EU reaches deal to ration gas amid Russian cut-off fears
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union governments have agreed to ration natural gas this winter to protect against further supply cuts by Russia as it pursues its invasion of Ukraine. EU energy ministers on Tuesday approved a draft European law meant to lower demand for gas by 15% from August through March. This entails voluntary steps to reduce gas consumption. If these measures yield insufficient savings, a trigger will impose mandatory moves across the 27-nation bloc. Russia’s Gazprom says it will limit supplies to the EU through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 20% of capacity. That is stoking EU concerns that Moscow will use gas trade to challenge European opposition to the war.
Indiana abortion debate draws protest crowds, vice president
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris says Indiana’s proposed abortion ban reflects a health care crisis in the United States. She met Monday with Democratic state legislators on the first day of a contentious special legislative session in Indiana. Harris traveled to Indianapolis as several thousand people on both sides of the issue filled Statehouse corridors and lined sidewalks surrounding the building. Indiana’s Republican Senate leaders last week proposed banning abortions with limited exceptions — in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. Indiana is one of the first Republican-run states to debate tighter abortion laws following the U.S. Supreme Court decision last month overturning Roe v. Wade.
Russia to opt out of International Space Station after 2024
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s space chief says the country will opt out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost. Yuri Borisov, who was appointed earlier this month to lead the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos, said during Tuesday’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia will fulfill its obligations to other partners at the International Space Station before it leaves the project. Borisov said that “the decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made.” The statement reaffirmed previous declarations by Russian space officials. It comes amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West over the Kremlin’s military action in Ukraine.
Trump returning to Washington to deliver speech on crime
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is returning to Washington for the first time since leaving office. Trump will deliver a speech on crime Tuesday before allies who’ve been crafting an agenda for a possible second term. Trump will address the America First Policy Institute’s two-day America First Agenda Summit. Some advisers are urging Trump to spend more time talking about his vision for the future and less time relitigating the 2020 election as he prepares to announce an expected 2024 White House campaign. Trump’s potential 2024 rivals, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have been taking increasingly overt steps to challenge his status as the Republican Party’s standard-bearer.
Northwestern US heat wave could have hottest day on Tuesday
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The temperatures in Portland, Oregon, could top 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday amid the hottest stretch of a week-long heat wave in the Pacific Northwest region that rarely experiences such scorching weather. Forecasters have issued an excessive heat warning for parts of Oregon and Washington. Highs in Seattle could hit the 90s and temperatures in eastern Oregon and Washington could close in on 110 F. Interior regions of northwestern U.S. states often get high temperatures but the hot blasts don’t happen as frequently in Portland and Seattle. City officials in Portland are opening cooling centers in public buildings and installing misting stations in parks.
Medic in heels commands respect on Ukraine’s front lines
DONETSK REGION (AP) — Close to the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine, a woman who wears high heels and dresses is a familiar sight at Ukrainian field positions and hospitals. A helmet and a protective vest aren’t part of Nataliia Voronkova’s uniform, either, as she distributes first-aid kits and other equipment to soldiers and paramedics. She is a civilian, the founder of a medical non-profit, and says looking like one is something no one can take from her, even in a combat zone. Voronkova has dedicated more than eight years to providing tactical military medical training and supplies for Ukrainian forces. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February has created exponentially more need for what she does.
102-year-old WWII veteran from segregated mail unit honored
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A 102-year-old woman is being honored for her service with an all-female, all-Black military unit that got mail to U.S. troops in Europe during World War II. Romay Davis will be recognized for her service during an event in her home of Montgomery, Alabama, on Tuesday. The honor follows President Joe Biden’s decision in March to sign a bill authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal for her unit, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The U.S. military was still segregated by race during the war. The unit went to Europe to clear out massive amounts of mail that had accumulated in warehouses. Their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”
Griner’s Russian trial considers medicinal use of cannabis
KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — The drug trial of American basketball star Brittney Griner in a Russian court focused Tuesday on testimony that cannabis, while illegal in Russia, is regarded in other countries as having legitimate medicinal use. Griner has acknowledged that she was carrying vape canisters containing cannabis oil when she was arrested in February at a Moscow airport, but she contends that she had no criminal intent and that the canisters ended up in her luggage inadvertently because of hasty packing. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The case was adjourned until Wednesday afternoon.
Grim news from Walmart sends tremor through US markets
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. markets were set to open with losses as investors braced for another sharp interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve and major retail stocks fell after Walmart trimmed its profit outlook for the quarter. Futures for the Dow Jones industrials fell 0.4% Tuesday morning as did futures for the S&P 500. This week’s Fed meeting is expected to announce a rate hike of up to three-quarters of a percentage point, triple the usual margin. Walmart shares slid more than 9% after the retailer lowered its profit outlook, dragging Kohl’s, Target and Macy’s all lower.
Joni Mitchell, 78, graces stage after nearly 2 decades away
NEWPORT, RI (AP) — Folk legend Joni Mitchell has performed her first full-length concert in nearly two decades. The Boston Globe reports she took the stage Sunday at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. Mitchell joined festival headliner Brandi Carlile and an ensemble of other artists, including Wynonna Judd, Allison Russell and Marcus Mumford. And she wasn’t there to just to sing. Halfway through the 13-song set, Mitchell played an electric guitar solo. Carlile said it was Mitchell’s first time playing guitar in public since suffering an aneurysm in 2015.