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Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Wake-Up Call: Ukraine Forces Vow To Defend City

Ukraine's top generals have vowed to keep defending the eastern city of Bakhmut, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Russian forces fought to tighten their siege and secure their first major battlefield gain in more than six months.  Russian forces have been trying to take Bakhmut for months and say capturing it would be a step towards its objective of seizing all of the surrounding Donbas region. But Western strategists say it would be more of a pyrrhic victory given the time taken and casualties suffered. 

Ukrainian troops have been reinforcing positions west of the city in apparent preparation for a possible withdrawal but appear not to have decided to pull out. Zelenskiy said he discussed Bakhmut with the regional commander and Ukraine's commander in chief and both had said "not to withdraw" and to strengthen defenses. "The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander in chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut," Zelenskiy said in his nightly address on Monday.

➤RUSSIA REPORTEDLY EXECUTES UKRAINE SOLDIER: Ukraine's foreign minister urged the International Criminal Court on Monday to probe footage circulating on social media that he said showed Russian forces killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war. 'Horrific video of an unarmed Ukrainian POW executed by Russian forces merely for saying 'Glory to Ukraine'. Another (piece of) proof this war is genocidal,' Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on social media. Kuleba said it was 'imperative' that International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan 'launches an immediate ICC investigation into this heinous war crime'. 'Perpetrators must face justice,' he added. He was referring to what appears to be amateur footage of a detained combatant standing in a shallow trench, wearing camouflage and smoking a cigarette, being shot to death with automatic weapons after saying 'glory to Ukraine'.

➤CHINA CLAIMS U-S NEEDS ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: The U.S. should change its recent mistaken policies towards China or "conflict and confrontation" will follow, China's foreign minister said on Tuesday, while reiterating Beijing's call for dialogue to end the conflict in Ukraine. The U.S. has been engaging in suppression and containment of China rather than fair or rule-based competition, Foreign Minister Qin Gang told a news conference in Beijing on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting. "The United States' perception and views of China are seriously distorted," Qin said."It regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge. This is like the first button in the shirt being put wrong." Relations between the two superpowers have been tense for years over a number of issues including Taiwan, trade and war in Ukraine but they worsened after controversy involving a balloon which the U.S. said was a Chinese spying device and shot down last month.

➤4 U.S. CITIZENS WERE KIDNAPPED BY GUNMEN IN MEXICO IN CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY, U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS: Four US citizens were assaulted and kidnapped by gunmen in northeastern Mexico on Friday in a case of mistaken identity. The Americans are believed to have been targeted by mistake and were not the intended victims. Investigators believe a Mexican cartel likely mistook them for Haitian drug smugglers, adding investigators have not identified any concerning criminal history on the part of the Americans. The Americans had traveled to the border city of Matamoros for tummy tuck medical procedure, the official said, citing receipts found in the vehicle.


➤MAN ACCUSED OF TRYING TO STAB FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND OPEN PLANE DOOR: A man accused of attacking a flight attendant and attempting to open the emergency exit door on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston has been charged with federal offenses. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, Francisco Severo Torres was believed to have tampered with the emergency exit door, prompting crew members to be alerted about 45 minutes prior to landing at Boston Logan International Airport. Upon inspection, a flight attendant noticed that the handle had been moved toward the unlocked position and suspected Torres, who had been by the door earlier, of tampering with it. The handle was secured, and fellow crew members were notified.

➤GEORGIA EXECUTIVE WHO DISAPPEARED IN BATON ROUGE AFTER LSU GAME FOUND DEAD: The Baton Rouge Police Department has confirmed that they located missing Nathan Millard's body early Monday morning. "Nathan Millard, 42 was found deceased this morning around 3:34am in the 2900 block of Scenic Hwy. The cause of death is unknown at this time pending autopsy results," BRPD said in a Monday Facebook post. Millard, a married father of five and construction director from Georgia, was last seen at a bar called Happy's Irish Pub after attending a Louisiana State University basketball game with a client on Feb. 23. Around 11:30 p.m., Millard left Happy's to go back to his hotel room but never made it back.

➤MORE META LAY-OFFS: Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is planning a fresh round of layoffs and will cut thousands of employees as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter. The world’s largest social networking company is eliminating more jobs, on top of a 13% reduction in November, in a bid to become a more efficient organization. In its earlier round of cuts, Meta slashed 11,000 workers in what was its first-ever major layoff. The company has also been working to flatten its organization, giving buyout packages to managers and cutting whole teams it deems nonessential, Bloomberg News reported in February, a move that is still being finalized and could affect thousands of staffers.

🚆NORFOLK-SOUTHERN HOPES TO IMPROVE SAFETY MEASURES: Norfolk Southern Corp. plans to add hundreds of track-side heat detectors in an effort to improve safety following a derailment that spilled toxic chemicals last month in Ohio. The move is part of a six-point plan announced Monday that also includes exploring newer types of sensors, accelerating the use of digital train inspections and considering acoustic detectors that may help uncover axle problems. The initiative is based on the preliminary findings in the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the Feb. 3 crash, Norfolk Southern said in a statement.

The railroad is under pressure from regulators, politicians and the broader public to bolster its operations after the crash, which released chemicals and prompted an evacuation of the rural community. The incident has become a talking point on Capitol Hill, with Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw set to be questioned this week by a US Senate committee. President Joe Biden has also said he would visit the site in East Palestine. The scrutiny will likely increase after Norfolk Southern suffered another derailment over the weekend in Ohio. The incident, which happened about 180 miles (400 kilometers) west of East Palestine, didn’t involve hazardous materials and resulted in no reported injuries. But it has sparked a larger debate over train safety and criticism across the political spectrum, from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to former President Donald Trump, who visited the site last month. 

➤KETO DIETS COULD INCREASE RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE, SAYS NEW STUDY: The low-carb ketogenic (keto) diet has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years among those looking to lose weight. A new study, however, suggests that a "keto-like" diet could trigger a spike in "bad" cholesterol, which can lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries and a significantly greater risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events.

➤MICROSOFT MAKES OUTLOOK FREE TO USE FOR MAC: You now have another major alternative to the built-in Mail app on your Mac. Microsoft has made Outlook for Mac free to use. You previously needed either a Microsoft 365 subscription or an Office purchase to use the email client. It's available now through the Mac App Store. Microsoft unsurprisingly pitches this as a good complement to Outlook for iOS. You can hand off an email draft to your iPhone if you haven't finished writing it on your Mac, for instance. An upcoming Profiles feature will tie into macOS' Focus modes to help you limit notifications when you're concentrating on work. As with all Outlook versions, you can use email accounts from various third-party services, including Gmail, iCloud and Yahoo.

➤WALMART REPORTEDLY CLOSING PORTLAND AREA STORES: Walmart will close its last two stores in crime-plagued Portland, Ore., as the city contends with a relentless wave of shoplifting that has hammered retailers. The closures, set for March 24, come months after CEO Doug McMillon warned the discount retailer was seeing a spike in “shrink” — a term the retail industry uses to address losses related to in-store theft or fraud. “Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” McMillon said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in December. “I think local law enforcement being staffed and being a good partner is part of that equation. … If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close.” The company did not say whether retail theft was a factor in shuttering the Walmart locations in the North and Southeastern sections of the Rose City.

➤BIDEN  MAY DETAIN FAMILIES AT SO.BORDER: President Joe Biden is said to be considering a major U-turn in his immigration policy as administration officials weigh reviving a Trump-era policy detaining families who cross the southern border illegally. The president eliminated the practice when he took office, and actively campaigned against it saying 'families belong together.' But with Title 42 - a pandemic-era measure that allows authorities to promptly deport migrants - expiring in May, senior White House and Homeland Security officials are discussing the possibility of reinstating the program, the New York Times reports. It would be just the president's latest crackdown on illegal immigration as the number of migrants crossing the southern border reaches historic levels. 

NY Post composite 3/7/23
➤JOE ROGAN SAYS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS 'SIDESHOW': The podcast host explained why he won’t vote for Biden — who will be a few weeks shy of turning 82 when voters go to the polls in 2024 — during a conversation with comedian Russell Brand on last Thursday’s edition of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “I would vote for [former President Donald] Trump before I’d vote for Biden. Just ‘cause I think with Biden, like he’s gone,” Rogan said. “Like, you know, he’s gone. You’re gonna be relying on his cabinet. And I knew his cabinet would be this f–king sideshow of diversity — which is exactly what it is.” Rogan continued with his rant by referencing Sam Brinton, a former Biden Department of Energy official who faces multiple felony charges for allegedly stealing luggage from other passengers at airports on multiple occasions.

➤STAMPEDE AT NY HIP HOP CONCERT KILLS AT LEAST 1 PERSON: Police were on Monday trying to determine what caused a stampede at a hip hop concert in New York state that killed one woman and injured nine others - with the size of the crowd, and reports that shots were heard at the venue, two lines of inquiry. Concertgoers were leaving the show, featuring rappers GloRilla and Finesse2tymes, at the Main Street Armory in Rochester at just after 11 p.m. when the crowd began to surge, city Police Chief David Smith told a news conference on Monday. "There are some reports that shots were heard, causing the crowd to panic," he said, however adding that police had found no evidence to support that theory.  Preliminary reports from the scene indicated the injuries were caused by people being trampled.

➤SOME EV MAKERS HAVE CASH SHORTAGE: Electric-vehicle startups are bracing for a challenging year as their cash dwindles. Young companies such as Rivian Automotive and Lucid Group need to right their factory operations before running through their reserves—a situation whose urgency was illustrated by earnings results over the past few weeks. This comes after a year rife with supply-chain constraints and manufacturing troubles. Lucid’s CEO said that sales are his focus now. Rivian has introduced cost-cutting measures and efforts to increase output.

➤BATTERY FIRES PLAGUE ELECTRIC BIKES: The electric-bike craze, which took off during Covid-19 lockdowns, now has a dark side: uncontrollable and deadly fires from the lithium-ion batteries that power them. The number of blazes is rising rapidly, triggering warnings from fire officials. The fires appear to be concentrated in New York City, where the number of blazes more than doubled last year to 216, according to the New York City Fire Department. Fires from e-bikes and other so-called micromobility devices such as electric scooters have injured 40 people and killed two this year, the fire department said. “These are incredibly dangerous devices if they are unregulated or used improperly,” New York Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at a press conference in late February.

🏈SAINTS TO SIGN EX-RAIDERS QB DEREK CARR: Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is signing with the New Orleans Saints. Carr has agreed to a deal that could potentially be worth up to $150 million over four years and includes up to $100 million in guarantees. Carr will receive $60 fully guaranteed at signing and another $10 million once he starts Year 3 of the deal. He will earn $60 million in the first two years of the deal.

🏈NFL REINSTATES JAGUARS CALVIN RIDLEY FROM GAMBLING SUSPENSION: The NFL on Monday fully reinstated Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley from his suspension for violating the league's gambling policy. Ridley, who had applied for reinstatement from his indefinite suspension for gambling on NFL games on Feb. 15, is now eligible to participate in all team activities immediately.

🏀COLORADO POLICE INVESTIGATING JA MORANT AFTER IG LIVE VIDEO: Police in Colorado said Monday they were investigating Ja Morant's actions from the weekend after the Memphis Grizzlies star posted an Instagram Live video in which he displayed what appeared to be a gun while at a nightclub. The Glendale Police Department confirmed the incident took place at a bar in Glendale, a small enclave surrounded by Denver and known for its strip clubs and shopping centers. The department said it is investigating whether Morant may have broken any gun laws.

⚾JUSTIN TURNER HIT IN FACE BY PITCH, LEAVES RED SOX SPRING TRAINING GAME: Boston Red Sox infielder Justin Turner left Monday's spring training game against the Detroit Tigers after being hit in the face by a pitch. Turner immediately fell to the ground after being struck in the face by a pitch from Tigers right-hander Matt Manning in the first inning. The two-time All-Star was bleeding as Red Sox medical personnel took him to the clubhouse. The Red Sox have not officially announced the nature of Turner's injury.

🏀NBA RESCINDS GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO'S 10TH REBOUND: Giannis Antetokounmpo lost the triple-double he tried to secure in the waning seconds of the Milwaukee Bucks' win Sunday over the Washington Wizards by intentionally missing his own shot. The game was just about over when Antetokounmpo dribbled to the basket and lightly tossed the ball off the backboard to himself to secure his 10th rebound and lock up a triple-double.

🏀NBA SCORES:
  • Cleveland Cavaliers 118 Boston Celtics 114
  • Philadelphia 76ers 147 Indiana Pacers 143
  • Portland Trail Blazers 110 Detroit Pistons 104
  • Miami Heat 130 Atlanta Hawks 128
  • Denver Nuggets 118 Toronto Raptors 113
  • Sacramento Kings 123 New Orleans Pelicans 108



➤PA GETS WINTER CLIPPER: A Winter Weather Advisory is in affect for section of PA  from 7 p.m. Monday evening to 5 a.m. Tuesday. AccuWeather says most of the area can expect 2-4 inches of snow with some rain mixed in as well. AccuWeather Meteorologist Jeff Nordeen, “As this system pushes on by, it is going to be in the form of a cold front, and we’re going to be experiencing some of that snow and rain at about 6-7 p.m. this evening.” The National Weather Service says there could be some local amounts up to 4 or 5 inches in higher terrains. Motorists around the area should plan for deteriorating road conditions and plan for a slow and slippery morning commute Tuesday.



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