Update on nuclear power plant in Ukraine, WH may send Kamala on trip, Jobs report, and more…
By Team DML
Today is March 4 and I am Dennis Michael Lynch. Below are my opinions on the stories grabbing headlines this morning. I hope you share this briefing as doing so will make you the smartest person in the room, in my opinion.
1 – Ukraine nuclear authority gives update on Zaporizhzhia power plant: now in Russian hands
Fox News reports: Russian forces opened fire at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia plant in the city of Enerhodar, early Friday morning, starting a fire and sparking concerns of a nuclear disaster on the level of Chernobyl.
Ukraine’s nuclear authority announced later Friday morning, however, that the fire had been extinguished, the power units remained intact, and no changes in radiation had been detected. Even so, the plant had fallen into Russian hands.
Russian shelling caused a fire to break out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), but Ukrainian State Emergency Service units put out the fire as of 6:20 a.m., the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate reported. The agency could not provide information about the dead and injured.
“ZNPP power units remain intact, unit 1 reactor compartment auxiliary buildings have been damaged, which does not affect the safety of the unit,” the agency reported. “The systems and components important to the safety of the NPP are operational.”
The Hill reports: The operator of the Ukrainian power plant that was captured by Russians on Friday said the employees of the facility are now working at “gunpoint.”
DML: This is not going to end well. I miss Trump.
2 – White House discussing sending Harris to Warsaw, Bucharest
The Hill reports: The White House is actively discussing sending Vice President Harris to Warsaw, Poland, and Bucharest, Romania, in the coming days to show solidarity with Ukraine as it faces an escalating Russian invasion, sources familiar with the conversations tell The Hill.
The discussions involve sending Harris to visit troops stationed in Romania and potentially to the border with Ukraine, where a refugee crisis has seen more than 1 million people flee that country since the Russian attack.
The trip could happen in the coming weeks, one source said, adding that there is no active dialogue about sending President Biden to the region.
“A presidential visit is a heavier logistical lift,” the source said. “The vice president has a smaller footprint and is historically more nimble.”
DML: Kamala went on a trip to “fix” the immigration crisis, and that didn’t work – now they want to send her on THIS mission??? Help us.
3 – February jobs report released
CNBC reports: Job growth accelerated in February, posting its biggest monthly gain since July as the employment picture got closer to its pre-pandemic self.
Nonfarm payrolls for the month grew by 678,000 and the unemployment rate was 3.8%, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
That compared to estimates of 440,000 for payrolls and 3.9% for the jobless rate.
In a sign that inflation could be cooling, wages barely rose for the month, up just 1 cent an hour or 0.03%, compared to estimates for a 0.5% gain. The year-over-year increase was 5.13%, well below the 5.8% Dow Jones estimate.
DML: Suddenly, the mandates are disappearing, now the jobs report improves. Funny how that works.
4 – Florida legislature passes 15-week abortion ban, DeSantis expected to approve legislation
The Hill reports: The Florida state Senate on Thursday evening passed legislation banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, sending it for consideration to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has already signaled he will support it.
In a 23-15 vote, Florida’s upper chamber passed the 15-week abortion ban after the Florida House of Representatives approved the bill last month.
The legislation contains several exceptions to the ban, including in cases in which a fatal abnormality is found on a fetus or an abortion is needed to save the life or prevent serious injury to the pregnant person, according to The Associated Press. There are no exceptions in the case of incest, human trafficking or rape.
The legislation shortens the time period during which a person can receive an abortion in Florida, which was previously up to 24 weeks into pregnancy.
The development comes as the Supreme Court is set to rule on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, which Florida’s legislation was modeled after, that directly challenges the landmark case Roe v. Wade. The justices on the high court seemed to indicate during arguments in December that they could be open to upholding the law.
DML: Sign it!
5 – Biden draws the worst viewing figures for a President’s first State of the Union in 30 years
The Daily Mail reports: President Joe Biden had the lowest viewership for his State of the Union than any of his four predecessors first addresses with less than 40 million tuning in, according to Nielsen ratings.
In a tracking of the 16 networks that aired live coverage of the address on Tuesday evening, 38,197,000 individuals were watching from 27,408,000 different households in the U.S.
The figures from Biden’s speech come amid an ongoing war in Ukraine and increasingly dire approval rating numbers for the president and Democratic lawmakers going into the 2022 midterm elections.
Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address in 2018 had 45.5 million viewers from 32.1 million households.
Barack Obama’s first State of the Union garnered 48 million viewers, George W. Bush’s 51.7 million and Bill Clinton 45.8 million. Bush garnered a big boost for his first official address because it came just four months after the Twin Towers fell in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
DML: What happened to all those 81 million who “voted” for him?
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT….
