Russian infighting increases as mercenary chief says his forces are rebelling, I-95 reopens in Philadelphia: 5 Things podcast.

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the armed rebellion by a mercenary chief a betrayal, as security forces activate in Moscow. Then USA TODAY Wellness Reporter David Oliver talks about public grief in the wake of the Titan sub disaster and one year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, attorneys general ask Feds to increase HIPAA protections. I-95 reopens in Philadelphia and finally, it's the last full weekend of this year's Pride Month.

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Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and this is 5 Things you need to know, Saturday the 24th of June 2023.

Today, a rebellion brews in Russia, plus how the public is grieving the Titan sub disaster, and it's the last full weekend of Pride Month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed earlier today to defend his country from an armed rebellion by the mercenary chief of the Wagner private military contractor. The contractor's owner Yevgeny Prigozhin said earlier today that he and his troops have reached a crucial Russian city after crossing the border from Ukraine. He posted a video of himself in Rostov at the Russian military headquarters that oversees the fighting in Ukraine, and he said they faced no resistance from young conscripts at checkpoints. Russian security services have responded to Prigozhin's declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. And in a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, authorities have declared a counter-terrorism unit in Moscow and its surroundings, allowing restricted freedoms and enhanced security.

This week's Titanic sub disaster has been followed closely around the country and the world, and it's an example of public grief. I spoke with USA Today wellness reporter David Oliver for more. Thanks for coming on 5, thanks David.

David Oliver:

Yep, thanks much for having me, Taylor.

Taylor Wilson:

You write in your piece that there's this public grief after the Titanic sub disaster. David, why do we get so attached to strangers in incidents like this?

David Oliver:

As with any kind of celebrity politician, whomever is a public figure in the public eye, we are attuned to what's going on in their lives based on what we're reading in the news, what we're seeing on videos. It's like people coming into your homes or otherwise entering your life in a way that you get inherently invested. These are called parasocial relationships. And when there are disasters like this, whether it's people stuck in a cave, whether it's these people who sadly died at the bottom of the ocean, these types of people become people you're interested in learning about, especially as we learn about these people's names, who they are, things like that, it's why you get so attached.

Taylor Wilson:

And it's impossible to talk about this particular incident without noting some of the jokes and the memes that people have been rolling out this week, especially while the sub was still considered missing. What do experts say about how we sometimes make light of tragedy?

David Oliver:

Honestly, it's that people cope with grief, I think, very differently. I think that it's just people don't always know how to comment empathetically or otherwise are channeling their grief in a different way. The further removed you are from a situation, the more likely you are to be able to be a bit more in a joking mood, but that could come across as callous or flippant, even if that's not really your intention. We're focusing on these people who are extremely wealthy who went down in this, versus migrants who die trying to make it, I guess, to the country in the first place. So, it's just interesting to think about those parallels and we can talk about grief at large about these people, but also many of the people who we don't know the names of who died. So, I think it's opening up a lot of conversation. I think ultimately, I think for the better, even though this is obviously an extremely sad thing.

Taylor Wilson:

And David, is it healthy to be this engaged with tragic news stories? I know people sometimes refer to this as morbid curiosity.

David Oliver:

It is to an extent that it doesn't completely interrupt your day-to-day life. I think if this is the only thing that you're consuming 24 hours of the day and it's putting you into a spiral and you're feeling depressed in some way, I think you should maybe consider otherwise distracting yourself. I think it's interesting and important to have these conversations because the more we talk about grief and the way we're feeling, the more these conversations can become normal. In the US, grief is not something that's discussed very often compared to other cultures, and I think that if this can be a way to discuss it more broadly over a topic that many are very familiar with, there's nothing really wrong with that per se. I think it's just when it begins to take over your life in some way and becomes too much of your day-to-day where it becomes an issue.

Taylor Wilson:

David Oliver, thanks so much.

David Oliver:

Thank you.

Taylor Wilson:

Today marks one year since the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade, and a coalition of attorneys offered support early last week for additional HIPAA protections set by the Department of Health and Human Services to keep reproductive health data safer. A 21-page letter addressed to Secretary Xavier Becerra is a response to a DHHS request for comment. And it urges the department to move swiftly because existing privacy protections have not kept up with rapid technological advances. The additional protections would not only make sure private health information is not used against people for seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating lawful reproductive care, but it would also give patients confidence that their information will be kept private amid a climate of uncertainty and fear.

Interstate 95 reopened yesterday less than two weeks after a deadly collapse in Philadelphia. Crews worked around the clock and finished ahead of schedule amid fears that the critical East Coast highway might be closed for months. After Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro spoke, calling it a moment of civic pride, a procession of fire engines, including one with Philadelphia sports mascots, christen the new roadway. An elevated section of I-95 collapsed early on June 11th after a tractor trailer hauling gasoline flipped on an off-ramp and caught fire.

It's the last full weekend of Pride Month, and that includes a busy itinerary in New York City with a massive Pride parade tomorrow. Festivities kicked off yesterday with a number of Broadway performers. This year's Pride has come amid wave of proposed and realized anti-LGBTQ legislation. Some state legislators have sought to ban drag shows, prohibit gender-affirming care, and limit how teachers talk about sexuality and gender in the classroom. New York City council member Erik Boettcher, who's openly gay, put things in perspective at yesterday's event.

Erik Boettcher:

They have spent a long time trying to intimidate us, scare us, shame us into being quiet, into staying home, maybe even into going back into the closet. So this weekend, we're saying, "Hell no. That's not happening." We're celebrating Pride. We're going to be ourselves. We're going to express pride in ourselves and our community.

Taylor Wilson:

And there'll be events around the country. Check out a link in today's show notes for what's happening in your neck of the woods.

Thanks for listening to 5 Things. If you like the show, you can subscribe and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. And if you have any comments, you can reach us at podcasts@usatoday.com. Dana Taylor is back with the Sunday edition tomorrow, talking about how the repeal of Roe v Wade transformed abortion rights and a small Illinois town. You can find the episode right here on this feed. I'll be back Monday with more of 5 Things from USA Today.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Putin calls armed rebellion a betrayal, I-95 reopens in Philadelphia: 5 Things podcast