An Ignoble Experiment: Severe flooding in Ukraine after critical dam is destroyed

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Tuesday 06.06.23

The Covid-19 pandemic may seem like a distant memory to many Americans, but its impact is still strongly reverberating through the US economy. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows four major sectors haven't bounced back since the widespread lockdowns, even as most industries have recovered all of their workers — and more. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Alexandra Meeks

A satellite image shows water gushing from a sizeable breach in the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine.

Ukraine

A major dam in southern Ukraine was destroyed today, prompting mass evacuations and fears of large-scale devastation. Ukrainian intelligence officials claimed Russian forces blew up the Nova Kakhovka dam "in panic," but Moscow has denied any involvement. Another official in Kyiv accused Russia of committing an act of "ecocide," or in other words, deliberately destroying the environment. Hundreds of people have evacuated and more are expected as residents in the Kherson region try to avoid the rising floodwaters. The International Atomic Energy Agency also said its experts are "closely monitoring the situation" but there is "no immediate nuclear safety risk" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which lies upstream from the destroyed dam and is also under Russian control.

Prince Harry

Prince Harry is testifying in a London court today as his yearslong battle against Britain's tabloid media reaches its most dramatic stage so far. The Duke of Sussex is facing questions in London's High Court as part of his case against a major newspaper publisher. Harry's appearance in court is extremely rare. Analysts say this is the first time a senior British royal will personally appear in the witness box since 2002. Harry alleges his phone was hacked and other illicit means were used to gather information about his life. The newspaper publisher, on the other hand, is contesting those claims, saying the duke's allegations are lacking evidence or have been brought too late.

Immigration

An investigation is underway after two private planes carrying migrants recently arrived in California's capital city of Sacramento. Investigators have determined the migrants were asylum seekers and were carrying documents purportedly from the Florida government. The state attorney general's office is working to confirm details about the migrants and who may be behind the flights. On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, called Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is also running for president, a "small, pathetic man" in a tweet, apparently referring to his alleged role in one of the recent flights. Last year, DeSantis sent two planes carrying migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Migrants have also been bused from border towns to sanctuary cities in recent years with little to no notice.

Virginia plane crash

The pilot of the unresponsive private jet that crashed and killed four people in southwestern Virginia on Sunday was seen slumped over his seat when fighter jets attempted to draw his attention mid-flight, a source told CNN. Investigators are looking into hypoxia — a shortage of oxygen in the blood — as a reason why the pilot and passengers didn't respond to attempts by air traffic controllers and other civilian aircraft to contact the ill-fated plane. The flight was cruising from East Tennessee to Long Island, New York, at 34,000 feet, an altitude where pilots have 30 to 60 seconds to don oxygen masks when the pressure drops or risk falling unconscious. Recovery efforts for the plane are expected to begin today, but investigators say it will be challenging due to the crash site's rural terrain and the aircraft's near-total destruction.

Haiti flooding

More than 13,000 people have been displaced in Haiti following heavy rains over the weekend that left at least 42 people dead, according to a statement Monday from the country's Civil Protection Agency. The intense rainfall caused several rivers throughout Haiti to overflow, which in turn sparked flash floods, rockslides and landslides, according to a UN report. The floods are the latest calamity to strike a country with already weak infrastructure, which has been repeatedly wracked with criminal violence, political turmoil and natural disasters in recent years. The danger will likely continue through hurricane season, which began on June 1.

Chris Christie will announce bid for 2024 Republican presidential nomination

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to enter the 2024 Republican presidential primary today, launching his second bid for the White House and kicking off another clash with former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner and a former Christie ally.

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$3,499

That's how much Apple will charge for its new mixed reality headset called the Apple Vision Pro. The device will be available early next year in the US, the company announced Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference.

I enter in the quest for truth, I enter in the quest for justice.

— Cornel West, a prominent public intellectual and former Harvard professor, announcing Monday that he will run for president as a candidate for the People's Party. West is a progressive activist and democratic socialist who supported Bernie Sanders during the Vermont senator's 2016 and 2020 presidential bids.

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