5 things you need to know before April 14: Covid-19, police brutality, Afghanistan, Russia, abortion

Protesters gathered on the streets of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota for a third night to express their anger at the death of Daunte Wright by police. A prosecutor says he hopes to have a charge today involving former district attorney Kim Potter, who shot Wright after mistaking her gun for a Taser. The Potter and Brooklyn Center police chief both resigned after Sunday’s meeting. Meanwhile, the Virginia Attorney General is investigating an incident in which two officers pointed guns at a U.S. Army officer, sprayed him with pepper spray, and pushed him to the ground during a traffic stop. And in Minneapolis, not far from the Brooklyn Center turmoil, the prosecution has rested her case in the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin, and the defense has begun to launch their arguments.

President Biden is expected to announce the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Today’s announcement will extend the presence of US forces beyond the May 1 deadline set by the Trump administration in a deal with the Taliban. The decision to remove troops and end America’s longest war has led to divisions. Some leaders and lawmakers believe that removing troops at this point could risk the Afghan government collapsing and wiping out some hard-won U.S. gains there. Others welcome the return of US forces and the winding down of a long and exhausting conflict. However, the US does not intend to withdraw all 2,500 troops. Some will remain in the country to provide diplomatic security. There are also several hundred US special operations forces in Afghanistan whose next steps are unclear.

Russia continues to build up troops along its western border with Ukraine, and Biden has proposed a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss solutions. The two leaders spoke by phone yesterday. They discussed gun control and emerging security issues, and Biden urged Putin to ease mounting tensions in the region. The Kremlin said today that it is too early to discuss the specifics of a possible summit between the countries. The US is increasingly concerned about Russia’s military build-up in western Russia and Crimea, which includes more than 50,000 troops – about 18% of the country’s total ground forces. And there is a big sticking point: the US and other countries are not entirely clear about Russia’s goals.

A US appeals court has upheld a law in Ohio that prohibits abortions because of fetal Down syndrome. The ruling challenges precedents set by the Supreme Court and potentially sparks new battles in similar cases across the country. Unlike other recent court rulings on abortion that focused primarily on regulation or access to the procedure, this decision includes a woman’s reason for seeking the procedure and what she might tell her doctor. Since the current Supreme Court has a conservative majority, the decision is more likely to be upheld if asked to resolve the issue.

It’s not because our hygiene is deteriorating (hopefully ?!), it’s a sign of a passing pandemic fear.

Now this news calls for a delicious glass of ratafia!

We are certainly innovating at a rapid pace on the hard seltzer front.

All of them are pretty alarming, to be honest.

Sometimes blasphemous filters can be a … well, you know.

That’s the number of remains of victims believed to be resting in Spain’s Valley of the Fallen, a mass grave for victims of the 1936-39 Civil War in the country. Spain plans to open the tomb and excavate remains to identify them.

The NCAA’s Board of Directors, who said in a statement that it “ firmly and unequivocally supports transgender athletes ” amid recent state laws that would limit transgender participation in school sports

This beautiful 18th century swan machine (moving device) is made of pure silver and even the glasses of water and silver fish are remarkably realistic. (Click here to view.)