The 7: Why millions of Americans aren’t looking for work; Russia’s retreat in Ukraine; a chaotic Internet masterpiece; and more

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

By Jamie Ross
with Tess Homan

Good morning. It's Tuesday, April 5, and we're flipping through this gallery of stunning photos from National Geographic photographers, which are being sold to help people affected by conflict. Now let's get to the news.

Where things stand: Russian forces have retreated from Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, and are probably moving to the critical Donbas region.
What this means: Russia appears to be revising its strategy but still wants to "weaken Ukraine as much as possible," U.S. officials said.
An increasing focus on war crimes: U.S. and Europe leaders promised to hold Russia accountable over civilian killings in Bucha, near Kyiv.

The latest: Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney yesterday became the second and third GOP senators to announce support for Ketanji Brown Jackson.
What it means: Jackson has a clear path to be confirmed as the Supreme Court's 116th justice — and its first Black woman.
What's next? A final confirmation vote could take place as soon as Thursday.

The key takeaway: The world needs to cut yearly greenhouse gas emissions almost in half in the next eight years to avoid catastrophic global warming.
Is this possible? Yes, but it would require drastic changes, like speeding up the switch to renewable energy, making buildings more efficient and more.
About the report: It's the third in a series. The first two covered the science of climate change and the growing impact of climate disasters.

What happened? Six people were killed and at least 12 injured in the city's downtown nightclub district early Sunday morning. The motive remains unclear.
The latest: Dandrae Martin, 26, was arrested as a "related suspect" yesterday and charged with assault and illegal possession of a firearm. Officials said there were at least two shooters.

It's the second-largest factor keeping people — at least 6.6 million as of last month — out of the workforce right now. (The No. 1 reason is early retirement.)
Why? A shortage of health-care workers and other factors forced many people, often women, to take charge of caring for aging parents and others during the pandemic.

The game: The Jayhawks pulled off the biggest comeback in championship game history, beating North Carolina 72-69 after scoring 47 points in a thrilling second half.
The capper: David McCormack hit two crucial baskets in the final 81 seconds to give Kansas the lead for good.

The rules: Reddit's r/Place project, an April Fools' experiment that ended last night, was an open digital canvas where each user could post one pixel every five minutes.
What it looks like: Different fandoms worked together to keep or grow their contributions. The result is a 72 million-pixel collage including a Ukrainian flag, a marijuana leaf and, momentarily, a big, black blob.

You're all caught up. See you tomorrow.

But before you go … if you're curious about trying to live more sustainably: Here's what a week in the life of an environmental educator looks like.