'It's a PR stunt': Some fire victims claim Airbnb's free housing vouchers are useless

LOS ANGELES — In the wake of the deadly fires that ravaged Southern California in January, Airbnb received heaps of praise for its voucher program that offered free stays for displaced victims. Local and national media outlets lauded the effort, directing thousands of refugees to apply.

But for many who needed the housing, reviews weren't as glowing.

Some said they applied but never heard back. Others got a voucher but said it was essentially useless due to restrictions and a seven-day expiration date.

Plenty of victims have been helped by the program. Airbnb.org, a nonprofit funded by Airbnb that teamed with 211 L.A. to provide the free stays, said it received 34,000 applications and sent out roughly 11,000 vouchers. It's unclear how many of those vouchers were used, but the nonprofit said more than 60,000 free nights have been booked by people affected by the fires.

—Los Angeles Times

RFK Jr. faces tricky Senate questions over anti-vaccine, abortion stances

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to face a grilling from skeptical senators at confirmation hearings to become Secretary of Health and Human Services amid stubborn questions over his controversial stances on vaccines, food safety and abortion rights.

The Donald Trump nominee is sure to be hammered over his skepticism about vaccines, including the life-saving COVID jabs and routine shots that had all but eradicated once-killer diseases like measles and polio.

He may also face opposition from pro-life Trump loyalists who would ordinarily be strongly opposed to any nominee like Kennedy who supports a woman’s right to abortion care.

RFK Jr. will face questioning by the finance committee Wednesday, which is expected to focus on his potential stewardship of the Medicare and Medicaid programs that serve tens of millions of elderly, disabled and poor Americans. Things could get even tougher for the scion of famed Democratic political royalty on Thursday when the health committee will get its shot.

—New York Daily News

Detroit council approves ban on selling dogs, cats at pet shops in city

DETROIT — Detroit is banning the sale of dogs and cats at retail pet stores in the city, under a new ordinance the city council approved Tuesday.

In a unanimous vote, the council approved the measure, which still allows breeders to still sell dogs and cats directly to the public. Pet stores also could work with animal adoption groups to sell rescued animals.

"This is just one step in the right direction," said Councilwoman Angela Whitfield Calloway, who introduced the ordinance.

Detroit doesn't have any retail pet shops that currently sell dogs and cats, but supporters said the measure is preventative in case an operator does want to open in the city. It prevents retail shops from selling dogs and cats that may not be bred by responsible breeders.

—The Detroit News

Russia’s hopes to keep Syria bases fade with talks stalled

Russia is struggling to retain two military bases in Syria that have enabled it to project influence in the Middle East and Africa, according to a person in Moscow familiar with the situation.

Negotiations with the new Syrian government are stuck, the person said, asking not to be identified because the matter is sensitive. Russian activities at its airfield in Hmeimim have been curtailed and two transport ships were kept waiting for weeks before Syrian officials allowed them to dock at a naval base in Tartus to remove military equipment, the person said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for the Middle East, arrived in Damascus on Tuesday, the first visit by a delegation from Moscow since the change of power in Syria, the state-run Tass news service reported.

The Kremlin had been optimistic it could persuade Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS, the former al-Qaeda offshoot that last month led the ousting of Kremlin ally President Bashar al-Assad, to let it remain at the bases. Russia helped Assad flee to Moscow as his regime crumbled. Tartus is the only Russian naval hub in the Mediterranean and Hmeimim is a key resupply base for Moscow’s activities in many parts of Africa.

—Bloomberg News