News Briefs

Floods kill dozens in Kenya. Flooding and heavy rains in Kenya have killed at least 70 people since mid-March, a government spokesperson said, twice as many as were reported earlier this week. The East African country has seen weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding in its capital, Nairobi, as well as in the country's western and central regions. Kenya's government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura on April 26 refuted claims that hundreds of people have died in the ongoing flooding and said the official tally now stands at 70. More than 130,000 people are currently affected with thousands of houses washed away and others flooded. 

The FTC reinstates net neutrality rules. The Federal Trade Commission on April 25 voted to restore rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and Verizon from favoring some sites and apps over others. The move effectively reinstates a net neutrality order the commission first issued in 2015 during the Obama administration. In 2017, under then-President Donald Trump, the FCC repealed those rules. The measure passed on a 3-2 vote split along party lines, with Democratic commissioners in favor and Republicans opposed. Net neutrality effectively requires internet service providers to treat all traffic equally, eliminating any incentive to favor business partners or hobble competitors.

Are consumers harmed by the dominance of tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook? Their market power is stirring renewed antitrust activism, even if the charges against them may be difficult to prove.

U.S. will replenish Ukrainian air defenses. The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the need for Patriots early April 26 at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting. The meeting fell on the second anniversary of the group, which Austin said has “moved heaven and earth” since April 2022 to source millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armored vehicles and even jets to help Ukraine rebuff Russia’s invasion.

Many Americans worry that U.S. support for Ukraine is a waste of money. But might underwriting Kyiv’s fight against Russia now be a kind of insurance against costlier U.S. military action later?

Palestinian authorities ask for a U.N. war crimes investigation. Palestinian civil defense team on April 25 called on the United Nations to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers departed the complex. Palestinian authorities have this week reported finding hundreds of bodies in mass graves at Nasser hospital, the main medical facility in central Gaza, after Israeli troops pulled out of the city of Khan Younis. The Israeli military said claims that the Israeli Defence Forces had buried the bodies were “baseless and unfounded.”

Not by bread alone: While reports indicate that flour supplies entering Gaza may be ticking up, aid experts say much more has to be done to alleviate burgeoning famine there.

It’s a quarterback scramble at the NFL draft. Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first round. The Bears selected Mr. Williams at No. 1 overall in the NFL draft on April 25 after deciding weeks ago to bank on the Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up by taking Jayden Daniels from LSU and the New England Patriots took North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

A twist on the most popular sport in America may have started growing amid concerns about athlete safety and concussions. As it opens doors for girls, nontraditional athletes, and older adults, flag football is also helping to redefine sports.

Haiti prime minister resigns. Ariel Henry has resigned as prime minister of Haiti, paving the way for a new government to take power. The country has been wracked by gang violence that killed or injured more than 2,500 people from January to March. Mr. Henry presented his resignation in a letter signed in Los Angeles on April 24. It was released on the same day a council tasked with choosing a new prime minister and Cabinet for Haiti was sworn in. Mr. Henry’s Cabinet meanwhile chose Economy and Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert as the interim prime minister. 

Weinstein rape conviction overturned. New York’s highest court has overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction and ordered a new trial. The Court of Appeals ruled on April 25 that the judge at the disgraced movie mogul’s landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced him with improper rulings, including by letting women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case. Mr. Weinstein is serving a 23-year sentence in New York. He’ll remain imprisoned because a 2022 conviction in a Los Angeles rape case resulted in a 16-year prison term. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has indicated it plans to retry Mr. Weinstein.

Spain’s prime minister takes time out. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would step back from public duties “for a few days” to decide whether he wants to continue leading the government after a court launched a business corruption probe into his wife’s private dealings. Mr. Sanchez, who last year secured another term for his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) as leader of a minority coalition government, said he would announce on April 29 if he wants to continue leading the government.

Ukraine launches first long-range missiles. Ukraine has begun using long-range ballistic missiles, striking a Russian military airfield in Crimea and Russian troops in another occupied area, U.S. officials say. The strikes come about a month after the United States secretly provided the weapons so Ukraine could strike targets up to 190 miles away. The delivery of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, was approved by President Joe Biden in February. In March the U.S. included a “significant” number of them in a $300 million aid package announced and more will be provided in the latest aid package.

America’s allies see Washington’s resumption of military aid to Ukraine as a sign that it is still ready to play a global leader’s role. But the debate before the aid vote revealed a less certain message.

Arrests at pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. universities. Students continue to double down on their discontent of the Israel-Hamas war on campuses across the country. Arrests have been made in Massachusetts and California as universities have become quick to call in the police to end the demonstrations and make arrests. Boston Police say 108 people were arrested early April 25 at Emerson College. Police peacefully arrested 93 pro-Palestinian student protesters at the University of Southern California on the evening of April 24. The arrests came hours after police at a Texas university aggressively detained 34 demonstrators.

After arrests at Columbia University and other schools, our commentator considers the legacy of civil disobedience. How and why does society’s lens on protests change over time?

Arizona indicts 18 in election interference case. An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and 16 others in an election interference case related to the 2020 presidential vote. The indictment released on April 24 names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Mr. Trump won Arizona in 2020. They include the former state party chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate, and two sitting state lawmakers, who are charged with nine counts each of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. 

Arizona abortion ban. A proposed repeal of Arizona’s near-total ban on abortions has won approval from the state House, clearing its first hurdle a week after a court concluded the state can enforce the 1864 law, which only offers an exception for saving the patient’s life. Three Republicans joined in with all 29 Democrats on Wednesday to support the repeal of the law that predated Arizona’s statehood and provides no exceptions for rape or incest. It carries a sentence of two to five years in prison for doctors or anyone else who assists in an abortion. The vote advances the repeal proposal to the state Senate.

Leaving abortion access to states means stakes are growing for the 2024 election – and roiling Republicans over how to respond.

Biden signs ban on TikTok. After years of attempts to ban the Chinese-owned app, including by former President Donald Trump, a measure to outlaw the popular video-sharing app won congressional approval and has been signed by President Biden. The measure gives Beijing-based parent company ByteDance nine months to sell the company, with a possible additional three months if a sale is in progress. If it doesn’t, TikTok will be banned.

GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer, has been trying for years to curb TikTok’s influence in the United States. Not just because he – a father of two young daughters – is worried about its influence on teens. But also because he’s made it his mission to take on the Chinese Communist Party and what he sees as its efforts to undermine American democracy. 

Supreme Court to weigh medical emergency abortions. The Supreme Court is considering a case that will determine when doctors can provide abortions during medical emergencies in states with bans enacted after the high court’s sweeping decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The case comes from Idaho, which is one of 14 states that now ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy with limited exceptions. The Biden administration argues that federal health care law says hospitals must be allowed to terminate pregnancies in rare emergencies when a patient’s life or health is at serious risk.

Since June 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade – the landmark ruling that guaranteed a nationwide right to abortion – the issue has galvanized women and driven up election turnout. Now, in a presidential election year, the stakes are higher. And abortion has become a defining issue. 

Tennessee Republicans pass gun law for teachers. Tennessee House Republicans passed a bill that would allow some teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns on public school grounds, and bar parents and other teachers from knowing who was armed. The 68-28 vote in favor of the bill sent it to Republican Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. If he signs it into law, it would be the biggest expansion of gun access in the state since last year’s deadly shooting at a private elementary school in Nashville.

Places where Americans of good will listen to one another respectfully about tough issues can be hard to find. In deeply Christian Tennessee, people are turning to churches to host civil debates on gun safety.

Argentinian student protesters want better-funded universities. Hundreds of thousands of Argentines filled the streets of Buenos Aires and other cities to demand increased funding for the country’s public universities, in an outpouring of anger at libertarian President Javier Milei’s harsh austerity measures. Students and professors coordinated with the country’s powerful trade unions and leftist political parties to push back against budget cuts that have forced Argentina’s most venerable university to declare a financial emergency and warn of imminent closure.

Libertarian President Javier Milei came to office last December on a promise of turning Argentina’s economy around by drastically reducing government payouts, slashing the size of the state, and dollarizing the economy. 

Argentine public universities are free and don’t require entry exams, but the low graduation rates have experts asking if higher education can be both inclusive and high quality.

Biden signs U.S. aid package. President Biden has signed the $95 billion foreign aid package approved by the U.S. Congress provides military aid to Ukraine and Israel, replenishes U.S. weapons systems, and gives humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. About $61 billion is dedicated to Ukraine and replenishing U.S. weapons stockpiles. About $26 billion is for supporting Israel and providing humanitarian relief to people in Gaza. And about $5 billion is intended to help U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

America’s allies see Washington’s resumption of military aid to Ukraine as a sign that it is still ready to play a global leader’s role. But the debate before the aid vote revealed a less certain message.

New HIPAA rules to protect those who travel for abortions. The Biden administration issued a final rule on April 21 aimed at strengthening privacy protections for women seeking abortions by banning the disclosure of protected health information related to reproductive health. The new rule, issued through the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, strengthens existing provisions under the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy rule. It is aimed at protecting women living in states where abortion is illegal who travel out of state to have the procedure legally done.

Leaving abortion access to states means stakes are growing for the 2024 election – and roiling Republicans over how to respond.