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The world seems to have suddenly awakened to the fact that we are in a proxy war with Russia. President Zelensky of Ukraine, in trying to save his own country, has been the front runner to alert us that we might be next.

Al Capone. Back in the Roaring 20s, hearing that name could send shivers down your spine! Capone was Chicago’s most infamous prohibition-era crime boss. He was best known for his violence and ruthlessness in eliminating his rivals. Besides taking down seven rival gang members in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, he was not above killing on a more personal nature.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a gas rebate proposal last month to tackle California’s high gas prices. Under the proposal, all vehicle owners with cars registered in the state would receive a $400 debit card mailed directly to their homes, with those owning multiple cars receiving $800. If adopted, this proposal would disproportionately benefit wealthy Californians.

The phone rings. Your child has the flu and has thrown up all over the sofa, and someone just rang your doorbell. You have a stack of books begging to be read, you still haven’t caught up with your emails, and your son needs to be dropped off at soccer practice. It’s really hard to remain focused these days, isn’t it?! Our lives are filled with the urgent, and we seem to have little to no time for the eternal and issues that really matter. It’s like a hippo in a garden - hard to see what truly matters with a large herbivorous creature taking front and center!

Communities in lower-income U.S. counties suffered twice the COVID-19 death rate of wealthier American counties according to a new Poor People’s Pandemic Report, writes Ed Pilkington at The Guardian.