John,

We are back with news updates from around the world this week, so let’s get into it folks.

Starting off with the ongoing attack on Ukraine: Putin is moving forward with his power-hungry annexation of four Ukrainian regions. The annexation, which amounts to 15% of Ukraine, has been rejected and condemned by a majority of the World’s countries, as well as those close to Russia.

While Ukraine has steadily made gains against the Russian forces, it is still unclear what the totality of the damage to Ukrainian communities is going to be in the coming weeks. Putin is unhinged, and who knows what he might resort to salvage his failed war of aggression.

One survivor of a recent attack spoke of a harrowing ordeal where Russian missiles targeted a convoy intent on rescuing family members and delivering humanitarian aid.

In the Middle East:  The Iranian regime continues its assault on the protestors who demand answers for the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian state reporting indicates that over 40 people have been killed, while over a thousand have been arrested in response to the protests.

This ruthless crackdown is on full display thanks to videos on social media describing the attacks and even threats of rape against the protestors.

Try as these authoritarian thugs might, state-sanctioned brutality will always fail in the long run. You can’t beat the truth out of people. It didn’t work in the U.S. after the murder of George Floyd, and it won’t work here.

In Africa: A sudden spike in Ebola has Uganda under close watch by the WHO. As of this video, more than 31 cases have been reported. Thirty-something cases may not seem like much, but it is concerning considering the fatality rate and how alarmingly fast this virus can spread. 

In India: The Supreme Court has ruled that unmarried women are now legally allowed to seek an abortion up to 24 weeks into gestation. The ruling comes after much debate on an earlier ruling in 2021 that excluded single women from the scope of the ruling. This progress is now a global trend in EXPANDING the rights to reproductive healthcare, while we are in the process of sliding backward.

And now, we come on back home to the US and to the state of Florida, which has been devastated by Hurricane Ian.

While the full scope of death and devastation will not be known for weeks, it is being reported that over 700 people have been rescued from certain areas in the hardest hit regions. More than 2 million homes were without power following the hurricane’s landfall on Wednesday. It’s also been stated that this could very well be the most deadly storm to hit the coast in recent history.

Both Puerto Rico and Cuba are also reeling from recent hurricanes. All this devastation and there are still a full two months left in the Atlantic hurricane season. With climate change advancing, it’s likely that the frequency of these monster storms will increase while hurricane seasons get longer. Another reason why we need to take climate change seriously.  

NOAA, as of May of this year, is predicting an “above-normal” season for the Atlantic, which calls for more support, infrastructure, and timely planning for those that may find themselves in the paths of these storms.  

Tune in weekly as we recap the latest news from around the world and join us on our social media pages for more updates. To support this newsletter and No Dem Left Behind's mission to flip red votes blue across America's heartland - consider contributing a small donation:

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- Major Richard Ojeda USA (Ret.)