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The wild home-selling blitz is cooling down in the US, but home prices are still ludicrously high. The average home price last month was up 14.9% from a year ago.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Coronavirus
President Joe Biden unveiled tough new sanctions against Moscow yesterday in response to Russian military actions currently unfolding in Ukraine. Calling the events “the beginning of a Russian invasion,” Biden laid out sanctions that would effectively cut off Russia’s financial institutions and oligarchs from Western finance. Biden also announced he is moving additional troops and equipment to “strengthen” US allies in the region. US officials say they’re holding out hope for the possibility of diplomacy to avert an all-out war, but also made it clear Biden is ready to go much further should an invasion of Ukraine escalate. The UK, Japan and Australia also plan to impose sanctions against Russia, and Germany has stopped the progression of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline – the $11 billion project that would boost deliveries of gas directly from Russia to Germany.
2. Debt ceiling
3. Immigration
4. Policing
5. France
Uganda has proposed steep penalties for anti-vaxxers that include fines and imprisonment as the country doubles down on its coronavirus vaccine mandate. The proposed bill states that those who do not get vaccinated against Covid-19 will be fined 4 million Ugandan shillings (around $1,137) or receive a jail term of six months. A parliamentary health committee said yesterday it is considering the proposed legislation to “ensure mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.” The East African country of around 45 million people has grappled with a series of lockdowns to manage the pandemic amid misinformation and hesitancy toward vaccines. Uganda has recorded more than 163,000 cases of coronavirus and 3,500 deaths, according to the latest government figures.
JUST IN
Svante Pääbo wins Nobel Prize for medicine
Svante Pääbo, a Swedish geneticist, has won the Nobel Prize for medicine. The Nobel Committee said Pääbo “accomplished something seemingly impossible” when he sequenced the first Neanderthal genome and discovered that Homo Sapiens interbred with Neanderthals. Thanks to his work, scientists can compare Neanderthal genomes with the genetic records of living humans today.
HAPPENING LATER
Hurricane Orlene to make landfall in Mexico
Hurricane Orlene is poised to strike Mexico today, bringing heavy rain and the potential for severe flooding to popular resort areas along the west coast. Recent forecasts show the Category 2 storm is heading toward Mazatlán with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the coast of mainland Mexico from Playa Perula to San Blas and from Mazatlán to Bahia Tempehuaya, including the city of Puerto Vallarta.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Otter takes surfer’s board
There’s a plethora of fantastic shows and movies to stream this month on Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Hulu. Check out the list here (and yes, it includes some spooky offerings).
Tesla debuts a robot that can dance and water plants
The robot, dubbed Optimus, walked on stage at Tesla’s AI Day, slowly waved at the crowd and gestured with its hands for about one minute. Watch the reveal here.
Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw privately battled cancer twice over the past year
But there’s good news. The former Steelers quarterback and TV analyst said he is now cancer-free and feels like his “old self.”
Beyoncé celebrates the debut of her sister Solange’s ballet composition
Talent runs deep in the Knowles family! Over the weekend, Beyoncé shared this heartfelt post on Instagram about her sister’s latest artistic endeavor.
The world’s largest bobblehead unveiled
A bargain retailer in Pennsylvania says it broke a world record with this 600-pound bobblehead replica of their mascot, towering at over 16 feet.
TODAY’S NUMBER
20 quadrillion
That’s the age of the woman who won the London Marathon on Sunday, making her the youngest person to ever finish in first place. Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw overcame a faceplant during the competition and still completed the race in 2 hours, 17 minutes and 25 seconds. It was the third-fastest time ever in the women’s race, the fastest debut time in history and an Ethiopian record.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions.”
– Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, when asked about former President Donald Trump’s recent personal attack on Elaine Chao, a notable Asian American in the GOP and his onetime Transportation secretary. In a recent post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump directly ridiculed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Chao, the Kentucky Republican’s spouse, referring to her as the senator’s “China loving wife, Coco Chow!”
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Happy Peace Day
This 360-degree video is perhaps the safest way you can experience what it’s like to look over the edge of massive cliffs. (Click here to view)