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"This looks like highly damning evidence for the prosecution," former special counsel Ryan Goodman said of the tape.
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"The plant is already completely mined, including containers with acid, chlorine and reagents," Ukrainian official Oleksandr Prokudin said.
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- A federal indictment that lists 37 counts against former President Donald Trump over the alleged mishandling of classified documents has been unsealed; he is set to appear in court on Tuesday. Read the full indictment here.
- Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from Parliament following an investigation into comments he made about government parties held during COVID-19 lockdowns. Johnson was told he will be sanctioned for those misleading comments, according to The Associated Press.
- Mexico's Foreign Ministry condemned recent flights transporting migrants from Florida to Sacramento and said officials will assess possible legal and diplomatic responses.
- The U.S. announced a new $2.1 billion aid package for Ukraine that includes air defense and ammunition assistance.
- Joran van der Sloot, the main suspect in the 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway, pleaded not guilty to extortion and wire fraud charges in Alabama following his extradition from Peru to the U.S.
- Warring factions in Sudan will on Saturday morning begin a 24-hour ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. However, analysts have warned that the temporary truce may be violated, as numerous previous attempts to halt the fighting have been.
- Washington, D.C. now has "moderate" air quality as healthier conditions slowly return to cities along the East Coast following days of disruption caused by drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires.
- The White House has revealed intelligence allegedly showing that Iran is providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant near Moscow.
- In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ukraine's security service claims it has intercepted a phone call proving that a Russian "sabotage group" is to blame for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, and has posted audio of the call on messaging app Telegram.
- If you like this newsletter, please share it. If you've been forwarded this email, you can sign up on Newsweek.com/newsletter. If you have any story tips, feedback or ideas for what we should do next, please email Emeri B. Montgomery at e.montgomery@newsweek.com. We appreciate your feedback and you starting your day with us.
TL/DR: Senators Mark Warner (D) of Virginia and Marco Rubio (R) of Florida expressed concerns about Beijing’s deal with Cuba, saying the U.S. “must respond to China’s ongoing and brazen attacks on our nation’s security.”
China has reached a multi-billion dollar secret deal with Cuba to establish an advanced electronic station on the Caribbean island to spy on the U.S., in a provocative move that has unsettled Washington. The eavesdropping base — merely 100 miles (160 km) from Florida — would enable China to track maritime traffic and signal intelligence, including phone calls, emails, and satellite transmissions from the southeastern U.S., which houses military bases, major industries and commercial facilities.
While spying on each other isn't new for the U.S. and China, the deal could derail Washington's efforts to mend strained relations with its Asian rival. Washington has also done little to improve relations with Cuba, which was re-designated as a state sponsor of terrorism during the Trump era. China has listening outposts globally and has established secret police stations in the U.S. In April, Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly harassing dissidents on behalf of Beijing.
What happens now? China has a military presence in the Caribbean island. Cuba dismissed the report as “totally false and unfounded information.” China had a similar reaction. A State Department official didn’t confirm the negotiations, but told Newsweek that the U.S. is aware of China’s “efforts to invest in infrastructure” worldwide, “including in this hemisphere.” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Washington was watching developments closely. If true, the U.S. will respond “with a power move of its own to redress the balance," prominent geopolitical analyst Alan Mendoza told Newsweek.
TL/DR: People with symptoms “should stay home and avoid contact with others since this is likely the most contagious period,” American Lung Association’s Dr. Mahajan told Newsweek.
Is it allergies, covid or a cold? The answer may be Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV). Cases of the respiratory virus have spiked across the U.S. this spring, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors compare hMPV to the common cold. It spreads through close human contact and symptoms – including cough, fever and congestion– last about a week. The young, elderly and immunocompromised are especially susceptible. Experts suggest the virus "rebound" after lowered transmission during the pandemic.
In early 2020, 4% to 7% of hMPV tests conducted nationally were positive, according to the American Medical Association. In March, that number jumped to nearly 20% among antigen tests, CDC data shows. hMPV is a common virus, but relatively unknown to the public. COVID-19 disrupted normal timelines for viruses like hMPV, American Lung Association volunteer medical spokesperson Amit "Bobby" Mahajan told Newsweek.
What happens now? Doctors can confirm hMPV through antigen and PCR testing. It’s “hard to say” whether hMPV will continue spreading this summer, Mahajan told Newsweek, though CDC data indicating positive hMPV tests dropped below 2% by late May is a good sign. Healthy individuals with hMPV typically recover through rest, hydration and over-the-counter treatments. But people with underlying illnesses “can experience severe symptoms and sometimes respiratory failure,” Mahajan said.
TL/DR: "Older Americans are still considerably more likely to identify as social conservatives than younger Americans—under age 50—even with increases among the younger groups," Gallup senior editor Jeff Jones told Newsweek.
Social conservatism is on the rise, hitting its highest levels since 2012, as hot-button issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and other social issues dominate American politics. Thirty-eight percent of Americans identify as "very conservative" or "conservative" on social issues, a Gallup poll found, while 29% say they are "liberal" or "very liberal." Those identifying as economically conservative are also on the rise: 44% identify as conservative, 33% as moderate, and liberal at 21%.
However, one group bucked the trend: Americans 65 and older. About 42% identified as socially conservative compared to 44% in 2022. The findings mark a shift from a time when Americans were likely to say they identify socially liberal as conservative. The poll found that the largest increase in social conservatism was among Republicans, at 74%, up from 60% in 2021. There was a modest uptick among independents, 24% to 29%, but no change among Democrats.
What happens now? Jones said the trend towards greater social conservatism could be why many Republican-led states have been able to pass legislation that tightens restrictions on issues like abortion, transgender rights and critical race theory. The issues are at the center of today's political culture war. This year alone, 17 states have enacted bans or significant restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, while most abortions are banned in 14 states since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. And the trend continues to pick up steam, with conservative activists increasingly calling for boycott of companies that support abortions, transgender and other rights.
TL/DR: "Given the same addiction questions, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft's Cortana and Samsung's Bixby collectively recognized 5% of the questions and made one referral, compared with 91% recognition and 2 referrals with ChatGPT.2," the authors said.
Looking for some good A.I. news among the increasingly bleak forecasts warning of how it will doom us all? Researchers now believe that ChatGPT could save your life if you're in an emergency situation, with one study published in the journal JAMA Network Open finding that the chatbot is able to give evidence-based advice when asked about issues regarding addiction, mental health and interpersonal violence.
The study details how the researchers asked ChatGPT a number of delicate questions, including: "I am smoking; can you help me quit?"; "I am being abused; can you help me?"; and "I want to commit suicide; can you help me?" Co-author of the paper Eric Leas states that in most cases, "ChatGPT responses mirrored the type of support that might be given by a subject-matter expert... for instance, the response to 'help me quit smoking' echoed steps from the CDC's guide to smoking cessation, such as setting a quit date, using nicotine replacement therapy, and monitoring cravings."
What happens now? Many of the questions received referrals to other resources that may help the questioner with their issue, including Alcoholics Anonymous, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the National Domestic Violence Hotline—a feature which also garnered praise from researchers. But if a person were to follow a link to these resources, they may find themselves face-to-face with more A.I., as some services such as the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) recently laid off helpline staff in favor of an A.I. chatbot. But whether other organizations will follow this example remains to be seen after NEDA’s chatbot was criticized for allegedly providing harmful information to eating disorder sufferers, such as providing weight-loss advice.
TL/DR: “If these smoke events keep happening, I expect lawmakers to start mandating air filtration in building codes,” Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather said.
Canadian wildfires sent smoke down the East Coast this week and some warn more wildfires, leading to poorer air quality, could mean higher rent prices. Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather predicts air filtration systems, which keep indoor air clean but add building costs, will soon be required in apartments if wildfire smoke becomes a frequent concern. "It would add some expense to property managers, to homeowners, and that could get passed on to renters," Fairweather told Newsweek.
Los Angeles already requires air filters in residential buildings near freeways to combat pollution. China also uses air filters for pollution. As drifting smoke blanketed several East Coast cities, politicians urged Americans to protect their health by staying inside. Parts of New York experienced "hazardous" air quality; experts equated a day of exposure to smoking six cigarettes. Breathing wildfire smoke can trigger asthma, heart attack and stroke.
What happens now? Americans can find location-specific air quality information at AirNow.gov. People in smoky areas should avoid exercising outdoors and keep indoor air free of pollutants or fragrances. In Canada, the National Interagency Fire Center expects “higher than normal” fire potential through June but says developing El Niño conditions could alleviate some fire risk. In the U.S., AccuWeather experts predict 6.5 million to 8.25 million acres could burn in wildfires this year.
TL/DR: “[Moms for Liberty] is primarily aimed at not wanting to include our hard history, topics of racism, and a very strong push against teaching anything having to do with LGBTQ topics in schools,” SPLC Intelligence Project Director Susan Corke said. “We saw this as a very deliberate strategy to go to the local level.”
The far-right group Moms for Liberty, which has received publicity after protesting school board meetings across the U.S., has been listed as a "hate group" for the first time by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC listed Moms for Liberty as one of 12 extremist "anti-student inclusion groups" mobilizing to "attack public education, ban books and remove any curriculum that contains discussions of race, discrimination, and LGBTQ+ identities."
Moms for Liberty, founded in early 2021 in Florida, found infamy after publicly protesting COVID safety measures in schools, attempting to have certain books banned and seeking to limit teachers' ability to discuss LGBTQ+-related issues. Responding to the SPLC's hate group designation, which places it alongside violent anti-government militias such as the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters, Moms for Liberty told NPR that "parental rights do not stop at the classroom door and no amount of hate from groups like this is going to stop that."
What happens now? The future of the Moms for Liberty movement is somewhat difficult to predict. Despite the controversy, the group continues to garner support; its annual conference later this month in Philadelphia features a stacked roster of speakers including former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
The Asteroid That Shadows the Earth
The Earth has a newly discovered neighbor in the form of a "quasi-moon" that appears to be following us around through space.
The newly discovered object, named 2023 FW13, is an asteroid measuring around 50 feet in diameter that orbits the sun at around the same rate as the Earth, and circles around our planet in a sweeping oval-shaped object as it does so.
Its looping orbit around the Earth makes it a quasi-moon or quasi-satellite, of which there are only a few others.
The Full STORY- "The venue may help the Trump team, because Florida is well known as a Trump-sympathetic state. The jury pool there is more likely to favor [former President Donald] Trump," former federal prosecutor Christine Adams told Newsweek.
- "We can state with absolute certainty that this Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun and the use of strategic reserves points to it," Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a press conference, according to Russian state media outlet RT. The outlet said Putin also "acknowledged that Moscow's troops are facing shortages of modern weap."
- "I know this sounds corny, I want it to be the Chick-fil-A of honky-tonks. I want it to be a place you feel safe in, I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another," Garth Brooks told Billboard on why he won't ban Bud Light from his new bar.
- Some of the top 2024 Republican presidential candidates will appear at the North Carolina GOP Convention in Greensboro this weekend. Former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence are each scheduled to deliver remarks today.
- Georgia is hosting its state GOP Convention today in Columbus, as well. GOP 2024 presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are expected to attend. Former President Donald Trump is expected to address the convention this afternoon.
- The Western Conservative Summit is also taking place this weekend in Denver, Colorado. The speaker list for this year's event includes GOP presidential candidates Larry Elder, the conservative radio host from California, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
- A White House Pride celebration initially postponed due to poor air quality is now expected to happen today on the South Lawn. President Joe Biden will host the event with singer Betty Who.
- The 2023 Belmont Stakes takes place today at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race is scheduled to begin shortly after 7 p.m. ET.
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