Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 U.S. Prepares New Russia Sanctions
Today marks 50 days since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Biden administration is working on new moves to crack down on Russian attempts to evade sanctions. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says that evasion will be the administration's focus over the course of the coming days. In a speech to the Economic Club of Washington, Sullivan said the U.S. expects to identify targets that are working to evade sanctions "both inside Russia and beyond." He said the administration's goal is to not give back assets that are seized from oligarchs with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine is expected to enter a new phase in about three weeks. That’s the word from Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says there are challenges Russia will face during this phase.
2 FDA Authorizes First COVID-19 Breath Test
The FDA is giving the green light to the first COVID-19 breath test. Under emergency use authorization, the agency approved the InspectIR COVID-19 breathalyzer. Roughly the size of a piece of carry-on luggage, the device can be used in medical offices and mobile testing sites – and promises results in less than three minutes. How accurate is it? A study of the breathalyzer shows it accurately identified more than 90% of positive COVID-19 samples and nearly 100% of negative samples. The timing couldn’t be better as officials across the country are bracing for a potential spike in cases following the holiday weekend – which in California, coincides with the opening of the annual Coachella festival.
3 Jackie Robinson Artifacts Auctioned On 75th Anniversary Of MLB Debut
Rare Jackie Robinson artifacts are being auctioned ahead of the 75th anniversary of Robinson's major league baseball debut today. At a time when he was being insulted by members of his own team, he pushed on to become the first African American player in the Major Leagues. On April 15, 1947, he proudly took the field for the National League Brooklyn Dodgers in a game against the Boston Braves. Up until that day, professional ballplayers of color only suited up for teams in the so-called Negro Leagues. Today? Celebrations and commemorations will be taking place across the country. And something that’ll catch your eye – Robinson’s number 42. While it was officially retired in 1997, that changed in 2009, when the practice of every player, coach and manager wearing 42 on April 15th became the tradition. As for the auction, it runs through April 30th and includes several one-of-a-kind artifacts in a special catalogue sale. We're talking about the bat Robinson used during the 1949 all-star game and the plaque he received in 1962 when he became the first black player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His Number 42's 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers home jersey is also available. A 1950 jersey sold last year for more than four-million-dollars.