Biden condemns racist rhetoric after Buffalo massacre
President Joe Biden called on Americans on Tuesday to “take on the haters” and “reject the lie” of racial replacement that animated a white man who gunned down Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, in the latest eruption of violence targeting people of color in the United States. Declaring that “white supremacy is a poison” coursing through America, Biden flew to this city in western New York not just to mourn the 10 people killed in Saturday’s shooting rampage but to confront “ideology rooted in fear and racism” and accuse conservative political and media figures of exploiting it.
Fetterman wins Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary for Senate
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a liberal Democrat, won his party’s Senate nomination Tuesday as he recovers from a stroke. The victory, called by The Associated Press, set the stage for a fierce general election battle in a state that could determine control of the chamber. Fetterman prevailed handily over his main Democratic rival, Rep. Conor Lamb. The early stage of the general election, though, may be muted: Fetterman has been off the campaign trail since Friday. In a statement Sunday, he said that he was on his way “to a full recovery.”
Ukraine ends last stand at steel plant with surrender of soldier
Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers who had made a last stand against Russian forces from a Mariupol steel mill faced an uncertain future Tuesday under Kremlin custody after Ukraine’s military ordered them to surrender. The surrender directive, issued late Monday, made the soldiers prisoners and ended the most protracted battle so far of the nearly 3-month-old Russian invasion of Ukraine. Even as Russia has struggled on other battlefronts, the surrender at Mariupol solidified one of Russia’s few significant territorial achievements — the conquest of a once-thriving port. Still, Mariupol has been largely reduced to ruin, and Ukrainian officials say that more than 20,000 inhabitants were killed.
Global pollution kills 9 million people a year, study finds
A new study says pollution of all types is killing 9 million people a year. About three quarters of that is air pollution. Tuesday’s study says overall pollution deaths haven’t changed much from 2015 to 2019. But that’s because household old-fashioned pollution from primitive stoves and waste-filled water pollution is down. Air pollution deaths from cars, trucks and industry is up 55% from 2000. Scientists say pollution deaths are increasing especially in poorer nations. While pollution deaths are dropping in the United States, dirty air, water, lead and pollution at work still kills 140,000 Americans a year, more than in any other industrialized nation.
Russian hacking cartel hobbles Costa Rican tax collection and export sites
A Russian hacking cartel carried out an extraordinary cyberattack against the government of Costa Rica, crippling tax collection and export systems for more than a month so far and forcing the country to declare a state of emergency. The ransomware gang Conti, which is based in Russia, claimed credit for the attack, which began April 12, and has threatened to leak the stolen information unless it is paid $20 million. Experts who track Conti’s movements said the group had recently begun to shift its focus from the United States and Europe to countries in Central and South America, perhaps to retaliate against nations that have supported Ukraine.
Congress dives into UFOs, but no signs of extraterrestrials
Congress held its first hearing in half a century Tuesday on unidentified flying objects. And no, there is still no government confirmation of extraterrestrial life. Pentagon officials did not disclose additional information from their ongoing investigation of hundreds of unexplained sightings in the sky. But they say they have picked a director for a new task force to coordinate data collection efforts on what the government has officially labeled “unidentified aerial phenomena.” Lawmakers from both parties say UFOs are a national security concern. And a defense official says the Pentagon was also trying to destigmatize the issue and encourage pilots and other military personnel to report anything unusual they see.
US to offer minor sanctions relief to entice Venezuela to talks
The Biden administration said Tuesday it would slightly loosen the crippling economic sanctions against Venezuela’s government to help restart talks between President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leaders aimed at easing the country’s political and humanitarian crisis. To entice Maduro back to the negotiating table, the Biden administration said it would permit discussions between his government and Chevron, the last major American oil company with significant operations in Venezuela. The U.S. Treasury will also remove sanctions on Carlos Eric Malpica, a former Venezuelan state oil official and nephew of the first lady, Cilia Flores.
NKorea reports another jump in suspected COVID-19 cases
North Korea on Wednesday reported 232,880 new cases of fever and another six deaths as leader Kim Jong Un accused officials of “immaturity” and “slackness” in handling the escalating COVID-19 outbreak. The country’s anti-virus headquarters said 62 people have died and more than 1.7 million fell ill amid a rapid spread of fever since late April. It said more than a million people recovered but at least 691,170 remain in quarantine. Outside experts say most of the illnesses would be COVID-19, although North Korea has been able to confirm only a small number of COVID-19 cases since acknowledging an omicron outbreak last week, likely because of insufficient testing capabilities.
By wire sources
