The  War Room: Russia launched drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities overnight in what may have been retaliation after explosions above the Kremlin overnight Wednesday. Ukraine says its air defenses shot down drones and missiles aimed at Kyiv.

  Two flying drones exploded over the Kremlin dome overnight Tuesday and Russia claims it was a Ukrainian attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin, who they say was not in the building. Russia made the worrisome claim that they reserve the right to respond.

  “We will demand the use of weapons capable of stopping and destroying the Kyiv terrorist regime,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s lower house of Parliament.

  Russia said today that the Kremlin attack was directed by the US.

  The drones over the Kremlin produced relatively mild explosions. The Kremlin expressed outrage that the incident occurred within days of the May 9^th annual celebration of defeating the Nazis in World War II.

  “Russia reserves the right to respond to an attempted strike on the Kremlin where and when it sees fit,” the statement said.

  Ukraine denies any involvement with the incident and you have to be skeptical of anything the Russians say. Ukraine does not seem to have long range drones, and they would have had to evade Russian air defenses for hundreds of miles. If they did, it’s an embarrassment for Russia.

Econ 101: The federal reserve yesterday raised interest rates by .25 percent, the 10^th consecutive hike in 10 months, but they said this could be the last for now. But they also said they’ll be watching inflation to see whether they will need to crank up rates in the future.

The Shooting Gallery: After an hours-long hunt, police last night captured a man accused of shooting five women in a medical waiting room in downtown Atlanta, killing one of them. 

  Police say 24-year-old  Deion Patterson arrived with his mother before pulling out a handgun and shooting the women. The four survivors are in critical condition.

  Patterson’s mother told reporters that her son had been discharged from the Coast Guard and that he was having “some mental instability going on” from medication he received from Veterans Affairs. 

  In Texas, at least two additional people have been arrested and accused of helping the man charged with killing five neighbors with an assault rifle Friday night. They include Francisco Oropesa’s romantic partner, Divimara Lamar Nava, who is charged with hindering apprehension of the suspect. Police say she sheltered Oropesa, fed him, and tried to solicit help getting him back into Mexico. 

Ask E. Jean: Natasha Stoynoff, a former People magazine reporter, testified yesterday in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit how she went in 2005 to Mar-a-Lago to interview Donald Trump for the one-year anniversary of his marriage to Melania, only to have Trump push her against a wall in a closed room and start kissing her. She’s the second witness to describe a similar assault by Trump in Carroll’s rape and defamation trial.

 Trump’s lawyer at the end of the day said he’s presenting no defense and that the former president will not appear in the civil lawsuit.  In a video played in court Trump says, “It’s the most ridiculous, disgusting story. It was just made up.”

Working World: Two 10-year-old children were found working at a Louisville McDonald’s restaurant, sometimes until 2 am, the US Department of Labor said this week.

  Illegal child labor appears to be on the rise. The Labor Department also found three franchisees that own more than 60 McDonald’s in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio, that have “employed 305 children to work more than the legally permitted hours and perform tasks prohibited by law for young workers.” 

The Obit Page: Ralph Boston, the Olympic long jump champion who was the first to break the 27-foot mark, died Sunday at home in Peachtree City, Georgia, outside Atlanta. He was 83.

  In 1960 Boston was the first to break the 25-foot record of Jesse Owens, which had stood for 25 years.

  Boston broke or tied seven records in the 1960s. His personal best was 27 feet 5 inches. He won a gold medal in the Rome Olympics in 1960, silver in Tokyo in 1964, bronze in Mexico City in 1968.

  Boston once said he had wanted to play football but his mother didn’t like that and “In those days, Mama prevailed.”

The Spin Rack:  New York has become the first state in the country to ban the use of natural gas and other fossil fuels in most new buildings. The law bans gas-powered stoves, furnaces, and propane heating while encouraging the use of heat pumps and induction stoves in most new residential buildings. 

— Actor Jamie Foxx is still in the hospital more than three weeks after suffering what his family has described only as a “medical emergency.” They’ve put out a plea to “Pray for Jamie,” which doesn’t sound good. The 55-year-old starred in Ray, Just Mercy, Django Unchained, and other major movies.

Below the Fold: Kraft Foods, the purveyors of Velveeta faux cheese and Lunchables, is attempting to reinvigorate the reputation of the TV dinner with a line of frozen dishes called “Home Bake.”

  On the menu are pulled pork with barbecue sauce, meatballs, green bean casserole, and scalloped potatoes. Many of the items are loaded with cheese. Here are only about half the ingredients of their Mac and Cheese:

Cooked Enriched Macaroni Product (Water, Enriched Macaroni Product [Semolina Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid]), Sauce (Water, Half & Half [Milk, Cream], Pasteurized Process White Cheddar Cheese [Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Water, Sodium Phosphate, Milkfat, Salt], Cheese Sauce Mix [Whey, Milkfat, Salt, Milk Protein Concentrate, Sodium Triphosphate, Tapioca Flour, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, with Paprika, Turmeric, and Annatto Added for Color, Enzymes  ….. 

    Please consult your cardiologist before consuming.

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