IMPORTANT
| | | | | The Center Can Hold | French President Retains Lead As Extremes Gain Momentum Centrist President Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen will face off in a replay of France’s 2017 election, as yesterday’s first round ended with Macron gaining a slight three-point lead over Le Pen. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon came in a close third. The tight race has Western governments and pro-democracy French voters on edge, as Le Pen, a Putin sympathizer, ran her campaign on a nationalist, anti-NATO, anti-immigration platform. Extreme right and left parties took about 51% of the vote, a clear sign of French dissatisfaction with the status quo. The second round takes place on April 24. (Sources: NYT, Politico, France24) |
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| | | Need More Nukes | China Bolsters Nuclear Arsenal Over Fears of Conflict With US Analysts say China has accelerated work on more than 100 suspected missile silos in the country's remote western region capable of reaching the U.S., according to satellite images of the area. Though American leaders and security analysts studying nuclear proliferation say China’s reasoning behind the nuclear advance is unclear, people close to its leadership blame a reassessment of the threat posed by the United States. “China’s inferior nuclear capability could only lead to growing U.S. pressure on China,” said one person close to the leadership. It is also a way to deter the U.S. from interfering in a potential conflict over Taiwan. (Source: WSJ) |
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| | | Cool Heads Prevail | Murder Charges Against Texas Woman in Abortion Case Dropped A 26-year-old woman charged with murder in Texas last week and held in jail over the weekend will not face prosecution. Lizelle Herrera was accused of causing “the death of an individual by self-induced abortion,” though it’s unclear if Ms. Herrera had the abortion herself or helped someone obtain one. Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said Sunday, “Ms. Herrera ... should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her,” acknowledging the toll on Herrera and her family. “The issues surrounding this matter are clearly contentious, however, based on Texas law ... it is not a criminal matter,” Ramirez confirmed. (Source: CBS News) |
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| | | Running Scared | House Committee Has Evidence for Criminal Charges Against Trump Rep. Liz Cheney confirmed yesterday that the committee investigating the assault of Jan. 6 has enough evidence to levy criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. Though the panel has not decided on how to proceed, Cheney denied reports that there was a dispute among its members, as reported Friday. Cheney highlighted damning evidence against Trump, including U.S. District Court Judge David Carter's ruling that he attempted to obstruct Congress to overturn legitimate election results, saying, “It’s absolutely clear that what President Trump was doing, what a number of people around him were doing, that they knew it was unlawful.” (Source: Politico) |
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| | | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Ukraine braces for major Russian assault. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called the coming week “crucial” as Russia prepares for major new operations in the east. (Source: Al Jazeera) Imran Khan ousted as PM in Pakistan. A no-confidence vote on Sunday removed the PM after his bid to gain power by dissolving parliament last week backfired. (Source: BBC) Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck announce engagement — again. Lopez made the announcement on her blog On The JLo over the weekend. The couple were briefly engaged in 2002. (Source: Vogue) |
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INTRIGUING
| | | | | Out of the Frying Pan | A Growing Number of Americans Are Fleeing Climate Change Wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, rising seas ... Americans living in high-risk areas are seeking safe havens as climate change causes U.S. weather to intensify. “How will people deal with extreme heat? Will they have access to potable water?” asked Jesse M. Keenan, an associate professor at Tulane University who studies climate change adaptation and the built environment. Keenan predicts that migration will happen sooner than later, as areas once considered prime real estate become uninhabitable. Other experts predict that as many as 13.1 million Americans will relocate to the East and Upper Midwest by 2100 due to rising seas alone. (Source: Wired) |
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| | | For Love and Money | Forger Couple Reveal How They Fooled Art World for Decades Newly released from prison, art forger Wolfgang Beltracchi and his wife and accomplice Helene Beltracchi have spilled the beans on how they duped the art world for millions. The forgeries were so good they fooled art dealers, scholars, even the artists' families. The widow of Max Ernst, a favorite artist to copy, described a Beltracchi forgery as one of her husband’s best pictures. “I got to paint, and we enjoyed doing the research too. Forgery was a way of combining all these things,” said Wolfgang. The couple said they were just “cheating those who made a living by cheating others.” (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | | Think Twice | Brainiacs In the Office: It Can Go Both Ways Bosses take note: high intelligence could be a liability in the workplace. Definitions of intelligence are debated, but researchers agree that intelligent people easily retain and process facts and information and reason and solve problems efficiently. But people who rely on their intelligence alone to get through challenges tend to be less conscientious and can exhibit counterproductive work habits. They may also be more introverted, seeing socializing as tedious or awkward. Mixed with perfectionism, intelligence can derail efficiency. The lowdown: organizations should test for traits that best align with their philosophy and not overlook employees who may be a great fit. (Source: Psychology Today) |
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| | | Like a Lion | Month of March Breaks Record for Highest Number of Tornadoes This spring did not come in like a lamb. March 2022 broke the record for most tornadoes in a single month in U.S. history with 218 counted, said the National Weather Service. On March 30, eight states in the South and Midwest were under tornado watch when storms spawned 30 tornadoes that killed two people. Earlier in the month, 60 tornadoes were sighted across five southeastern states. A powerful twister on March 21 killed one and injured 10 in Texas, while on March 5 seven people were killed in Iowa. More tornadoes are expected from Iowa to Texas this week. (Source: ABC News) |
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| | | Tragic End | Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Dwayne Haskins Dies at 24 The 2018 Heisman Trophy finalist, who was in South Florida working out with teammates ahead of the Steelers’ offseason program, was struck and killed by a truck Saturday while trying to cross a highway on foot. News of Haskins’ death was received with an outpouring of grief and shock. “I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward tweeted, “His smile was infectious and he was a guy you wanted to be around ... We are all in shock about losing him.” (Sources: CNN, ESPN) |
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COMMUNITY
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