Friday, April 15 top stories
It is Friday, April 15. Here are today’s top stories.
Covid-19 breath test
The FDA has authorized the first Covid-19 breath test called InspectIR Covid-19 Breathalyzer. It is a machine that is about the size of a small carry-on luggage that has a hole on its side in which patients can use a disposable straw to blow air into it. The machine will then determine if a person is infected with the coronavirus within three minutes. The device is convenient for medical offices and mobile testing sites.
Sherri Papini admits hoax
A California woman named Sherri Papini, who became well-known in 2016 when she disappeared for three weeks before reappearing with a story that she was kidnapped by two Hispanic women, has admitted that the whole thing was a hoax.
She was arrested and charged with lying to federal authorities and mail fraud earlier this year. Now in a plea deal, Papini will plead guilty to lesser counts of mail fraud and making false statements.
She will also pay over $300,000 in restitution to California law enforcement and organizations that tried to help in the search for Papini, gave her payments because she was a “victim of crime,” and for resources wasted on searching for the two kidnappers who never existed.
Prosecutors have recommended that Papini be sentenced to eight to 14 months in custody, which is at the lower end of her charges, as a part of the plea deal.
CBS News did a segment on how Hispanic women in Northern California were impacted by Papini’s false statements because it put a negative spotlight on them.
75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking color barrier
Axios said today is the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier when he became the first Black MLB player to start at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The MLB will mark the anniversary today with players wearing No. 42, Robinson’s number, which is retired across all MLB teams. The players will don #42 jerseys today. MLB teams have already done this for years, but this year is more special because of the 75th anniversary milestone.
An article from the National Baseball Hall of Fame said Robinson experienced harassment from fans and opposing teams. But his coaches and the MLB supported him to keep on playing , and he had a very successful 10-year career and played in six World Series and won a championship.
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Russian warship sinks
Russia said its Moskva warship, the flagship of its Black Sea fleet, has sunk after it burst into flames. Russia said it was being towed but sank in a storm.
Ukraine’s military said it hit the ship with cruise missiles on Wednesday. Today a U.S. military official confirmed this, saying two Ukrainian Neptune missiles hit the ship. It is not known how many Russian sailors survived . The ship had its own cruise missiles and it’s at the bottom of the sea.
After the sinking, Russia’s military said it would increase bombings on Kyiv. A Russian official sent a warning to the Biden administration to stop supplying Ukraine with advanced weapons, saying they are risking “unpredictable consequences.”
Two U.S. members of Congress visited Kyiv on Thursday: Sen. Steve Daines (R-Montana) and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Indiana). They said the visit is a show of support to Ukraine. News videos showed that both visited mass graves and observed destruction from Russian bombings.
Two killed by New Mexico wildfires
In Ruidoso, New Mexico, there is a wildfire that have killed two people and destroyed over 200 homes. About 5,000 people have evacuated. The fire was sparked by a downed power line. The two people who died were trying to evacuate but didn’t make it out — their remains were found near their burned home. Firefighters said it is difficult to control the fire because of strong winds.
That is all the top stories for this week. Have a good weekend and stay with the light.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/14/health/covid-breath-test/index.html
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/skbaer/sherri-papini-plea-agreement-hoax-kidnapping
https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/robinson-signs-first-big-league-contract
https://www.axios.com/russia-threatens-more-kyiv-bombings-92c75443-b957-47e0-bbf2-3c3706ec2c34.html