Dam destroyed:Â Ukraine says that Russia blew up the Kkhovka Dam and its hydroelectric power plant causing massive flooding. Ukraine ordered tens of thousands of people living downstream from the dam to evacuate the area. For its part, Russia alleges it was Ukraine that attacked the dam. Ukraine says what’s unfolding is not only an ecological disaster but a threat to the safety of a nearby nuclear power plant.
Astrid Gilberto dies:Â Brazilian Singer Astrid Gilberto, who became famous for her vocal on the record “The Girl from Ipanema” has died at age 83. Gilberto was at a recording session with musician Stan Getz in New York and volunteered to record the lyrics because she was the only female vocalist available and the producers were in a rush. Although the record sold more than five million copies, Gilberto only received the minimum union fee of $120 for making the record.
Oklahoma approves publicly-funded religious school:Â Oklahoma’s Virtual Charter School Board has given the Oklahoma Catholic Archdiocese approval to open what would be the nation’s first publicly-funded religious charter school. The online school would serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The board gave the approval despite being warned by Oklahoma’s Attorney General that it would violate the state’s constitution to use taxpayer dollars to pay for a religious school.
Pilot seen slumped over:Â Investigators report that air traffic controllers lost contact with the pilot of the Cessna Citation jet that crashed in Virginia while it was climbing to its cruise altitude of 34,000 feet. All four people on the plane were killed. The airplane had taken off from Elizabethtown, Tennessee, and was en route to MacArthur Airport on Long Island. After overflying Long Island at high altitude, the airplane turned and headed for Washington, D.C., where it entered restricted airspace. The pilot of a military jet that intercepted the plane reported seeing the pilot slumped over. There’s speculation that the airplane lost pressurization early in the flight, rendering the four occupants unconscious due to a lack of oxygen.
World Bank’s forecast:Â A report from the World Bank that was released this morning forecasts that the world’s economy will slow this year in response to higher interest rates, Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Bank said that while the global economy expanded by 3.1% in 2022, in 2023 the expansion will be only 2.1%.
GOP primary candidates:Â Former Vice President Mike Pence yesterday filed paperwork to run for the Republican Presidential Nomination. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to announce his run in New Hampshire today. Also set to declare is Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota. Donald Trump still leads in polling of likely Republican primary voters, approximately 30% ahead of his nearest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Cover photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
