Daniel Penny Arraigned on Manslaughter Charge in Jordan Neely’s Killing
Daniel Penny, who while riding the subway in New York City last week choked Jordan Neely, a homeless man, to death, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday on a charge of second-degree manslaughter, taking his first formal steps as a defendant in a case that has stunned the city. Penny, handcuffed, stood straight and still before the judge, Kevin McGrath. He did not enter a plea, as he has yet to be indicted by a grand jury, and spoke only to answer the judge’s questions and acknowledge that he would next appear in court July 17. He was released after posting bail.
Crowds, but Not Chaos, at the U.S. Border as Pandemic Restrictions End
The southern border of the United States was crowded with migrants Friday, but not chaotic, after the lifting of Title 42 pandemic-era restrictions. Yet Biden administration officials lashed out at court challenges from the right and left that they said could undermine efforts to deal with record levels of border crossings in the days and weeks ahead. Migrants continued to seek refuge in the United States in numerous pockets across the 2,000-mile border with Mexico, although U.S. Border Patrol officials and shelter operators said the flow of desperate people was lighter than they had feared it could be.
Move Over Jupiter: Saturn Adds 62 More Moons to Its Count
In the red corner, Jupiter, the largest planet orbiting our sun, which shaped our solar system with its gravitational bulk. In the blue corner, Saturn, the magnificent ringed world with bewildering hexagonal storms at its poles. These two giant worlds are late in their bout for satellite-based supremacy. But now the fight over which planet has the most moons in its orbit has swung decisively in Saturn’s favor. This month, the International Astronomical Union is set to recognize 62 additional moons of Saturn based on a batch of objects discovered by astronomers. That will give Saturn 145 moons, eclipsing Jupiter’s 95.
FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Hot Flashes
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first nonhormonal medication to treat hot flashes in menopausal women, offering a potential remedy for the symptoms of overheating of the upper body and sweating that can be disruptive to daily life for years. The drug, to be marketed as Veozah, is the first to target a neuron in the brain that becomes unbalanced as estrogen levels fall. It would typically be prescribed for women in their 50s during the menopausal phase estimated to last seven years, according to Marci English, of Astellas Pharma, maker of the medication.
Woman With ‘Doomsday’ Beliefs Found Guilty in Children’s Deaths
A jury in Idaho on Friday found Lori Vallow Daybell guilty of murdering two of her children and of conspiring to murder her husband’s former wife in a case that drew widespread attention for what prosecutors described as her “doomsday” religious beliefs. A sentencing date has not been set. Before the trial started, Judge Steven Boyce, of Idaho’s 7th Judicial District, granted a request from Vallow Daybell’s lawyers to take the death penalty off the table. The trial, in Boise, began April 3, after years of delays. Vallow Daybell had initially been declared not competent to stand trial and was required to undergo psychiatric treatment.
U.S. Faces ‘Significant Risk’ of Running Out of Cash in June, CBO Warns
The Congressional Budget Office said Friday that there was a “significant risk” that the federal government could run out of cash sometime in the first two weeks of June, setting the United States up for a default. The warning came as the White House and congressional leaders spent the week in negotiations over how to raise the $31.4 trillion borrowing cap. The Treasury Department has been using accounting maneuvers known as extraordinary measures to keep paying the country’s bills without breaching that debt ceiling, which was officially reached Jan. 19. But the department has said those tools could be exhausted as soon as June 1.
Serbia Offers Amnesty for Illegal Firearms, and Thousands Are Collected
Serbian authorities have collected thousands of weapons in a campaign to reduce the number of firearms in civilian hands in the week after two mass shootings stunned the country, officials said Friday. More than 9,000 illegal and legal weapons have been collected, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who called the effort “a great step forward for a safer environment for our children” and “all our people.” The two shootings, one by a minor and the other involving an illegal firearm, prompted Vucic to promise the “almost complete disarmament” of the country.
Ukrainian Soldiers Risk Their Lives to Keep Weapons From the Black Market
Rocket launchers, precision-guided missiles and billions of dollars’ worth of other advanced U.S. weapons have given Ukraine a fighting chance against Russia before a counteroffensive. But if even a few arms wind up on the black market instead of the battlefield, a Ukrainian lawmaker gloomily predicted, “we’re done.” The lawmaker, who monitors foreign arms transfers to Ukraine, does not believe there is widespread smuggling of U.S. weapons. But in Washington, against a looming government debt crisis and growing skepticism about financial support for Ukraine, is demanding tight accountability for “every weapon, every round of ammunition that we send to Ukraine,” as Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said last month.
NATO Considers Opening Liaison Office in Japan
NATO is considering opening a liaison office in Japan, the country’s officials said this week, a move that international security experts say could deepen the alliance’s engagement in the region as it grows increasingly concerned about China’s support of Russia. Discussions about the office, which would be NATO’s first in Asia, are underway but no decisions have been made, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a parliament session Wednesday. There was no immediate comment or confirmation from NATO. Japan, anxious about threats from China and North Korea, has departed from a decadeslong platform of pacifism to reinforce its alliance with NATO.
Turkey’s President Amassed Power. He Could Still Lose This Election.
As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey approaches the toughest election of his two decadeslong career Sunday, he has marshaled many resources of the state to tilt the playing field to his advantage. Erdogan tapped the Treasury for populist spending programs and has raised the minimum wage three times in the past 18 months. His challenger barely appears on the state broadcaster, while Erdogan’s speeches are aired in full. And this weekend’s vote will be overseen by an election board that, during recent votes, have made questionable calls that benefited the president. But recent polls show him trailing his main challenger in a tight race that could go to a runoff.
Cyclone Mocha Moves Toward Myanmar and Bangladesh, Bringing Flood Threats
A storm forecast to be the strongest to hit Myanmar in more than a decade is expected to make landfall near the Bangladesh border Sunday, raising the prospect of a humanitarian disaster. Cyclone Mocha formed over the southern Bay of Bengal on Thursday and has started drenching western Myanmar as it churned northeast Friday, with heavy rain, strong winds and storm surges forecast to continue through Sunday, according to the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System. Myanmar and Bangladesh began deploying thousands of volunteers and ordering evacuations in a region home to some of the world’s poorest people, who are especially vulnerable to increasingly severe weather events.
A Crucial Question in Thailand’s Election: Can You Criticize the King?
When Thais go to the polls Sunday, they will vote in a closely fought election that is seen, in part, as a referendum on whether it is illegal to criticize the Thai monarchy. Thailand has one of the world’s strictest laws against defaming or insulting the king and other members of the royal family. The topic of the monarchy was brought to the forefront after tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets and called for checks on the institution’s power in 2020. The election could determine whether the Southeast Asian nation of 72 million will revive its once-vibrant democracy or slide further toward authoritarian rule.
By wire sources