THE BODIES of civilians reportedly bound and murdered by Russian troops in the Ukrainian city of Bucha (Wikipedia/Ukraine govt.)

As many as 10,000 civilians – and perhaps as many as 20,000 – have been killed in the Russian siege of Mariupol, a key port city in Ukraine that suffered massive damage and many casualties before the invaders relented.

According to the Associated Press, the city’s mayor – Vadym Boychenko – additionally said that Russians deliberately blocked humanitarian convoys bearing food and medical supplies. He also accused the invaders of systematic murder of civilians and the use of mobile crematoriums to burn the bodies and therefore conceal the atrocity.

The bodies of “large numbers” of dead civilians have been uncovered in the area around the capital city of Kyiv, found as the Russian invaders withdrew in defeat.

Biden seeks to curb “ghost guns”

President Joe Biden on Monday announced his selection to serve as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and rolled out a new rule aimed at curbing the growing use of so-called “ghost guns.”

According to United Press International, the new ATF director would be former U.S. Attorney Steve Dettelbach. The new policy would ban the manufacturing and sale of such “ghost gun” kits, which are assembled by the purchasers ands generally do not have a serial number, making them harder to trace.

Sports: Lakers down, Frank is out

FRANK VOGEL

After a dismal season, the Los Angeles Lakers lost no time Monday in firing coach Frank Vogel after three campaigns. The Lakers won the NBA title in 2020 and were respectable (42-30) last season, but tumbled to a 33-49 record this year and no place in the playoffs.

Possible replacement candidates include former Clippers coach Doc Rivers, now with the Philadelphia 76ers. See our comment about the change here: https://orangecountytribune.com/2022/04/11/frankly-its-not-all-his-fault/

Weather: Here comes the sun

Moderate temperatures and sunny skies are in the forecast for the West Orange County area for the coming week. Tuesday is predicted to have a daytime high of 73 (46 overnight), followed by a 72 on Wednesday (50 overnight).

It’s going to be a bit breezy, though, with winds up to 18 miles an hour on Tuesday, diminishing to 11 by Friday.

Business: Wall Street’s rough Monday

Worry about inflation – and especially higher interest rates – put the investment community in a slightly pessimistic mood on Monday. All three major stock indexes slid into the red. The Dow Jones Average fell 413.04 points to 34,308,08, while the S&P 500 closed down 75.75 points.

The biggest percentage drop – 2.18 percent – came with Nasdaq, which declined 299.04 points to 13,411.96.