Category: US

AGE 13 AND YOUNGER IS ‘TOO EARLY’ FOR KIDS TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SURGEON GENERAL ADMITS

Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade and Dr. Drew Pinsky discussed the increase of bullying in schools that has been exacerbated by social media on “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade.”

Kilmeade highlighted a study showing that teenagers who spend less time online have better mental health.

He asked whether the increase in bullying “everywhere” is due to phones and cameras or if it is possible that people are becoming “more cruel.”

“It’s really hard to tell,” Pinsky said.

“We don’t know, are the algorithms serving this stuff up to us because we looked at it once, or is this really happening? My suspicion is it’s really happening. It is sad. If someone is manifesting that kind of aggression, they have to be dealt with a high degree of containment to help them — not to hurt the individual, to help them,” he said. “You’re not allowed to ask anything of anybody, so you can’t tell an addict, for instance, who’s dying of their progressive disease to come with me, or don’t sleep there, or maybe you might want to try something else. You can’t say anything to anybody, and that harms people so much.”

In another study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that from 2011 to 2021, the percentage of teenage girls feeling sad or hopeless had increased from 36% to 57%, while the percentage for teenage boys had increased from 21% to 29%.

Congress is also trying to address the suspected correlation between one’s mental health and social media use.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2011 to 2021 the number of teenage girls feeling sad or hopeless has increased.

GOP BILL BANS KIDS UNDER 16 FROM SOCIAL MEDIA TO SAVE THEM FROM DANGEROUS ‘EMOTIONAL DISTRESSES’

Earlier in February, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing called “Protecting Our Children Online” on kids’ online safety.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., pledged to “act swiftly” to address “Big Tech’s ongoing harms to kids.”

Pinsky agreed that one’s “mental health is enhanced” with a reduction of screen time.

“I think within 10 years we will look at these things — these phones right here with me in front of the desk — the way we looked at tobacco at one time in the past,” he said.

Kilmeade asked Pinsky where he stood on Sen. Josh Hawley’s, R-Mo., proposed legislation focused on safeguarding minors on social media platforms.

“I have lots of friends that actually specialize in screens for adolescents, and they all do the same thing with their kids,” Pinsky said. “Limit [social media use] to an hour, max two hours a day.”

The proposed legislation by Hawley would implement a minimum age requirement of 16 for social media users.

Christopher Lopez is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital. He joined Fox News in 2021.

Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury: How to watch and what you need to know

February 26, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
—

In boxing, there is often no love lost between fighters. Whether that manifests in a weigh-in scuffle or a war of words beforehand, intense rivalries have been commonplace over the years. The sport’s newest rivalry has a very modern edge to it.

In one corner, we have a former internet star. A man who made his name on YouTube and through his music, before turning his hand to boxing.

In the other, a reality TV star and one of the younger brothers of one of the most successful boxers of all time.

Sunday’s fight between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury is one of the most hotly anticipated in the sport’s modern history – not necessarily because of their relative qualities, but because of the bad blood between the two.

Even at the weigh-in, the day before the fight, Paul and Fury had to be pulled apart as they almost came to blows just facing one another.

After years of antagonistic exchanges, Paul and Fury will finally exchange blows in the ring in Saudi Arabia this weekend and perhaps change the future of the sport itself.

Paul and Fury clash during their press conference.

The pair will trade blows on Sunday at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia as they headline of the evening’s fight card.

The card will get underway at 2 p.m. ET (10 p.m. local time), with the eight-round cruiserweight bout scheduled to start at about 5 p.m. ET (1 a.m. local time).

Here’s where you can watch Paul and Fury battle it out:

Australia: Kayo

Canada: DAZN

Brazil: DAZN

UK: BT Sport

US: ESPN+

Sunday’s fight has been years in the making.

The two have been scheduled to fight twice before. Fury pulled out of the first, citing a broken rib and a bacterial chest infection, and for the second Fury was denied a visa to face Paul in the US.

The two fighters have had different journeys to get to this point.

Fury has boxing in his blood. As the brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and the son of a former fighter, a career in the sport was always likely.

After a brief stint on the UK reality TV show ‘Love Island,’ the 23-year-old Fury has turned all his focus onto boxing and has begun his burgeoning career with an undefeated, eight-win start; although critics would say the opponents have not been tough.

Paul only began boxing in 2018, but has since gone on to record six wins – including four knockouts – against a variety of sporting names, including victories against MMA world champions Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.

What began as seemingly a money-driven decision – having seen the huge purses boxers can earn, even in exhibition fights – has turned into a full-blown career change for Paul. Fury, however, will be the first professional boxer he will have faced.

Should he perform well, or even beat Fury, the boxing community may start to take him more seriously.

“In terms of what it means for my career, he’s a professional boxer and we’re in the sport of boxing,” Paul told BT Sport earlier this month.

Paul fights Tyron Woodley in their cruiserweight bout.

“The build-up has been years and years in the making. It’s almost like we’ve gotten three press tours with this fight because we’ve been trying to make it happen for so long, so there’s so much media out there, so many people want to see it.

“It’s country vs. country, it’s the Paul family name vs. the Fury family name.”

It is also a massive fight for Fury – who has not fought since beating Daniel Bocianski in April – as he has for years had to live in the shadow of his brother and also faced criticism for not achieving more in the sport to date.

“This is a massive event, a lot of people think this is going to be a really hard, really close fight,” Fury told BT Sport.

“But, at the end of the day, it’s a big event because one man is a superstar on the internet and the other man is a legitimate boxer and people want to see [Paul] go up against one.

“That’s all it is in my eyes. In my eyes it’s fight number nine, another journeyman to knock out.”

Fury fights Anthony Taylor in their Cruiserweight bout at Rocket Morgage Fieldhouse on August 29, 2021.

Internet personalities taking up boxing has come a long way in the last five years.

Ever since the first fights involving YouTube stars KSI and Joe Weller back in 2017, people from all walks of life – from TikTok to music – have slipped on the gloves and stepped into the ring, with the exhibition demographic of the sport growing rapidly.

As the sport’s newcomers have improved and taken the craft more seriously, some of boxing’s traditional devotees have begun to be won over.

Former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton said that at first the Paul vs. Fury fight did grate, but that he has come to understand the appeal of the event.

Paul and Fury face off during their press conference.

“At the very, very start, I was kind of like: ‘What is this?’ And as a boxer who’s dedicated his life to the sport,” Frampton told the BBC, “if I’m being honest, it did annoy me at little bit at the start that these guys were getting so much attention.

“But I understand it now and I can see why there is such an appeal.”

In an unprecedented event, the World Boxing Council – one of boxing’s four major organizations – announced the winner of the fight will receive a top 40 cruiserweight ranking.

That is a decision which has been criticized by members of the boxing fraternity, but gives the fight a legitimacy that many such bouts have previously lacked.

A special commemorative belt has been created by the WBC. The Diriyah Belt will be awarded to the victor, with the WBC saying that the fight “continues to support the growth of our sport by attracting thousands of new viewers.”

The pre-fight press conference was full of barbs, with Fury predicting he’d knock Paul out in four rounds and Paul saying he is there to “silence the critics.”

Paul and Fury hold the Diriyah Belt during their press conference.

In fact, the whole fight was given another edge to it when Paul made a double or nothing bet with Fury in the press conference, saying he would give Fury all of his earnings if he loses. But, if Paul was to win, he would take all of the money.

Although Fury himself didn’t shake on the deal, Fury’s father and trainer John seemed to agree on it.

For both fighters, this fight could prove a huge springboard – both in the ring and out – to a successful boxing career.

Biden admin to limit telehealth prescriptions for some controlled drugs

NEW YORK NURSE ACCUSED OF SLAMMING BABY ONTO BASSINET FIRED, UNDER INVESTIGATION

The Biden administration is moving to require patients to be evaluated by a physician in person before receiving prescriptions for some controlled medications, including Adderall and OxyContin.

The proposal would reverse a policy enacted during the coronavirus pandemic that allowed doctors to prescribe these medications through telehealth appointments. The move will make it more difficult for Americans to access some drugs used for treating pain and mental health disorders.

The Drug Enforcement Administration announced the proposed rules on Friday, which state that telehealth flexibilities will be extended for common, non-controlled medications but schedule II medications and narcotics will be prohibited without an in-person appointment.

Patients must visit a doctor in person at least once to receive an initial prescription for drugs the federal government believes have the highest potential for abuse, including Vicodin, OxyContin, Adderall and Ritalin. Refills for these medications could still be prescribed over telehealth appointments.

OxyContin pills are arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vermont. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Doctors will only be able to prescribe controlled medications like Ambien and Xanaxas, as well as medications used to treat opioid addiction, for 30 days. Any refills for these drugs will require an in-person evaluation.

The rules aim to maintain expanded access to telehealth, which has been crucial for millions of patients, particularly those living in rural areas, while also balancing safety.

“DEA is committed to ensuring that all Americans can access needed medications,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement. “The permanent expansion of telemedicine flexibilities would continue greater access to care for patients across the country while ensuring the safety of patients. DEA is committed to the expansion of telemedicine with guardrails that prevent the online overprescribing of controlled medications that can cause harm.”

The move comes amid an ongoing opioid crisis and a growing number of overdose deaths from controlled medications such as fentanyl.

Adderall XR capsules are displayed in front of a medicine bottle. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

The DEA said the proposed telemedicine rules will advance its goal of expanding access to medication for opioid use disorder to anyone in the country who needs it.

“Medication for opioid use disorder helps those who are fighting to overcome substance use disorder by helping people achieve and sustain recovery and also prevent drug poisonings,” Milgram said. “The telemedicine regulations would continue to expand access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder.”

U.S. overdose deaths reached a record in 2021, and about three-quarters of those were from opioids. But the death toll from synthetic opioids like fentanyl far exceeded those related to prescription drugs that same year, according to Centers for Disease Control data. Fentanyl is increasingly present in the black market, as the pills are often pressed into fake prescription pills or mixed into other drugs.

FACE MASKS MADE ‘LITTLE TO NO DIFFERENCE’ IN PREVENTING SPREAD OF COVID, SCIENTIFIC REVIEW FINDS

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram speaks at a press conference. (Getty)

Several states have already moved to restore limitations for telehealth care. As of October, nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., had ended emergency pandemic declarations making it easier for doctors to see patients in other states.

The proposed rules come after startups in the telehealth industry launched in recent years to treat and prescribe medications for mental health or attention deficit disorders. The industry and people with difficulty accessing in-person care have largely benefitted from the pandemic-era policy.

The new rules are expected to be in place before the COVID-19 public health emergency expires on May 11.

Armed group has released its last three hostages in Papua New Guinea, says prime minister

February 26, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
—

A group of hostages being held for ransom by armed criminals in a remote region of Papua New Guinea have all now been freed, the country’s Prime Minister James Marape said Sunday.

“We apologize to the families of those taken as hostages for ransom, it took us a while but the last three have been successfully returned through covert operations with no (ransom) paid,” Marape wrote in a Facebook post.

A group of four hostages, which included foreign citizens and local guides, had been captured by a group of heavily armed men described by national police on Monday as “opportunists”, but one of them – a woman – was freed on Wednesday.

In a tweet on Sunday, New Zealand’s foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta welcomed the release of the group, which included a New Zealander who is a professor at an Australian university.

PNG Police Commissioner David Manning had previously said the hostage-takers had spotted the group “by chance” and taken them into the bush.

“These are opportunists that have obviously not thought this situation through before they acted, and have been asking for cash to be paid,” Manning said.

Papua New Guinea, a Pacific nation of more than 9 million people, shares an island with the restive Indonesian region of Papua.

In a separate incident earlier this month, a New Zealand pilot was taken hostage by separatist fighters in Papua. Identified by local police as Philip Mehrtens, the pilot was captured after landing a commercial Susi Air charter flight at Paro Airport in the remote highlands of the Nduga regency.

The group previously demanded that all incoming flights to Paro Airport be stopped and said the pilot would not be released until the Indonesian government acknowledged Papuan independence.

New York nurse accused of slamming baby onto bassinet fired, under investigation

DOCTORS URGE NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE NEW ABORTION LIMITS

A nurse in New York who was caught on video allegedly slamming a newborn face-first onto a bassinet was fired and is under investigation.

The incident, which occurred at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip on Long Island, is being investigated by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Special Victims Section.

The baby, Nikko, was two days old when he received antibiotics at the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Nikko’s father, Fidel Sinclair, began filming his child through curtains that were not completely drawn and captured the incident on camera.

Sinclair’s video recorded the nurse allegedly forcefully flipping the baby from on his back to on his stomach on the bassinet.

A nurse in New York who was caught on video allegedly slamming a newborn face-first onto a bassinet was fired and is under investigation. (Google Maps)

“I’m happy I was there. God sent me,” Sinclair told WNBC. “If it wasn’t for God, … we would have never seen none of that happen. And that would have kept happening through the night, not only to him, but to the other babies, too.”

Nikko’s mother, Consuelo Saravia, told the outlet that the video was “heartbreaking.”

“I couldn’t stop crying. I couldn’t even sleep,” she said.

Saravia said she confronted the nurse about how she was handling the baby.

“I told her, ‘I don’t want you to touch my child! You just slammed him,’” Saravia said. “She said, ‘Oh no if you think I mishandled him or anything, I’m sorry.’”

The incident occurred at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip on Long Island. (Google Maps)

Catholic Health, which operates the hospital, said in a statement that immediate action was taken in response to the video.

“Upon learning of this incident, swift and immediate action was taken, including conducting an investigation and consequently terminating the individual involved,” the statement read. “Additionally, we reported the individual to the Department of Health for further review. Keeping our patients safe remains our paramount concern.”

The organization also explained that curtains being drawn is standard practice to ensure privacy.

FACE MASKS MADE ‘LITTLE TO NO DIFFERENCE’ IN PREVENTING SPREAD OF COVID, SCIENTIFIC REVIEW FINDS

The baby’s father was filming his child through curtains that were not completely drawn and captured the incident on camera. (Getty)

“It is standard procedure to have curtains in the neonatal ICU to provide privacy for the patients and their families and because services are being administered at the bedside,” Catholic Health said. “Immediate family members are permitted inside the neonatal ICU to spend time with their loved ones.”

The New York Department of Health said in a statement it is taking the “disturbing” allegations seriously.

California, Washington bills would allow transgender people to seal records requesting name change

NBA LEGEND DWYANE WADE’S TRANSGENDER DAUGHTER, 15, HAS NAME LEGALLY CHANGED AFTER COURT BATTLE: REPORTS

Legislators in at least two states are discussing bills allowing transgender people to keep documentation of a name change out of public record.

A bill in Washington would allow gender expression and identity as reasons to seal a future petition for a name change, and a California bill would require the sealing of petitions by minors to change their name and gender on identifying documents.

The Associated Press said advocates warn that transgender people can be susceptible to cyberbullying and physical violence if name-change petitions aren’t sealed and previous names are available in public records.

At the moment, only victims of domestic violence can have name changes easily sealed in Washington. Other states, including California, extend the same service to victims of human trafficking, stalking and sexual assault.

Assembly member Chris Ward, is accompanied by his partner Thom Harpole, and children Betty and Billy as he is sworn in as Speaker Pro Tempore during the opening session of the California Legislature in Sacramento, Calif., on Dec. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas)

Democratic Sen. Jamie Pedersen is sponsoring the Washington legislation, which passed the Senate this month with bipartisan support and is expected to pass in the House. The bill is modeled on current laws in New York and Oregon and would also provide privacy to refugees, emancipated minors and those who have been granted asylum.

“This seemed to me like a simple action that could go a long way in making transgender people a lot safer in our state,” Pedersen said.

University of Washington graduate student Maia Xiao, who has changed her name, wrote to Pedersen last summer urging reform after records of a transgender friend’s name change were published in an online forum and led to “relentless harassment, including hate mail.”

The same internet forum Xiao said her friend experienced harassment on came under fire last year for doxxing trans people and maliciously publishing personal information. The forum has also been linked to suicides, The AP reported.

Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, speaks on the Senate floor in Olympia, Wash., Jan. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

DOJ OFFICER TRAINING ‘DEFINES IMPORTANT TERMS,’ ‘CLARIFIES LANGUAGE RELATED TO TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS’

The California bill, introduced in January and has not yet been scheduled for a hearing, would require the state to seal any petition filed by a person under 18 for a change to name, gender and/or sex. Documents from a petitioner’s court proceedings would also be sealed.

Katie Moehlig, executive director of the San Diego nonprofit TransFamily Support Services, approached Democratic California Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Chris Ward with the idea after she became aware that the records can be easily found and shared. Moehlig said students she advises told her that this is a trend happening in middle or high school.

“Somebody’s gender identity is an innate piece about them — it’s intimate,” she said, adding that many families don’t know these records are public. “They deserve the right to the privacy around their identity.”

Ward, also the vice chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, said he hopes the bill will reduce the risk of bullying for “gender-noncomforming children.”

“I want them to certainly be comfortable,” Ward said, “and free to be themselves.”

San Diego lawyer Clarice Barrelet, who has an 11-year-old transgender son, told The AP that simply plugging her child’s name into a search engine reveals the gender change. Barrelet said she thinks those records should be sealed to protect the privacy of children and adults.

A laptop is opened up to the Google search engine. (Cyberguy.com)

Some law enforcement officers have expressed concern with the bills, stating they could possibly allow a criminal to request a name change to escape accountability.

“This is not the intent of the bill, and such cases would be rare, but there needs to be procedures in place to prevent it,” Jennifer Wallace, executive director of the Washington Association of County Officials, said to The AP.

The Washington bill would allow courts to unseal a name change file if law enforcement officials had reasonable suspicions.

Sex offenders and incarcerated people would still be ineligible for a sealed name change.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CDC issues warning over an increase of drug-resistant bacteria

February 26, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
—

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a health advisory to warn the public of an increase of a drug-resistant bacteria called Shigella.

There are limited antimicrobial treatments available for these particular drug-resistant strains of Shigella and it’s also easily transmissible, warned the CDC in the Friday advisory. It’s also able to spread antimicrobial resistance genes to other bacteria that infect the intestines.

Shigella infections known as shigellosis can cause a fever, abdominal cramping, tenesmus and diarrhea that is bloody.

The bacteria can be spread by a fecal-oral route, person-to-person contact, and contaminated food and water.

While typically shigellosis affects young children, the CDC says it has started to see more of the antimicrobial-resistant infections in adult populations – especially in men who have sex with men, people experiencing homelessness, international travelers and people living with HIV.

“Given these potentially serious public health concerns, CDC asks healthcare professionals to be vigilant about suspecting and reporting cases of XDR Shigella infection to their local or state health department and educating patients and communities at increased risk about prevention and transmission,” the advisory said.

The CDC says patients will recover from shigellosis without any antimicrobial treatment and it can be managed with oral hydration, but for those who are infected with the drug-resistant strains there are no recommendations for treatment if symptoms become more severe.

The percentage of infections from drug-resistant strains of the bacteria increased from zero in 2015 to 5% in 2022, according to the CDC.

Nationwide, there are nearly 3 million antimicrobial-resistant infections each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result, according to the CDC.

A recent report by the United Nations said roughly 5 million deaths worldwide were associated with antimicrobial resistance in 2019 and the annual toll is expected to increase to 10 million by 2050 if steps are not taken to stop the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Hugh Jackman says his voice was damaged by 'screaming,' 'yelling' and 'growling' in 'Wolverine' movies

HUGH JACKMAN RECALLS GIVING MATT DAMON A LAP DANCE DURING HIS BROADWAY SHOW

Hugh Jackman revealed that playing the mutant Logan/Wolverine in the “X-Men” movies and Marvel Cinematic Universe took a toll on his singing voice.

The 54-year-old actor, who recently finished his year-long run starring in the Broadway musical “The Music Man,” admitted that some of the acting that was required of his iconic role damaged his voice.

“I’ve done some damage to my voice with “Wolverine,” Jackman said during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s “Front Row” show.

Hugh Jackman revealed that playing Wolverine damaged his singing voice. (Kristy Sparow/WireImage)

He continued, “My falsetto is not as strong as it used to be and that I directly put down to some of the growling and yelling.”

“My voice teacher in drama school would’ve been horrified by some of the things I did because we’ve learned the technique of how to shout and how to yell without ruining your voice.”

“However, during “Wolverine,” I did some screaming and yelling and things that I think did damage my voice, which I think I’m working on,” Jackman added.

“I work with a singing teacher, and I make sure that I try not to hurt myself,” he explained. “And I really put a lot of effort into both physical movement and my vocal preparation for every role.”

The actor has starred as Wolverine in nine films and will reprise the role in “Deadpool 3.” (20th Century Fox)

“The Greatest Showman star” has played Wolverine in nine movies and is set to reprise his role in the upcoming “Deadpool 3” opposite Ryan Reynolds. Jackman set a Guinness World Record for the “longest career as a Marvel character” before Patrick Stewart surpassed him in 2021.

Jackman made his acting debut in the Australian TV series “Corelli” before launching his musical theater career. In 2004, he won the Tony Award for best actor in a musical for his performance in “The Boy from Oz.” He was the recipient of the Special Tony Award in 2012 for his contributions to the Broadway community.

During his interview on “Front Row,” Jackman discussed reprising his role in “Deadpool 3,” which he said, “will be very different to anything that I’ve done with Wolverine before.”

“My yelling will be more healthy for my voice,” he quipped.

Jackman previously said he was finished playing the role of Wolverine. (Getty)

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Though Jackman’s character was killed off in 2017’s “Logan” and the actor had previously said he was finished playing the role, he explained that he had a realization last summer.

“I really thought I was done,” he said on “Front Row.”

Jackman continued, “And then woke up one day, I remember it was August on my first day of vacation and I went ‘I’m not done.’ It really came to me like that. “

“Ryan had been begging me for years to do something and I kept saying no,” he recalled. “I’m not sure that he fully believed me.”

Filming for “Deadpool 3” is expected to begin this summer.

Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @ashleyhume

Why Moldova fears it could be next for Putin

February 26, 2023 Published by CNN

London
CNN
—

Tensions are mounting in Moldova, a small country on Ukraine’s southwestern border, where Russia has been accused of laying the groundwork for a coup that could drag the nation into the Kremlin’s war.

Moldova’s President, Maia Sandu, has accused Russia of using “saboteurs” disguised as civilians to stoke unrest amid a period of political instability, echoing similar warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has meanwhile baselessly accused Kyiv of planning its own assault on a pro-Russian territory in Moldova where Moscow has a military foothold, heightening fears that he is creating a pretext for a Crimea-style annexation.

US President Joe Biden met President Sandu on the sidelines of his trip to Warsaw last week, marking the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Although there is no sign he has accepted her invite to visit, the White House did say he reaffirmed support for Moldova’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Here’s what you need to know.

Earlier this month, Zelensky warned that Ukrainian intelligence intercepted a Russian plan to destabilize an already volatile political situation in Moldova.

The recent resignation of the country’s prime minister followed an ongoing period of crises, headlined by soaring gas prices and sky-high inflation. Moldova’s new prime minister has continued the government’s pro-EU drive, but pro-Russian protests have since taken place in the capital, Chisinau, backed by a fringe, pro-Moscow political party.

Amid the tensions, Moldova’s President Sandu issued a direct accusation that Russia was seeking to take advantage of the situation.

Sandu said the government last fall had planned for “a series of actions involving saboteurs who have undergone military training and are disguised as civilians to carry out violent actions, attacks on government buildings and hostage-taking.”

Sandu also claimed individuals disguised as “the so-called opposition” were going to try forcing a change of power in Chisinau through “violent actions.” CNN is unable to independently verify those claims.

“It’s clear that these threats from Russia and the appetite to escalate the war towards us is very high,” Iulian Groza, Moldova’s former deputy foreign minister and now the director of the Chisinau-based Institute for European Policies and Reforms, told CNN.

“Moldova is the most affected country after Ukraine (by) the war,” he said. “We are still a small country, which has still an under-developed economy, and that creates a lot of pressure.”

Despite Moscow’s pleas of innocence, its actions regarding Moldova bear a striking resemblance to moves it made ahead of its annexation of Crimea in 2014, and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

On Tuesday, Putin revoked a 2012 foreign policy decree that in part recognized Moldova’s independence, according to Reuters.

Then on Thursday, Russia’s Ministry of Defense accused Ukraine of “preparing an armed provocation” against Moldova’s pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria “in the near future,” state-media TASS reported.

No evidence or further details were offered to support the ministry’s accusation, and it has been rubbished by Moldova.

But the claim has put Western leaders on alert, coming almost exactly a year after Putin made similar, unsubstantiated claims that Russians were being targeted in the Donbas – the eastern flank of Ukraine where Moscow had supported militant separatists since 2014 – allowing him to cast his invasion of the country as an issue of self-defense.

“It was the case before – we have seen constant activities of Russia trying to explore and exploit the information space in Moldova using propaganda,” Groza said.

“With the war, all these instruments that Russia was using before have been multiplied and intensified,” he said. “What we see is a reactivation of Russian political proxies in Moldova.”

“I do see lots of fingerprints of Russian forces, Russian services in Moldova,” Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told CBS last Sunday. “This is a very weak country, and we all need to help them.”

Central to Russia’s interests in Moldova is Transnistria, a breakaway territory that slithers along the eastern flank of the country and has housed Russian troops for decades.

The territory – a 1,300 square mile enclave on the eastern bank of the Dniester River – was the site of a Russian military outpost during the last years of the Cold War. It declared itself a Soviet republic in 1990, opposing any attempt by Moldova to become an independent state or to merge with Romania after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

When Moldova became independent the following year, Russia quickly inserted itself as a so-called “peacekeeping force” in Transnistria, sending troops in to back pro-Moscow separatists there.

War with Moldovan forces ensued, and the conflict ended in deadlock in 1992. Transnistria was not recognized internationally, even by Russia, but Moldovan forces left it a de facto breakaway state. That deadlock has left the territory and its estimated 500,000 inhabitants trapped in limbo, with Chisinau holding virtually no control over it to this day.

Moldova is a country at a crossroads between east and west. Its government and most of its citizens want closer ties to the EU, and the country achieved candidacy status last year. But it’s also home to a breakaway faction whose sentiment Moscow has eagerly sought to rile up.

It has been a flashpoint on the periphery of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the past year, with Russian missiles crossing into Moldovan airspace on several occasions, including earlier this month.

A series of explosions in Transnistria last April spiked concerns that Putin was looking to drag the territory into his invasion.

Russia’s stuttering military progress since then had temporarily allayed those fears. But officials in Moldova have been warning the West that their country could be next on Putin’s list.

Several houses were damaged in the Moldovan village of Naslavcea last month after a Russian missile intercepted by the Ukrainian forces hit the northern part of the town, the Interior Ministry of Moldova said.

Last month, the head of Moldova’s Security Service warned there is a “very high” risk that Russia will launch a new offensive in Moldova’s east in 2023. Moldova is not a NATO member, making it more vulnerable to Putin’s agenda.

Should Russia launch a Spring offensive that centers on Ukraine’s south, it may seek again to creep towards Odesa and then link up with Transnistria, essentially creating a land bridge that sweeps through southern Ukraine and inches even closer to NATO territory.

'Yellowstone' star Wes Bentley speaks out on season 5 and Kevin Costner rumors: 'They're still working on it'

YELLOWSTONE’ STAR TALKS KEVIN COSTNER’S FATE ON THE SHOW AMID RUMORS HE’S LEAVING

“Yellowstone” star Wes Bentley is speaking out on rumors of behind-the-scenes drama regarding Kevin Costner’s future on the hit Paramount Network show.

Earlier this month, Deadline reported “Yellowstone” might be coming to end due to scheduling conflicts with Costner, 68, who reportedly wanted to reduce his time filming the Taylor Sheridan-created western series.

However, Bentley, 44, who plays Jamie Dutton, the adopted son of Costner’s character John Dutton, expressed his optimism about the show’s future while admitting he wasn’t involved in the discussions.

“The news that’s come out recently about the show is, you know, it’s above my pay grade,” Bentley told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Saturday.

“Yellowstone” star Wes Bentley weighed in on rumors of behind-the-scenes drama involving Kevin Costner. (Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Paramount Network)

“Different people making decisions. I know that they’re still working on it, is what I’m being told — working on working things out with everyone to make sure we shoot.

“And I’m confident we will. We always have before. I think it’s probably a bit of drama over nothing.”

On Thursday, Costner’s lawyer, Marty Singer, slammed reports that the actor was not willing to work as much to film season 5 and season 6 of “Yellowstone.”

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“The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of season 5 of ‘Yellowstone’ is an absolute lie,” Singer said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “It’s ridiculous, and anyone suggesting it shouldn’t be believed for one second. As everyone who knows anything about Kevin is well aware, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success.”

Earlier this month, Paramount Network shot down rumors Costner was leaving “Yellowstone” at the end of season 5.

Rumors have swirled that Costner might be leaving the hit show due to scheduling conflicts. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

“We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of ‘Yellowstone,’ and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come,” a spokesperson for the network told Fox News Digital.

Last week, Bentley opened up about how the patriarch’s death could affect his character in an interview with TV Line.

“I thought about this in season 1,” the actor said while attending SCAD TVFest. “Because it’s always a possibility in TV, right? We’re always ready to die. … [And John] really has got this hypnotic pull on Jamie.”

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Bentley explained that Costner’s character running for governor changed his character’s thoughts on the potential fate of John Dutton.

Bentley explained that his character wouldn’t have known what to do if Costner’s character had died before his run for governor.

“Jamie would have been completely lost,” the actor explained. “Maybe part of him would be frantic trying to take care of the ranch.

“I really do think he means what he says. He would feel that burden and maybe panic.”

However, now that John Dutton has become the governor of Montana, things are a little different.

Costner’s lawyer slammed reports that the actor was not willing to work as much to film season 5 and season 6 of “Yellowstone.” (Paramount Network)

“After John ran for governor and became the thing he said he hated, Jamie started to have a change of perspective,” Bentley said. “Maybe John is not this tough guy he says he is. Maybe John doesn’t have ideas. Maybe he’s just another guy like the rest of them.

“That’s the loss of the pedestal [he was on],” he added. “The deity is gone. I think that’s why Jamie’s choosing to try to have him killed. [He realizes that his] life would be much better without him, which is a big change for Jamie.”

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In his interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bentley shared that one of his favorite parts about “Yellowstone” is his character’s complicated relationship with Beth (Kelly Reilly), which he believes has “hit an inflection point.”

“We’ve got something coming,” he told the outlet. “We’re both threatening each other now in some serious ways. It’s a mystery to me too where it’s going. I just know this is an inflection point.

“Something major will come of this moment between Jamie and Beth. This is kind of the final straw. He didn’t know how much Beth was really fed up with him until really recently, and I think that has now flipped a switch in Jamie that he feels similarly.”

Paramount Network has announced “Yellowstone” season 5 is set to return in the summer of 2023. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Paramount Network)

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The “American Horror Story” alum said he had hoped for “some reconciliation” between the pair but believes Sheridan has taken the story in the right direction.

“They were going to destroy each other from the beginning, whether they knew it or not,” he said.

Bentley also said he shares the audience’s excitement and anticipation over the series’ many twists and turns.

“I wait for that next script and with the same kind of anticipation our fans do for the next episode to be aired because, you know, Taylor surprises us so much,”he told Entertainment Weekly.

“And I’m so interested in everyone. I’m so invested in more than just Jamie. I’m invested in the whole thing now. We all talk about it on set — you know, all the possibilities. We do our own fan fiction.”

Paramount Network has announced “Yellowstone” season 5 is set to return in the summer of 2023.

Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.

Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @ashleyhume