Dr. Dr. Janice Brahney : Thousands of tons of microplastic falling from the sky

Dr. Dr. Janice Brahney : Microplastics blowing to some of the most remote parts of the nation

After a secrecy-shrouded visit to Kyiv, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is committed to winning his country’s fight against Russia and that the U.S. will help him achieve that goal.

Beijing is enforcing mass testing and closing down access to neighborhoods as it seeks to contain a new COVID-19 outbreak. Despite the mandate, public transport is largely keeping to normal schedules and roads are packed with commuters in China's capital. apne.ws/8JOrIOV

What do we know about the new omicron mutant? It's a descendent of the earlier super-contagious “stealth omicron” and has quickly gained ground in the United States. apne.ws/HtdpMhk

Spectators at Space View Park cheered as a SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center early Wednesday morning. The rocket was carrying four NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. apne.ws/WnzE5SP

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The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director-general says the level of safety at Europe’s largest nuclear plant, currently under Russian occupation in Ukraine, is like a “red light blinking” as his organization tries in vain to get access for work including repairs.

New York City passed one of the nation’s most far-reaching requirements for employers to tell job-seekers what they can make. “Pay transparency” laws are championed as giving applicants, particularly women and people of color, a better shot at fair pay. apne.ws/a3gkOlc

Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief CEO, says nonprofits are adjusting to aid Ukraine: "[In] an earthquake, people immediately pull together... Here, the capacity is getting worse because hospitals keep getting bombed. There’s targeting of the infrastructure." apnews.com/article/russia…

A massive drought-starved reservoir on the Colorado River has become so depleted that Las Vegas now is pumping water from deeper within Lake Mead where other states downstream don't have access. apne.ws/i39abp2

“Where did those kids go?” Public school systems are starting to feel the pinch from enrollment losses tied to the pandemic. School funding, partially driven by headcounts, is down sharply because families are opting for homeschooling and private schools. apne.ws/6kzAMpC

. Jeanne Marrazzo : ‘We have a big scare on our hands with the emergence of Omicron’  bit.ly/3EFAasr

. Jeanne Marrazzo : mRNA vaccines enter body’s protein factory, spit out spike proteins to make antibodies bit.ly/3sMDUG7

Vaxart founder: COVID vaccine pill ‘produces a broader immune response than injected vaccines’ bit.ly/31izQCs

Amid the horrors that have unfolded in Ukraine, the Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol stands out as the single deadliest known attack against civilians to date. An The Associated Press investigation finds that the attack was far deadlier than initially estimated. apne.ws/Cq49t6F

The fight for Congress often dominates midterm elections. But the stunning revelation that the Supreme Court may soon overturn its landmark decision on abortion rights has thrust candidates for governor into the forefront of the 2022 midterm debate. apne.ws/Nal7X0A

. Rep. Debbie Dingell : Flint water issues being addressed, now other cities saying don’t drink the tap water bit.ly/34TV9LL

Axios’ Andrew Freedman : Climate change fueling megadrought in the west bit.ly/3rNcr6C

. Rep. Debbie Dingell : ‘We have a right to expect that we are drinking safe water’ bit.ly/3GSFn1m