Good morning. We're covering corruption in Ukraine and another mass shooting in California. |
 | | No issue is more critical for Ukraine than the billions of dollars and advanced weaponry provided by Western allies.Nicole Tung for The New York Times |
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A corruption scandal in Ukraine |
There was no sign that the scandal involved the misappropriation of Western military assistance, which is essential for Ukraine's continued survival. But even a whiff of malfeasance could slow aid. The move suggested an effort by Zelensky to clean house and reassure allies that his government would show zero tolerance for graft. |
The firings followed a number of allegations of corruption — including reports that Ukraine's military had agreed to pay inflated prices for food meant for its troops — and general bad behavior. But Ukraine's cabinet ministry, which announced the firings on Telegram, provided no details about specific reasons. |
Zelensky said he hoped that punishment would be taken as a "signal to all those whose actions or behavior violate the principle of justice," and added: "There will be no return to what used to be in the past." |
Details: A deputy defense minister was fired, as was a deputy prosecutor general who took a wartime vacation to Spain. A senior official in Zelensky's office also resigned after he was criticized for using an SUV that was donated for humanitarian missions. |
 | | "Tragedy upon tragedy," the governor of California tweeted yesterday.Jim Wilson/The New York Times |
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Another mass shooting in California |
The cases, which bracketed celebration of the Lunar New Year, claimed the lives largely of immigrant victims: Asian Americans in their 50s, 60s and 70s in Monterey Park, a thriving Chinese American suburb of Los Angeles, and Asian and Latino agricultural workers around Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco. |
The suspects were immigrant Asian men in their 60s and 70s — a rare age bracket for assailants in mass shootings. In Half Moon Bay, officials said the 66-year-old suspect, who was taken into custody "without incident," may have been targeting his co-workers. And in Monterey Park, police are still looking for a motive. The gunman targeted a dance hall he knew well. |
 | | Chris Hipkins, 44, has an unpolished everyman persona and a Mr. Fix-It reputation. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images |
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Hipkins distances himself from Ardern |
He's trying to rebrand the Labour Party and appeal to centrist, middle-class voters who have cooled on Ardern and her leftist policies. In one example, he seems to prefer calling the country New Zealand, as opposed to Aotearoa, the Maori name favored by Ardern. |
"I supported Jacinda Ardern as our prime minister, I think she did an amazing job," he said. "But look: We're different people, and we'll have a different style." |
Analysis: Hipkins was a top architect of the Ardern government's key policies and its stringent Covid response. But he has a scrappier and more combative style. Those traits, and his reputation as a practical figure capable of hard work, could resonate with voters outside of cities. |
- The U.S. sued Google, accusing it of illegally abusing a monopoly over the technology behind online advertising.
- Aides to Mike Pence found classified documents at his home in Indiana last week, one of his advisers said.
- Health officials proposed offering new Covid-19 booster shots each fall, a strategy long employed against the flu.
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 | | Chinese developers ran out of money amid a crackdown on excessive debt and a slowing economy. Qilai Shen for The New York Times |
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Hundreds of thousands of Chinese people poured their life savings into apartments that were still under construction. But then, China's decades-long real estate boom came to a sudden halt. |
 | | From left, Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan in "Everything Everywhere All at Once."Allyson Riggs/A24, via Associated Press |
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In a year when moviegoers returned en masse to big-budget spectacles — and skipped nearly everything else — Oscar voters yesterday spread nominations remarkably far and wide. |
In some ways, the spread reflected the jumbled state of Hollywood. Movies from streaming services were hot for the last few years, and then not. Studios are unsure about how many films to release in theaters and no one knows whether anything besides superheroes, sequels or horror can succeed. Widening the aperture of films nominated for best picture could also help the Oscar ceremony, which needs a real boost after years of flagging ratings. |
 | | David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. |
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"Cobalt Red" exposes the horrors of mining the cobalt that is used in our smartphones. |
Here's why weather changes can worsen pain from old injuries. |
Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Like a tired baby (five letters). |
That's it for today's briefing. See you next time. — Amelia |
P.S. My colleague David Dunlap explained how The Times keeps reporters safe when they cover deadly viruses. |
"The Daily" is on the classified documents found in President Biden's home. |
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