Jerry Lee Lewis dead at 87

Jerry Lee Lewis, the untamable rock ‘n’ roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal, died Friday morning at 87.

The last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Lewis died at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tennessee, representative Zach Farnum said in a release. The news came two days after the publication of an erroneous TMZ report of his death, later retracted.

In 1986, along with Elvis, Chuck Berry and others, he made the inaugural class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and joined the Country Hall of Fame this year.

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‼️ Air Raid Alerts Issued in Parts of Ukraine - Authorities

🇹🇷 Erdogan outlines future for Turkey, vows new constitution

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday laid out his vision for Turkey in the next century, promising a new constitution that would guarantee the rights and freedoms of citizens.

Erdogan’s speech outlined plans for Turkey with one year to go for celebrations marking the centenary of the establishment of the republic following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. His speech was also seen as a campaign manifesto as the country heads toward parliamentary and presidential elections in June. Opinion polls indicate that Erdogan has lost some support amid high inflation running at more than 83%.

Erdogan’s vision for Turkey includes making the country one of the world’s top 10 nations in “politics, economy, technology, military and diplomacy” and reducing energy dependence on foreign nations.

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🇺🇸 Biden signs international climate deal on refrigerants

President Joe Biden on Friday signed an international agreement that compels the United States and other countries to limit use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning that are far more powerful than carbon dioxide.

The measure requires participating nations to phase down production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, also known as HFCs, by 85% over the next 14 years, as part of a global phaseout intended to slow climate change.

HFCs are considered a major driver of global warming. Nearly 200 nations reached a deal in 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, to limit HFCs and find substitutes more friendly to the atmosphere. More than 130 nations, including China, India and Russia, have formally ratified the agreement, which scientists say could help the world avoid a half-degree Celsius of global warming.

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🗣 Chief Bill Scott reveals both Paul Pelosi and suspect David DePape were seen holding hammer, but that once officers ordered the pair to drop the weapon, the assailant proceeded to strike Pelosi

❗️ Scott further detailed that the incident was not a random act, although a motive will not be publicly disclosed. Felony charges are anticipated.

“Everybody should be disgusted about what happened this morning,” he underscored.

‼️ Ships of Russian Black Sea Fleet Repelling Drone Attack in Sevastopol Bay - Governor

Ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet are repelling a drone attack in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay, Governor of the Crimean city of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said.

"Ships of the Black Sea Fleet are repelling a UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] attack in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay. No facilities were hit in the city. We keep calm. The situation is under control," Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram on Saturday morning.

🇺🇸 Barack Obama gets a midterm do-over to help boost Democrats

Barack Obama is trying to do something he couldn’t during two terms as president: help Democrats succeed in national midterm elections when they already hold the White House. With Biden’s job approval ratings in the low 40s amid sustained inflation, he’s an albatross for Democrats like Sens. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.

The itinerary, which includes rallies with Democratic candidates for federal and state offices, comes as Biden and Democrats try to stave off a strong Republican push to upend Democrats’ narrow majorities in the House and Senate and claim key governorships ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

With the Senate now split 50-50 between the two major parties and Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats the deciding vote, any Senate contest could end up deciding which party controls the chamber for the next two years.

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❗️Russian Units Advancing Along Almost Entire Line of Contact - DPR Head

🇯🇵 Japan Cabinet OKs $200B spending plan to counter inflation

Japan’s Cabinet approved Friday a hefty economic package including 29 trillion yen ($200 billion) in government spending to counter the blow to household budgets from inflation, signaling that the greater concern of its policymakers is that the economy will stall, not overheat.

While central banks around the world are raising interest rates aggressively to try to tame decades-high inflation, with its own inflation rate near 3%, Japan has stuck mainly to using fiscal measures, or government spending, to counter that challenge.

Globally surging prices and a weakening of the yen have amplified costs for Japan’s imports, pushing inflation higher. But its economy grew at a modest 2.2% annual pace in April-June.

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📹 “Where is the interpreter, they shouted”: A released Russian serviceman recounts how he was captured in Ukraine by English-speaking mercenaries.

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⚡️ Russia following evolution of US Defense Strategy, alarmed by growing number of scenarios involving use of nuclear arms - Foreign Ministry to Sputnik

🤔 Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday that Democrats are concerned about the possible outcome of midterm elections in the United States in November.

💬 "Democrats are kinda worried about where this is going right now, and it's felt worse in the last week or so," Psaki said, adding that "people are fearful of where the momentum is going in some of these races."

▪️ She added that "numbers in some of the House races are not where they should be."

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