Ukraine: Thirty-four rebels and four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting to re-take the city of Sloviansk from pro-Russian gunmen. The fighting in Sloviansk has been the government’s biggest effort to reassert control in Eastern Ukraine as rebels control key buildings and areas in a dozen cities.

A military helicopter also was shot down. The interior minister said the rebels ambushed government forces and used heavy weapons, including mortars. The separatists also have armored vehicles.

The Ukraine government and the US say Russia is behind much of the unrest. The NY Times reports today that, in a further effort to isolate Russia, the Obama administration has pressured American energy and finance executives to skip an international economic forum hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Climate: Climate change is already affecting American lives and the effects “are expected to become increasingly disruptive across the nation throughout this century and beyond,” according to the National Climate Assessment released today. The 840-page report says it’s too late to reverse the worst effects. “Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present,” the report says. “Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington State and maple syrup producers in Vermont are all observing climate-related changes that are outside of recent experience.”

National: The death rate in Massachusetts dropped in the first four years after health insurance was made mandatory in that state in 2006, according to research from the Harvard School of Public Health. In each of those years 320 fewer people died than might previously have been expected. The health insurance law in particular curbed deaths by cancer, infections, heart disease and various ailments that can be treated. The Massachusetts insurance requirement, which was a model for Obamacare, was passed while former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was governor.

World: Boko Haram militants in Nigeria appear to have struck again, kidnapping eight more girls from a village. They are 12 to 15 years old. Global outrage is rising about a mass kidnapping last month in which 223 girls are still in captivity. The Nigerian government has appeared helpless to stop Boko Haram.

Bed Check: Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno and his wife Mavis were among protesters who marched yesterday outside the Beverly Hills Hotel in objection to the invocation of Sharia law in Brunei. Hollywood figures are cancelling events planned at the hotel. The BH and the Bel-Air Hotel both are owned by the Sultan of Brunei, who announced the institution of an Islamic criminal code that calls for stoning homosexuals and adulterers.

The Beverly Hills City Council is expected to vote today on a resolution condemning the Sultan’s actions and calling for him to sell the hotels.

Staff members from the hotel renown for its professional hospitality carried cookies and water to the protesters.

Sensitive Ears: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that bans profanity in movies, television shows, theater and other media. The law takes effect July 1. Books containing swear words will have to have a warning on the cover. This is bound to piss off a lot of people.

Naked Lunch: The entertainment website “The Wrap” reports that there’s a flood of pitches for naked dating shows following the success of Discovery’s “Naked and Afraid.” It’s “Survivor” in the wild for 21 days without clothes. The new pitches all present a twist on the age-old theme of “boy meets girl.” Instead of ending up naked, boy and girl start out naked.

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