Prologue Journal – Page 39211 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Former Silicon Valley Bank CEO says no bank could have survived what it faced

Washington Post Gregory Becker, the former chief executive officer of failed Silicon Valley Bank, plans to tell Congress on Tuesday that no bank could have survived its unprecedented deposit flight, which led to its closure by federal regulators and raised questions about the health of the U.S. financial system. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/15/silicon-valley-bank-hill-becker/

World Health Organization Warns Against Using Artificial Sweeteners

New York Times Continued consumption doesn’t reduce weight and could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults, the W.H.O. said on Monday. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/15/well/eat/sweeteners-weight-loss-who.html

Party People (Tuesday Crossword, May 16)

Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/party-people-tuesday-crossword-may-16-29428674

Russia dismisses report that Wagner boss offered to reveal troop positions

Washington Post Mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin lashed out at The Washington Post over a report on classified U.S. intelligence stating that offered to betray the Russian military if Kyiv withdrew from Bakhmut. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/yevgeniy-prigozhin-russia-ukraine-wagner/

Biden officials say border crossings down 50 percent since Title 42 lifted

Washington Post Officials from Homeland Security and other federal agencies described conditions at the southern border after the end of pandemic-era Title 42 rules for migrants https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/05/15/border-biden-title-42-migrants/

Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly’s Staffers Attacked With a Baseball Bat

Wall Street Journal The attacker went to the congressman’s Fairfax office and asked for him, the Democrat said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/virginia-rep-gerry-connollys-staffers-attacked-with-a-baseball-bat-ae2c6bb1

Kherson Oblast: Russians wound father and son in Lvove, and young man in Tryfonivka

Pravda Ukraine On 15 May, the Russian military fired at residential buildings in the village of Lvovo, Kherson Oblast, wounding a man and his 79-year-old father. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration on Telegram Quote from Prokudin: “The Russian army struck at the village of Lvovo in the Tiahynska hromada [an…

GOP rejected White House effort to close tax loopholes in debt ceiling talks

Washington Post Negotiations are stuck and time is running out, but Republicans have signaled that there cannot be any new tax hikes as part of a budget deal. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/15/debt-ceiling-negotiations-deadline-default/

Hungary blocks €500 billion from fund that provides arms for Ukraine

Pravda Ukraine Hungary has blocked the payment of the eighth package of €500 million from the European Peace Fund for weapons that EU member states are supplying to Ukraine. Source: ANSA referring to its source, reported by European Pravda Details: The €500 million package was due to be allocated next Monday, 22 May, but Budapest…

Two staffers in US House Democrat’s Virginia office attacked with baseball bat

Jerusalem Post https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-743159