Start your day smarter with a dossier on the most important world news, rounded off with a shot of intriguing and offbeat stories. Like the president, you deserve no less.
Apr 20, 2022
Today
The end seems nigh for Mariupol as a Ukrainian commander pleads for international assistance. A New Jersey diocese has reached one of the biggest abuse settlements in U.S. history. Shanghai’s COVID lockdown seems to have done the trick and the city is gradually reopening for business. And Netflix is scrambling for solutions after its first subscriber loss in over a decade. All this and more in today’s PDB.
IMPORTANT
‘We Have Hours Left’
Mariupol Marine Commander Pleads for Help
In a video sent to the BBC, Major Serhiy Volyna, a commander holed up in a steel mill that’s the last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol, insisted his troops would not surrender to Moscow. “This is our last address to the world. It may be our last one ever. It is possible that we have just days or hours left,” he said. “We call on world leaders to help us … to organize an extraction to take us to a third country.” Elsewhere, Russia continued its assault on Ukraine’s eastern front, but U.K. intelligence said Ukraine had fought them off in several places. (Sources: BBC, NYT)
Better Than Nothing
New Jersey Diocese Reaches $87.5 Million Abuse Settlement
The Diocese of Camden agreed the settlement with around 300 alleged victims of clerical abuse. The agreement still has to be approved by a U.S. bankruptcy judge, as the diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after New Jersey relaxed the statute of limitations on abuse by members of the clergy. The potential payout — already one of the U.S. Catholic church’s largest — could get even bigger because the settlement doesn’t restrict plaintiffs from pursuing insurance companies and affiliated schools. “I pledge my continuing commitment to ensure that this terrible chapter … never happens again,” said Bishop Dennis Sullivan. (Sources: NYT, PBS)
Turning Tide
Shanghai Seems to Be Getting a Handle on COVID
China’s biggest city reported no new COVID-19 cases outside of two quarantined districts Wednesday, raising hopes that the strict lockdown which began in early March has borne fruit. “The city's epidemic situation in recent days has shown a downward trend,” said health official Wu Qianyu. “Community spread has been effectively curbed.” While 16.3 million people are still not allowed to leave their apartments or housing compounds, 7.85 million can return to factories or walk outside. Economic recovery tops the agenda. Electric car manufacturer Tesla was one of 666 firms given the greenlight by Chinese authorities to continue work or resume operations. (Source: Reuters)
Streamer Shock
Netflix Loses 200K Subscribers, Shares Drop 25%
For the first time in over a decade, Netflix lost subscribers — prompting shares to drop from $348 to $260 in an hour. The loss can partly be explained by the streaming service’s decision to withdraw from Russia (a move that cost them 700,000 subscribers), but the company acknowledged choppy waters ahead by projecting losses of a further 2 million subscribers in the upcoming quarter. Netflix will start cracking down on users sharing passwords, and might also be forced into offering a cheaper, ad-supported service. “They are in no-(wo) man’s land,” wrote Aptus Capital Advisors analyst David Wagner. (Source: AP)
Briefly
Here are some things you should know about today:
Will they, won’t they? The Biden administration announced it will appeal the district court ruling that saw the federal mask mandate on public transportation lifted — but only if the CDC asks it to. (Source: NYT) Crappy birthday. Zimbabwe celebrated the 42nd anniversary of its independence with marching bands and skydiving displays — but for many there was little to celebrate after four decades of political strife and economic pain. (Source: Al Jazeera) Peaceful no more. At least one person was killed when Sri Lankan police fired on protesters with live rounds. The nation is grappling with its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. (Source: BBC)
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INTRIGUING
Women’s Worth
The American Towns Where Young Women Outearn Men
Recent Pew Research Center analysis shows that in Wenatchee, Washington, women in the 16-29 age bracket earn 20% more than their male peers. In fact, young women earn the same or better than men in 22 of the 250 metros surveyed. Report author Richard Fry said, “In metros where young women have a bigger advantage educationally, the pay gap tends to be smaller.” This explains why college towns like Morgantown, West Virginia, and Gainesville, Florida, feature so high on the list. Meanwhile in Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana — the “RV capital of the world” according to Fry — women earn 67 cents to every male dollar. (Source: BBC)
Going Postal
Ukrainians Clamor for Special ‘Russian Warship, Go...!’ Stamp
On Day One of Putin’s invasion, Snake Island border guard Roman Hrybov became an instant hero for uttering the immortal words, “Russian warship, go f*** yourself!” Now his act of defiance has been commemorated by the Ukrainian postal service, Ukrposhta, with a million copies of a special edition stamp showing a Ukrainian soldier giving the middle-finger salute to a Russian cruiser. Long queues snaked from Kyiv’s central post office and a scuffle broke out when one woman attempted to jump the line. “People are in love with it. It reflects the mood around the world towards Russia,” said Ukrposhta director Igor Smelyansky. (Source: The Guardian)
Take That!
Vancouver Humpback Attacks Pod of Killer Whales
Whale-watching tourists got more than they bargained for when a humpback whale nicknamed Valiant went on the offensive against a pod of nine Bigg’s orcas in the Salish Sea. Two families of killer whales who’d joined forces to attack the humpback were forced to retreat after Valiant fought them off by rolling and trumpeting. While video footage of such encounters is rare, around 25% of humpbacks in the area have had run-ins with orcas. Marine ecologist Robert Pitman noted, “The humpback whale is, to our knowledge, the only cetacean that deliberately approaches attacking mammal-eating killer whales and can drive them off.” (Source: Vancouver Sun)
Alarm Bells
Mysterious Hepatitis Cases in Young Children Have Experts Worried
Scientists in the U.S., U.K. and Spain have reported an unexplained spike in cases of severe hepatitis — liver inflammation — in children under 10. Although no children have died, 74 childhood cases were identified in the U.K., including seven who required liver transplants. There have also been nine cases in Alabama and three in Spain. As the cases aren’t linked to the hepatitis A, B, C or E virus, scientists expect an adenovirus, one that typically causes colds, may be culpable. “Seeing children with severe [hepatitis] in the absence of severe underlying health problems is very rare,” said Alabama pediatrician Karen Lander. (Source: The Scientist)
‘I Was Groomed’
Cycling Star Bradley Wiggins Breaks Long Silence on Childhood Abuse
In a wide-ranging interview with Men’s Health U.K., the Tour de France champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist revealed that he was groomed by a childhood coach. “I was about 13,” he said. “And I never fully accepted that.” In pre-publication excerpts Wiggins confirmed the grooming was of a sexual nature but gave no details about the coach. “It all impacted me as an adult… I buried it,” he explained. “My stepfather was quite violent to me, he used to call me a f****t for wearing Lycra and stuff, so I didn’t think I could tell him.” (Source: Cycling News)
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