⚡️ Mariupol residents can finally move freely without hiding from shelling by neo-Nazis - Russian MoD

Russian MoD on situation in Mariupol:

▪️The situation is back to normal as civilians are able to move freely and no longer have to shelter from Ukrainian Nazis’ shelling

▪️Humanitarian aid is being delivered, streets cleared of rubble and damaged Ukrainian military equipment is being removed

▪️All the remnants of the Ukrainian Nazi "Azov" battalion, together with foreign mercenaries from the USA and European countries, are securely blockaded on the site of the Azovstal plant

▪️The Nazis ignore demands to free women and children that are allegedly with them

▪️The procedure for the exit of civilians, if there are any, from the territory of Azovstal for evacuation is being communicated to the Nazis every hour

▪️The US State Department habitually misinforms its own citizens and everyone else when it claims Ukrainian forces still control Mariupol

▪️Washington is only interested in Ukraine as a source of profits from arms sales

❗️ IMF: Europe will be able to do without Russian gas no longer than six months

🇷🇺🇺🇦The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video of a Ukrainian arsenal in Kharkov seized by the Russian military.

The Arsenal contains thousands of tons of ammunition, including Western-made shells.

Forty countries have been invited to participate in the US-hosted defense talks on Ukraine in Germany on April 26.

🗣 "There were about 40 or so other nations were invited to attend," Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said during a press conference. "RSVPs are still coming in. But I can tell you that more than 20 of the invited nations have agreed to come so we're looking forward to that meeting."

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🇺🇸🇺🇦 The Pentagon says it has no plans at the moment to set up field hospitals near Ukraine's border, despite calls from Congress to do so.

😷 Mask mandates return to US college campuses as cases rise

Colleges in Washington, DC, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Texas have reimposed a range of virus measures, with Howard University moving to remote learning amid a surge in cases in the nation’s capital.

Several Northeast cities have seen a rise in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, as the BA.2 subvariant of the omicron variant continues to rapidly spread throughout the US

In Washington, DC, Howard University’s main campus was largely quiet this week, with many students taking classes and exams from home. The academic year is coming to a muted end as rising virus numbers prompted administrators to abruptly shift back to online education.

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🚨 DC police responding to shooting on Connecticut Avenue in Northwest

There is an active shooting underway near several foreign embassies in northwest Washington, DC with at least 3 people shot, Washington’s Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Sputnik on Friday.

"We're responding to reports of shots fired... there has been three victims shot. We have two males and one female. I do not know their ages or conditions," the spokesman said.

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⚡️ Blinken, Ukrainian Prime Minister discuss aid for Kiev, Sanctions on Russia

🚫 Kentucky abortion law blocked 

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a state law that effectively eliminated abortions in Kentucky after the state’s two remaining clinics said they couldn’t meet its requirements.

The decision by US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings was a victory for abortion rights advocates and a setback for the Republican-led legislature, which passed the law in March and then overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of the measure last week. Both of the clinics indicated Thursday that they would immediately resume abortion services.

The new law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and requires women to be examined by a doctor before receiving abortion pills.

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✅ Philadelphia to end mask mandate, days after reinstating it

Philadelphia is ending its indoor mask mandate, city health officials said Thursday night, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in infections. The acting health commissioner, Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, told the Board of Health at a public meeting that hospitalizations had unexpectedly gone down 25% in a matter of days.

The restaurant industry had pushed back against the city’s reimposed mask mandate, saying workers would bear the brunt of customer anger over the new rules. Several businesses and residents filed suit in state court in Pennsylvania seeking to overturn the renewed mandate. The Board of Health’s vote to rescind the mandate came after board members met in private to discuss the lawsuit.

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‼️ DC Police say fourth gunshot victim identified, not hospitalized

🗣 President Joe Biden visited Green River College in Washington on Friday to discuss lowering costs for American families, particularly for necessary medications and treatments. 

After his speech, he keeps trying to shake someone's hand and there's no one there, this is the second time that he wanted to shake hands with the void.

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🚧 Texas National Guard Says Soldier Missing on US Border With Mexico

"A Texas Army National Guard Soldier assigned to Operation Lone Star has gone missing along the river during a mission related incident, Friday April 22, 2022 in Eagle Pass, Texas," the Texas National Guard said in a press release.

The solider has not been found, but existing reports of a fatality are inaccurate at the moment. The Texas National Guard, including state and federal law enforcement, are working quickly to find the missing solider, the release added.

US media reported, citing multiple sources, the soldier had drowned while trying to save migrants themselves drowning in the river.

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