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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, April 11, 2022:
UKRAINE LATEST
Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed General Aleksandr V. Dvornikov to head military operations in the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Dvornikov has a history of alleged brutality; in 2015, he was accused of leading Russian forces to bomb civilian neighborhoods in Syria during the country’s civil war. Meanwhile, residents in Eastern Ukraine areas from Izium to the central city of Dnipro are rapidly evacuating, as U.S. officials expect the Russian military to “carry out a major offensive” after satellites showed hundreds of military trucks moving in that direction. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is in Moscow for the first face-to-face meeting Putin has had with a European leader since the invasion began. Austria is militarily neutral but is calling for the war to end and for war crimes to be investigated. Last night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared on "60 Minutes," saying, "We are defending the right to live. I never thought this right was so costly." NY TIMES
TX ABORTION MURDER CHARGE
A Texas woman was arrested late last week and indicted with murder related to a “self-induced abortion." When news of the arrest went public this weekend, it was unclear what statute she was in violation of, particularly because recent anti-abortion laws in the state are not supposed to implicate mothers, and are also civil, not criminal, matters. Still, the woman was forced to post a $500,000 bond on Saturday, before the D.A. announced yesterday he would drop the charge. He said a hospital brought the cast to the attention of the local sheriff. WASH POST
MUSK PASSES ON TWITTER BOARD
After a weekend of blowing up Twitter, the company announced Elon Musk is not, in fact, joining the board. After he bought a 9% stake in the company last week, it was announced that he would also be appointed a seat, and then it was off to the races. Musk, a prolific twitterer, spent the rest of the week peppering his 81 million followers with questions about whether the social media giant should get add an edit button, turn its San Fran HQ into a homeless shelter, and if the platform is "dying." Late last night Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced Musk decided not to join the board after all, a decision he believes is "for the best." CNBC
NYC MAYOR TESTS POSITIVE
A wave of positive Covid tests continues to nail high-profile U.S. politicians. This time, it’s New York City Mayor Eric Adams. On the 100th day of his tenure, the mayor's press secretary said he woke up with a raspy voice, prompting him to take a rapid test that came back negative. Out of an abundance of caution, he then took a PCR test, which came back positive. Adams has no other symptoms and has already begun the isolation process, canceling all in-person events for the rest of the week. This probably isn't great news for the many people who interacted with him during a jam-packed week. Who's to say where he got it, but he did attend the Gridiron Dinner in DC which appears to have been a super-spreader event. GOTHAMIST
Just stay away from Kyrie.
FRENCH ELECTION FACEOFF
The first round of voting in France’s presidential election has closed, and it’s official… The election isn’t over. Preliminary results show incumbent Emmanuel Macron received about 28% of the vote, while far-right leader Marine Le Pen, presumed to be Macron’s biggest challenger, received 23%. In France’s election system, if no candidate wins over 50% of the vote in the first round, a second round of voting takes place, with only the two top-voted candidates on the ballot. In this case, Macron and Le Pen will return to the ballot on April 24 for the second round of voting. The candidate with the absolute majority of votes cast will be elected. FRANCE 24
Watch those hanging chads.
PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER OUSTED
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has been removed as the country’s leader after 174 legislators voted against him in a motion of no-confidence. Economic struggles including rapidly rising inflation rates, as well as mistrust from political allies and the Pakistani military are among the myriad of reasons the cricket-star-turned-world-leader was ousted. And of course, the U.S. is partially involved: Khan made unverified claims that U.S. State Department officials colluded to get the no-confidence vote passed. Shehbaz Sharif, the brother of a former three-term Pakistani Prime Minister, is the front-runner to replace Khan. AL JAZEERA
GHOST GUN CRACKDOWN
In an effort to curb violent crime, the Biden administration is expected to come out with its long-awaited ghost gun rule. A ghost gun is a privately-made firearm that is unserialized and thus, untraceable. From 2016 to 2020, the Justice Department reported nearly 24,000 ghost guns recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes. The rule is expected to federally expand the definition of a firearm, in addition to requiring ghost gun manufacturers to be licensed by the federal government. These firearms dealers would also be required to add a serial number to any guns they sell, and run background checks before they sell ghost gun kits. AP
ETSY STRIKE
Etsy is taking a bigger slice of the pie from its sellers. Starting today, seller transaction fees go up from 5% to 6.5%. That 30% increase has prompted over 12,000 sellers to agree to boycott the site from today through April 18. “Etsy Strike” even has its own website that outlines the desired outcomes of the strike and offers alternatives to sellers who may not be able to afford halting business. Etsy has defended the fee increase, posing it as an investment in the overall marketplace that has allowed its sellers to profit for years. Though the announcement was made in February, Etsy’s stock has been plummeting since peaking in November, down around 60% since then. ETSY STRIKE
NFL QUARTERBACK DIES
Dwayne Haskins, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, died Saturday after being struck by a dump truck in South Florida. Florida Highway Patrol said he was attempting to cross a highway on foot when he was hit and was pronounced dead at the scene. Haskins was 24. Before joining the Steelers, he was a star at Ohio State before being drafted by Washington. After the shocking news of his death broke, some members of sports media brought up Haskins’ on-the-field struggles, leading to an internet uproar and sparking a public conversation about insensitivity in the media. ESPN
SPORTS ROUNDUP
NBA REGULAR SEASON WRAPS: The NBA regular season concluded last night and the playoffs are set, with the preliminary rounds beginning tomorrow night. After a historically good season, the Phoenix Suns are heavy favorites to win the championship. Behind the Suns is a wide-open field, led by the team they lost to in the NBA finals last season: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks. CBS SPORTS
MASTERS CHAMP: Scottie Scheffler is the 2022 Masters champion. Ranked the top golfer in the world heading into Augusta, the American quietly held the lead for a majority of the weekend. He finished at 10 under, beating out a late surge from Rory McIlroy for the green jacket. The weekend headlines were dominated by the return of Tiger Woods, who came in with low expectations but managed to make it all four rounds. He finished 47th with a score of +13. ESPN
YOU DON'T SEE THAT EVERY DAY
@cheddar: Flying over 2,000 feet with skis attached to your feet? No problem for Fred Fugen. INSTAGRAM
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