Russia reportedly discusses nukes in Ukraine, Monarch butterflies use FedEx: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Russian generals reportedly discuss using nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Russia is trying to reverse its fortunes on the battlefield. Plus, USA TODAY national correspondent Rick Jervis talks about the dire situation facing migrants bused around the country, we consider what graphic video of deaths tells us about desensitization to trauma, USA TODAY national correspondent Marc Ramirez looks at how transgender youths and their families have to uproot their lives and monarch butterflies are being shipped to Texas to help speed up migration.

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Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Thursday, the 3rd of November 2022. Today, Russia discussions on using tactical nuclear weapons, plus inside the dire situation facing migrants bused across the US and a look at why people are so desensitized to trauma.

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Fears around nuclear weapons continue in Ukraine and according to a New York Times report yesterday, senior Russian military leaders recently discussed when and how Moscow might use a tactical nuclear weapon to reverse its struggles on the battlefield. The Times did say that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a part of the conversations. US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters yesterday that the US currently has no indication that Russia is making preparations to use tactical nuclear weapons. Still, Putin has made veiled threats to do so and more recently, Russia has claimed that Ukraine is considering the use of a radiation dirty bomb. Ukrainian officials deny those claims, but rhetoric like that could be used to escalate the war. The UN Security Council yesterday rejected a Russian request to investigate unfounded claims that the US and Ukraine are carrying out military biological activities that violate international law.

Meanwhile, rolling blackouts continue across Ukraine, including in the capital of Kyiv. Some 80% of homes and businesses there were also left without water earlier this week because of damage to a power facility. Ukraine says Russia has destroyed around 40% of its entire energy infrastructure.

There is progress on grain shipments and on-again/off-again agreement under which Russia allowed grain to be shipped from Ukraine is back on as of today. The shipments are desperately needed, in particular in Africa and the Middle East.

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More than 20,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City on buses from the southwest border. That's part of an ongoing campaign from Texas and Arizona to shuttle asylum seekers away from their states and to progressive cities. But once the buses roll away, migrants are often left struggling in an overcrowded homeless shelter system.

Producer PJ Elliott spoke with USA TODAY national correspondent Rick Jervis. He profiled a migrant and advocate in the middle of the crisis.

Rick Jervis:

Once these migrants get to these new cities, there are advocates who are scrambling to try to help them. The problem is there's very little coordination coming from Texas as far as when the buses are actually arriving and where exactly they're going to.

So once they get there, these advocates are like scrambling to try to get these migrants basic services. The problem is that a lot of them are actually coming with no points of contacts in those cities.

PJ Elliott:

Rick, how do these officials get the migrants on the bus? Are the migrants actually being told that they're going to be dropped off in a random city and then have to fend for themselves without knowing anyone there?

Rick Jervis:

I've talked to some migrants who tell me that they wanted to go to Florida or North Carolina or Wisconsin because they have family there, but they were offered a free bus ride to New York and they took it because New York sounded closer to all of those destinations than South Texas. The shelter directors claim that they only let people on there who actually want to go to New York. But what we're finding is you talk to advocates back in New York who say that they're running into people who didn't know where they were going exactly.

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Taylor Wilson:

Rapper Takeoff from the group Migos was killed Tuesday morning in a Houston shooting. The moment was recorded and posted on social media while being shared by media outlets like TMZ. It's clear that when it comes to celebrity deaths, some people's instinct is to treat the news as entertainment. Since the video was released, search trends have been rising on Google related to the footage.

Clinical psychologist Carla Mandy specializes in trauma and says social media is partly to blame for our desensitization to real-life trauma. She says the fixation on likes and clicks drives people to do more and more shocking things for attention at the expense of others' feelings.

We've seen this behavior before. There were leaked photos of Kobe Bryant's deadly helicopter crash and, more recently, video of rapper Pnb Rock's death spread on Instagram in September. Experts say such behavior particularly dehumanizes Black people. On Twitter footage of Takeoff's death drew outrage from many Black Americans who have repeatedly expressed frustrations over the exploitation of Black deaths.

Trauma-informed psychotherapist LaSandra Ligerdwood said, "People don't always necessarily realize how much they're perpetuating this idea of Black trauma and pain by reposting things without really thinking about it." While users who circulate these images and clips will likely move on, experts say the trauma for victims' families is lifelong, especially if it's commodified for millions to watch.

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As states have passed laws targeting transgender youths and their parents, some desperate families have uprooted their lives fleeing to safer ground. PJ Elliott spoke with USA TODAY National Correspondent Mark Ramirez for more.

Mark Ramirez:

Depending on the situation of the states, I think a lot of them felt able to advocate on behalf of their kids. But with the amount of legislation that's come through, and especially in states like Texas, where providing gender-affirming care has been attempts to criminalize that, they are now laying low and so a lot of families are considering the possibility that they might actually have to leave their states.

PJ Elliott:

Is there any concern about the damage that may come from uprooting these families and children from places they've lived most of their lives to a brand new city and state and essentially starting all over again?

Mark Ramirez:

Absolutely. I mean, that's it in a nutshell. It's hard to start over again, especially if it's not something you necessarily planned on. If they are leaving a well-paying job and trying to leave in a hurry, they may not have time to find the perfect job, they may not have time to test the market to get the best offer on their house.

The states that are known for being more trans-friendly tend to be more expensive. I think Connecticut, Massachusetts and California are the primary locations that people are going.

PJ Elliott:

What about those that can't afford to leave? Is there anything that they can do?

Mark Ramirez:

Most of them are just laying low. I mean, it's difficult to find families to talk to because many of them don't want to be vocal about their situations because they are afraid that if some of these laws are passed, they may be prosecuted. So many families that felt able to advocate vocally before are now just going into hiding.

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Taylor Wilson:

Monarch butterflies in Wisconsin are getting some help from FedEx on their migration this year. Known for its bright orange colors, the migratory Monarch butterfly is now classified as endangered, and the population has decreased by more than 80% over the last three decades according to the World Wildlife Foundation.

But a woman found the butterflies as eggs and is now shipping a dozen of them from Wisconsin to South Texas to help move along their migration to Mexico. That'll help them reach their destination more quickly since it's already late in the season and weather is getting colder.

The shipping was paid for by Friends of Butterfly Gardens, a Wisconsin non-profit. The head of the organization said 12 Monarchs could lead to 400 eggs laid by next spring.

The shipping itself is not routine. The butterflies were shipped in a state of torpor or inactivity, thanks to a cold pack in the box. They'll be received near the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, where the hope is they'll take a trip south of the border.

The butterflies' arrival in Mexico often coincides with the Day of the Dead celebrated November 1st and 2nd. Historically, some in Mexico have considered the butterflies to be the souls of their ancestors.

Thanks for listening to 5 Things. We're here every day of the week on whatever your favorite podcast app is. Thanks to the entire team for their great work on the show and I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trans families forced to uproot, butterflies use FedEx: 5 Things podcast