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In a speech earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin falsely accused the West of leaving him
no choice but to invade Ukraine. This comes as Russia is celebrating
Victory Day, an annual commemoration of the country’s defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II. Typically, the day is celebrated with thousands of troops assembling outside the Kremlin, but this year appears to be a “
very low key” affair, according to a defense industry analyst. Russia’s celebration comes after 60 civilians were likely killed on Saturday when a Russian aircraft
dropped a bomb on a school in Luhansk, a Ukrainian official said. Western countries reacted to the bombing with outrage, including UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who said she was “horrified” and that the attack “amounts to war crimes.” Yesterday, first lady Jill Biden
spent part of Mother’s Day making an unannounced trip to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, a small city in the far southwestern corner of the country. The first lady is the latest high-profile American to visit the war-torn region in recent weeks.
2. Inflation
President Joe Biden is expected to
deliver remarks on inflation tomorrow as Americans continue to struggle with rising costs everywhere from grocery stores to gas pumps. “He’ll detail his plan to fight inflation and lower costs for working families, and contrast his approach with Congressional Republicans’ ultra-MAGA plan to raise taxes on 75 million American families and threaten to sunset programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,” a White House official said.
A recent CNN poll found 8 in 10 US adults said the federal government wasn’t doing enough to curb inflation, and a majority said the President’s policies have hurt the economy.
Inflation rates have been increasing sharply since August 2021 and have been out of the normal 2%-to-4% range for a full year. The Consumer Price Index rose 8.5% for the year ending in March — a level not seen since 1981.
3. Coronavirus
The Biden administration is issuing a new warning that the US could potentially see 100 million Covid-19 infections this fall and winter. The White House is sharing these estimates as officials are
publicly stressing the need for more funding from Congress to combat the virus. With an anticipated rise in coronavirus cases driven by an offshoot of the Omicron subvariant BA.2, health experts say
now is not the time to loosen precaution measures, especially as many people are attending graduations and other large gatherings this month. “These new variants are so contagious that a cloth mask just isn’t sufficient. You really should be wearing a high-quality respirator mask, like an N95, KN95 or KF94,” CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen said.
4. Baby Formula
For months now, stores nationwide have been
struggling to stock enough baby formula. Manufacturers say they’re producing at full capacity and making as much formula as they can, but it’s still not enough to meet current demand. The out-of-stock rate for formula stands at 40%,
statistics show. In six states — Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Missouri, Texas and Tennessee — more than half of baby formula was completely sold out during the week starting April 24. Pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens confirmed that their stores are limiting customers nationwide to three toddler and infant formulas per transaction. Other major retailers like Target and Walmart are also imposing similar constraints on baby formula purchases.
5. Inmate escape
It has been a week since a former Alabama corrections officer and an inmate charged with murder went missing from a jail, and authorities remain in the dark on
where the pair may have gone. On Friday, the vehicle officials believe
Vicky White, 56, and inmate Casey White, 38, were traveling in during their escape from the Lauderdale County Detention…
Read More: 5 things to know for May 9: Ukraine, Inflation, Covid-19, Baby formula, Inmate escape