Hard Numbers: Measles returns to US, Finland remains happy, Ukraine ramps up drone-making, Italian PM seeks damages in deepfake porn case, Biden announces major climate regulation
>58: We love a good comeback story — just not this one. Cases of measles, which is a (checks notes) preventable disease, are rising in the US, thanks largely to unvaccinated travelers. The CDC has already tallied more cases of measles in the US this year than the 58 recorded throughout 2023 (full data will be released in the coming days). Though measles is highly contagious, it’s not expected to spread across the country, but the CDC is encouraging folks to stay up to date on their immunizations.
7: Are saunas and reindeer the key to a happy life? The annual World Happiness Report was released Wednesday, coinciding with the International Day of Happiness. For the seventh year in a row, Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country. Meanwhile, the US dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the report was first launched over a decade ago – to No. 23, down eight spots from 2023.
2 million: Ukraine says it could make up to two million drones a year — if its Western pals provide more funding. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister for digital transformation, says the country is already on track to produce over a million drones this year. Drones have played a major role on the battlefield in Ukraine, and Kyiv has frequently used them to launch strikes against targets in Russia. Kyiv sees domestic manufacturing as crucial to its war effort, but it’s facing financial hurdles, and internal disputes in Western countries are holding up much-needed aid.
100,000: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seeking damages to the tune of €100,000 ($109,000) in a defamation case linked to deepfake pornographic videos of her that were uploaded online. Two men are under investigation over the videos, which were viewed millions of times. Meloni’s legal team says that if their pursuit of damages is successful then the Italian leader will donate the money to a fund supporting female victims of male violence.
56: President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a major new regulation to curb climate change that aims to ensure a majority of vehicles in the US (56%) are all-electric or hybrids by 2032. The ambitious rule increasingly restricts levels of pollution allowed from tailpipes each year. The EPA says the regulation will prevent more than seven billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere over the next three decades.