Zocdoc.com/newsworthy
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to review the latest happenings...
First Lady’s Trip to Ukraine
American First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise visit to war-torn Ukraine over the weekend to meet with the first lady of Ukraine and also visit refugees. It was the first time Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska was seen in public since the invasion began. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also made a surprise trip to Ukraine’s capital. U2’s Bono along with his bandmate The Edge performed in a Kyiv subway station that’s been used as a bomb shelter.
Read More: NBC News, WaPo, AP, Fox News
Ukrainian School Bombed
In Eastern Ukraine, a Russian bomb destroyed a school that was being used as a shelter. Ukrainian officials say as many as 60 people may have been killed in that attack. More civilians were reportedly attacked elsewhere, including children. The head of the United Nations called this another reminder that “It is the civilians that pay the highest price” in war. There are fears things could get worse today since it’s Russia’s annual Victory Day holiday. Some western officials think Russia will use the occasion to build up the war effort in Ukraine.
Read More: BBC, Reuters, AP, CNN, WaPo
New Round of Russia Sanctions
Leaders from the Group of Seven promised to phase out imports of Russian oil if they haven’t banned them already. The G7 includes the U.S., Canada, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. The U.S. also announced another round of sanctions against Russia. They cut off advertising from Russia’s three biggest TV stations. They also ban U.S. accounting and consulting firms from providing services and more.
Read More: LA Times, CNN, Fox News, Reuters, White House
Taliban Orders Women Cover Themselves
The Taliban announced that from now on, women and girls in Afghanistan will be expected to stay home. If they do venture out, they’ll have to cover themselves head-to-toe, showing only their eyes. The Taliban says it will be up to the men in these women’s lives to enforce the rules, like their brothers, fathers, husbands, or sons. If a woman breaks the rules, the men will be punished. They could face jail time or be fired from their jobs. The United Nations condemned the rules, saying they could hurt the Taliban’s efforts to gain international recognition as a legitimate government.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, NPR, Al Jazeera, UN
Cuba Hotel Explosion
There was a powerful explosion at a historic, luxury hotel in Old Havana, Cuba. Authorities believe it was caused by a gas leak at the Hotel Saratoga. No guests were staying there, but several workers were inside. The walls flew into the busy streets in the tourist area, destroying buses and cars and damaging many nearby buildings. Local media reports say at least 32 people died in the blast and dozens more were seriously hurt. The counts are expected to rise since search crews are still digging through the rubble.
Read More: CNN, AP, Fox News
Biden Admin Covid Warning
Top White House officials aren’t expecting Covid-19 to go away anytime soon. At least one senior administration official told reporters the U.S. could see another 100 million Covid-19 cases this fall and winter. That estimate is based on the assumption that no extra resources are given to fight the pandemic, like new funding from Congress. The White House is trying to convince lawmakers to approve billions of dollars more to keep funding things like testing and treatments. Most experts agree a surge of cases is likely coming, but not all agree with the Biden administration’s predictions.
Read More: WaPo, CNN, ABC News, Fortune
Electricity Shortage Warnings
Millions of Americans could be in for more blackouts than usual this summer, especially during heat waves or other peak times. Several electric-grid operators are warning that their electricity supplies aren’t keeping up with demand. The Wall Street Journal says there are a few reasons for their concerns. For example, the current electric grid is aging. Also, The U.S. is making a historic transition from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas to cleaner forms of energy like wind and solar power. However, traditional power plants are being retired more quickly than they can be replaced by renewable energy.
Read More: Fox News, WSJ, Reuters, Forbes
NLRB Starbucks Complaint
The feds are accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices. Federal labor officials filed a complaint with nearly 30 charges that included more than 200 violations. It stems from claims made by the Starbucks Workers United union in the Buffalo, New York area. The complaint says Starbucks interfered with and coerced employees looking to unionize. It says the coffee chain intimidated workers by closing down stores in the area, changing workers’ pay, firing employees, and more. Starbucks calls these allegations “false” and plans to fight them at an upcoming hearing.
Read More: CNBC, AP, Bloomberg, NY Times, SBWorkersUnited
AirTag Phantom Alerts
There were concerns that Apple AirTags were helping stalkers track people without permission, and in response, Apple stepped up its security. However, it now seems Apple’s efforts may be going too far, causing false alarms. The Wall Street Journal says people are getting alerts when there’s no threat they can find. It’s causing confusion and concern. An Apple spokesman said some fake alerts could stem from issues with the WiFi signal or crowded areas. At this point, it’s not clear how widespread false alarms have become.
Read More: WSJ, The Verge, 9to5Mac
Kentucky Derby Winner
The horse Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby, even though he was an 80-to-1 longshot. There was only one other time a horse with longer odds won the race. That was in 1913. This time, it was the first derby for the horse’s jockey and trainer. It didn’t look like they were going to win for most of the race. However, in the final stretch, they came from the back of the pack, weaving through at least 15 other horses before crossing the finish line. Next comes the Preakness Stakes in just a couple of weeks.
Read More: Courier-Journal, USA Today, Fox News, The Guardian, AP
Biggest Movie Opening of 2022
On its opening weekend, the latest Marvel superhero movie brought in at least $185 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. That means ‘Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness’ more than doubled the opening of the first Doctor Strange movie. The sequel has also become the biggest movie opener of the year so far. More blockbusters are expected later this summer, like the latest ‘Thor’ movie and the new ‘Jurassic World’.
Read More: AP, Deadline, Variety, CNN
Money Monday: Gas Prices/Habits Changing
Gas prices are rising again. The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular is now $4.32. That’s up 14 cents from this time last week, and it’s about $1.40 more than this time last year. A recent survey from Yahoo! And Maru asked about 1,400 U.S. drivers if high gas prices made them change their behaviors. Two-thirds of them said yes. They’ve decided to do things like cancel road trips, take public transit more, drive to different gas stations to find the best price, and not fill up the tank all the way.
Read More: Yahoo! Finance, Time, AP, AAA, Maru Group