Iranian providing arms to Russia: The Iranian government has promised to provide Russia with more drones and with surface-to-surface missiles. According to a Reuters report, Iranian officials confirmed that they are providing Russian President Vladimir Putin”™s military with the Shahed-136 drone that is used in kamikaze-style air-to-surface attacks on aircraft and the Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar missiles that can strike targets at distances of 186 miles to 435 miles. Ukraine has reported Russian attacks using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks, which the Iranian and Russian governments denied.
Facebook parent company agrees to sell Giphy: Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has acquiesced to demands from a British regulatory agency to sell Giphy, the social media animated images company that was acquired in 2020 for $315 million. The Competition and Markets Authority ordered Meta to sell Giphy last year, citing anti-trust concerns, and the company appealed the decision, losing five out of six challenges to the initial ruling. Meta agreed that it would not appeal the decision further and would work with the regulator on how to sell Giphy.
Report finds Trump Organization overcharged Secret Service at hotels: A newly released report has found former president Donald Trump”™s company charged the Secret Service as much as five times more than the government rate for agents to stay overnight at Trump hotels while protecting him and his family. According to the Washington Post, there were 40 cases where the Trump Organization billed the Secret Service much more than the approved government rate, including one case when agents were charged $1,185 a night to stay at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., Eric Trump, the former president”™s son, disputed the report and said that any services rendered to government agencies at Trump-owned properties were “provided at cost, heavily discounted or for free.”
Flu hospitalization rates higher for nonwhites: Hospitalization rates for influenza are much higher for people of color than for White adults, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2009 to 2022, flu hospitalization rates were roughly 80% higher among Black adults, 30% higher among American Indian adults and 20% higher among Hispanic adults, compared with White adults. During the 2021-2022 flu season, flu vaccination coverage by demographics were 54% among White and Asian adults, 42% among Black adults, 38% among Hispanic adults and 41% among American Indian adults. The new data was released as some parts of the U.S., particularly in southern and southeastern states, are experiencing an early spike in reported flu cases.
Big Apple restaurant unbans James Corden: A swanky New York City restaurant has unbanned funnyman James Corden after he apologized for his allegedly insulting behavior to its staff. Corden, the host of CBS”™ “Late Late Show,” was publicly banned from the restaurant Balthazar after owner Keith McNally accused him of being “the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago.” McNally said that Corden called him and “apologized profusely” for his behavior, adding that “all is forgiven.”
Photo courtesy iDominick / Wikimedia Commons
