May 3 top stories

Hello, it is May 3. Here are today’s top stories.

Brittney Griner details horrors of Russian jail

More than one year after she was freed from a nine-month sentence in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner spoke for the first time about her detention in Russia during an hourlong interview that aired Wednesday night on ABC. Her memoir, “Coming Home,” is set to be released on May 7.

She said she thought about killing herself during her first few weeks in a Russian jail after her 2022 arrest on drug-related charges. She decided against it in part because she was afraid the Russian authorities wouldn’t release her body to her family.

She said she felt less than human at a frigid Russian prison. Her prison cell’s mattress had a huge bloodstain and they gave her two thin sheets amid freezing temperatures. The toilet was merely a hole in the ground and she had to use one of her ripped-up T-shirts as toilet paper. Her cell there was filled with dirt, grime and bloodstains. She said she was allowed one roll of toilet paper a month and was given toothpaste that had expired 15 years earlier.

She said she was ordered to cut fabric for military uniforms – “It is a work camp. You go there to work. There’s no rest.”

Griner said before she was released, she was forced to write a letter to Russian President Putin asking for forgiveness.

Biden breaks silence on college protests

President Biden on Thursday spoke out from the White House on college protests happening across the nation in connection with the Israel-Hamas war.

Biden called out vandalism, trespassing, forcing the cancellation of graduation or intimidating people as not constituting peaceful protest. He said people should be able to earn a degree without fear of being attacked on their campus.

He continued he understands people have strong feelings and deep convictions. And that in America, we respect the right to protest, the right for them to express that. But it doesn’t mean anything goes. It needs to be done without violence, without destruction, without hate and within the law. He emphasized that there is the right to protest but not the right to cause chaos. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind.

It marked the first time Biden directly addressed the issue since his brief comments to reporters on April 22, before the escalation of suspensions and arrests at several campuses.

As he left the room, Biden responded to two questions shouted by the press. When asked if the protests have made him reconsider his policies in the region, Biden said “no.” He also responded “no” to whether the National Guard should be activated.

Pa. nurse pleads guilty to killing patients with lethal doses of insulin

Pennsylvania Attorney General (AG) Michelle Henry said in a press release: On Thursday, May 2, a former nurse, Heather Pressdee, was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences and up to 760 years after pleading guilty to killing 17 and attempting to kill 19 nursing home patients with lethal doses of insulin.

Pressdee admitted to administering dangerously high levels of insulin to patients at facilities in multiple counties from 2020 to 2023. The victims’ ages range from 43 to 104.

AG Henry continued in a statement – “the defendant used her position of trust as a means to poison patients who depended on her for care. This plea and life sentence will not bring back the lives lost, but it will ensure Heather Pressdee never has another opportunity to inflict further harm.”

Henry shared a photo of the victims on X: https://x.com/PAAttorneyGen/status/1786153412779717025

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An exciting announcement by GLAD for our upcoming event on May 11th. All are welcome to come and this event is FREE! More info: GLADinc.org/MentalHealthEvent

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⏰ Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

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Wounded orangutan seen using plant as medicine

Scientists reported in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday – a wild orangutan was seen rubbing the mash of a medicinal plant in his wound.

Why does it matter? The researchers wrote: it’s believed to be the first documented case of the behavior in a wild animal and could point to the origins of wound care in humans.

Akar kuning is a medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and other properties used by people to treat wounds.

One day in June 2022, scientists in Indonesia spotted a wild male orangutan who they call Rakus, treating himself with the plant. Rakus chewed the plant – which orangutans don’t normally eat – and put the juice it produced on a wound on his face. He then covered the wound with the chewed-up plant. The team said the process took more than 30 minutes.

Within five days, the wound closed, and it healed within a month. Rakus was also seen resting more than usual, which could help with wound healing.

See Alex’s brief on Walmart dropping college requirements for their many high-paying jobs.

Walmart drops college requirements for many high-paying jobs

Thanks, Callie.

ABC News reported that Walmart and many other large corporations are dropping college degree requirements for many of its high-paying jobs.

Walmart said 75% of its salaried managers began as hourly associates. Some of the highest-performing Walmart managers earn about $400,000 a year. Some of them have college degrees but some do not.

Other corporations that hire based on people’s skills are Apple, Cigna, ExxonMobil, General Motors, Target, and Yelp.

One of the main reasons for dropping requirements for a college education is the rising cost of education.

A previous report from CBS News said many businesses are prioritizing candidates’ skills and experience over the diplomas they hold.

Walmart said it’s doubled the number of skills certificates it offers to help people move into higher-paying careers within the company, such as software engineers, data scientists, and opticians.

Walmart drops college requirements for many high-paying jobs.

Thanks for that brief. That’s all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light!

Brittney Griner details horrors of Russian jail

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/02/magazine/brittney-griner-book-russia-interview.html

Biden breaks silence on college protests

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/02/college-student-protests-gaza-war/

Pa. nurse pleads guilty to killing patients with lethal doses of insulin

https://6abc.com/heather-pressdee-pennsylvania-killer-nurse-lethal-doses-of-insulin/14756067/

Wounded orangutan seen using plant as medicine

https://apnews.com/article/orangutan-medicinal-plant-self-medicate-68d4e94359ac95eaa873c64349d4abb7

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-58988-7

Walmart drops college requirements for many high-paying jobs