Putin is using westerners in the Ukrainian army as hostages, employing his sock puppet regime, the "Donetsk People's Republic", to threaten to kill them.

If it goes ahead with this, those responsible, from Putin on down, should face charges of murder. In the mean time, it would be appropriate to send commando teams to seize officials involved in this hostage plot, so as to offer to trade them for the hostages.

*Weeks of heat above 100F will be the norm in much of US by 2053, study [predicts].*

Europe's wildfires have burned 2500 square miles so far this year, breaking the record.

Senator Warren has launched a Senate investigation of the danger that Republican abortion persecution poses to pregnant Americans, including those that do want to have a baby, and those that don't.

An assassin attacked Salman Rushdie with a knife as the latter was about to give a talk.

Rushdie is seriously injured, and may lose an eye. But he can still think, and still speak.