Transcript

5.30.26 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the reading of today's Washington Post. It's is Saturday,
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May thirtieth of twenty twenty six. Goodness, we only have
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one more day in May tomorrow. And your reader is
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Alice Dainer with the reminder that radio eyes for those
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blinder with other situations making it hard to read and
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hold printed material. And I will start with the front
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page of the Washington Post.
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Speaker 2: On the far.
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Speaker 1: Left, Kennedy Venue told to scrub a new name. Judge
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says edition of Trump must go orders halt to two
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year closure by Jonathan Edwards. In the middle, there is
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a picture of how many of us feel. It takes
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up two columns and it says a cooler head, but
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no prevailing And it is a picture of Serbia's Novak
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Djokovic using ice packs Friday, on day six of the
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French Open in Paris, where temperatures again topped ninety degrees.
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His quest for a record twenty fifth Grand Slam was
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ended by Brazil's Yoafonska after a five set fight in
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the third round. And Djokovic is in sort of a
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peach outfit, darker color pants and a lighter shade for
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his top. It's an Izod product. With an ISOD wristband.
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He's got blue ice packs on either side of his head.
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That's why it says, a cooler head. And he is
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sitting down between sets, and it must have been horribly hot.
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Must have been horribly hot. And on the right side,
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Trump says he's nearing approval on deal with Iran.
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Speaker 2: He summons aids to situation room.
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Speaker 1: Main terms are Nuclear program straight reopening by Natalie Allison
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and Savannah Susannah George.
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Speaker 2: And below that and that.
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Speaker 1: These two articles take up the right side of the
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Djokovic picture. Kenya court blocks US plan for Ebola hospital
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by Raoul Umba, Lena Hson and Adam Taylor out of Nairobi.
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Below the fold and below the Djokovic picture. On the left,
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ruling freezes one point eight billion fund for now as
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litigation continues by Salvador Rizzo. Below that deported mother back
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for toddler's burial by Maria Sanchetti Sacchetti out of Atlanta.
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And then the final article on the right hand side
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is to the right of both the ruling and the
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deported mother, and it's a picture of some of the
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Ukraine War battalion commanders standing in a command post in May,
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and it's entitled Ukraine drones are tipping the scales After
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a brutal winter and four years of war, Kiv looks
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to have stronger hand by Steve Hendrix and Sarahei Corollachuk
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and this is from the Dansk Oblast, Ukraine region. The
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big headline is Trump calls a situation room meeting to
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decide on extending Iran ceasefire. The agreement would extend the
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ceasefire for sixty days, as the US and Tehran discuss
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removing Iran's enriched nuclear uranium. By Natalie Allison and Susannah George.
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President Donald Trump signaled Friday that he is moving closer
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to approving a deal to extend a ceasefire in Iran,
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announcing a situation room meeting to make a final determination.
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Trump said in a social media post that some unspecified
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aspects of a deal have been agreed to, while also
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outlining what he described as his most important conditions. It
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was unclear whether Iran had agreed to them all, including
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the stipulation that the United States would unearth and destroy
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Aran's highly enriched uranium. Trump also said Iran must immediately
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reopen the Strait of HOMUS remove any remaining mines.
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Speaker 3: In the Vital Waterway, and agree that they will never
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have a nuclear weapon or bomb. He said that no
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money will be exchanged until further notice, possibly a reference
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to calls by Iran for the US to release the
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country's frozen assets. A White House official said Friday afternoon
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that the Situation Room meeting had concluded, but did not
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provide further details. Senior officials from the US and Iran
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said earlier this week that they had reached at tentative
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agreement to suspend the month's long war in the Middle East,
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launched by the US and Israel with strikes on Iran
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in late February. Wearing Trump and his counterparts in Tehran
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have continued to revive the framework in excuse me have
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continued to review the framework in recent days. The agreement
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in question is a memorandum of understanding that would extend
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the current ceasefire for another sixty days while the two
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sides iron out specifics of a plan to remove enrich
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geranium from Iran, among other goals, a senior US official
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previously told The Washington Post. An Iranian official briefed on
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the talks said Friday that Tehran still had not given
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final approval to the memorandum of understanding, but that the
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two sides appeared close to an announcement. The official said
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Tehran's deep distrust of the Trump administration has made it
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difficult for Iran's leadership to build support for the deal.
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Iran has been attacked militarily twice over the past year
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while engaged in negotiations with the United States, once by
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Israel last summer, launching a twelve day war, and again
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in late February by the United States and Israel. That
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lack of trust also has complicated the sequencing of the deal,
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as both sides have demanded concessions up front during the
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first phase of the agreement, The Iranian official said Tehran
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was concerned that the United States would otherwise not adhere
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to its commitments, while US officials have expressed similar skepticism
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about Iran. Iran has demanded the unfreezing of billions in
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assets and the lifting of the U S blockade in
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the first phase of the deal, after which Iran would
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support mind clearing operations that will allow the Strait of
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Hormuz to reopen. According to the official, in a social
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media post Friday, Chief Iranian negotiator Mohammed Baga Ghalib said,
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we have no trust in guarantee. Your words, only actions
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are the measure. No action will be taken before the
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other side acts.
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Speaker 1: Aran Gerblief said, would seize concessions, not through negotiations. We
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obtained them with our missiles. On Thursday evening, Vice President J. D.
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Mann said that the Iranians want a deal, but that
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it was too early to know when or if an
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agreement would be reached.
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Speaker 2: Man said the.
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Speaker 1: Two sides were going back and forth in a couple
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of language points, which included.
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Speaker 2: The question of enrichment.
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Speaker 1: A major point of contention has been with Aaron would
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agree to turn over its highly enriched uranium, which Trump
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is referred to as nuclear dust. Tehran says its nuclear
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program is solely for domestic energy, but the US and
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Israel fear the fuel could be used for a weapon.
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We do think they're negotiating in good faith, Fans told
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reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from a trip
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to speak to graduating Air Force Academy cadets in Colorado Springs.
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Another sticking point has been whether a ceasefire would cover
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the fighting between Israel and Lebanon. Military officials from those
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two countries were scheduled to meet at the Pentagon on
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Friday under US supervision, with a separate round of political
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talk set for next week, an Israeli official told the Post,
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speaking on the condition of anonymity, to discuss sensitive diplomatic issues.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Biscent, who spoke to the White House
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reporters Thursday, said nothing is going to be on the
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table and tell Iranian officials first agree to reopen the
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Strait of home Mows, the waterway through which roughly twenty
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percent of the world's oil flows out of the Middle.
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Speaker 2: East and into the global economy.
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Speaker 1: A Pakistani official briefed on the talks said US negotiators
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have agreed to lift their blockade on the Strait of
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Mouse at the outset of the first phase of the
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agreement as a confidence building measure. The officials spoke on
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the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to
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brief the news media. The officials said the last few
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days of talks have been aimed at fine tuning language
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in the Memorandum of Understanding, rather than bridging significant differences
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between the two sides. Trump has repeatedly suggested in recent
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weeks that an agreement is neil, only to revert to
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threats when the Iranians issue a denial. He has also
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made demands saying various Arab countries must join the Abraham Accords,
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for example, that appear to have remote odds at best.
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Trump's renewed suggestions of an agreement Wednesday came after both
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sides exchanged drone and missile fire in the region in
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recent days, underscoring the fragile nature of the ceasefire first
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declared in April, but the signals from both sides that
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a deal is possible have grown stronger in the past
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few days. The President on Wednesday said he believed that
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Iran was starting to give us the things that they.
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Speaker 2: Have to give us.
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Speaker 1: Without elaborating, hag Seth said, our Defense Secretary Pete hegg
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Seth said in a cabinet meeting. And if they do,
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that's great, And if they don't won't then the man
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on my left is going.
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Speaker 2: To finish them off.
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Speaker 1: Judge orders Kennedy's Center to remove Trump's name from building.
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The ruling also orders the Arts Institution to temporarily halt
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plans to close for two years starting in July. President
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Donald Trump signaled he may give up involvement. By Jonathan Edwards,
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A federal judge Friday ordered that President Donald Trump's name
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be scrubbed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the
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Performing Arts and that officials halt plans to close the
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venue for two years, dealing a significant legal blow to
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the administration's sweeping renovation project. US District Judge Christopher Cooper granted,
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in part a request from Representative Joy Spady, Democrat of Ohio,
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for a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking steps towards closure. He
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also ordered Kennedy Center officials to remove Trump's name from
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the center's building and branding within two weeks. Congress gave
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the Kennedy Center its name, Cooper wrote in his opinion,
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and only Congress can change it.
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Speaker 2: The twin rulings throw.
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Speaker 1: The center's near future into uncertainty. Leaders had laid off
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staff in anticipation of a closure, and the decision could
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now leave the institution open with an empty performance calendar.
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Trump added to the havoc in a lengthy social media
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post Friday evening, suggesting he would give up his involvement
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with the center if the courts continue to limit him.
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The judge's decision is the most significant point in two
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lawsuits filed a against Kennedy Center leadership over the Trump
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administration's involvement in affairs big and small at the performing
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arts institution. In December, Batty, an ex officio member of
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the Kennedy Center's board, sued her fellow trustees after they
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voted to rename the institution the Donald J. Trump and
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the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
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Batty said she was muted during the virtual board meeting
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when she tried to voice opposition to the name change,
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a claim the Senate disputed. She later amended the lawsuit
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to seek a broader halt of the closure, and the
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court granted her request for key documents related to the
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renovation plan, including building assessments and budget materials. Last year,
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the Kennedy Center's board changed its bylaws to ensure that
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officio members such as Beatty could not vote. Cooper on
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Friday also declared that change unlawful. In a second lawsuit
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filed in March, a group of historic preservationists argued that
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officials had not gone through proper federal review before voting
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to close. Both cases landed before Cooper, who has been
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pressing both sides on a central question whether the Kennedy
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Center renovations must follow the same review process that governs
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nearly every other major federal construction project.
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Speaker 2: In the Capitol.
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Speaker 1: The judge Friday ruled that Betty had shown that closing
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for two years would cause irreparable harms, but he left
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the door open for the board to revisit its decision
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to close the building after independently balancing its multiple obligations
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to the Center in a prudent fashion. Today's rule rightly
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affirms that this administration's efforts to rename and to close
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the sin I have no basis in law, Baby said
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in a statement, adding, the Kennedy Center is an institution
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that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump.
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He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity.
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Speaker 2: I am proud to.
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Speaker 1: Have fought for the rule of law and to protect
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this sacred institution. Roma d'aravi, the Kennedy Senates vice president
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of public relations, said, we are confident that on appeal,
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the court will uphold the board's will to recognize President
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Trump's historic contributions to our nation's cultural center. Drave added
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that even in the plaintiff acknowledges the center's need for
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repay us with two hundred and fifty seven million dollars
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security for President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources
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are in place, and we remain committed to pursuing every
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lawful avenue to ensure that Trump Kennedy Center is restored
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as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.
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Trump lasted the rulings on social media Friday evening, saying
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the judge should be ashamed of himself, but rather than
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vow to fight for the closure, he appeared to wash
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his hands of the project and the Kennedy Center entirely.
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The President insisted the building must close in order for
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renovations to proceed safely, and he said if that doesn't happen,
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he wants out unless I am free to do what
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I do better than anyone else, bring this institution back physically, financially,
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and artistically. I have no interest in continuing what could
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only be a hopeless journey into never never Land or
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Capital never never Land, he wrote. Trump said he would
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work with Congress in the Department of Commerce, to facilitate
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a full and complete transfer of this institution, giving them
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the responsibility for its operation, maintenance, and management. The White
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House did not respond to messages seeking clarity on the
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President's plan. According to the law establishing the Kennedy Center,
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its board of trustees is responsible for managing the institution.
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Plaintiffs in the second lawsuit against the Center were less successful.
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Friday Cooper denied the preservationist's request for a similar injunction,
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ruling that the Kennedy Center wasn't subject to laws governing
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agency renovations. He ordered both parties to confer and propose
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next steps, and allowed that this preliminary ruling may not
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be the final word in this case. In this second lawsuit,
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a coalition of abs architectural and historical preservation organizations, including
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the Distinctive Columbia Preservation League and the National Trust for
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Historic Preservation, argued that the Center must complete several steps
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of federal review before work can begin. The group also
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allegs that the administration has already caused historic harm to
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the building without those reviews by repainting its original and character,
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defining two hundred gold exterior columns white, and of fixing
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Trump's name to its facade. The government counted that the
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Kennedy Center's board is not a federal agency subject to
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those review requirements, and that Congress effectively authorized the renovation
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when it had appropriated the two hundred and fifty seven
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million dollars for the Center's capital repair, restoration, maintenance backlog,
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and security structures in last year.
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Speaker 2: There's One Big, Beautiful Bill.
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Speaker 1: Justice Department lawyers also argued that no demolation is planned,
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and that the lawsuit is animated by fears rooted in
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Trump's social media post rather than the actual construction plans.
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At in April twenty ninth hearing, the Center's new executive director,
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Matt Floka, described a building in serious disrepair, failing suffit
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panels weighing more than a ton each, hanging above public
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water walkways, water seeping into electrical vaults, and causing corrosion
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that could spark a fire or explosion plumbing pipes in
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system systemic failure. He said, keeping the center open during
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construction would be irresponsible. The preservationist pushback, noting that the
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center's own twenty twenty two building had contemplated making repairs
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while remaining open, and that Floca himself had been developing
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just such a plan until Trump announced the closure on
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social media in February. Floka testified that he could not
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speak to the president's intentions for the building, only his own.
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Earlier this week, Flocus said in a court filing that
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Trump has raised tens of millions of dollars for the
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Kennedy Sinner and has committed to raise one hundred and
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fifty million more from private donors over the next two years.
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He argued that Trump's name had become central to the
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Kennedy Center's fundraising. Removing it recalls irreparable harm, He wrote,
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it would make much of the center's operations financially nonviable.
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The legal fight is unfolding against a backdrop of broader
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tumult at the Center. Since Trump installed himself as board
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chair in February twenty twenty five, several productions have canceled
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or withdrawn from the calendar, among them the tour of
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Hamilton and shows of the Washington National Opera, which ended
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its fifty five year Residents. Ticket sales and subscriptions have plummeted.
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Dozens of staff members have been laid off in waves,
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and a group of remaining employees filed last year to
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former union, citing a culture of fear and lack of
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transparency from the center's new leadership. Representative Chile Pingree of Maine,
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the riping ranking Democrat on the House Appropriation subcommittee that
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oversees the Kennedy Center, criticized Trump for using a national
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memorial as a vehicle for his own ego and herning
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it in the process. Closing was never about renovation, but
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covering up the catastrophic damage Trump has already inflicted, she
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said Friday. About two hundred protesters rallied at the center's
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northern steps Friday evening while patrons arrived for a performance
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by the National Symphony Orchestra. The gathering was planned as
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a vidual marking what would have been Kennedy's one hundred
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and ninth birthday, but the samba affair turned partly celebratory
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after news of the ruling spread. A big, big wind,
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said Malory Miller, a former Kennedy's Center employee who alleged
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she was fired in August for trying to unionize. The
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name coming off of the building will allow the community
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to start to rebuild trust for what has been destroyed
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over the last eighteen months, she added. Journalist Maria Shriver,
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John F. Kennedy's niece, praised the ruling, noting that it came.
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Speaker 2: On her uncle's birthday.
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Speaker 1: I know they will probably appeal and the story isn't oval,
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she wrote on social media. But for today, let's celebrate
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a great birthday gift. Next article. Judge temporarily blocks DOJ's
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one point eight billion dollar payout fund. A federal judge
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in Virginia said that Trump administration cannot use the money
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or process claims until at least June twelfth. By Salvador Rizzo.
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A federal judge in Virginia has temporarily blocked the Trump
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administration's plans for a nearly one point eight billion dollar
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fund to pay people who claimed they were unfairly investigated
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or prosecuted, ruling that no money can go out the
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door for now. US District Judge Leoni M. Brinkman said
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in a brief order docketed Friday that officials with President
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Donald Trump's administration are temporarily barred from taking any further
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action in pursuing to the creation or operation of the
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Anti Weaponization Fund, which includes the transferring of money to
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the fund. The consideration of any claim submitted to the
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fund and the dispersing of any funds from the fund.
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The judge scheduled a hearing for June twelfth and U. S.
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District Court in Alexandria, Virginia on whether the fund should
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remained blocked while the court raise a legal challenge from
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several plaintiffs represented by the group Democracy Ford. In an
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unusual move, Trump recently agreed to drop a ten billion
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dollar lawsuit he filed against the IRS over the twenty
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nineteen league of his confidential tax records, and in exchange,
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his administration agreed to establish the one point seven seven
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six billion dollar fund to pay applicants who showed they
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were improperly targeted by the government note seven seven six.
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The fund has provoked criticism from ethics watchdogs, who question
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how it was created and say it would be used
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to benefit Trump's allies and supporters. Plans for the fund
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have generated rare bipartisan pushback in Congress and at least
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four federal lawsuits. Hundreds of people who were convicted variety
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offenses on January sixth, twenty twenty one, or their lawyers
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have said they will be requesting payments. No money has
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been handed out from the fund. Acting Attorney General Tard
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Blanche has not yet named the five appointees who would
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be assigned to evaluate and pay out claims. The Justice
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Department has said the nearly one point eight billion dollars
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in taxpayer money it intends to use for the payments
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would be drawn before July seventeenth from a separate legal
26:56
compensation fund managed by the federal government. In a court filing,
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lawyers for the government said that money had not been
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taken as of Thursday. The War Department remains extremely that
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The Department remains extremely confident in the legality of the
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Anti Weaponization Fund, which is supported by ample precedent, including
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Obama era settlements. We will not allow the policy preferences
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of judges to interfere with our efforts to provide restitution
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to victims of law fare, a Justice Department spokesperson said
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in response to Brinkhama's order. Also on Friday, US District
27:43
Judge Richard J. Leon set up.
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Speaker 2: Hearing for June tenth in.
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Speaker 1: A similar case filed in DC Federal Court by the
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group's Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington to weigh
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arguments on whether to issue a temporary restraining order, Leon
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did not freeze plans for that fund in the interim.
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Brickma's order came in a case filed by Andrew Floyd,
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a former dece federal prosecutor who was fired last year
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after working on cases stemming from the January sixth riot.
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Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include a man who was
28:21
arrested in California at a protest of an emigration raid,
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the city of New Haven, Connecticut, the National Abortion Federation,
28:30
and the liberal advocacy group Common Cause. Although they contend
28:36
they have been wronged by the Trump administration, none of
28:39
them would be eligible for payouts from the Anti Weaponization Fund,
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the attorneys argue. In congressional testimony, Blanche said that anyone
28:50
may apply for a payment, regardless of political persuasion. But
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a document released by the Justice Department describing the new
28:59
fund and Trump's agreement with the ire AS criticizes the
29:04
sustained use of the leavers of government power by Democrat
29:09
elected officials, political and career federal employees, contractors, and agents
29:14
in order to target individuals, groups, and entities for improper
29:20
and unlawful political, personal, and or ideological reasons. It does
29:27
not mention actions taken by Republican elected officials. Trump, in
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a social media post, said that payments would bring justice
29:35
for those who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt,
29:41
and weaponized Biden administration. Neither the First Amendment nor the
29:47
Equal Protection Guarantee of air Constitution countenance such blatant partiality,
29:54
Floyd and the other plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit, created
29:58
following a callude of agreement between the President and his
30:02
own administration, this fund has no congressional authorization, no basis
30:08
in law, and no accountability. The plaintiffs alleged that the
30:14
fund violates the separation of powers because Congress and not
30:18
the executive branch, decides which programs to fund. As well
30:23
as the First Amendment, the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution,
30:27
and the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that lays
30:31
a specific steps for government agencies creating new rules or programs. Trump,
30:38
his family and businesses would not be eligible for payments.
30:43
In a court filing Thursday, Justice Department attorneys said that
30:48
a formal process for the government to receive claims for
30:51
payment from the fund has not yet been established, and
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that no money has been transferred to the fund. Attorneys
31:00
from Democracy Forward said the government did not provide assurances
31:06
of how long that status quo would last, and declined
31:09
to request to suspend any money transfers until at least
31:13
June nineteenth.
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Speaker 2: Rigma said her.
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Speaker 1: Order would ensure that no funds are irreversibly dispersed from
31:22
the Anti Weaponization Fund during the time it would take
31:26
for the court to weigh legal briefs oral arguments on
31:29
an emergency request to block the fund while the litigation continues.
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This is a victory for transparency, the rule of law,
31:40
and the American people. Skytt Perriman, the president of Democracy Forward,
31:46
said in a statement Friday, adding no administration has the
31:51
authority to spend public money through a public rewards program
31:56
that Congress never authorized. We look forward to the next
32:01
stages in this case, and next article is about Ukraine.
32:08
After a brutal winter, Ukraine's drones are breaking Russian defenses.
32:15
Russia's advance has suddenly stalled, and Ukraine is fighting on
32:19
its own terms, a comeback credited to Keev's efforts to
32:23
steadily strengthen the capabilities of its UA v's by Steve
32:29
Hendrix and serhi kirotuk dnsk Oblast, Ukraine. As a fifth
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summer fighting season begins in Russia's full scale war against Ukraine,
32:44
Vladislav Tavsty directs dozens of operators flying thousands of drones
32:51
from an underground, underground command center that looks much more
32:55
like a tech startup than a forward bunker. High definition
33:01
monitors lined the insulated walls, each showing a drone's I
33:06
view of a doomed Russian soldier in a foxhole, an
33:10
enemy's supply truck countryside stripped with striped with trenches and
33:16
razor wire. One on one, a ground robot was delivering
33:22
food and m O to afford unit. A Ukrainian soldier
33:26
gave a thumbs up to the camera as he unloaded
33:29
a box from his ergonomic secret lab gaming chair. Tavsty
33:35
monitored his team's efforts along the front lines. His laptop
33:40
connects him with other units, sending drones further into Russia,
33:44
some disrupting rear supply lines, and other striking oil refineries
33:49
closer to the Arctic Circle than to the front lines.
33:54
It's a remarkable evolution from the day Tavsky experimented with
33:58
one of Ukraine's first drones and off the shelf quad
34:03
copter with a one mile range and an half hour battery.
34:08
The new three range strategy he is part of, and
34:11
this set up at a secret location in the Dnsk
34:14
region that Russia is desperately trying to conquer, helps explain
34:19
why Russia's war, predicted to last mired days, has now
34:24
continued for more than four years, and how Ukraine suddenly
34:28
seems to have the stronger hand For his first drone
34:33
in the conflicts. Early weeks, Tavstar was squatting in the
34:37
dirt and thunder of the front lines, his platoon about
34:41
to be surrounded by Russian soldiers. Desperate, they unpacked a
34:45
store bought Chinese drone and joysticked it into the sky.
34:50
We were blind like kittens, Tavsky said. Then we sent
34:55
Themovik up and we could see fifty pieces of enemy
34:58
equipment directed the artillery fire at them. Now Tavstay is
35:05
among the high tech soldiers directing an ever evolving drone strategy,
35:11
and after a year in which Ukraine lost territory, resisted
35:16
Whitehouse pressure to cave to Russian demands and endured months
35:20
of blackout, the latest drone warfare has set the stage
35:24
for something few predicted during the bitter winter, a summer
35:28
that begins four months with something resembling an edge. Russia's
35:35
progress at the front has ground almost to a halt.
35:38
The Kremlin is losing tens of thousands of soldiers a
35:42
month while suppressing growing public anger at home, and with
35:47
European funding, Ukraine has become an increasingly formidable arms manufacturer
35:54
in its own right. Ukraine's comeback flows, mostly military, experts say,
36:01
from how it continues to rewrite the capabilities of its
36:05
remote controlled air force. A homegrown approach to warfare that
36:10
started with a few hobby shop quad copters has evolved
36:14
into a sustained three tier strategy of short, medium, and
36:18
long range drone programs. At the far end, a new
36:23
generation of Ukrainian strategic Laune, or long range UAVs is
36:29
reaching deeper into Russia than ever, rattling civilians and forcing
36:34
a military superpower to defend territory it never imagined would
36:39
be at risk. In February, one drone slammed into an
36:44
oil refinery located in Russia's far northern Komi Republic after
36:49
a flight of eleven hundred miles, setting a record that
36:54
is not likely to stand for long. More critically, tens
36:59
of thousands of operational drones are now blanketing the Middle
37:02
ground up to two hundred miles behind the front, scrambling
37:07
supply lines, targeting rear command centers, and hunting the air
37:11
defense batteries Russia needs to protect everything else and along
37:16
the seven hundred and fifty mile front, Ukraine is shrinking
37:20
the number of human soldiers in the kill zone, using
37:24
remote controlled combatants, tactical aerial drone spot and attack Russians,
37:30
while ground robots resupply Ukraine's own troops and evacuate the wounded,
37:36
turning what was once a brutal exchange of infantry and
37:40
artillery into a technological gauntlet that Russian forces cross only
37:46
a tremendous cost.
37:49
Speaker 2: Russia, which was.
37:50
Speaker 1: Capturing an average of one hundred and fifty square miles
37:53
a month at its peak last year, has slowed to
37:57
a fraction of that pace. In a April, for the
38:00
first time in nearly two years, it lost more ground
38:04
than it camed, according to the Institute for the Study
38:08
of War. Even Carus, who commanded some of the first
38:13
experimental longer range drones, missions in twenty twenty two has
38:17
watched the number of deep strike drones Ukraine launches each
38:21
month grow twenty to thirty times Since then, even more critically,
38:27
the monthly number of mid strike drones has expanded by
38:30
more than one thousand percent CARUS estimates.
38:35
Speaker 2: I think they will be in a very big s
38:39
and yet this.
38:40
Speaker 1: Half of the year, because we are going to increase
38:43
the quantity of hits even more, Karas said in an interview.
38:48
It is an operations center in Dampro for Russian officers.
38:53
Speaker 2: It will be hard times.
38:57
Speaker 1: Karas launched one of Ukraine's first behind them line strikes
39:01
in September twenty twenty two, hitting a Russian fuel depot
39:05
fifty miles away with a drone that had to take
39:08
off and be guided so close to the front lines
39:12
that its operators were stationed amid machine gun fire along
39:16
teams firing morroshells. Now they hit hundreds of targets a
39:21
month from secret controlled centers all over Ukraine. Access to
39:26
the grid more important than proximity to the front. On Wednesday,
39:31
Ukrainian Defense Milita Minister Mikhalaio Federov announced a new one
39:37
hundred and twelve million dollars logistical lockdown program to fund
39:42
even more mid range strikes. There is a serious slowdown
39:48
in Russian offensive. Seraji Markov, a pro Kremlin Russian political analyst,
39:54
told The Washington Post the mid range of tax in particular,
40:00
disrupted the delivery of supplies and fighters to the front.
40:03
Markov said they are forced now to keep more than
40:07
one hundred and fifty kilometers that's ninety three miles away
40:11
from Ukrainian positions. This is reducing the capability of Russian
40:15
forces to maneuver operatively. Ukraine still faces constraints that have
40:21
hampered it from the beginning of Russia's full scale invasion
40:25
in February of twenty twenty two. Kiev is short on soldiers,
40:30
short on air defense interceptors that it gets from the
40:33
United States, and heavily dependent on European funding. The European
40:38
Union finalized alone worth ninety billion euros about one hundred
40:43
and fifty billion dollars last month, funds that have been
40:47
blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Auban before he was
40:51
voted out of office in March, But that still leaves
40:55
a reported sixty billion dollar gap away that seemed unlikely
41:02
a year ago, conditions now seem to favor Ukraine. Moscow
41:08
wants to seize more of Ukraine and Kiev wants to
41:11
hold the Russians off. Russia needs to be dominant, Ukraine
41:15
needs to be durable. This is a war of exhaustion,
41:21
said Mikola Velskov, a research fellow at Ukraine's National Institute
41:27
for Strategic Studies and a senior analyst at come Back Alive,
41:32
a nonprofit organization that raises money for the Ukrainian military,
41:36
adding it's like a boxing match with unlimited rounds. We
41:41
just need to stay on our feet until the last one.
41:46
The past year, in some ways was the worst yet
41:49
for Ukraine. President Donald Trump, after berating Ukrainian President vladimiyo
41:55
Zelensky in the Oval Office, had been pressuring Kiev to
41:59
make a deal on Russian terms, including surrendering territory. Russia
42:05
and North Korean units were advancing relentless attacks on Ukraine's
42:10
power grid, left millions freezing through the coldest winter in years.
42:14
Moscow had the momentum. Now the Russians are still advancing
42:18
in places, but only by yards and at a shocking
42:22
cost of fatalities. Up to twenty five thousand a month,
42:26
about as many as the Soviets lost in their entire
42:30
ten year war in Afghanistan that was in parentheses. The
42:35
new dimension of war that Ukraine has opened with its
42:39
deep strike drone campaign is rattling Russia's public, denting its
42:46
oil economy, in forcing commanders to defend assets far from
42:51
the front. Ukrainian drones and nissios have larged more than
42:55
fifteen hundred verified strikes in Russian territories since last summer,
43:01
attacks on mid range logistics, networks and air defenses, or
43:05
opening the skies forever deeper strikes on petroleum facilities and
43:10
other strategic assets from occupied Crimea to Russia's Subarctic. According
43:16
to open source intelligence analyzed by the Kiev Independent newspaper,
43:22
Ukraine launched seven thousand in March alone, the first month
43:26
in which the country fired more drones into Russia than
43:29
Russia sent into Ukraine. According to data reviewed by ABC News,
43:37
the attacks have both material and psychological impact, bringing the
43:42
war closer to Russians, who, for the most part of
43:45
the past four years had watched only a sanitized version
43:49
of the fighting on state TV. This month, Russian President
43:55
Vladimir Putin curtailed the country's annual Victory Day commemorations, acknowledging
44:01
that the central Moscow parade route was well within range
44:05
of Ukrainian strikes. Both countries cut down on air attacks
44:10
for an informal three day ceasefire during the commemoration of
44:14
Soviet losses in World War II, but days later Ukrainian
44:19
drone struck Moscow and the largest attack on the Russian
44:22
capital yet, killing at least three. Putin, seeking to tamp
44:28
down mounting bad news, has restricted Internet access, including the
44:34
ubiquitous use of the telegram messaging platform, drawing anga from
44:39
an increasingly skeptical public. Russian analysts say, grumbling about the
44:46
wars growing in the populace and among the president's.
44:49
Speaker 2: Elite supporters alike.
44:51
Speaker 1: The country's general happiness index fell to a fifteen year
44:55
low in April, as measured by state controlled surveys. You
45:00
begin to weather wonder whether Putin's aura of impotence is
45:05
it just beginning to wave us slightly omnipotence.
45:10
Speaker 2: I'll repeat, you were beginning to.
45:13
Speaker 1: Wonder whether Putin's aura of omnipotence isn't just beginning to
45:18
wave us slightly? Said Tim Wallacey will see, a senior
45:22
fellow at Royal United Services Institute, a security think tank
45:27
based in London, adding, if Ukraine suffered its worst moment
45:32
over the winter, I think Russia is suffering its worst
45:35
moment in just about now. Ukraine's show of strength does
45:40
not mean it is on the verge of prevailing, analysts say.
45:44
The frontline, if largely unmoving, remains white hot. Ukrainian officials
45:50
recorded two hundred and thirty three combat engagements on a
45:53
single day last week. Russia also launched one of its
45:57
biggest aerial assaults of the wars Saturday, pounding Key with
46:01
the TAC drones as well as ballistic and cruise missiles,
46:05
including an Arishnik hypersonic missile. Russian forces still occupy roughly
46:11
twenty percent of Ukrainian territory. Neither side is anywhere close
46:16
to a decisive military victory. The tools Ukraine is using
46:21
to stay on its feet have evolved almost beyond recognition
46:25
since the war's first weeks, particularly its drones with strategic
46:30
long distance strikes even further into Russia. Ukraine is trying
46:35
to force Moscow to divert resources from its frontline invasion
46:38
to defending refineries, weapons factories, airfields and oil export terminals
46:44
across its huge territory. Russian bombers have pushed thousands of
46:49
miles from the front. Black Sea Vessel Fleet vessels relocated
46:54
from Crimea to Novorovsky after systemic drone strikes. Air defense
47:02
batteries have been redeployed to Ring Moscow, pulled from the
47:06
front to protect the capital. We are using Russia's vastness
47:11
against Russia, said Belaskov. The drones fly both ways. Of course,
47:18
Russia continues to pound Ukraine's energy grid and in April
47:22
killed at least two hundred and thirty eight civilians and
47:25
injured oney four hundred and four according to United Nations monitors,
47:33
Zelensky in virtually every public statement hammers on the need
47:36
for more air defense help. Ukraine is bracing for shortages
47:41
of US supplied patriot interceptors amid the Iran War and
47:46
the need to replenish batteries across the Middle East. Still,
47:51
Ukraine is starting the summer with mounting confidence. It's very cautious,
47:57
said retired General Gordon B. Davis Junior, a former Deputy
48:01
Assistant Secretary General of NATO and senior fellow at the
48:05
Center for European Policy Analysis. Davis added, but yes, there
48:12
is optimism.
48:15
Speaker 2: Going into the paper.
48:17
Speaker 1: This is the optimist Six habits a happiness expert uses
48:23
to boost her mood even on busy days. Sonya Lubomirski
48:30
has spent decades studying the science of happiness. Here are
48:35
the daily strategies she finds most effective. By Maggie Penman.
48:42
Sonya Lubomirski has spent thirty years studying happiness, and she
48:47
knows exactly what the research says about how to keep
48:51
her spirits up. That doesn't mean actually doing it is
48:56
always easy. Connecting with people, excerpt sizing regularly, meditating. All
49:02
of these research back strategies to improve health and happiness
49:07
take effort, like many of us. You Mumirski, a Distinguished
49:13
professor of psychology at the University of California at Riverside
49:17
and author of the book The How of Happiness, said
49:21
it's challenging to fit it all in. She has developed
49:25
a half dozen habits that she prioritizes every day, even
49:29
or especially if she doesn't feel like it. The Washington
49:33
Post to ask her what her happiness non negotiables are
49:38
and why one exercise every day, even if it's only
49:45
for thirty seconds. Regular exercise is crucial for one's mental
49:50
health and dwell being. My trick is because I'm so busy.
49:55
I have four kids and two jobs. Basically, I'll go
49:59
for fifteen minute run or I'll run up the stairs.
50:04
Yubromowski said, it invigorates me. Research shows that with exercise routines,
50:11
often the perfect can be the enemy of the good.
50:14
If we can't make it to the gym, or we
50:16
don't have time to run three miles, we tend to
50:20
do not do, not to do.
50:23
Speaker 2: It at all.
50:25
Speaker 1: Lubromowski said, a surprisingly small amount of exercise makes a
50:29
big difference for our state of mind and overall health.
50:33
Speaker 2: Even just running for the bus or doing.
50:36
Speaker 1: A few jumping jacks can have an impact. Two rechet
50:41
to people literally, whether you consider yourself an introvert or
50:46
an extrovert. Lubramerski and other researchers have found that being
50:52
social makes us happier. She even wrote a book arguing
50:55
that love is the key to happiness. I really practice
50:59
what I preach. Yubermirsky said she prioritizes times with friends
51:05
and family and makes a point to reach out to people,
51:08
both metaphorically and literally. She said, I spend a lot
51:13
of time with my kids cuddling and talking and watching
51:17
TV together. She's also affectionate with friends, often hugging them
51:22
and sometimes even holding hands. Most people will think it's
51:26
a little weird, she said, but from her research, Yubermirsky
51:31
said she's learned the benefits of personal touch. Physical touch, cuddling,
51:37
holding hands, or even petting a dog can stimulate the
51:40
release of the hormone octoxin, making us feel a sense
51:45
of calm and well being. Physical touch is really undervalued,
51:51
she said. Three go beyond small talk. Connecting with people
51:57
and even small talk with strangers has proven benefits. But
52:01
Lubomirski also said it's important to go deeper, and she
52:05
tries to be honest and vulnerable in her own conversations
52:08
with friends and even sometimes with acquaintances, talking about things
52:13
that matter, that are meaningful to you. So many of
52:16
us are really hesitant to share ourselves and it just
52:19
seems scary. We think it'll be awkward, we think it'll
52:22
be judged. On the contrary, she and other researchers have
52:26
found that being vulnerable when appropriate, is how we connect
52:29
and feel seen. Lubermerski also said that many people fear
52:33
asking questions that feel too personal, but on an average,
52:37
when psychologists study this, people crave to be asked and
52:41
really enjoy conversations more than shallow ones. For practice spirituality,
52:48
wessearch shows that people who identify as religious are happier.
52:52
That is in part because religion provides people with a
52:55
built in community and a sense of meaning, both of
52:58
which are linked to happiness and well being. It's incontrovertible,
53:04
Lubermerski said. She said she doesn't consider her self traditionally religious,
53:10
but has grown more spiritual over the years. She said,
53:13
whether spirituality comes through organized religion or through experiences like
53:18
spending time in nature, cultivating a sense of purpose is
53:21
essential to happiness.
53:23
Speaker 2: Five Breathe deeply.
53:26
Speaker 1: Lubermerski said when she feels anxious, she uses breathing exercises
53:31
to calm herself. Anxiety often causes people to breathe faster,
53:36
but consciously slowing down our breath can bring our bodies
53:39
into a more physically and psychologically relaxed place that in
53:46
turn calms the mind. She doesn't do deep breathing exercise
53:51
in any particular time of day and She suggested keeping
53:54
it simple, consciously inhaling and exhaling while letting thoughts and
53:59
worries pass by without engaging with them. Gradually, these practices
54:04
train your brain to stress less about what could go
54:07
wrong and focus more on the present moment and six
54:12
lists the good things. When Yubomirski first heard about the
54:17
idea of keeping a gratitude journal, it sounded a kind
54:20
of hokey to her, but in many studies she saw
54:23
the remarkable benefits of being thankful. She started a file
54:27
on her commuter computer with a running list of good
54:31
things that happened and saw the results in her own life.
54:35
It's really powerful because not only does that feel good,
54:40
but reading them again is really wonderful. It changes how
54:43
you go through your week. Maybe I'm even creating more
54:47
good things so I can put them on my list.
54:50
She also makes a point of expressing appreciation to the
54:54
people in her life and thinking about experiences as she's
54:58
having them. It's literally stopping and smelling the roses when
55:04
I'm eating, focusing on how good it tastes and how
55:08
happy I feel. Enjoy music. Sometimes it's really simple, Urbimirsky said,
55:16
And I am going to say that I am thankful
55:19
for Radio I. I am also thankful that my son
55:23
Dan is here for the weekend. He's here for a funeral.
55:26
I've had three this weekend and one more tomorrow, and
55:30
I am going out of town to Dan's host for
55:34
next weekend. So I am gone this upcoming Thursday and
55:40
for Saturday.
55:41
Speaker 2: For the next two.
55:42
Speaker 1: Weeks, we will be driving up and spending some time
55:46
doing a road trip and heading to Massachusetts. So I
55:51
am thankful for so so many things in my life.
55:55
And it isn't hard to just say thank you Lord
55:59
for what goes on in my world, because I am
56:03
so lucky.
56:05
Speaker 2: I am so lucky.
56:07
Speaker 1: And Dan and Gary are out in the garage cleaning
56:11
it out. Bless his heart before he goes to do
56:14
what he needs to do. We also have a graduation
56:18
event today before church tomorrow, and we will be leaving
56:23
from the funeral tomorrow heading north and east. So with that,
56:29
have a wonderful day. Please continue listening to RADIOI and
56:36
I will be back in two plus weeks.
56:39
Speaker 2: Take care, Bye.