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Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Russia Pivots, Ukraine Skeptical


Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Tuesday that Russia had decided to "cut back military activity" near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv to, quote, "increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations." But Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was skeptical, saying there was no reason to believe the announcement as Russian shelling continues, and the U.S. and others also expressed doubts about Russia's intentions. Fomin's remarks were portrayed by Russia as a goodwill gesture, but Moscow has since last week apparently shifted its military focus to gaining control in the eastern Donbas region, as its forces have been stalled in efforts to take Kyiv and other cities.
 
The two countries returned to talks yesterday, meeting in Istanbul, and plan to continue today. Ukraine's delegation presented a framework under which it would declare itself neutral and its security would be guaranteed by a range of other nations, including the U.S., Britain, France, Turkey, China and Poland. Ukraine said it would also be willing to hold talks over a 15-year period on the future of the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014.


U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Head Arrives in Ukraine: The director-general of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog arrived in Ukraine yesterday for talks with senior government officials on delivering what the agency called "urgent technical assistance" to ensure the safety of the country’s nuclear facilities, including experts and "safety and security" supplies. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement, "The military conflict is putting Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and other facilities with radioactive material in unprecedented danger. We must take urgent action to make sure that they can continue to operate safely and securely and reduce the risk of a nuclear accident[.]" Ukraine has 15 nuclear reactors, four active power plants, and the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant that was the site of the 1986 disaster. Russian forces have taken control of Chernobyl and of the largest active power plants.


➤SECOND COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER OKAYED FOR THOSE 50 AND OLDER: A second booster shot of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccines was okayed Tuesday for Americans age 50 and older if it's been at least four months since their first booster. The Food and Drug Administration approved the second booster for that age group and for some younger people with severely weakened immune systems, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later recommended it as an option, but stopped short of urging that those eligible for it get it right away. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said it was especially important for Americans age 65 and older and people in their 50s with chronic illnesses like heart disease or diabetes to consider getting a second booster. However, having two vaccine shots and a booster still offer strong protection against severe illness and death.

➤GUNMAN KILLS FIVE IN THIRD ATTACK IN ISRAEL IN A WEEK: Five people were killed late Tuesday in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak when a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire in the third such street attack in Israel in a week. The gunman, who Israeli media said was a 27-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank, was killed by police. The previous two attacks were carried out by Arab citizens of Israel who were inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group. Israeli authorities haven't yet determined if the attacks were organized or whether the perpetrators acted individually. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett pledged to fight what he called "a wave of murderous Arab terrorism," while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack.

➤SOUTH KOREA SAYS NORTH'S CLAIM OF TEST-FIRING NEW ICBM WAS FALSE: South Korea said Tuesday that North Korea's claim last week to have test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile last week was false. Instead, the South charged the North launched a less-powerful existing weapon and fabricated data after an earlier failed launch. North Korea had claimed to have fired a Hwasong-17 missile, its longest-range developmental ICBM, last Thursday, but South Korea said it had determined it was a Hwasong-15, another ICBM the North successfully tested in 2017. While both are potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, analysts say the Hwasong-17 has a longer potential range and its size suggests it's designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads to defeat missile defense systems.
 

➤EIGHT-HOUR GAP FOUND IN WHITE HOUSE RECORDS OF TRUMP'S JAN. 6 CALLS: The House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol has found a nearly eight-hour gap in the official White House records of then-President Donald Trump's phone calls on that day as the violence was taking place, The Washington Post and CBS News reported Tuesday. The gap begins a little after 11 a.m. and lasts until about 7 p.m. on January 6, 2021, and involves White House phone calls. AP says that missing records raise questions about whether Trump purposefully went around official channels to avoid records, stating that he was known to use other people's cell phones to make calls as well as his own, and often bypassed the White House switchboard.

➤JADA PINKETT SMITH POSTS ABOUT HEALING FOLLOWING OSCARS SLAP:  On Tuesday, Jada Pinkett Smith broke her silence for the first time since her husband, Will Smith, slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. The Red Table Talk host posted text embedded in a pink box that read, “THIS IS A SEASON FOR HEALING AND I’M HERE FOR IT.”

The infamous slap was unpacked by many in Hollywood Monday, and that evening, Smith apologized to Rock via Instagram. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness,” Smith wrote.

🧧2022 OSCAR GIFT BAGS ARE WORTH OVER $100,000: The Academy Awards gives impressive gift bags to nominees, and 2022 is no exception! Nominees will receive a 3-night stay in a Scottish castle, a small plot of land in Scotland, $12,000 liposuction procedure from Dr. Thomas Su, $25,000 in home renovations, and popcorn. The gift bag also includes alcohol, skincare items, and toys. The total cost of the bag amounts to $100,000.

🛬PILOT SHARES BEST TIME TO FLY TO AVOID TURBULENCE:  If you're afraid of flying, you'll want to hear this! Pilot Jerry Johnson recently revealed the best and worst times to fly if you're a nervous traveler. "If you're a nervous flyer, book a morning flight," he said in an interview with Reader's Digest. He added that it's more likely to storm in the afternoon, and heat from the ground can cause turbulence. While turbulence is not responsible for most plane trouble, nervous flyers dislike the sensation.

➤FTC SUING TURBO TAX MAKER INTUIT: The Federal Trade Commission is suing TurboTax maker Intuit, charging its ads for free tax filing misled consumers. The FTC said Tuesday that millions of consumers are ineligible to use the free tax-prep software option for varying reasons, a number it said amounted to two-thirds of tax filers in 2020. Samuel Levine, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement that TurboTax is running ads saying it provides free tax filing services, and then charging those millions of people who are ineligible when it's time for them to file, calling it a "bait-and-switch." The FTC has asked a federal judge to order Intuit to stop what it said were Intuit’s deceptive ads during the rush of tax season. Intuit says it will fight the suit.

📺DAVID LETTERMAN GIVES ELLEN DEGENERES ADVICE ON ENDING HER:   Entertainment Tonight reports that Ellen DeGeneres got emotional while talking with David Letterman about ending her show on Monday (March 28th). Letterman told DeGeneres about his experience wrapping up with The Late Show. “Everything felt fine until the last show … I was sort of overwhelmed with adrenaline. Because when you do the show, you get excited. It can’t help but excite you because hopefully you’re entertaining and making people happy,” Letterman said. 


DeGeneres responded, “I want to say thank you so much for being here. You are a brilliant man, you are my hero and being on your show really helped me as a comedian, as a person. You influenced me in so many ways. You just were my idol. You were so brilliant, and I just wanted to do anything that would impress you.”

🏈NFL CHANGES OVERTIME RULE FOR PLAYOFFS: NFL owners on Tuesday  approved a change to the overtime rules that will apply only during the playoffs that guarantees each team gets possession of the ball, reacting to concerns that the coin toss beginning overtime was having too much of an impact. As of the upcoming season, if the team possessing the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown on that series, the opponent will still get a possession, and that possession will extend beyond the initial 15-minute overtime period if needed. If that team ties the game, it then becomes sudden death.

🏈GOODELL SAYS WATSON COULD STILL FACE DISCIPLINE, NO TIMETABLE FOR PROBE: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said yesterday that quarterback Deshaun Watson could still face discipline under the league's personal conduct policy as a result of the 22 civil suits by female massage therapists accusing him of sexual assault or sexual harassment. Speaking at the end of league meetings, Goodell said Watson was still under investigation by the NFL, and that there's no timetable for the probe's conclusion. Two grand juries in Texas recently declined to indict Watson on criminal charges resulting from the women's complaints. Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns earlier this month, given a five-year, $230 million deal.
 

🏌ESPN..WOODS PLAYED PRACTICE ROUND AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL AHEAD OF MASTERS DECISION: Tiger Woods played 18 holes in a practice round at Augusta National Golf Club yesterday, ESPN reported, citing sources, ahead of a decision on whether he will play in the upcoming Masters, which begins April 7th. The 46-year-old Woods is trying to come back from suffering serious leg and foot injuries in a February 2021 car crash. ESPN cited a source as saying of the Woods practice round, "He looked good to me." Woods hasn't played in a regular PGA Tour event since the 2020 Masters, which was played in November that year due to the pandemic.

🏀CLIPPERS' GEORGE SCORES 34 POINTS IN RETURN AFTER THREE MONTHS: L.A. Clippers star Paul George scored 34 points in the team's 121-115 win over the Utah Jazz last night as he returned following a three-month layoff due to an elbow injury. George scored 20 of his points in the third quarter to help the Clippers come back from being 25 points down. George's 34 points were the most ever by a player who had missed his team's previous 40-plus games within one season, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

🏈RAVENS SIGN HEAD COACH HARBAUGH TO THREE-YEAR EXTENSION: The NFL's Baltimore Ravens announced yesterday that they'd signed head coach John Harbaugh to a three-year contract extension through 2025. Harbaugh is going into his 15th year leading the Ravens, and has had only two losing seasons with them, including last season, when they were 8-9, leading them to a Super Bowl championship after the 2012 season.



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