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No, it’s not a storyline from “The Americans.”
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Photo: Ramon Espinosa / AP
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1. Russia may be linked to cases of mysterious Havana syndrome
The mysterious ailment known as Havana syndrome may be connected to the use of directed energy weapons by Russian military intelligence, according to a new report released on Sunday.
In their joint yearlong probe, investigators from The Insider, 60 Minutes, and Der Spiegel were able to identify covert operators from Russia’s GRU Unit 29155 at the scene of “anomalous health incidents,” as the U.S. refers to cases of Havana syndrome, just before or when they occurred.
The investigation also found that members of Unit 29155 received awards or promotions for work related to developing “non-lethal acoustic weapons.”
Havana syndrome has affected more than 100 U.S. spies and diplomats around the world. Victims have reported incidents of being hit suddenly by vertigo and/or an intense sound and pressure in their ears or head followed by memory problems, headaches, and trouble concentrating.
The ailment is called Havana syndrome because the first reported case occurred in Cuba’s capital city, in 2016. But this most recent report contends there were likely attacks two years before that, in Frankfurt, Germany.
On Monday, the Kremlin dismissed the report, saying Havana syndrome has been “exaggerated in the press.”
Just over a year ago, U.S. intelligence agencies said that foreign adversaries were “very unlikely” to be responsible for the ailment.
Related: Watch interviews with victims of Havana syndrome from Sunday’s 60 Minutes.
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2. Israeli parliament passes bill that would allow ban of Al Jazeera
The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, ratified a law Monday evening that would give senior government officials the power to shutter local operations of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera and of other foreign news outlets deemed to be a security risk.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X he would “act immediately” to ban the “terrorist channel” in Israel while the war in Gaza continues. Al Jazeera has accused Israel of systematically targeting its offices and journalists.
Last year, over 70% of journalists killed around the world were Palestinian reporters who died in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The law’s ratification comes after tens of thousands of protesters began a four-day demonstration outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday, calling for Netanyahu to resign. The protesters contend that Netanyahu is prioritizing his own political future over the interests of the Israeli people.
In other Israel-Gaza news:
- Israeli officials confirmed on Monday that they killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in Damascus.
- The Israel Defense Forces withdrew from Al-Shifa hospital after a two-week raid, leaving at least 300 dead bodies scattered across the destroyed complex, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
- On Friday, President Joe Biden recognized April as Arab American Heritage Month, saying, “The trauma, death, and destruction in Israel and Gaza have claimed, and continue to claim, far too many innocent lives.”
- The same day, The Washington Post reported the Biden administration had in recent days quietly approved the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and jets to Israel.
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3. The world’s highest, and lowest, minimum wages
California’s new $20 minimum wage for fast food workers went into effect on Monday. The state’s Democrats passed the law last year, partly to recognize that many of the more than half a million people who work in California’s fast-food industry are adults working to support families, not teenagers simply earning spending money.
The new rate is far higher than the United States’ national minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, though it’s worth noting that many states have set their own minimums at a rate closer to California’s — with the District of Columbia ($17/hour) and Washington state ($16.28) having the highest.
You can check your state’s minimum wage on the U.S. Department of Labor website.
A number of countries — like Luxembourg and the U.K. — offer a sliding scale of pay based on employees’ age, with older workers earning more. Others like Finland and Italy don’t have federal minimum wages, but instead set minimums in negotiated union contracts.
California’s new fast-food minimum wage (which works out to about $3,200/month for full-time employees) compares favorably with some of the highest minimums worldwide:
- Luxembourg ($3,357/month)
- the Netherlands ($2,425/month)
- Germany ($2,269/month)
- New Zealand ($2,335/month)
Compare these minimum wages with those in India ($45/month), Nigeria ($76/month), and Uzbekistan ($80/month), some of the lowest in the world.
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In other news, global election edition
- On Monday, an Indian court placed a top opposition leader in judicial detention just weeks before the country’s elections begin on April 19. Opposition party officials say the move is part of a crackdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his rivals. [Associated Press]
- Over the weekend, Turkey’s opposition party beat President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party in nationwide local elections, marking Edrogan’s worst defeat since taking power over 20 years ago. [Reuters]
- Chinese accounts masquerading as American supporters of Donald Trump online are stoking conspiracy theories and attacking President Biden ahead of November’s election, according to a new report. [The New York Times]
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Say that again
“I’m not sure this is a movie that Japanese people should make a special effort to watch,” said a Hiroshima resident after seeing “Oppenheimer” on opening night in Japan.
“Oppenheimer” — which depicts the creation of the atomic bomb and won seven Oscars this year — finally opened in Japanese theaters this weekend, eight months after its U.S. release and amid much discussion over showing the film in the only country that’s suffered an atomic bombing. [Reuters]
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No army? No problem.
What if the $2.2 trillion spent on global defense last year were instead spent on ordinary citizens? Costa Rica shows what a military-less existence can look like.
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What we’re listening to
By most accounts, Brazilian soul singer Tim Maia was a wild, hard-living guy before his death in 1998 — he got kicked out of the U.S. for smoking pot in a stolen car, served time in prison back in Brazil, possibly had five wives, and joined a religious cult obsessed with UFOs at the height of his fame.
During that time, Maia also managed to record multiple soul and funk albums and tour extensively. For this gray day in Chicago, I’m going with Maia’s “Nobody Can Live Forever,” a mild — not wild — mood lifter with strong Charles Bradley vibes.
—Laura Adamczyk, staff writer
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you tomorrow.
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