June 2, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 99 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Reuters cites unnamed sources as saying the Biden administration intends to sell four MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones that can be armed with Hellfire missiles to Ukraine and that an official announcement of the sale could be made in the near future. [more]
• German officials announced yesterday that they intend to supply Ukraine with advanced anti-aircraft missiles to aid in the war against Russia. [more]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that 200,000 children are among the Ukrainians who have been forcibly taken to Russia and that 243 children have been killed so far in the war. Zelensky also said that Russia is currently occupying about 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory. [more]

TULSA | Four people were killed and several others wounded yesterday when a gunman opened fire at a building on the campus of St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The as-yet-unidentified gunman was found dead at the scene, according to police, apparently dying of a self-inflicted gunshot. [more]

BUFFALO SUPERMARKET SHOOTING | A grand jury yesterday indicted Payton Gendron, the man accused of killing 10 Black people in a May 14 shooting attack at a Buffalo supermarket, on 25 counts, including a state domestic terrorism and hate crime charge. [more]

GUN LEGISLATION | The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing today to advance legislation that would raise the age limit for purchasing semi-automatic centerfire rifles from 18 to 21 and criminalize the possession of large-capacity magazines. [more]

CALIFORNIA | An interim report on the ongoing and compounding harms experienced by African Americans as a result of slavery and its lingering effects on American society today was released by a California task force yesterday. The report also discusses preliminary recommendations for policies that could help to remedy those harms. [full report] [more]

COVID-19 | Vaccine maker Pfizer announced yesterday that it has submitted its emergency use application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the company's COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to five years old. [more]

WATER SHORTAGE | The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California implemented water usage restrictions yesterday affecting some 6 million residents of Southern California due to the region's ongoing drought. The new restrictions limit outdoor watering to 1-2 days per week or to a set volume of water. [more]

COAST GUARD | Admiral Linda Fagan took command of the U.S. Coast Guard yesterday, marking the first time a woman has been appointed the head of a U.S. military service. [more]

OIL SUPPLY | Reports say a decision on increasing oil production to make up for a drop in Russian production caused by Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine could be reached as early as today at a virtual meeting of representatives of OPEC+ nations. [more]

CLIMATE | A new report concludes that carbon emissions in China fell 1.4% in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the year-ago period -- marking the third straight quarter to show a decline and the longest sustained period of decline in 10 years. [more]

DENMARK | Reports say approximately two-thirds of voters in yesterday's national referendum support abandoning Denmark's policy of opting out of the European Union's common defense pact. [more]

TUNISIA | Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed 57 judges yesterday, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists. Saied's move is widely seen as his latest step in consolidating power after he dismissed the government and seized executive power last July. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve's latest periodic "Beige Book" report, covering the period from mid-April through May 23, says that 8 of 12 Fed districts report diminished expectations of future growth, but that all reported slight or modest growth since the previous reporting period. The report cites labor market difficulties, supply chain disruptions, rising interest rates, general inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and disruptions from COVID-19 cases as the key concerns impacting household and business economic plans. [more]

MORE U.S. ECONOMY | U.S. Labor Department data released yesterday shows that the number of job openings in the U.S. fell to 11.4 million at the end of April, down from 11.9 million in March. [more]

CYBERSECURITY | As part of a speech on cybersecurity threats yesterday in Boston, FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed that the FBI worked with Boston Children’s Hospital to thwart a cyberattack on the hospital last summer by hackers sponsored by the Iranian government. [more]

TECH BUSINESS | Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook's parent company Meta, announced yesterday that she is resigning from her position after 14 years with the company. Reports say Sandberg will leave the company this fall, but intends to still serve on Meta's board. [more]

U.K. | Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of London today to attend a Platinum Jubilee parade kicking off four days of events celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years as the British monarch. [more]

TRAVEL | The U.S. Transportation Department lifted restrictions on flights to Cuba yesterday that had prevented U.S. airline flights and chartered flights from going to Cuban cities other than Havana. [more]

BASKETBALL | Game 1 of the NBA Finals takes place tonight between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1953, 27-year-old Elizabeth II, the elder daughter of King George VI, was crowned queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey, having taken the throne upon her father's death in February 1952. [more history]