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1 Russia Destroys Mariupol Hospital During “Cease Fire”
The cease fire Russia agreed to in Mariupol, Ukraine to allow refugees to evacuate included Russian rockets hitting a maternity hospital. In the aftermath, Ukraine’s President Zelensky said "people [ and ] children are under the wreckage" and called it an "atrocity." Officials say at least 17 people were injured, including pregnant women and staff. City officials describe the destruction as colossal, and Ukraine's president says it's "proof of a genocide." They add that 13-hundred civilians have been killed in the city. In spite of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assertion that his forces aren’t hitting civilians targets, scores of health facilities have been hit since the invasion began two weeks ago. Despite the widely-condemned bombing, U.S. and NATO officials are reiterating they will not impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
2 Covid Funding Out, Ukraine Funding In With New House Spending Package
Nearly 14-billion dollars in emergency aid to Ukraine is headed to the Senate after clearing the House. The package is part of a broader spending bill that funds the government through September. The spending bill got hung up in a late dispute over roughly 15-billion dollars for additional COVID relief, which was eventually pulled from the legislation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to the maneuvering as "legislative sausage-making." "We're in a legislative process. We have a deadline. We're keeping government open," she said. "We had a lively negotiation. Some of the members are disappointed. 'I didn't get what I wanted in the bill' – you're telling Noah about the flood."
3 Pfizer Launches Trial To Test COVID-19 Pill For Young Kids
A COVID-19 pill for kids as young as six is going to be tested in a clinical trial. Pfizer announced tests are underway to see if the drug can safely treat coronavirus in younger, at-risk children. The drug Paxlovid has already been authorized by the FDA for kids as young as 12. In the trial, two test groups based on weight will take pills for five days. The treatment is a mix of a commonly used HIV drug as well as an antiviral developed by Pfizer. The drugmaker added once a formula is developed for children under the age of six, it expects to enroll kids in that age group for testing.