Russia cuts off gas, Madeleine Albright's funeral, Oklahoma SCOTUS case: 5 things to know Wednesday
Russian gas giant says it has cut gas supplies to Poland, Bulgaria
Russia's state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom says it has cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after they refused Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to pay for the shipments in rubles. Gazprom said in a statement it hasn't received any payments since April 1 from Poland and Bulgaria and was suspending deliveries to them starting Wednesday. Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov said Wednesday that Bulgaria can meet the needs of users for at least one month and added that gas was still flowing. European Union officials are holding emergency gas talks following Russia's decision. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the announcement by Gazprom "is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail." If deliveries are halted to other countries, it could cause economic pain in Europe, driving natural gas prices up — but it would also deal a blow to Russia's own economy.
- Silenced by poison, bullets, jail: Navalny, Nemtsov and more Putin critics
- 'Ridiculous': Sen. Rand Paul's comments on Russia's invasion of Ukraine blasted as echoing Putin's propaganda
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Madeleine Albright memorialized at funeral; Biden to deliver eulogy
Funeral services will be held Wednesday for Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, who died of cancer last month at 84. President Joe Biden is slated to eulogize the trailblazing diplomat during the service held at Washington National Cathedral. Other speakers include former President Bill Clinton — under whom Albright served as secretary of state and ambassador to the United Nations — and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Musical performances from Herbie Hancock, Judy Collins and Chris Botti are also planned. Praised by admirers as a champion of democracy and human rights, Albright's diplomatic career saw her push for NATO expansion and the use of U.S. military intervention abroad. A livestream of Albright's funeral will begin at 11 a.m. ET.
- Madeleine Albright in her own words: On how she became secretary of state, speaking up as a woman and the importance of calling out wrongs
- Foreign policy history: Key moments in the Cold War, from the birth of NATO to the invasion of Ukraine
House members to look at high court ethics changes after Ginni Thomas' texts
A House panel will hold a hearing Wednesday on whether to change ethics requirements at the Supreme Court, a month after reports revealed Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, Ginni Thomas, texted a Trump administration official in early 2021 and urged him to overturn the 2020 election. Ginni Thomas' texts, along with her admission she attended former President Donald Trump's Jan. 6 speech before the violence erupted, renewed debate over ethics standards on the nation's highest court because Justice Thomas sided with Trump in a case where the former president was seeking to keep insurrection-related communication secret. The development once again sparked uproar about when Supreme Court justices should recuse themselves. The bills likely to come up at the hearing of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, would require justices to follow a binding code of ethics. The high court does not regard itself as legally bound to the code other federal judges follow.
- Previous coverage: House Jan. 6 panel discusses seeking testimony from Ginni Thomas about texts with Mark Meadows, but makes no decision
- Learn more: Who is Ginni Thomas? | Who is Associate Justice Clarence Thomas?
High court justices to hear Oklahoma appeal in state's battle with Native American groups
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in Oklahoma's ongoing battle with Native American tribes over the state's authority to prosecute people accused of crimes on Native American lands, following its 2020 decision in McGirt vs. Oklahoma, which led to most of eastern Oklahoma being affirmed as American Indian reservations. The state's appeal is in the case of Victor Castro-Huerta, who was charged with malnourishment of his 5-year-old stepdaughter. He was initially convicted in state court but that conviction was overturned because of the way the state courts interpreted the law in the aftermath of the McGirt ruling. Since the 2020 ruling, the Oklahoma attorney general's office has been fighting to retain jurisdiction over crimes committed by non-American Indians against Native Americans on those reservations. The decision meant that Oklahoma prosecutors lack the authority to pursue criminal cases against American Indian defendants in parts of Oklahoma that include most of Tulsa, the state's second-largest city.
- Department needs scores of staffers: DOJ warns of eastern Oklahoma crime surge in wake of McGirt decision
- Position taken: Biden administration urges justices to reject Oklahoma claim of jurisdiction
- Previous coverage from The Oklahoman: Massive spending bill includes more than $62 million to help tribes address McGirt ruling
Palms Las Vegas reopening after more than two years
The Las Vegas casino resort Palms has remained closed for more than two years, a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 shutdowns. That changes Wednesday night, when the property, about a mile west of Bellagio on Flamingo Road, reopens to the public. New offerings will include a refreshed casino floor with a new slot and table game layout, and the 14 movie theaters inside the resort have been redone with a new lobby and new reclining seats. With new ownership under the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Palms will be the first Las Vegas property to be owned and operated by a Native American tribe.
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Contributing: The Associated Press