Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Russia Attacks As Talks Continue

Daily Mail 3/15/22

Russia continued its bombardment of Ukrainian cities Monday, including of Kyiv suburbs, and some targets were hit in the capital city as well. They included the Antonov airplane factory in Kyiv, the country's largest aircraft plant, as well as a nine-story apartment building, and a checkpoint, causing extensive damage to a neighborhood in downtown Kyiv. However, AP reported a Pentagon assessment said Russia's military offensives in Ukraine remained stalled, with troops still some nine miles from the center of Kyiv.

There was a bright spot with news that a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the besieged port city of Maiupol along a humanitarian route, and the city council said the cease-fire along the route appeared to be holding. The number of refugees who've fled the country has now reached more than 2.8 million, according to the U.N. refugee agency, with the largest majority of them going to Poland. However, their number has begun to slowly decline in recent days.


Meanwhile, talks continued between Ukraine and Russia, with yesterday's the fourth round involving higher-level officials and the first in a week. An aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they planned to meet again today for more negotiations. The aide tweeted they would discuss, quote, "peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees."


In other developments:

U.S. Warns China Against Aiding Russia: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned China against helping Russia during a meeting with a senior Chinese diplomat in Rome yestserday. AP cited two administration officials as saying China has signaled to Russia that it would be willing to provide both military support for its war in Ukraine and financial assistance to deal with crippling Western sanctions. Russia has denied asking China for military equipment for use in Ukraine. State Department spokesman Ned Price said, "The national security adviser and our delegation raised directly and very clearly our concerns about [China's] support to Russia in the wake of the invasion, and the implications that any such support would have for [China's] relationship not only with us, but for its relationships around the world."


Zelenskyy to Deliver Virtual Address to Congress: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will deliver a virtual address to Congress on Wednesday. The speech to members of the House and Senate will be livestreamed so that the public can see it. Zelenskyy is set to deliver a virtual speech to Canada's Parliament today, and last week gave a virtual address to the U.K.'s Parliament.


➤U.K.'S TOP COURT DENIES ASSANGE PERMISSION TO APPEAL EXTRADITION TO U.S.: Britain's Supreme Court yesterday refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal a decision to extradite him to the U.S. to face spying charges over WikiLeaks' publication of massive trove of military and diplomatic U.S. documents more than a decade ago, saying the case, quote, "didn’t raise an arguable point of law." The next step is expected to be that Assange's case will be formally sent to British Home Secretary Priti Patel, who will decide whether to grant the extradition. A British district court judge initially rejected the extradition request on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. But after the U.S. gave assurances that he wouldn't face severe treatment, the High Court overturned the lower court’s decision. The U.S. says Assange unlawfully helped Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal the classified documents WikiLeaks published, but his supporters argue he was acting as a journalist and is entitled to First Amendment protections.

➤NYC., D.C. MAYORS OFFER $70K REWARD FOR MAN LINKED TO ATTACKS ON HOMELESS: New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser yesterday announced a $70,000 reward in the search for a man who's wanted for shooting five homeless people in both cities this month, who they believe is the same person. Two of the victims were killed. Adams and Bowser announced the new in a rare joint press conference, at which they said they spoke Sunday about their cities working together on the investigation.

➤MODERNA PREZ: FOURTH COVID-19 VAXX DOSE ONLY NEEDED BY SOME: Moderna president Stephen Hoge said yesterday that only some people will need a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine, telling Business Insider it will likely only be necessary for the elderly and those who are immunocompromised. He said he doesn't expect, quote, "any kind of recommendations that would be across the board for everyone." His comments came one day after Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said by contrast that fourth doses will be needed to maintain manageable levels of hospitalizations and mild infections.

➤IDAHO LAWMAKERS PASS SIX-WEEK ABORTION BAN MODELED ON TEXAS LAW: Idaho's Legislature yesterday passed a ban on abortion after six weeks that's modeled on the law in Texas that has been in effect last September. In addition to the same ban time frame of six weeks, it also gives enforcement power to citizens. Idaho's bill allows the father, sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle of the fetus to bring legal action against the medical professional who performed the abortion, while Texas' law allows any citizen to bring legal action against anyone who helped a woman get an abortion. The legislation now goes to Idaho Republican Governor Brad Little for his signature.

➤ELON MUSK TWEETS FIGHT CHALLENGE TO PUTIN: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted a bizarre fight challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday for the fate of Ukraine. He tweeted, "I hereby challenge [Vladimir Putin] to single combat," using the Cyrillic version of Putin's name. He added, using more Cyrillic: "Stakes are [Ukraine]." Not long after, he tweeted again, tagging the Kremlin, and asked in Russian, "Do you agree to this fight?" He did get a response from Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia's space agency, who responded, "You, little devil, are still young. Compete with me [weakling]; It would only be a waste of time." Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov noticed Musk's challenge and tweeted, "I am sure that @elonmusk can send Putin to Jupiter." Federov got Musk to help Ukraine last month by supplying it with SpaceX Starlink terminals to help deal with internet issues during the conflict. Musk hasn't always been so hostile to Putin, however. In February 2021, the multibillionaire tweeted directly to the official Twitter account of the president of Russia, asking: "would like to join me for a conversation on Clubhouse?," which is a social audio app. He followed that with a tweet in Russian that translated to: "it would be a great honor to speak with you."

🚀PETE DAVIDSON WILL FLY TO SPACE ON BLUE ORIGIN’S FOURTH HUMAN FLIGHT: Pete Davidson is leaving all the drama back on Earth. Next week, on Wednesday, the Saturday Night Live star will be on the next Blue Origin flight to space.

Davidson is the third celebrity to board a Blue Origin flight, as William Shatner and Michael Strahan both journeyed to outer space last year.

The March 23rd launch will mark Blue Origin’s fourth human flight. Today reports that, “Passengers on the flight experience about four minutes of weightlessness by traveling to the edge of space at an altitude of just more than 65 miles.”

“The King of Staten Island” will be joined by Party America CEO Marty Allen, real estate mogul Marc Hagle, SpaceKids Global founder Sharon Hagle, University of North Carolina professor Jim Kitchen, and Dr. George Nield, President of Commercial Space Technologies for NASA.

➤BOB SAGET’S FAMILY RECEIVES PERMANENT INJUNCTION TO BLOCK THE RELEASE OF RECORDS: People reports that Bob Saget’s family was granted a permanent injunction to block the release of records surrounding his death. The Saget family attorney, Brian Bieber, said in a statement, "The entire Saget family is grateful that the judge granted their request for an injunction to preserve Bob's dignity, as well as their privacy rights, especially after suffering this unexpected and tragic loss." He added, "We are pleased this issue has been resolved, and the healing process can continue to move forward."

👰WOMEN ARE MARRYING… THEMSELVES?:  These days some women are choosing to marry themselves. Insider reports that “sologamy,” or marrying oneself, is on the rise among women looking to solidify their commitment to themselves. And it’s not just symbolic—women are proposing to themselves and throwing elaborate weddings with all the trimmings. Some experts have suggested that the pandemic may be partly responsible for more interest in self-partnership. Psychologist Ieva Kubiliute explains, “With increased time spent at home alone, individuals have opted for new methods to appreciate themselves and enhance self-compassion.” InsideHook points out the practice seems to reflect the value of independence, which ultimately seems like a good thing.

➤CD SALES RISE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 20 YEARS: Vinyl outsold CDs in 2020 for the first time since 1991, but a new report shows CD sales are up, and they may soon give vinyl LPs a run for their money. New data from the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA) shows CD sales in the U.S. increased for the first time since 2004 last year, rising from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021. Meanwhile, vinyl sales hit 39.7 million units in the U.S. in 2021. It’s thought Gen Zers could partially be driving the sales of physical media, as they’re reportedly doing things like ditching their AirPods in favor of “vintage” weird headphones. But the last year was also a tough one for vinyl production due to supply chain issues, so it could be that some got frustrated by months-long delays and instead opted to purchase the album they were waiting for on CD. Also notable: in 2021, physical media as a whole experienced its first increase in sales since 1996.

🏀TIMBERWOLVES' TOWNS SCORES NBA SEASON-HIGH 60 POINTS IN 149-139 WIN OVER SPURS: Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns scored a team record 60 points last night, the most scored by an NBA player this season, in the Timberwolves' 149-139 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Towns beat his previous career best of 56 points with his performance. Towns shot 19 for 31 and made 17 rebounds, becoming the first player to have 60 points and 17 rebounds in a game since Shaquille O’Neal had 61 points and 23 rebounds for the L.A. Lakers in a March 2000 game.

 
🏀NETS FINED $50K FOR IRVING IN LOCKER ROOM; DURANT WALKS BACK NYC MAYOR CRITICISM: The Brooklyn Nets were fined $50,000 Monday for allowing Kyrie Irving in their locker room on Sunday. Irving, who is unvaccinated, isn't allowed to play home games because of New York City's Covid-19 rules. But the recent dropping of the requirement that fans must be vaccinated to enter arenas in the city meant he was able to be at the Barclays Center Sundy to watch the Nets' game against the New York Knicks. After the game, however, Irving went into the locker room, and the NBA said yesterday that that violated New York City law and league health and safety protocols.

Meanwhile, Irving's teammate Kevin Durant yesterday walked back his criticism after Sunday's game of New York City Mayor Eric Adams because the mandate remains. Durant called it "ridiculous" that unvaccinated people could be in the arena, but not play in it. He said in a statement yesterday, "The last two years have been a difficult and painful time for New Yorkers, as well as a very confusing time with the changing landscape of the rules and mandates. I do appreciate the task the Mayor has in front of him with all the city has been through. My frustration with the situation doesn’t change the fact that I will always be committed to helping the communities and cities I live in, and play in."

🏈CHARGERS AGREE TO FIVE-YEAR, $82.5 MILLION DEAL WITH J.C. JACKSON: The L.A. Chargers have agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million deal with former New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, according to media reports yesterday. The 26-year-old Jackson spent all four of his NFL seasons with the Patriots, where he had eight interceptions last season, the second-most in the NFL, and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.

🏈QUARTERBACK TRUBISKY TO SIGN TWO-YEAR DEAL WITH STEELERS: Free-agent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky told ESPN Monday that he plans to sign a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The report cited a source as saying the deal is worth $14.25 million. The 27-year-old Trubisky will compete with Mason Rudolph for the starting quarterback position, as the Steelers move on from Ben Roethlisberger, who retired in January after 18 seasons and two Super Bowl victories with the Steelers.

NY Post 3/15/22
⚾PETE ALONSO ESCAPES CRASH: New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said his vehicle flipped three times when it was struck by a driver who ran a red light on Sunday. Alonso, speaking Monday from spring training in Port St. Lucie, Florida, said he is fine and will participate in a full workout with the Mets on Tuesday. "Yesterday I got in a really kinda brutal car accident. ... To me this is just really special to be here," Alonso said. "This is a really special spring training because yesterday was a really close experience to death."
"I'm thankful to be alive," Alonso added. 


⚾BRAVES TRADE FOR FIRST BASEMAN OLSON FROM OAKLAND: The Atlanta Braves traded for All-Star first baseman Matt Olson from Oakland, sending the A's four prospects: center fielder Cristian Pache, pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes, and catcher Shea Langeliers. The decision by the reigning World Series champion Braves almost certainly means they're out of the bidding for 2020 National League MVP and five-time All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who's been with Atlanta for his entire 12-year career. The 32-year-old became a free agent at the end of last season.

➤WWE HALL OF FAMER SCOTT HALL DEAD AT 63: Scott Hall, a two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee described by ESPN as "one of the most influential men in the history of professional wrestling," died Monday following complications of surgery he underwent to repair a broken hip. He was 63. Hall was most famous for teaming with Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan to form the original New World Order (nWo). He earlier performed under name Razor Ramon.



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