Ukraine nuclear tensions spike with US radiation detector ready
Concerns intensified that a Russian-occupied nuclear reactor in southern Ukraine could be the target of fresh attacks as Kyiv and Moscow traded barbs over the potential of a radiological incident.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reinforced a warning overnight that Russia may be planning to sabotage the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which Moscow’s forces have occupied since the start of the war. The Kremlin responded Wednesday that the government in Kyiv is planning a provocation.
“We have information from our intelligence that Russian troops have placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units” at Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address to the nation. The objects may also be used to “simulate” an attack, he said.
Inspectors from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency have reported that they’ve seen no evidence of anti-personnel mines installed within the plant’s grounds that could endanger reactor safety. IAEA monitors at the facility continue to monitor the situation, a spokesperson said.
The nuclear plant, the largest in Europe, has been the target of artillery, drone and rocket attacks on and off for more than a year, with Ukrainian and Russian official blaming each other for the strikes. U.N. monitors were installed at Zaporizhzhia in September in order to assess risks.
—Bloomberg News
How much did DeSantis make off his book deal?
Ron DeSantis is a millionaire for the first time, according to newly released financial disclosure forms that show the Florida governor made $1.25 million from his book deal last year.
DeSantis, who was required by state law to disclose his finances by July 3, reported the income from HarperCollins alongside his salary of $141,400 from the Florida governorship.
As of Dec. 31 of last year, his net worth was $1,174,331, according to the financial disclosure form. The governor also had $18,628 in outstanding student loans.
The new disclosure shows that DeSantis more than tripled his net worth over the last year. In December 2021, DeSantis reported a net worth of $318,986 and his only liability was a student loan balance of $21,284, according to his a form detailing his 2021 finances.
When DeSantis came into office, his 2018 financial disclosure forms showed he was worth $283,604. His book, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,” marked a turning point for the governor’s finances.
—McClatchy Washington Bureau
Wind farm off NJ coast wins Biden’s approval
The Biden administration on Wednesday approved Orsted A/S’s Ocean Wind 1 project, setting the stage for installation of as many as 98 turbines in waters off New Jersey over the opposition of some local residents.
The approval represents the third commercial-scale project of its kind in federal waters to win the U.S. government’s backing — all under President Joe Biden — and another step toward his goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland called the authorization “another milestone in our efforts to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation.”
Under the Interior Department’s approval, as many as 98 turbines and three offshore substations could be installed about 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, with power cables coming ashore in Ocean County and Cape May County. According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the project is estimated to have a generating capacity of 1.1 gigawatts, capable of powering more than 380,000 homes.
—Bloomberg News
Georgia becomes a top state for early voting turnout
More Georgia voters cast their ballots in person before Election Day than any other state except Texas during the 2022 midterms, according to a new report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Early voting continued to gain popularity in Georgia while absentee voting dropped to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels last year, with 58% of voters participating during the three weeks ahead of Election Day. About 36% of voters went to the polls on Election Day, and 6% returned mail-in ballots.
The number of early voters in Georgia has steadily increased over the years, according to the Election Administration and Voting Survey 2022 Comprehensive Report published Thursday. During the 2018 election, six states had higher early voting rates than Georgia, where 48% of people voted early in person.
Nationwide, Election Day voting remains the most popular way of casting a ballot. About 49% of Americans voted on Election Day, 22% participated in person beforehand, and 29% returned mail ballots.
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
