Job market stats:Â The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning that wages have gone up and the unemployment rate is now as low as it had been in 1969 at 3.4%. The average hourly wage for nonfarm employees in the US. is now $33.36. That’s up by 4.4% in the past 12 months. The statistics show that 253,000 people joined the U.S. nonfarm workforce in April.
Classified documents:Â The New York Times reports that a former insider at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is cooperating with special counsel Jack Smith’s investigators looking into Trump’s handling of classified government documents and other government property. The Times also reports that segments of Mar-a-Lago surveillance recordings that show boxes with government documents being moved around, are missing. And, the Times reports that investigators are looking into Trump’s business dealings with Saudi Arabia’s new golf league that has held events at Trump golf courses. There’s speculation that investigators want to determine whether Trump shared any government secret documents with Saudi Arabia.
Russian military:Â The head of a mercenary force that Russia has hired to fight in Ukraine threatens to pull his fighters out of Ukraine’s Bakhmut area because of Russian incompetence on the battlefield. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, says that Russia’s military is not providing the equipment and supplies Russian troops need, including food, and the Russian military has been suffering heavy losses, exposing his mercenary forces to greater danger.
Money for Mrs. Thomas:Â The Washington Post reports that former Republican pollster and White House aid to Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway, funneled money from conservative activist Leonard Leo to the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The Post reports that Leo instructed Conway to use her company to bill a nonprofit with which he was involved and then funnel the money she received to Ginny Thomas, which would disguise its source.
Coronation:Â First Lady Jill Biden is in London where she will represent the U.S. at tomorrow’s coronation of King Charles. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Mrs. Biden at 10 Downing Street this morning. The coronation of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II was the first coronation to be televised and his will be the first to be live-streamed over social media.
Covid-19:Â The World Health Organization this morning said that Covid-19 is no longer a world emergency. However, it emphasizes that the virus still is killing thousands of people every week. It’s estimated that the virus sickened more than 750 million people and killed more than seven million.
