Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Two people are in custody in Kansas City: “At the end of the Chiefs victory parade, shots were fired near Union Station. At least 10 people with gunshot wounds were taken to various hospitals from near Union Station, Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins said. One person is dead, the fire department said. Three people are listed in critical condition.”
* A story worth watching: “House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, released an unusual statement Wednesday warning of a ‘serious national security threat’ without providing additional details, pre-empting what the White House said was a planned briefing for congressional leaders. Four sources with knowledge of the issue told NBC News that the threat is a Russian military capability.”
* A sharp drop: “The number of people crossing illegally into the United States from Mexico has dropped by 50 percent in the past month, authorities said on Tuesday, as President Biden comes under growing pressure from both parties over security at the border.”
* Korean Peninsula: “North Korea on Wednesday fired multiple cruise missiles into the sea in its fifth test of such weapons since January, South Korea’s military said, extending a streak in weapons demonstrations that is elevating tensions in the region.”
* On the mend: “Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Tuesday, ending a brief admission that began on Sunday. Austin is ‘well and resumed his full functions and duties Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.,’ a statement from the Pentagon read.”
* The Justice for App Workers coalition: “Thousands of drivers for delivery and ride-hailing apps staged a work stoppage Wednesday to bring attention to what they say are low wages and dangerous working conditions. The stoppage targeted trips to and from airports in 10 major U.S. cities: Chicago; Hartford, Connecticut; Providence; Rhode Island; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Tampa, Orlando and Miami in Florida; and Austin, Texas.”
* Good to know: “Paxlovid, the highly effective antiviral pill that can prevent covid from becoming severe, now has a list price of nearly $1,400 for a five-day treatment course. Thanks to an innovative agreement between the Biden administration and the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, Americans can still access the medication free or at very low cost through a program called Paxcess. The problem is that too few people — including pharmacists — are aware of it.”
See you tomorrow.
