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End of COVID-era relief impacted kids, Jackson grilled: 5 Things podcast

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On at present’s episode of the 5 Issues podcast: Thousands and thousands of children fell into poverty after COVID-era aid expired

Schooling reporter Alia Wong explains. Plus, it has been one month since Russia invaded Ukraine, at present’s the ultimate day of affirmation hearings for Decide Ketanji Brown Jackson, Miami Seashore instates a curfew after Spring Break violence and wellness reporter Jenna Ryu explains ‘phubbing.’

Podcasts:True crime, in-depth interviews and extra USA TODAY podcasts proper right here.

Hit play on the participant above to listen to the podcast and observe together with the transcript under. This transcript was robotically generated, after which edited for readability in its present type. There could also be some variations between the audio and the textual content.

Taylor Wilson:

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Good morning. I am Taylor Wilson and that is 5 Issues it is advisable to know Thursday, the twenty fourth of March 2022. In the present day, extra youngsters in poverty as most COVID aid ends. Plus one month since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started, and extra.

Listed below are a few of the high headlines:

  1. Madeleine Albright has died. The primary feminine US secretary of state helped form former President Invoice Clinton’s international coverage in Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and different international locations. She was 84.
  2. North Korea check launched a suspected long-range missile towards the ocean earlier at present, doubtlessly a brand new sort of intercontinental ballistic missile. The nation has upped its weapons assessments over the previous yr. Specialists say the nation’s aim with the check is to advance its weaponry, but additionally to use stress on Washington over a deepening freeze in nuclear negotiations.
  3. And a canine deserted at a North Carolina animal shelter as a result of his house owners thought he was homosexual has been adopted by an overtly homosexual couple.

Regardless of lots of its horrors, the COVID-19 pandemic has really seen historic drops in baby poverty because of a lot of aid packages and momentary social security nets. However as Schooling Reporter Alia Wong tells us, as a lot of that aid now expires, the poverty fee is rising again to pre-pandemic ranges.

Alia Wong:

In my reporting, I targeted rather a lot on the improved Little one Tax Credit score, which was most just lately offered via President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. And beginning final July, tens of tens of millions of households bought a tax advance primarily each month, $300 for youths 5 and underneath and $250 for older youngsters. And analysis exhibits a serious correlation between declines in poverty and the distribution of these checks and different pandemic period aid, just like the stimulus checks. Columbia’s Heart on Poverty and Social Coverage has been monitoring and breaking down the month-to-month poverty developments in the course of the pandemic and noticed historic drops after households bought their funds. So mixed with the expanded free meal applications at colleges, these checks actually helped to stymie starvation ranges together with the declines in poverty, and meals was the most typical merchandise bought with the month-to-month funds and that was by each low and center earnings households alike. After simply two months of funds final yr, the variety of adults who stated their kids had been going hungry dropped by a number of million.

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What occurred is that Democrats tried to increase these enhanced tax credit via Construct Again Higher and naturally that failed partly as a result of these enhanced credit actually turned a sticking level. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin took situation with the fee and the concept of extending what was meant to be a pandemic period aid provision. The kid poverty fee is basically again to the identical stage it was earlier than the test began coming in July. A month after the improved Little one Tax Credit score expired, 3.7 million kids fell into poverty and the kid poverty fee grew from a bit of over 12% in December to 17% in January. And that was a 41% improve. And maybe unsurprisingly, Black and Latinx kids skilled the sharpest will increase in poverty. The Columbia Analysis Heart, they simply launch numbers for the month of February and people numbers present continuation of that pattern. Actually poverty ranges are form of again to the place they had been earlier than the checks and are staying there. The poverty fee was 16.7% in February.

Taylor Wilson:

For extra from Alia, you will discover her on Twitter @aliaemily.

In the present day marks one month since Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is looking on individuals around the globe to protest at present.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

It breaks my coronary heart, hearts of all Ukrainians and each free individual on the planet. That is why I ask you to face in opposition to the warfare ranging from March twenty fourth, precisely one month after the Russian invasion from this present day and after them. Present your standing, come out of your workplaces, your properties, your colleges, and universities. Come within the identify of peace. Include Ukrainian symbols to assist Ukraine, to assist freedom, to assist life. Come to your squares, your streets, make yourselves seen and heard. Say that individuals matter. Freedom issues. Peace issues. Ukraine issues.

Taylor Wilson:

Zelenskyy will meet with NATO members by video at present when he is anticipated to ask for extra weapon assist. President Joe Biden is assembly in individual with NATO members in Brussels. He is anticipated to speak about extra army assist for Ukraine, but additionally even stronger sanctions on Russia. Forward of Biden’s conferences, the European Union yesterday signed off on one other €500 million in army assist for Ukraine. 4 weeks after invading, Russia’s floor offensive has gone a lot slower than many consultants predicted. Although Russia has shifted a lot of its technique to shelling from the air and seas surrounding Ukraine. They usually targeted on devastating a handful of cities fully, just like the Jap metropolis of Mariupol, just like techniques utilized by Russia in Syria and Chechnya. Russia has not made a lot progress within the Western half of Ukraine and in Kyiv, the capital within the central a part of the nation. Russia has principally targeted efforts on suburbs, although there have been shellings on residence buildings and different civilian areas like what’s seen each day within the nation’s east.

And Kyiv’s mayor stated a minimum of 264 civilians have been killed there because the warfare broke out. Nonetheless, a senior US protection official stated yesterday that Russian floor forces seem like digging in and organising defensive positions about 10 miles exterior the town. They’re reportedly making little to no progress on the bottom towards the capital metropolis heart in the intervening time.

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As for a fast take a look at a few of the warfare’s numbers, it is murky. Russia will not be releasing common demise tolls, however in its newest replace on March 2nd, it stated practically 500 troopers had been killed. NATO estimates that quantity is now someplace between 7,000 and 15,000. That vary could be within the ballpark of Russia’s total demise toll in a decade of preventing in Afghanistan. An nameless NATO army official stated that estimate was primarily based on a lot of sources, together with Ukrainian authorities, what Russia has deliberately or unintentionally launched and different intelligence.

Ukraine claims to have killed six Russian generals, although Russia acknowledges only one. Ukraine has additionally launched little or no details about its army losses. Zelenskyy did say two weeks in the past that 1300 Ukrainian troops have been killed at that time, although the present toll is perhaps a lot greater. Within the metropolis of Mariupol, officers stated this week that 2300 individuals have been killed there.

In the meantime, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated yesterday that the US has decided Russia has dedicated warfare crimes in Ukraine. US Ambassador-at-Giant for World Felony Justice Beth Van Schaack.

Beth Van Schaack:

Final week Secretary Blinken expressed his view that a few of Russia’s reported assaults did in actual fact represent warfare crimes. He emphasised that the Division of State and different US departments will probably be documenting and assessing the details and the regulation surrounding these experiences. The evaluation has now concluded with a cautious overview of at present obtainable info, each public and from intelligence sources. This overview underpins the evaluation that the secretary introduced at present that Russian forces are certainly committing warfare crimes in Ukraine. I need to reiterate our solidarity for the individuals of Ukraine. We’re dedicated to pursuing full accountability for warfare crimes in Ukraine, utilizing all the instruments which are obtainable to us, together with prison prosecutions. Because the secretary stated, those that are chargeable for such abuses have to be held accountable.

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Taylor Wilson:

It isn’t fully clear what motion, if any, the US plans to take after the warfare crime willpower. For all the most recent from the warfare in Ukraine, you’ll be able to stick with our reside as much as the hour updates web page at USATODAY.com.

In the present day is the ultimate day of hearings for Supreme Court docket nominee Decide Ketanji Brown Jackson. She continued to defend her report throughout a 3rd spherical of hearings yesterday as Republican senators particularly teamed up round themes that she is mushy on crime and obscure about her method to the structure. AP Felony Justice Reporter Gary Fields has extra.

Gary Fields:

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What makes this very, very troublesome is, like I stated, she has to truly sit there. It’s important to take it as a result of one half is making an attempt to make political factors … really either side appear to be making an attempt to make their political factors they usually’re replaying the grievances and the angers from earlier nomination hearings. You’ve got heard a bit of little bit of crucial race concept at present, heard much more of it yesterday. What they’ve actually sort of locked on for the previous couple of days is her sentencings in fewer than a dozen circumstances, which all sort of revolve round baby pornography after which by affiliation, baby pedophilia.

Sen. Lindsey Graham:

Are you conscious of what number of photographs are on the market on the web involving kids in sexually compromising conditions?

Ketanji Brown Jackson:

Senator, I am not conscious of the numbers, however I’ve seen the pictures in my-

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Sen. Lindsey Graham:

They’re disgusting, proper?

Ketanji Brown Jackson:

… function as a choose.

Sen. Lindsey Graham:

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Effectively, let me let you know the numbers.

Gary Fields:

All this, I suppose, is to sort of paint an image that she’s a kind of judges who could be mushy on crime. She got here out of the general public defender’s workplace. She’s defended different individuals. She’s a kind of individuals who’s going to be mushy on crime. I do know the Democrats want to even have this finished within the subsequent two weeks. I believe as soon as we get the consultants who really come to testify tomorrow, which is what tomorrow’s listening to to be all about is of us testifying on varied topic issues, which have been coated for the previous two days, it will be one other two weeks after which they’ll vote.

Taylor Wilson:

In the present day, curiosity teams, together with the American Bar Affiliation will testify about Jackson’s suitability for the courtroom. The affiliation, which evaluates judicial nominees, already gave Jackson its highest score final week. Witnesses chosen by Republican senators may even converse. If confirmed, Jackson would turn out to be the primary Black girl ever on the Supreme Court docket.

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Miami Seashore now has a short lived midnight curfew as of final night time. The transfer comes after 5 individuals had been wounded in two shootings there over the weekend. Miami Seashore mayor Dan Gelber declared a state of emergency on Monday. He stated in a information convention that rowdy spring break vacationers have created what he referred to as an unacceptable setting in South Seashore.

Dan Gelber:

Within the final two nights, 5 individuals had been shot. 5 harmless individuals had been shot in our streets. And that is even supposing we had some of the huge deployments of police sources our metropolis actually has seen. I believe we had 371 law enforcement officials operational in South Seashore over the weekend. Layered Metro-Dade was there, different municipalities, gang models, theft models, our personal cops and we will not endure this anymore.

Taylor Wilson:

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The rule for now will keep in impact via Monday. Miami Seashore officers introduced the same curfew final yr to attempt to curb extreme ingesting and violence. That transfer led to the arrests of greater than a thousand individuals.

Individuals could also be ruining relationships with out even realizing it by phubbing. Wellness reporter Jenna Ryu explains what that’s and a few tips about stopping it.

Jenna Ryu:

So phubbing is also referred to as telephone snubbing and it is principally once you snub others in favor of your telephone. So for instance, for those who’re at dinner with somebody and also you’re sort of simply scrolling in your telephone as they speak or for those who’re watching a film at residence with the one you love and also you’re simply checking social media within the background. So it is one thing lots of people do. More often than not it’s unconscious, however it’s pretty frequent. And though it does appear comparatively innocent, it may well nonetheless smash relationships simply because consultants have stated that it may well make the individual on the receiving finish really feel like they’re being unheard or undervalued or under-appreciated. So in consequence, it may well sort of deteriorate that reference to the individual in entrance of you once you’re continually in your telephone.

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I believe the massive factor that consultants emphasize is that it is one thing that lots of people aren’t conscious they’re doing. It is sort of a behavioral behavior simply be as a result of in the course of the pandemic, individuals have been extra hooked up to their telephones as a way to keep linked and sort of neglect which you can join with individuals head to head as properly. So some frequent suggestions are to deliberately unplug from all know-how. So that may embrace placing your telephone face down so that you just do do not see the notification pop up once you’re with somebody and even simply leaving your telephone at residence altogether simply to keep away from that distraction. And one other tip that one among my consultants advised me was that relying on the kind of relationship you’ve with the individual, you’ll be able to appropriate them and politely name them out and say, “Hey, I discover that you just’re in your telephone rather a lot,” and convey it to their consideration to be able to maintain them accountable and curb that conduct.

Taylor Wilson:

You will discover Jenna’s full story in at present’s episode description. And you will discover new episodes of 5 Issues daily, proper right here, wherever you are listening proper now. Because of PJ Elliott for his nice work on the present and I am again tomorrow with extra of 5 Issues from USA TODAY.

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