DDSR…Saint Patrick’s Day Edition…nothing about Ireland in the news…

17 March 2022

UKR/RU

Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of bombing a theater in Mariupol, where hundreds of displaced families had sought refuge. There has been no word on deaths or injuries, though a local official said the fate of “several hundred” people remained unknown. Adela Suliman Paulina Villegas, Elyse Samuels and Reis Thebault report for the Washington Post.

The basement in the Mariupol theater where people had gathered has withstood the bombing a local Ukrainian MP has said. “It looks like most of them have survived,” the MP told the BBC. However, an adviser to the city’s mayor has earlier said that emergency workers were struggling to reach the building due to constant shelling. Hugo Bachega reports for BBC News.

The bombing of the Mariupol theatre “looks to be specific targeting of civilian infrastructure” and a “self-evident breach of international humanitarian law,” the U.K.’s Foreign Office minister, James Cleverley, has said. BBC News reports.

At least ten people queueing for bread were killed when Russian forces shelled the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv yesterday, according to the head of the regional administration, Vyacheslav Chaus. Tim Lister, Oleksandra Ochman and Gianluca Mezzofiore report for CNN.

More than 7,000 Russian troops have died since Russia invaded Ukraine, U.S. intelligence has estimated. “Losses like this affect morale and unit cohesion, especially since these soldiers don’t understand why they’re fighting,” said Evelyn Farkas, the top Pentagon official for Russia and Ukraine during former President Obama’s administration. “Your overall situational awareness decreases. Someone’s got to drive, someone’s got to shoot.” Helene Cooper, Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times.

Ukraine has launched counteroffensives in its capital Kyiv, and other key cities, including Irpin, Bucha and Hostomel. Ukrainian forces have also pressed an offensive south and east of the southern port of Mykolaiv, moving in the direction of Kherson, the only Ukrainian regional capital occupied by Russia since the war began. Alan Cullison, Isabel Coles and Yaroslav Trofimov report for the Wall Street Journal. 

The World Health Organization has verified at least “43 attacks on health care” since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, including assaults on patients, health-care workers, facilities and infrastructure. Andre Jeong reports for the Washington Post.

Today Ukrainian officials have announced nine new humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from besieged cities, alongside plans to deliver humanitarian aid to places in need. Annabelle Timsit reports for the Washington Post. 

Nearly 1 million children have left Ukraine for Poland, leaving basic services buckling under the weight of refugees from the Russian invasion. In Warsaw, the local government is registering so many new Ukrainian arrivals that the city’s computer system has crashed. In Krakow, housing is in such short supply that refugees are being sent to lodgings as much as 5½ hours away. Officials from both cities are now begging other countries to take in more people fleeing Ukraine. Ian Lovett and Drew Hinshaw report for the Wall Street Journal.

President Biden’s administration will provide Ukraine with additional high-tech defensive weapons that are easily portable and require little training to use, according to U.S. and European officials. As part of the package, the administration will provide Switchblade drones. Military officials call the weapon, which is carried in a backpack, the “kamikaze drone” because it can be flown directly at a tank or a group of troops, and is destroyed when it hits the target and explodes. Julian E. Barnes and John Ismay report for the New York Times.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, warned his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev yesterday against “any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.” David E Sanger reports for the New York Times. 

In a speech to Congress yesterday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, pressed the U.S. for further military assistance and new sanctions. Zelensky asked Congress to remember the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, when Americans were targeted from the sky, saying his country is experiencing that terror every day. He asked for a no-fly zone over Ukraine but said that he would accept jet fighters and antiaircraft weapons as a fallback so that Ukrainians could defend themselves. Lindsay Wise and Andrew Restuccia report for the Wall Street Journal. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen met yesterday with representatives from Europe and Asia, to launch the Russia, Elites, Proxies and Oligarch multilateral task force. The task force, consisting of the Finance Ministry and Justice or Home Ministry in each jurisdiction, will “collect and share information to take concrete actions, including sanctions, asset freezing, civil and criminal asset seizure, and criminal prosecution,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. 

U.S. officials are allowing Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion to enter the U.S. at the Mexico border and stay without fear of deportation for a year. A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection official briefed on the matter said that U.S. authorities were granting one-year temporary “humanitarian parole” to Ukrainians. Daina Beth Solomon and Dasha Afanasieva report for Reuters.

Biden has explicitly called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” in a seemingly off the cuff comment yesterday. The assertion, which was made in response to a reporter’s questions at an event on an entirely different topic, came after Zelensky’s forceful speech to Congress earlier that day. Neither the International Criminal Court nor the U.S. government has formally concluded that Russia’s actions constitute war crimes, making Biden’s “seemingly spontaneous assertion …all the more striking,” Ashley Parker reports for the Washington Post. 

The Kremlin has responded to Biden’s assertion that Putin is a war criminal, calling it “unforgivable rhetoric.” “We believe such rhetoric to be unacceptable and unforgivable on the part of the head of a state, whose bombs have killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency Tass. BBC News reports.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said that there is “very, very strong evidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “war criminal,” following Biden’s description of him as such.BBC News reports.

The International Court of Justice has ruled by a vote of 13 to 2, with Vice-President Kirill Gevorgian of Russia and Judge Xue Hanqin of China dissenting, that Russia “shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February.” The court’s ruling is the first such verdict handed down by the ‘world court’ since the Russian invasion began. UN News Centre reports.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan QC, met yesterday with Ukraine’s foreign minister and prosecutor general, during a rare trip into a conflict zone. Khan also held virtual talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Anthony Deutsche and Stephen Farrell report for Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Russia’s economy has been profoundly affected by Western sanctions. “Our economy will need deep structural changes in these new realities, and I won’t hide this—they won’t be easy; they will lead to a temporary rise in inflation and unemployment,” Putin said in televised remarks on Wednesday before a video meeting with Russian government officials. Alexander Osipovich report for the Wall Street Journal. 

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia yesterday to deliver a plea from the West to pump more oil. The visit comes as the International Energy Agency warned of a global oil supply shock because of large-scale disruptions to Russian oil supplies. Max Colchester, Summer Said and Stephen Kalin report for the Wall Street Journal. 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has singled out the possibility of introducing sanctions against China, Australia’s largest trading partner, if Chinese President Xi Jinping’s regime were to provide military equipment to Russia. Daniel Hurst report for the Guardian.

The U.K. is to deploy its Sky Sabre missile system in Poland, along with 100 troops, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has said. Sabre has been described by the U.K. government as “a state-of-the-art air defense system,” which is said to be capable of hitting a tennis ball-sized object traveling at the speed of sound. BBC News reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to pro-Western Russians as “scum and traitors” who needed to be removed from society, in a speech delivered yesterday. “In reserving his toughest language for fellow Russians who disagreed with him, Putin opened the door to a new wave of repression that, analysts fear, could hit a much broader swath of society than the activists and journalists the Kremlin has targeted in recent months,” Anton Troianovski reports for the New York Times.

Russian journalist, Marina Ovsyannikova, who was fined after denouncing the war in Ukraine on Russian state television, has rejected an offer of asylum from French President Emmanuel Macron. “I don’t want to leave our country,” she told German news magazine Der Spiegel. “I’m a patriot, my son a much bigger one. We definitely … don’t want to emigrate anywhere.” Annabelle Timsit reports for the Washington Post. 

Marina Ovsyannikova’s anti-war protest has highlighted a stream of resignations from Russia’s state-run TV channels since the beginning of the war. This has included resignations from high-profile and long-serving journalists at Channel One, NTV, VGTRK and RT. Paul Kirby reports for BBC News.

US

A proposal to make daylight saving time permanent is finding bipartisan support in the House after its passage in the Senate. But it’s unclear when – or if – the lower chamber will take up the legislation as leaders punt the effort to the back burner in favor of other pressing matters, including responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read the full story here.

The Department of Justice yesterday unveiled three cases against five Chinese nationals accused of trying to suppress dissent against China’s government on U.S. soil. One of the individuals, Qiming Lin, is accused of orchestrating a scheme to harass and smear a congressional candidate. The charging documents do not identify the candidate, but appear to reference Xiong Yan, who is running in the Democratic primary to represent New York’s 1st Congressional District. Harper Neidig and Rebecca Beitsche report for The Hill. 

President Biden’s administration is offering a form of temporary humanitarian protection, known as temporary protected status or TPS, to thousands of Afghans living in the U.S. without permanent legal status, the Department of Homeland Security has said. Any Afghan present in the U.S. on or before March 15 would be eligible for TPS, which shields them from deportation and allows them to work legally for 18 months, a term that can be renewed. Michelle Hackman reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is not planning to issue subpoenas to members of Congress who are alleged to have information regarding the attack. The decision to move ahead without compelling lawmakers to cooperate through a subpoena “reflects a self-imposed limitation as committee members work to balance legal, political and practical considerations,” Katerine Faulders, Will Steakin and Benjamin Siegel report for ABC News.

The Fed warned that rising inflation means “hardship” for Americans for possibly the next few years and requires a series of seven interest rate hikes in 2022 aimed at lowering demand and prices while slowing the economy. The announcement by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell was anticipated by analysts and market watchers but spells political trouble for Democratic candidates who had hoped voters would feel more confident by November about prices that outstrip their wage gains and their economic futures.

U.S. airlines are experiencing a consumer demand for travel at the same time that rising fuel prices contribute to higher ticket prices. Domestic carriers are anticipating their best year since the onset of the pandemic (The Hill).

Virus/Science/Climate

COVID-19 has infected over 79.63 million people and has now killed over 968,300 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 464.03 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 6.06 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

Scientists continue to explore clues that COVID-19 can leave behind damage not immediately understood after the virus appears to clear. One new question: Is COVID-19 infection linked to cases of diabetes? (The Associated Press).

Five days after reaching a collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball on Tuesday said it will drop regular COVID-19 testing for all but symptomatic individuals while maintaining an ability to move games if the public health situation in an area deteriorates (ESPN). 

Travel restrictions tied to COVID-19 continue to be lifted. In the United Kingdom, travel restrictions end on Friday. London’s Heathrow Airport will no longer require people to wear face masks in its terminals, railway stations or office buildings but will continue to recommend they do so. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the latest airlines to relax their respective policies on face coverings. Passengers must still wear them on flights if their destination country requires masks (BBC).

The pandemic is not over. Asia is still in the throes of its initial omicron surge, while Europe may see a second wave (The New York Times). In China, by the way, Pfizer’s antiviral pill has been added to its COVID-19 treatment protocol (The New York Times).

Social media platforms expose wide variations in their handling of information disseminated about and coming out of Russia and Ukraine during three weeks of war (The Hill).

Instagram on Wednesday launched a “Family Center,” handing increased supervisory tools that allow parents to view how much time their children are spending on the app and to set time limits. It also allows parents to monitor their teen’s program use, including being able to view and receive updates on what accounts their teens follow and the accounts that follow their teens (The Hill).

Global Developments

Two British Iranians who spent years in prison in Iran have arrived back in the U.K., in a development that suggests that a revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could be imminent. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were reunited with their families. A third person, Morad Tahbaz, an environmentalist who has British, Iranian and American citizenship, was released from prison on furlough to his house in Tehran. Karla Adam and Liz Sly report for the Washington Post. 

The Honduran Supreme Court of Justice decided yesterday that Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez should be extradited to the U.S. to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. Marlon Gonzalez reports for AP. 

U.N. political affairs chief, Rosemary DiCarlo, has warned the U.N. Security Council of rising tensions in Libya, amid an impasse that could see Libya fractured again by two parallel governments. DiCarlo also highlighted an increase in reported human rights violations, hate speech, defamation and threats, as well as violence against activists, journalists and political actors. UN News Centre reports. 

Demonstrations have taken place across Sudan in protest at the alleged gang-rape of a teenager by security forces. The 18-year-old said she was attacked in Khartoum on Monday by up to nine men dressed in the uniforms of the security forces involved in dispersing regular protests held across Sudan since October’s military coup. Zeinab Mohammed Salih reports for the Guardian. 

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cast a spotlight on the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, during a press conference yesterday. As the world’s attention focuses on the war and refugee crisis in Ukraine, Tedros urged WHO member countries not to forget about other humanitarian crises happening around the world. Olafimihan Oshin reports for The Hill. 

A Cambodian court has sentenced 20 former politicians and activists to up to 10 years in prison for sedition, as part of a broad crackdown on the opposition. New York-based organization Human Rights Watch is calling for international condemnation of the convictions, which it said amounted to a “witch hunt that discredits both the Cambodian government and the country’s courts.” Reuters reports.

DDSR…News That Doesn’t Matter

16 March 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday invoked historically potent attacks on the U.S. at Pearl Harbor and on Sept. 11, 2001, pleading with Congress for additional military aid as his nation fights to repel a Russian invasion.

“Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Americans, in your great history, you have pages that allow you to understand Ukrainians now,” Zelenskyy told U.S. lawmakers. “Remember Pearl Harbor, the terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Remember September 11, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities independent territories into battlefield.”

“Our country experiences the same every day, right now, at this moment, every night for three weeks now.” Zelenskyy spoke remotely via a video feed and told U.S. lawmakers that he was addressing them from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital city that has for weeks been the target of Russian military strikes. Members of the House and Senate gathered together to hear Zelenskyy, who personally requested the opportunity to address them, in the Capitol Visitor Center’s congressional auditorium. Read more here.

UKR/RU

Russian rocket fire has hit a TV tower in the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, knocking out the city’s broadcasting facilities, according to a statement from Ukraine’s state communication services. CNN reports.

At least 500 civilians have been killed by Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, since the start of the war, according to the city’s emergency services. Michael Schwirtz reports for the New York Times. 

Mykolaive, a city of about 500,00 people on Ukraine’s Black Sea shoreline, is holding up against Russian advances in a major blow to the Kremlin’s apparent plans for an attack on Odessa, an economic lifeline for Ukraine. Isabelle Khurshudyan reports for the Washington Post. 

More than 600 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv since the start of Russia’s invasion, the city’s Mayor, Ihor Terehov, said during a televised interview yesterday. Reuters reports. 

Russia troops are “struggling” to advance in Ukraine following “challenges posed by Ukraine’s terrain,” according to the U.K.’s Defense Ministry, in an intelligence update issued today. Jennifer Hassan reports for the Washington Post. 

Russia is calling up reinforcements from across the entire country following “continued personnel losses” in Ukraine, according to a public intelligence assessment released yesterday by the U.K. Ministry of Defense. Josh Campbell reports for CNN.

The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. “The resolution, introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and backed by senators of both parties, encouraged the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and other nations to target the Russian military in any investigation of war crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Moira Warburton reports for Reuters. 

The Biden administration is set to unveil an $800 million security aid package for Ukraine today, according to a White House official. The announcement will mean that the U.S. will have offered Ukraine $2 billion worth of defense support under President Biden, with $1 billion of that being announced in the past week. Andrew Jeong and Ashley Parker report for the Washington Post. 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D – Conn.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R -Tenn.) are set to introduce a resolution that would, if passed, say the Senate supports sanctioning all Russian banks. Eliza Collins reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

In an interview with NPR, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has said that merely stopping the invasion of Ukraine may not be enough for Russia to gain relief from Western economic sanctions. According to Blinken, any Russia pullback would have to be, “in effect, irreversible,” so that “this can’t happen again.” Steve Inskeep reports for NPR. 

Blinken spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba yesterday, about efforts by Western allies to assist Ukraine’s government in the fight against Russia. “The two also discussed U.S. and allied efforts to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for the war, and Mr. Blinken also vowed that the U.S. would continue providing security, economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine,” Vivian Salama reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Russia’s foreign ministry says it has imposed sanctions on U.S. President Joe Biden and 12 other U.S. officials. The list includes Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, press secretary Jen Psaki, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Biden’s son Hunter. BBC News reports. 

Russian President Vladmir Putin hasn’t spoken to President Biden since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but contact between the two leaders can resume if necessary, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today. Sarah Dean reports for CNN. 

Republican and Democratic senators have warned there will be strong political support for hitting China with economic penalties if it helps Russia evade U.S. and European Union sanctions or ships military hardware to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Alexander Bolton reports for The Hill.

NATO will discuss stepping up defenses along its eastern front as Russia’s attack encroaches on the alliance’s borders, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday. NATO defense ministers will meet today to discuss ways of helping Ukraine and deterring Russian aggression without getting drawn into a wider conflict. Victoria Kim reports for the New York Times. 

The Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers have returned to Poland after their visit to Kyiv. The delegation traveled to Kyiv by train to show solidarity with Ukraine and were the first to visit the capital since the start of the war. Adam Easton reports for BBC News. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the leaders of the three NATO member countries who traveled into Ukraine’s war-torn capital for a meeting yesterday and has urged others to do the same. Azi Paybarah reports for the New York Times.

Turkey has asked the Biden administration to play down any public comments regarding Turkey’s security assistance to Ukraine, expressing concern that its involvement might provoke retaliation, U.S.  officials have said. Vivian Salama reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the prospect of nuclear conflict is “now back within the realm of possibility.” In remarks to reporters, Guterres called Putin’s decision to raise Russia’s nuclear forces alert levels last month a “bone-chilling development” and said further escalation of the war in Ukraine would threaten all of humanity. Andrew Jeong reports for the Washington Post. 

Lithuania’s president has said that the country was willing to stop using Russian oil and gas, “in the latest sign of how some EU nations plan to step up penalties on Moscow for invading Ukraine,” Victoria Craig reports for BBC News. 

Russia has said that it would pull out of the Council of Europe following pressure for Moscow to be expelled from the European rights body over its invasion of Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry said yesterday that it had given notification of its departure to Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric. Al Jazeera reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that negotiations with Russia were heading in a “more realistic” direction. “The meetings continue, and I am informed that the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic,” Zelenskyy said. Adela Suliman and Hannah Knowles report for the Washington Post. 

Russia’s foreign minister has said today there is some hope of a breakthrough in talks with Ukraine and that neutrality for Ukrainian neutrality is being seriously discussed. Henry Austin reports for NBC News.

Mukhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymer Zelenskyy, has said that the country’s government rejected the idea floated by Russia that Ukraine should adopt a Swedish or Austrian model of neutrality. Time Lister and Julia Kesa report for CNN. 

Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, plans to meet Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, in Moscow today, before heading to Ukraine. “Turkey has been pushing for a bigger role in mediating an end to the war, including hosting Lavrov and Ukraine’s top diplomat last week,” Elif Ince reports for the New York Times.

A Fox News cameraman and a Ukrainian journalist traveling with him were killed on Monday in Ukraine when their vehicle came under fire outside Kyiv. Michael Grynbaum reports for the New York Times. 

Russian journalist Marina Ovyannikova has been fined and released after she protested against the war in Ukraine on a live TV news programme and made an anti-war video. She said she had been questioned for 14 hours and not slept for two days, and was not given access to legal help. BBC News reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted yesterday that Ukraine is unlikely to join NATO as he made a call for increased security commitments from the West. Brad Dress reports for The Hill. 

Zelenskyy has dismissed suggestions he is ready to surrender as a “childish provocation,” after a fake banner appeared on a Ukrainian newscast saying the president was calling on his people to lay down their weapons. Andrew Carey reports for CNN. 

Analysis has shown that traffic to Russian state media sites tanked on Youtube and Facebook following action by the companies. Elizabeth Dwoskin, Jeremy B Merrill and Gerrit De Vynck report for the Washington Post. 

Ukrainian security services claimed yesterday that a hacker who had assisted Russia had been detained by officials. Caroline Vakil reports for The Hill. 

The head of Russia’s foreign intelligence agency has said the country’s fate will be decided in the coming days. In a speech to a panel event in Moscow, he focused on the importance of sovereignty, telling delegates “sovereignty is a guarantee of the well-being and dignity of our citizens, this is the future of our children”. BBC News reports. 

US

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address U.S. lawmakers virtually on Wednesday in what will be a closely watched and likely emotional speech on the 21st day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky has spoken frequently with President Biden since the invasion began on Feb. 24 — Biden says “almost daily” — and he addressed a small group of lawmakers via video earlier this month. But Wednesday’s address will give Zelensky a chance to make his case to Congress as a whole and the American people for why the U.S. and its allies should do more to punish Russia and bolster Ukrainian defenses. Here are five things to watch for when Zelensky addresses Congress.

Sarah Bloom Raskin on Tuesday withdrew from consideration to a top Federal Reserve post, officially asking Biden to withdraw her nomination in a letter amid “relentless attacks by special interests” (The New Yorker).

The Hill: Senate unanimously approves making Daylight Saving Time permanent.

The Hill: A movement is underway to ban lawmakers from trading stocks in office.

The Federal Reserve is set to hike interest rates for the first time since slashing them to near-zero levels early on in the pandemic, and the central bank is hoping to cool off rising inflation without denting several months of strong job growth. The Hill’s Sylvan Lane takes a look at how the Fed’s rate hikes will start to affect the economy.

Prices for goods increased 2.4 percent in February, marking the biggest jump since data for the metric was first calculated more than a decade ago. The jump is due largely to a spike in energy prices, which noted a 14.8 percent rise in the index for gasoline (The Hill).

The Hill’s Reid Wilson reports that 10 states have set new record low unemployment rates during the beginning of 2022.

The Federal Communications Commission announced on Tuesday it has begun implementing rules requiring broadcasters to report when foreign governments have been leased airwave time. Under the rule, new leasing agreements are subject to the mandate. Existing ones have up to six months of the Federal Register publication date to comply with the rule (The Hill).

The Arizona Coalition to End the Filibuster, which helped push EMILY’s List to drop its support of Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.), is now pressuring the Human Rights Campaign to do the same, Holly Otterbein scoops this morning. The open letter from “more than 100 Arizona-based LGBTQ activists and national supporters … charges that Sinema’s position on the filibuster is preventing the Equality Act from passing.” It also advocates for HRC donors to stop giving to the organization until it cuts ties with Sinema. The letter

Prosecutors have opened talks with lawyers for the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, and his four co-defendants to negotiate a potential plea agreement that would drop the possibility of execution. Guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences could bring an end to the long-running case, which has been mired in pretrial proceedings focusing on the C.I.A.’s torture of the defendants. Carol Rosenberg and Charlie Savage report for the New York Times.

A U.N. expert told the Human Rights Council yesterday that she had received a preliminary invitation from Washington to Guantanamo Bay, in what could lead to the first-ever visit by a U.N. representative. Emma Farge reports for U.S. News.

More that 40 Democratic House members have called on the Defense Department to brief Congress on the administration’s progress towards reducing civilian injuries and deaths from U.S. military operations overseas. In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, the members “expressed concern over counterterrorism operations conducted by the U.S. military, including airstrikes, that have resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and many more injuries over years of American involvement in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria,” Aishvarya Kavi report for the New York Times. 

United States naval engineer Jonathan Toebbe and his wife Diana, who pleaded guilty last month to espionage, offered thousands of pages of classified documents to Brazil, a senior Brazilian official and other people briefed on the investigation have revealed. Until now the identity of the nation approached by the Toebbes has remained shielded by federal prosecutors. Julian E. Barnes, Andre Spigariol, Jack Nicas and Adam Goldman report for the New York Times. 

Prosecutors in Chicago said yesterday that they would not file charges against the officer who fatally shot 13 year old Adam Toledo and 22 year old Anthony Alvarez. Kim Foxx, the state’s attorney for Cook County said that whilst the officers might have violated the department’s policy, evidence did not support the filing of criminal charges. Vimal Patel reports for the New York Times.

The gunman in a 2018 attack on a yoga studio in Florida that left two dead and five injured had a history of “misogynistic extremism”, which was missed by the authorities, the U.S. Secret Service has found in a new report published yesterday. Neil Vigdor reports for the New York Times.

Virus/Science/Climate

COVID-19 has infected over 79.58 million people and has now killed over 966,600 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 461.80 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 6.05 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

Pfizer asked federal regulators to authorize a second booster shot for adults 65 and older.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is at least as protective as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s, C.D.C. data suggest.

The Senate approved a symbolic resolution to repeal the mask mandate for public transportation, with eight Democrats joining Republicans.

US Relations and Global Developments

Russia has retreated on its demands on the Iran nuclear deal, clearing the way for the revival of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Russia earlier this month had demanded guarantees from Washington that its economic ties with Iran wouldn’t be affected by western sanctions imposed on Moscow over Ukraine. However, a senior western diplomat said yesterday evening that Russia’s chief negotiator at the talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, had informed the European Union that Russia would accept narrower guarantees ensuring that Russia could carry out the nuclear work it is mandated to do under the 2015 nuclear deal. Laurence Norman reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

U.S. military withdrawals from Afghanistan and Somalia has limited the U.S.’s ability to conduct counterterrorism operations against groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, U.S. generals in charge of the Middle East and Africa told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday. Karoun Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. 

Canada and the U.S. have issued a rare public notice over planned military exercises in the Arctic, amid growing concern over Russian aggression. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said yesterday that the drills, which will start today, were meant to test the ability to “respond to both aircraft and cruise missiles” threatening the continent. Leyland Cecco reports for the Guardian.

North Korea test fired an unknown projectile at 9.30am local time, however the launch was unsuccessful, according to a South Korean military official. Japan’s Defense Ministry said it was aware of the launch but was unable to confirm the flight of any ballistic missile. Timothy w. Martin reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Yesterday the U.N. Security Council extended its peacekeeping mission in South Sudan for a year. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 13-0, with Russia and China abstaining, both calling the measure unbalanced for focusing too much on human rights in the East African nation. Edith M. Lederer reports for AP. 

Two British citizens imprisoned in Iran for several years could be released imminently, possibly within hours, according to two sources with direct knowledge of discussions between London and Tehran. Talks are underway for the release of aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and retired engineer Anoosheh Ashoori, dual U.K.-Iranian citizens who have been imprisoned on what the U.K. government maintains were trumped-up charges while visiting family in Iran. Dan De Luce and Dareh Gregorian report for NBC News.

DDSR…Tuesday Sucks Too

15 March 2021

UKR/RU

Russian airstrikes have hit an apartment building in Kyiv this morning, killing two people. Shortly before dawn today, a series of strikes hit a residential neighborhood in the capital. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-storey apartment building. AP reports.

Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles that Russia is firing in Ukraine are also releasing a previously unknown decoy designed to evade air-defense systems, U.S. intelligence has found. Each device is filled with electronics that produce radio signals to jam or spoof enemy radars attempting to locate the Iskander-M, and contains a heat source to attract incoming missiles. “The use of the decoys may help explain why Ukrainian air-defense weapons have had difficulty intercepting Russia’s Iskander missiles,” John Ismay reports for the New York Times.

Russia’s missile attack on a Ukrainian military base near the Polish border was launched from long-range bombers flying inside Russian airspace, the Pentagon has said. According to a senior U.S. defense official, the attack did not disrupt shipments of Western military aid, despite Russia’s claims to the contrary. Alex Horton reports for the Washington Post. 

Nearly all Russian advances in Ukraine remain stalled due in part to “creative” strikes from Ukrainian forces which limit Russian forces’ ability to resupply, a senior U.S. defense official has said. The Ukrainian forces, as well as attacking Russia’s combat capability, have also “effectively struck at the Russian logistics and sustainment capabilities,” the official told reporters. Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill.

A curfew is to be imposed on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from 20:00 pm (01:00 pm EST) today until 07:00 am (12:00 am EST) on Thursday after recent bombardments of the city. BBC News reports.

New satellite images show the extent of the destruction in Mariupol, where Russian forces have fired on residential areas and encircled the city. Rachel Pannett reports for the Washington Post.

Russian missile strikes have targeted the airport in Dnipro in eastern Ukraine, regional authorities have said. BBC News reports.

More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, the U.N.  International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said. A spokesperson for UNICEF, the U.N.’s child protection agency, has said that 1.5 million Ukrainian children — half the IOM’s total number of refugees — have become refugees since the start of the conflict. Annabelle Timsit reports for the Washington Post.

The Red Cross is hoping to organize the evacuation of two convoys of 30 buses with civilians out of the besieged northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, a spokesperson said yesterday. Reuters reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will deliver a virtual address to members of Congress on Wednesday at 9am EST. Clare Foran reports for CNN. 

11 Russian defense officials and arm-industry figures will be added to the list of individuals sanctioned in response to the invasion of Ukraine, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department. William Mauldin reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), has expressed surprise that Russia has not launched a more destructive cyberattack against Ukraine and the West despite having the capability to do so. There are two possible reasons for this, Warner said. First, Russia probably assumed they would win the war in Ukraine relatively quickly. Second, destructive cyberattacks could completely damage Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, which would be expensive to rebuild. Ines Kagubare reports for The Hill.

During a seven-hour meeting in Rome yesterday, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan issued a direct warning to his Chinese counterpart about the potential consequences of any assistance that Beijing might provide Russia in its war with Ukraine. The meeting came amid reports that President Biden is considering a trip to Europe in the coming weeks to rally and reassure allies. Ashley Parker, Dan Lamothe, Chico Harlan and Cate Cadell report for the Washington Post. 

Following the U.S.-China meeting yesterday, U.S. officials fear that China has already decided to provide Russia with economic and financial support during its war in Ukraine and is contemplating sending military supplies such as armed drones. Although yesterday’s meeting was not about negotiations but about a “direct exchange of views,” according to a senior administration official, the U.S. delegation walked away from the meeting pessimistic that the Chinese government would change its minds about backing Moscow. Julian Borger reports for the Guardian.

While the U.S. presses China over its support for Russia, China is trying to shift the attention towards its efforts to help prevent the Ukraine crisis from deepening. However, Beijing’s reluctance to distance itself from Moscow undermines its credibility in the eyes of the West and limits any role it can play towards getting Russia to back down. Lingling Wei provides analysis for the Wall Street Journal.

The International Court of Justice will issue a ruling today on allegations of genocide against Russia, according to a statement by the court. Monique Beals reports for the Hill. 

The E.U. has approved a fourth set of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including a broad ban on investment in Russia’s energy sector, a ban on selling high value luxury goods and new targeted sanctions against oligarchs. However, E.U. diplomats have said that divisions have started to re-emerge over how fast to push ahead with Russian sanctions. Laurence Norman reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Leaders from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, all members of the E.U. and NATO, have headed to Kyiv, to meet Ukrainian leaders and offer support. Drew Hinshaw reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, has asked that Russia be ousted immediately from the Council of Europe, a body charged with upholding human rights on the European continent. Paulina Villegas reports for the Washington Post.

In a live address to Western leaders this morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the Russian “war machine” has to be stopped “or else they will also come to you.” Zelensky also thanked countries that have “taken a moral stance” against Russia over the invasion. The Guardian reports.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, has warned that Russia’s war on Ukraine is holding “a sword of Damocles” over the global economy, especially poor developing countries that face skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices. AP reports. 

The U.K. government is considering using London mansions linked to Russian oligarchs to help refugees. “I want to explore an option which would allow us to use the homes and properties of sanctioned individuals for as long as they are sanctioned for humanitarian and other purposes,” U.K. Housing minister Michael Gove said on Sunday. However, analysts have said that property seizure is different from applying sanctions and freezing assets and would likely raise significant legal challenges. Karla Adam reports for the Washington Post.

Diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine showed no signs of progress yesterday, with negotiations pausing as fighting in Kyiv intensified. Alan Cullison reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Russian woman, Marina Ovsyannikova, ran onto the set of an evening news program on Russian state television’s Channel One yesterday holding a poster reading: “No war. Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They lie to you here. Russians against war.” She also yelled: “Stop the war, no to war”, before the camera cut away. TASS and OVD-Info, a human rights group that tracks demonstrations and helps protesters find lawyers, reported that the woman had been detained and taken to a Moscow police station. Evan Gershkovich reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

In his nightly TV address, Zelensky called on Russian forces to surrender, saying that Russia had suffered worse losses during their invasion of Ukraine than in the Chechnya conflict. He also paid tribute to Ovsyannikova, the woman who interrupted Russian state TV news by holding up an anti-war sign.  BBC News reports.

Russia has suggested that it will soon default on its debts – the first time it will have failed to meet its foreign debt obligations since the Bolshevik revolution more than a century ago. Half of the country’s foreign reserves — roughly $315 billion — have been frozen by Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov said on Sunday. As a result, Moscow will repay creditors from “countries that are unfriendly” in Rubles until the sanctions are lifted, he said. Charles Riley reports for CNN. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute yesterday to U.S. journalist Brent Renaud, who was killed while reporting outside Kyiv. In a letter to Renaud’s family, which was also posted on Twitter, Zelensky called Renaud “a talented and brave journalist” who “lost his life while documenting human tragedy, devastation and suffering of the millions of Ukrainians.” Annabelle Timsit and Elahe Izadi report for the Washington Post.

US

A suspect in a series of shootings targeting homeless men in New York and Washington was arrested this morning, according to police in Washington. Daniel Victor and Jenny Gross report for the New York Times.

A man has been charged with attempted murder as a hate crime, after a vicious assault on an Asian woman in Yonkers, N.Y. Ed Shanahan reports for the New York Times.

A Seattle man has pleaded guilty to trying to leave the U.S. and joining the Islamic State terrorist organization. Olifimihan Oshin reports for the Hill. 

A Democratic super political action committee said yesterday that it is filing a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission, accusing former President Trump of violating campaign finance law by spending political funds on a 2024 presidential bid without formally declaring himself a candidate. Shane Goldmacher reports for the New York Times.

Jan. 6th Insurrection

A document found by federal prosecutors in the possession of Enrique Tarrio, the chair of the far-right group Proud Boys, has revealed a detailed plan to surveil and storm government buildings around the Capitol on Jan. 6 last year, sources have said. The document could help explain why prosecutors chose to charge Tarrio with conspiracy, even though he was not at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.

Federal Prosecutors yesterday asked a judge to keep Tarrio in prison while he awaits trial on conspiracy charges stemming from the Jan. 6 attack. “Justice Department attorneys said in a court filing that Enrique Tarrio should not be released because he poses a danger to the community and constitutes a flight risk during his court proceedings,” Harper Neidig reports for The Hill.

Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, said in an interview published by the Washington Free Beacon yesterday, that she attended the Jan. 6 rally at the Ellipse in Washington, but left before former President Trump addressed the crowd. Thomas has previously pushed back against the ongoing investigation by a House select committee into the Jan. 6 attack. Danny Hakim and Jo Becker report for the New York Times.

A moment of enormous political drama is assured on Wednesday, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will give a virtual address to Congress. The speech was announced Monday by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). But Zelensky’s speech could come with complications for President Biden, given that the Ukrainian president is virtually certain to renew his plea for a no-fly zone over his country and for more weaponry, including warplanes. Read the full story here.

Idaho passed an abortion bill similar to the one in Texas, prohibiting the procedure after about six weeks.

Senator Joe Manchin opposes Sarah Bloom Raskin’s nomination to the Federal Reserve, citing her energy views. It probably dooms her candidacy.

“I don’t feel that I have earned that right”: Dolly Parton removed herself from the ballot for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Hill: Progressive groups target Schumer in climate spending push.

NBC News: Democratic National Committee to report $14 million fundraising haul in February.

The Hill: Politico demands Hawley stop using Jan. 6 photo on campaign mug.Politico: Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) sews up support to lead Senate GOP campaign arm in 2024

Virus/Climate/Science

COVID-19 has infected over 79.56 million people and has now killed over 967,600 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 459.90 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 6.05 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

Are COVID-19 cases about to tick upward after infections diminished over the past month? They could be if wastewater is any indication, as more than one-third of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s wastewater sample sites showed rising amounts of virus during the first 10 days of this month (Bloomberg News).

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) announced on Monday that she tested positive for COVID-19 and had mild symptoms, likening them to a seasonal cold. Dean is the latest House Democrat to test positive after the party’s retreat in Philadelphia at the end of last week, following Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) (The Hill). None of the three were considered close contacts of Biden during his visit to the retreat (The New York Times).

JPMorgan Chase said on Monday that it will lift its ban on hiring unvaccinated individuals and end mandatory testing for employees who are not vaccinated, with both taking place next month. The bank added that masks will be optional at its offices from now on (Bloomberg News).

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, says that it will narrow its guidance on content moderation that currently allows users in some countries to call for violence against Russian aggressors and soldiers within the context of the Ukraine war. Specifically, the updated policy will bar calls for the death of a head of state. “We are now narrowing the focus to make it explicitly clear in the guidance that it is never to be interpreted as condoning violence against Russians in general,” Meta Global Affairs President Nick Clegg wrote in the post (The Hill).

Global Developments

Although U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Russia’s demands could completely derail efforts to revive the Iran nuclear agreement, this may be a blessing for President Biden as he faces growing pressure in Washington to abandon the deal. Nahal Toosi and Stephanie Liechtenstein provide analysis for POLITICO.

Saudi Arabia has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Riyadh as the kingdom looks to deepen its ties with Beijing amid strained relations with Washington. “The trip comes amid shifting geopolitics in the Middle East, as the U.S. looks to focus more attention and resources on Asia while China and Russia expand their influence in the region,” Stephen Kalin and Summer Said report for the Wall Street Journal. 

A number of Israeli government websites went down on Monday in an apparent cyberattack. Whilst all services have since been restored, a defense establishment source has claimed that this was the largest-ever cyberattack carried out against Israel. Al Jazeera reports.

North Korea has described two recent missile launches, which flew higher than the International Space Station, as satellite tests. This comes after the U.S. and South Korea warned last week that North Korea could try cloaking a full-range intercontinental ballistic missile launch as a satellite test, raising suspicions of deception. Timothy W. Martin reports for the Wall Street Journal.

Chadian authorities have handed over a former Central African Republic militia leader accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, to the International Criminal Court, according to a statement made by the court yesterday.  France 24 reports.

The U.K. Supreme Court has refused Jullian Assange’s latest appeal against extradition to the United States. A court spokesperson said that Assange’s application did not raise “an arguable point of law,” which is required for an appeal to be allowed. The decision is a major blow to Assange’s hopes to avoid extradition. However, his lawyer has said that he has not ruled out launching a final appeal. Victoria Lindrea reports for BBC News. 

A top court in the southern Indian state of Karnataka has upheld a government order banning Muslim girls from wearing headscarves inside schools, in “a ruling that is likely to heighten tensions at a time when India is increasingly polarized along religious lines,” Sameer Yasir reports for the New York Times.

“A Taiwanese jet fighter plunged into the sea Monday, the second such incident this year and the seventh since the start of 2020, leading the island’s air force to ground some of its military aircraft amid growing tensions with China,” Joyu Wang reports for the Wall Street Journal.

A London-based group that campaigns for human rights in Hong Kong have said that national security officials from the city have threatened its leader with imprisonment and demanded it take down its website. Elaine Yu reports for the Wall Street Journal.

DDSR…Fuckin’ Monday

March 14, 2022

UKR/RU

A residential building in Kyiv’s Obolon district has been struck by Russian shelling today, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, forcing residents to flee and killing at least one person. Jennifer Hassan reports for the Washington Post.

Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has announced that he has arrived at the outskirts of Kyiv, posting a video that appeared to show Chechen troops briefing him after a successful attack. Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has brutally stamped out dissent in Chechnya, and there are concerns that Chechen forces may employ similar scorched-earth tactics against the civilian population in Ukraine. Austin Ramzy reports for the New York Times.

Russia launched an airstrike yesterday on a Ukrainian military training center 10 miles from the Polish border, killing at least 35 people and increasing the risk of war encroaching on NATO territory. The strike came one day after Moscow warned the West that it would consider arms deliveries to Ukraine as legitimate targets, throwing “into sharp relief the hazards of the Western push to deliver arms support to Kyiv while avoiding direct conflict with a nuclear adversary,” Alan Cullison and Brett Forrest report for the Wall Street Journal.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said that the bombing of the training center did not come as a surprise to U.S. intelligence and national security officials. He added that “what it shows is that Putin is frustrated by the fact that his forces are not making the kind of progress that he thought that they would make against major cities, including Kyiv.” Sullivan also reiterated President Biden’s insistence that U.S. military forces would not be fighting Russian troops in Ukraine but that they would “defend every inch of NATO territory.” David L. Stern, Karen DeYoung, Emily Rauhala, Ellen Nakashima and Dan Lamothe report for the Washington Post.

Russian naval forces have established a “distant blockade” of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, effectively isolating the country from international maritime trade, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said today. Russian forces have also conducted one amphibious landing in the Sea of Azov, the ministry added on Twitter. NBC News reports.

A high-voltage power line to Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear plant was damaged by Russian forces not long after electricity supplies were restored to the facility, grid operator Ukrenergo said today. Ukrenergo did not say if all external power supply to the plant had been lost as a result, but demanded access to the area to carry out repairs. Reuters reports.

A humanitarian convoy attempting to reach the besieged port city of Mariupol did not leave Berdyansky yesterday because of heavy fighting, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iran Vereshchuk and a clergyman accompanying the aid trucks. Mariupol City Council said in a Telegram message yesterday that 2,187 residents have died in the Russian invasion. Loveday Morris and Hannah Knowles report for the Washington Post. 

Ukrainian officials have said today that they would attempt to evacuate civilians from besieged cities through 10 humanitarian corridors and renew their effort to get a stalled aid convoy to the southern port of Mariupol. According to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, the corridors are set to evacuate people from eight cities to Brovary and Bilohorodka, two suburbs of Kyiv; and from three cities in the Luhansk region of Ukraine to Slovyansk, in the region of Donetsk. There has been no indication as to whether Russian forces have agreed to these corridors, and there has been no acknowledgement of her announcement from Moscow. Annabelle Timsit reports for the Washington Post.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that residents of Mariupol face “a worst-case scenario” unless the warring parties reach an agreement to ensure their immediate safety and access to humanitarian aid. Al Jazeera reports.

Talks between Russia and Ukraine have started, and communication between the two sides is hard but ongoing, Ukrainian presidential advisor and negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak has said on Twitter. The Guardian reports.

The fourth round of talks between Ukraine and Russia today will focus on achieving a ceasefire, troop withdrawals and security guarantees for Ukraine, Podolyak has said on Twitter and accompanying video. Reuters reporting.

Deputy head of office for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the BBC that he believes that Moscow’s position a head of today’s talks is more constructive than it has been previously, “instead of giving us an ultimatum or red lines or asking Ukraine to capitulate, they now seem to start the constructive negotiations.” Chris Giles reports for BBC News.

Russia has asked China to provide it with military equipment and support for the war in Ukraine, according to U.S. officials. Russia has also asked China for additional economic assistance, to help counteract the impact of broad sanctions imposed by the U.S. and European and Asian nations. Edward Wong and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times. 

China will face consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions in its invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. says. In a CNN interview, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is “communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them.” Sullivan is due to meet Yang Jiechi, a member of China’s top decision-making body, the Politburo, and head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, today in Rome. BBC News reports. 

Further reporting on Sullivan’s upcoming meeting with Yang is provided by Demetri Sevastopulo and Tom Mitchell for the Financial Times.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson  has called the assertions by U.S. officials that Russia asked Beijing to provide it with military assistance in Ukraine “disinformation.” The spokesperson added that China had “played a constructive role in urging peace and calling for negotiations.” Chris Giles reports for BBC News.

There are currently no indications that a Russian chemical weapons attack on Ukraine is imminent, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby has said. Kirby however added that U.S. officials “continue to watch this very very closely.” Gabriel Pietrorazio reports for ABC News.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine. “We’re working with others in the international community to document the crimes that Russia is committing against the Ukrainian people. They constitute war crimes; there are attacks on civilians that cannot be justified … in any way whatsoever,” Greenfield said in an interview last Thursday. Carol E. Lee and Dan De Luce report for NBC News.

A growing number of lawmakers are increasing the pressure on President Biden to increase military aid to Ukraine, including sending fighter jets and air defense systems. Amy B Wang reports for the Washington Post.

India is considering taking up a Russian offer to buy its crude oil and other commodities at discounted prices, two Indian officials have said. Work has been ongoing to set up a Rupee-Rouble trade mechanism to be used to pay for oil and other goods, according to one official. Aftab Ahmed and Manoj Kumar report for Reuters. 

The World Health Organization said in a statement today that it is working “day and night” to protect Ukraine’s overwhelmed health-care system by keeping disrupted medical supply chains open and delivering lifesaving supplies to facilities across the nation, as well as in neighboring countries that continue to take record numbers of refugees. It said that about 18 million people in Ukraine had been affected by Russia’s invasion, and warned that hospitals were running low on medicines and struggling to treat the wounded. Jennifer Hassan report for the Washington Post.

Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has accused “foreign countries” of wanting to force Russia into an “artificial default” through “the freezing of foreign currency accounts of the Bank of Russia and of the Russian government.” In a statement today, Siluanov said that the default would have “no real economic grounds” and that Russia would meet its debt obligations. Al Jazeera reports.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan will discuss the war in Ukraine with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at talks in Ankara today, his office has said. Reuters reports.

Top European diplomats have agreed to add Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich to the E.U. list of sanctioned Russian billionaires sanctioned. E.U. envoys are expected to adopt the measure, alongside a further set of economic sanctions against Russia, today. Francesco Guarascio and Gabriela Baczynska report for Reuters.

Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russian forces have abducted at least two Ukrainian mayors to install pro-Russian replacements. Isabelle Khurshudyan, Annabelle Timsit and Timothy Bella report for the Washington Post.

Award-winning American journalist Brent Renaud was fatally shot while reporting in Irpin, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv, on Sunday, according to two Ukrainian officials. Paulina Villegas, Brittany Shammas and Isabelle Khurshudyan report for the Washington Post.

Russian prosecutors have threatened Western companies in Russia with arrests of corporate leaders who criticize the Russian government, seizures of assets, including trademarks, of companies that withdraw from Russia and legal action. Prosecutors delivered the warnings in the past week to companies including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, International Business Machines and KFC owner Yum Brands, people familiar with the matter have said. Jennifer Maloney, Emily Glazer and Heather Haddon report for the Wall Street Journal.

Clearview AI is providing its facial recognition technology to Ukrainian leaders, CEO Hoan Ton-That said yesterday. The software could be used to detect Russian invaders, reunite refugee families and identify the dead, Ton-That told the Ukrainian government in a letter. Cat Zakrzewski reports for the Washington Post. 

Protestors have been blocking a border crossing between Poland and Belarus for several days, in an attempt to stop cargo trucks they say are headed for Ukraine via Belarus with supplies for the Russian army. Ada Petriczko reports for the New York Times.

Tens of thousands of Russians have fled to Istanbul since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with tens of thousands more traveling to countries like Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. “There has never been anything like this before in peacetime,” said Konstantin Sonin, a Russian economist at the University of Chicago. “There is no war on Russian territory. As a single event, it is pretty huge.” Anton Troianbovski and Patrick Kingsley report for the New York Times.

US

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak virtually to members of Congress on Wednesday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced in a joint letter. “As war rages on in Ukraine, it is with great respect and admiration for the Ukrainian people that we invite all Members of the House and Senate to attend a Virtual Address to the United States Congress delivered by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on Wednesday, March 16th at 9:00 a.m.,” they wrote. The speech is only open to members of Congress. To attend, lawmakers who aren’t fully vaccinated will need to wear a mask. Read the full story here.

Booming revenues are filling state budget coffers across the country to the brim as both higher wages and higher prices increase tax collections far beyond expectations. A review of state fiscal offices conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures found half the states now expect to exceed revenue projections this fiscal year, projections that were already far higher than in previous years. Another 17 states are on pace to meet their expectations. The good news comes two years after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, when state budget officers looked into an abyss of red ink in the midst of business shutdowns and mass layoffs that appeared to be the brink of the next Great Depression. Read the full story here.

Republicans are raising a red flag over Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s work on behalf of Guantanamo Bay detainees. Her work is coming up in closed-door meetings with Jackson as she sits down with GOP senators and Republican members of the Judiciary Committee, previewing a likely Republican line of attack during high-profile committee hearings next week.  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), one of several GOP senators on the panel seen as having White House ambitions, said he raised the issue with her during his meeting and predicted it would come up again during the hearing.  Read the full story here.

President Biden’s administration has announced that it will be terminating part of the Title 42 border policy, that allows for migrants at the border to be turned away without being able to seek asylum, for unaccompanied migrant children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it has addressed a Texas-based federal judge’s ruling on the issue, and that “in the current termination, CDC addresses the court’s concerns and has determined, after considering current public health conditions and recent developments, that expulsion of unaccompanied non-citizen children is not warranted to protect the public health.” Caroline Vakil reports for The Hill.

A gunman has been targeting homeless men sleeping in the streets of Lower Manhattan and Washington and has shot five men, two of them fatally, in recent days. The police departments from both cities have issued a joint statement announcing the joint investigation along with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Andy Newman and Vimal Patel report for the New York Times.

Law enforcement officials are investigating reports of “unlawful entry” onto the property of a White House national security aide. According to a police department public incident report, a man was seen on the property owned by Biden’s Deputy National Security Advisor, Daleep Singh, about 1 pm on Feb. 26, then fled the scene. Carol D. Leonnig and Tyler Pager report for the Washington Post.

The Hill: Five things to know about the $1.5 trillion spending bill Congress just passed.

The Hill: Democrats divided over proposal to suspend federal gas tax.

Reuters: U.S. gasoline prices edge lower after hitting record high last week.

Max Greenwood and Amie Parnes, The Hill: Ukraine raises stakes for former President Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Niall Stanage: The Memo: Get ready for Biden vs. Trump all over again.

Axios: GOP seeks election boost from tech startups

An Indian family of four froze to death yards from the border as they tried to cross into the U.S. from Canada.

Angry over blackouts and rising electricity bills, a small but growing number of Californians is going off the grid.

Virus/Science/Climate

COVID-19 has infected over 79.51 million people and has now killed over 967,500 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 456.90 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 6.04 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

Former President Obama said yesterday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Obama said that he is feeling “fine” and that his wife has tested negative. AP reports.

Countries including Israel, Chile and Germany have already begun recommending fourth COVID-19 doses for high-risk groups (The Hill).

Unvaccinated M.L.B. players won’t be allowed into Canada to play against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Iran

At least a dozen missiles fired from Iran struck near a U.S. Consulate compound which is being built outside the city of Erbil in the Kurdish region of Iraq early yesterday. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement that it had carried out the attack in response to recent Israeli actions in the region. The statement linked the U.S. presence in Iraq with Israel, saying that Iran had aimed at “the strategic center of the Zionist conspiracies in Erbil.” “The attack came four days after Iran vowed revenge against Israel for an airstrike in Syria that killed four people, including at least two members of the Revolutionary Guards,” Farnaz Fassihi and Jane Arraf report for the New York Times.

The missile attack sent U.S. troops rushing for shelter and shattered windows, as well as creating new complications for diplomatic efforts to ease tensions with Tehran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps claimed the missile attack was on compounds used by Israeli spies operating in Iraq. The U.S., Iraq and other nations have condemned the missile strike as a destabilizing act, with the U.S.’s top diplomat in Iraq saying that Tehran “must be held accountable for this flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty.” Dion Nissenbaum, Ghassan Adnan and Aresu Eqbali report for the Wall Street Journal.  

The talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal are on hold, despite an agreement being close to completion, following Moscow’s last minute demands that Washington pledge not to sanction trade between Russia and Tehran over Ukraine. E.U. foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted on Friday that: “a pause in the Vienna talks is needed due to external factors. A final text is essentially ready and on the table.” The Russian chief negotiator, Mikhail Ulyanov, has denied that it was only Russian objections that led to the near-complete text not being signed off, and suggested other countries still had problems with it. Patrick Wintour reports for the Guardian.

The U.S. will not negotiate exemptions to Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia to save efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and could instead reach a different accord excluding Moscow, a senior U.S. official has said. “The U.S. official said Washington would start exploring alternatives to the deal over the next week if Russia didn’t back away from its demands,” Laurence Norman and Dion Nissenbaum report for the Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. needs to make a decision on whether to revive the Iran nuclear deal, Tehran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson has said today. “We are not at a point of announcing an agreement now since there are some important open issues that need to be decided upon by Washington,” the spokesperson said, adding, without elaborating, that Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will visit Russia tomorrow. Reuters reports.

Iran will remain in the Vienna nuclear talks until its “legal and logical demands are met and a strong agreement is reached,” Iran’s top security official Ali Shamkhani has said in a Tweet today. Reuters reports.

Global Developments

The South Korean government believes North Korea could test an intercontinental ballistic missile as soon as this week, South Korean domestic media has said. Hyonhee Shin reports for Reuters.

At least 19 people have been killed in Sudan’s Darfur region in the latest violence between rival groups that left dozens dead last week. Fighting broke out last Thursday between armed groups in the Jebel Moon mountains of West Darfur state, close to the border with Chad. Agence France-Presse reports.

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan QC has filed an application for warrants of arrest in relation to the ICC’s long-running investigation into the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict. The ICC provides a statement.

Taiwan’s air force scrambled again today to warn away 13 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone, Taiwan’s defense ministry has said. Reuters reports.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday said that it had executed 81 people, in the kingdom’s largest mass execution in years, despite recent promises to curb the use of the death penalty. The Saudi Ministry of Interior said in a statement that the people had been executed for “multiple heinous crimes that left a large number of civilians and law enforcement officers dead.” Vivian Yee reports for the New York Times.

Saudi Arabia and its allies are struggling to turn the tide in Marib, Yemen, one of the last major sanctuaries against Iran-backed Houthi rebels the Yemini government has in the north of the country. The Saudi-led coalition is stepping up aerial bombing and missile strikes and, in the past four months, more than 1,500 Yemeni civilians have been killed or wounded, up from 823 in the previous four months, according to the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project. Dion Nissenbaum provides analysis of the ongoing civil war in Yemen for the Wall Street Journal.

A court in El Salvador has ordered the arrest of former Salvadoran President Alfredo Cristiani in relation to a 1989 massacre of six Jesuit priests and two others by soldiers. On Feb. 25 charges were filed against Cristani and a group of soldiers for their alleged involvement in the murders. “Prosecutors allege that Cristiani knew of the military’s plan to eliminate the priests and did nothing to stop them,” AP reports.

Australia and the Netherlands have launched legal proceedings against Russia, through the U.N.-linked International Civil Aviation Organization, for the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014. Australia and the Netherlands have been seeking compensation and an apology from the Russian Federation, which has denied involvement and unilaterally withdrew from negotiations with the two countries in Oct. 2020. Sarah Martin reports for the Guardian.

An Australian soldier has testified that he watched former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith machine-gun an unarmed disabled man to death in Afghanistan. Roberts-Smith is sueing three newspapers for defamation over reports he alleges portray him as committing war crimes, including murder. The soldier, anonymized before the court as Person 24, was subpoenaed by the newspapers to give evidence in the trial. Ben Doherty reports for the Guardian.

India acknowledged on Friday that one of its missiles had mistakenly been fired into Pakistan two days earlier, with Pakistan responding by criticizing India’s “callousness and ineptitude” in a “nuclear environment.” Mujib Mashal and Salman Masood report for the New York Times.

DDSR…It’s Thursday and Same Shit News

10 March 2022

UKR/RU

A Russian airstrike has hit a maternity hospital in the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, local authorities have said. Video footage released by the Mariupol mayor’s office showed wounded people being pulled out of the partially collapsed hospital complex. Three people were killed in the blast and 17 people were wounded, the mayor has said. Alan Cullison reports for the Wall Street Journal.

The Ukrainian military claims to have defeated a regiment of Russian troops and eliminated its commander, in Brovary, which is northeast of Kyiv. Celine Alkhaldi and Tim Lister report for CNN.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Russian military conscripts have been involved in the invasion of Ukraine, just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted conscripts were not part of the assault. Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov further claimed that almost all conscripts had since been withdrawn to Russia. Sarah Dean and Rob Picheta report for CNN. 

Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapons attack in Ukraine and “we should all be on the lookout”, the White House has said. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Russia’s claims about U.S. biological weapons labs, and chemical weapons development in Ukraine, were preposterous and called the claims an “obvious ploy” to try and justify further attacks. Gordon Corera reports for BBC News. 

The U.K.’s Defense Ministry has said that Russian air operations over Ukraine have slowed, potentially in response to combat losses that the invading forces have suffered. In a statement released today the ministry said that “there has been a notable decrease in overall Russia air activity over Ukraine in recent days” adding that this was “likely due to the unexpected effectiveness and endurance of Ukrainian Air Defence Forces”. Robert Wall reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Photographs from Planet Labs PBC, an American firm, and other researchers appear to show a large expanse of flooded land north of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Analysts consulted by Planet Labs believe the flooding was intentional. Deliberate flooding during combat – either to erect a barrier or destroy an area – is known as “hydraulic warfare,” and has often been used to supplement a defensive strategy. Reis Thebault and Dylan Moriarty report for the Washington Post. 

Efforts to shuttle people out of cities under attack resumed today, according to Ukrainian officials, after about 1,000 people trapped near a nuclear power plant in southeast Ukraine were evacuated overnight. Ellen Francis reports for the Washington Post. 

The Russian Ministry of Defense has claimed it used a thermobaric rocket launching weapon in its deadly attack on Ukraine, the U.K. announced yesterday. However, the U.S. military still has seen “no indications” that thermobaric weapons have been used, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters. Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill. 

The Pentagon has seen indications that Russian forces are dropping so-called “dumb-bombs” – munitions that are not precision-guided and therefore have limited ability to hit actual targets accurately. It is unclear whether Moscow’s use of dumb-bombs is by design or by default due to potential damage to its precision capabilities. Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill. 

The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine met for face-to-face talks in Turkey today in the first high-level contact between two sides since Moscow invaded Ukraine. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleban, said he discussed a 24-hour ceasefire with his Russian counterpart but no progress was made as Moscow’s representative defended its invasion and said it was going to plan. Al Jazeera reports.

The possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was discussed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart at face to face talks in Turkey earlier today. Zachary Basu reports for Axios. 

Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov of Russia has left open the door to a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky. “I hope that this will become necessary at some point,” he said. “But preparatory work needs to take place for this.” Zelensky has said that the war can only be ended through a meeting with Putin, which the Kremlin has not yet agreed to. Anton Troianovski reports for the New York Times.

Internet experts have proposed creating an international committee that could impose targeted sanctions against Russian military and propaganda websites without knocking ordinary civilian sites offline. The proposals – made today in an open letter signed by politicians, internet activists, networking experts, security researchers and others – opposes disconnecting all Russian websites as dangerously broad, with signatories expressing concern about depriving Russians of independent sources of news and information. Craig Timberg reports for the Washington Post. 

Allies of President Vladimir Putin are still welcome in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), which has yet to condemn the Ukraine invasion or enforce sanctions. There are concerns that this may undercut some of the penalties on Russia. “Sanctions are only as strong as the weakest link,” said lawyer and former adviser to the U.S. Treasury Department Adam Smith, adding that “any financial center that is willing to do business when others are not could provide a leak in the dike and undermine the overall measures.” David D. Kirkpatrick, Mona El-Naggar and Michael Forsythe report for the New York Times.

The United Arab Emirates has said that it would push the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to pump more oil as crude prices rocket to near record highs during Russia’s war on Ukraine. The decision marks a departure from the position of its ally Saudi Arabia, which has stuck with an alliance with Moscow on energy issues. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the U.A.E announcement “an important thing to stabilize global energy markets, to make sure that there remains an abundant supply of energy around the world.” Summer Said and Benoit Faucon report for the Wall Street Journal. 

A “small number of individual soldiers” from the British Army are absent without leave and may have gone to Ukraine despite orders not to, the army said in a statement today. In a separate statement, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said that while it “fully understood the strength of feeling for UK citizens and others living in the UK wanting to support the Ukrainians following the Russian invasion…traveling to fight or to assist others engaged in the conflict may be against the law and could lead to prosecution.” Andrew Jeong reports for the Washington Post.

Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. BBC News reports.

While many countries in the developing world are unsettled by Putin’s breach of Ukrainian sovereignty, the giants of the global south – including India, Brazil and South Africa – continue to hedge their bets, while China still publicly backs Putin. Anthony Faiola and Lesley Wroughton provide analysis for the Washington Post. 

China’s censors, who determine what can be discussed on the country’s social media platforms, are silencing the views of citizens protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Eduardo Baptista reports for Reuters.

Lithuania’s parliament today imposed a strict state of emergency over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, limiting rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, voting records show. Andrius Sytas reports for Reuters.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $1.4bn of emergency funds for Ukraine. This comes as the IMF predicts Ukraine will see a deep recession this year. BBC News Reports.

The European Central Bank (ECB) will meet today to discuss monetary policy in the first session since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spurred a wave of economic sanctions that are expected to damage global trade. The ECB is scheduled to release a statement on its monetary policy and interest rate at 7.45 a.m. ET. Caitlin Ostroff reports for the Wall Street Journal.

Gen. Tod Wolters, the Commander of U.S. forces in Europe has defended Washington’s decision not to orchestrate a transfer of Polish MiG fighter jets for Kyiv’s use. The Supreme Allied Commander in Europe praised Poland’s efforts to support Ukraine, but said that a better approach than offering the Soviet-built MiGs to Ukraine would be “to provide increased amount of anti-tank weapons and air defense systems, which is ongoing with the international community.” Daniel Michaels reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Vice President Kamala Harris began her joint press conference in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda with a direct message to the people of Poland, which has taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees, before turning to efforts to support Poland and other NATO allies. Zolan Kanno-Younds reports for the New York Times.

Ukrainian government officials said yesterday that damage by the Russian forces had left the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disconnected from outside electricity, leaving the site of the worst nuclear accident in history dependent on power from diesel generators and backup supplies. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that the loss of power violated a “key safety pillar,” but it saw “no critical impact on safety” at this time. David E.Sanger and Henry Fountain report for the New York Times. 

Ukraine’s national electricity grid operator, Ukrenergo, has said that it has a team ready to restore power at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and is waiting for a safe corridor to be created. Annabelle Chapman reports for the Washington Post.

Russia has banned exports of telecom, medical, auto, agricultural, electrical and tech equipment, among other items, until the end of 2022, in retaliation for Western sanctions on Moscow. Reuters reports.

The Ukrainian government is preparing to move its data and servers abroad if Russia’s invading forces push deeper into the country, according to the deputy chief of Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, Victor Zhora. Raphael Satter and James Pearson report for Reuters. 

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, Oleksander Bornyakov, has said that campaigns to reach out to Russians and make them aware of the conflict through the internet had been successful. Bornyakov stressed during a virtual event that Ukraine is working to keep its digital infrastructure up and running in the midst of war, while combating disinformation and cyber attacks. Isabelle Bousquette reports for the Wall Street Journal.

US

After an 11-year drought, congressional earmarks are back with vengeance. The $1.5 trillion, 2,741-page omnibus spending package is loaded with funding for lawmaker pet projects, some of which could help incumbents in this fall’s elections. The legislation includes more than 4,000 earmarks, according to a list of projects provided to The Hill by a Senate Republican aide that spanned 367 pages. Read the full story here.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is becoming increasingly aggressive in his political maneuvering ahead of a potential 2024 White House bid, a campaign that could put him in direct contention with his ex-running mate and boss, former President Trump. Read the full story here.

Consumer prices rose 0.8 percent in February and 7.9 percent over the last 12 months, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department. The Labor Department’s consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, showed price growth speeding up on both monthly and annual basis. Rising prices for gasoline, shelter and food drove most of February’s inflation spike, the department said. Read the developing report here.

The House passed a $1.5 trillion spending bill that includes emergency aid for Ukraine after Democratic leaders stripped out a contentious COVID-19 aid provision worth $15.6 billion. Natalie Andrews, Siobhan Hughes and Elza Collins report for the Wall Street Journal. 

The House voted yesterday to renew a lapsed law aimed at preventing domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, approving the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, called the provision “one of the most important laws passed by Congress in the last 30 years.” Annie Karni reports for the New York Times.

Florida lawmakers have approved an elections police force, the first of its kind in the U.S. Its staff of 25 will be part of the Department of State, which answers to Floride Gov, Ron DeSantis and has sparked concerns amongst voting rights advocates. Lori Rozsa reports for the Washington Post.

A federal judge has dismissed civil claims against Republican Representative Mo Brooks alleging that he helped incite supporters of former President Donald Trump to attack the U.S. Capitol. Sarah N. Lynch reports for Reuters.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed suit yesterday to stop one of its vendors from turning over records to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. The RNC lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, alleges that the subpoena issued in relation to the Republican Party’s fundraising and donor efforts from Salesforce.com violates the committee’s constitutional rights and is overly broad. Byron Tau reports for the Wall Street Journal.

House Democrats setting their annual strategy face a pivotal moment for both the party and the presidency of Joe Biden, who is scrambling to stabilize a volatile economy at home, defuse a bloody war in Europe and fortify democratic traditions that are under fire around the globe. Read the full story here.

President Biden signed an executive order aimed at regulating cryptocurrencies.

A grand jury charged Tina Peters, a Republican running for Colorado secretary of state, over accusations of tampering with voting equipment.

The first transplant patient to receive a heart from a genetically altered pig has died, two months after the surgery.

Police detained the “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler in January after employees at a Bank of America branch mistook him for a robber.

Still without a deal with the players’ union, Major League Baseball canceled another week of games.

Sales of flavored e-cigarettes are rising, after companies found a loophole in an F.D.A. ban.

This map shows how redlining, a racist policy that started in the 1930s, still shapes air quality in cities.

Virus/Science/Climate

COVID-19 has infected over 79.40 million people and has now killed over 963,800 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 451.80 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 6.02 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

Two months after experimental transplant surgery, a 57-year-old man who received a genetically modified pig heart as a last-ditch medical intervention died Tuesday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Doctors were unclear whether the organ implanted in David Bennett Sr. was rejected by his system. “There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death,” a hospital spokeswoman said. Bennett’s contributions to transplant science and results after additional study will be described in a future medical journal report (The New York Times). 

Global Developments

Yoon Suk-yeol, leader of South Korea’s conservative party, has won the presidency. Choe Sang-Hun reports for the New York Times.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s national governing party is set to remain in power in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, according to early election results released today. Karen Deep Singh and Mujib Mashal report for the New York Times.

Hungary’s parliament has elected ruling Fidesz party lawmaker Katalin Novak as the country’s first women president, buttressing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s nationalist agenda. Analysts say Orban hoped to appeal to women voters by picking the mother of three for the largely ceremonial role. Reuters reports.

DDSR…Nope…No Good News Today Either

9 March 2022

UKR/RU

Ukraine will try to evacuate civilians through six humanitarian corridors today, including from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said. It is unclear where the six proposed routes will go, however. “In a video statement she said Ukrainian armed forces had agreed to stop firing in those areas for 12 hours from 09:00 to 21:00 local time – and urged Russian forces to fulfill their commitment to local ceasefires,” BBC News reports.

Russia has announced a new ceasefire to let civilians flee five besieged cities, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol, following days of mostly failed ceasefire announcements. “Wednesday’s announcement of ‘silence’ was similar to one on Tuesday … So far, only one corridor has been opened, out of Sumy on Tuesday,” By Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk report for Reuters.

Vereshchuk has said that Ukraine is liaising with the International Committee of the Red Cross to “confirm” the ceasefire agreements with Russia. Karla Adam, Annabelle Timsit, Rachel Pannett and Adela Suliman report for the Washington Post.

Civilians have started leaving Sumy in private cars, the mayor of the city, Oleksandr Lysenko, said in televised comments. Reuters reports.

Officials from Sumy have also said they plan to load 22 buses with people, prioritizing pregnant women, women with children, older people and people with disabilities. Karla Adam, Annabelle Timsit, Rachel Pannett and Adela Suliman report for the Washington Post.

The Ukrainian government has said that it has set up “humanitarian corridors” to move people out of areas of heavy fighting around Kyiv. Marc Santora reports for the New York Times.

About 7,000 people evacuated the northeastern city of Sumy yesterday. BBC News reports.

Russia’s defense ministry has claimed it has obtained secret documents that “prove” that Kyiv was planning an attack on the Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. BBC News reports.

Ukraine’s air defenses have “enjoyed considerable success” against Russian aircraft, the U.K. Defense Ministry has said. Russia has not achieved “any degree of control of the air,” and Russian forces have failed to make any breakthroughs in taking Kyiv, the ministry said. BBC News reports.

Top U.S. intelligence officials have told Congress that Putin is showing no signs of changing course. Rather, faced with military setbacks and a determined Ukrainian resistance, he may “double down” and step up his attacks on the civilian population, CIA Director William Burns said. The officials also added that Putin will find it “especially challenging” to maintain control of captured territory and install a sustainable pro-Moscow regime in Kyiv. Quint Forgey reports for POLITICO.

Between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian soldiers have died in the invasion of Ukraine, according to U.S. intelligence agencies. However, “Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said during a worldwide threats hearing before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday morning that analysts give the estimate low confidence, and it was based in part on information from ‘open sources,’ which can mean media and social media reports,” Ken Dilanian reports for NBC News.

E.U. member states have agreed a new sanctions package against Russian leaders and oligarchs, as well as excluding three Belarusian banks from Swift. The sanctions, which will also clarify questions on cryptocurrencies and target the maritime sector, will be formally adopted by the E.U. summit on Thursday and Friday in Versailles, France. The Guardian reports.

E.U. leaders gathering for a summit in Versailles tomorrow and Friday will say that Russia’s aggression “constitutes a tectonic shift in European history,” according to a draft communique. The leaders will decide to “take more responsibility for security and take further decisive steps towards building our European sovereignty,” the draft statement says. Daniel Boffey reports for the Guardian.

In a speech streamed to a packed meeting of the British Parliament yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky underlined his country’s challenges, making a comparison to Britain’s situation in World War II.  “We will fight to the end, at sea, in the air … We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the street,” Zelensky said. Zelensky also renewed his plea for the West to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which the U.K. and other NATO leaders have rejected. Marc Landler reports for the New York Times.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the U.K. will “employ every method that we can, diplomatic, humanitarian and economic,” until Russian President Vladimir Putin “has failed in this disastrous venture and Ukraine is free once more.” Johnson made the comments after Zelensky addressed the British Parliament yesterday. He added that the U.K. would continue to supply weapons to Ukraine. Peter Walker reports for the Guardian.

Ukraine’s  First Lady Olena Zelenska has released her first public statement in a letter addressed to the global community. Zelenska relayed the horrors of war, particularly for women and children, including naming some child casualties of the war so far. She also repeated the calls of her husband for Western nations to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. BBC News reports.

NATO members are mounting a huge operation to resupply Ukraine with military equipment and arms. Governments, such as in Italy, Sweden, Spain and Germany, once reluctant to transfer arms and antagonize Russia, are also now doing so. Matthew Luxmoore, Drew Hinshaw and Nancy A. Youssef report for the Wall Street Journal.

Some of the U.S.’s most well known brands took steps to pull back from Russia yesterday. Coca-Cola said it would suspend operations in the country and McDonald’s said it was temporarily closing its restaurants. Starbucks has also said that it is suspending operations at Russian locations. PepsiCo said it was halting sales of its big soda brands in Russia, but will continue to sell potato chips and daily essentials such as milk, cheese and baby formula. Jennifer Maloney, Heather Haddon and Emily Glazer report for the Wall Street Journal.

Lumen Technologies, one of the companies that comprise the backbone of the internet, has said that it is pulling out of Russia because of an “increased security risk.” Dan Milmo reports for the Guardian.

President Biden has banned the import of oil and other energy sources from Russia. The U.S. immediately prohibited new Russian shipments of oil, certain petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal under an executive order Biden signed yesterday. Companies have 45 days to wind down existing contracts for Russian energy supplies, a senior Biden administration official said. The order also bars new U.S. investment in Russia’s energy sector and blocks Americans from financing foreign companies that invest in the sector. Andrew Restuccia and Josh Mitchell report for the Wall Street Journal.

The U.K. has announced that it will phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 and is considering banning Russia’s natural gas. “The U.K. will move away from dependence on Russian oil throughout this year, building on our severe package of international economic sanctions,” U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement. Britain’s Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng added that he was exploring options to end British imports of Russian gas which accounts for about 4% of supply in the U.K. William James and Kylie Maclellan report for Reuters.

The price of oil has risen towards $130 a barrel today, amid concerns of a potential supply shock as the U.S. bans Russian oil imports. Alex Lawler reports for Reuters.

The national average price of gasoline in the U.S. has soared to near record levels to above $4 a gallon. The increase in price has been fueled by traders, shippers and financiers shunning Russian oil, removing millions of barrels of oil from global supplies. Scott Patterson reports for the Wall Street Journal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is banning exports of certain commodities and raw materials from Russia, according to a decree, Putin issued yesterday.  The actual commodities that will be banned from export and the list of countries subject to the ban will be determined by the Russian cabinet. Alexander Osipovich and Caitlin Ostroff report for the Wall Street Journal.

U.S. sanctions on Russian oil have left about 70% of Russian seaborne oil struggling to find buyers, JP Morgan has estimated. Analysts have said that the new sanctions could leave more cargoes of Russian oil already on board ships struggling to find buyers and Goldman Sachs has estimated that more than half of Russian oil exported from ports remains unsold.  Bozorgmehr Sharafedin reports for Reuters.

Venezuela’s authoritarian government released at least two imprisoned Americans, signaling a potential turning point in the Biden administration’s relationship with Russia’s staunchest ally in the Western Hemisphere. This follows a trip by a high-level U.S. delegation to Venezuela, which has enormous proven oil reserves, as part of a broader U.S. agenda in autocratic countries that may be rethinking their ties with Putin in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Anatoly Kurmanaev, Natalie Kitroeff and Kenneth P. Vogel report for the New York Times.

The de facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have declined calls with President Biden in recent weeks, as the U.S. tries to build international support for Ukraine and contain a surge in oil prices. Dion Nissenbaum, Stephen Kalin and David S. Cloud report for the Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. has rejected an offer by Poland to transfer its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets to a U.S. base in Germany as a way to replenish Ukraine’s air force. The U.S. has sought to speed up weapons deliveries to Ukraine. However, the prospect of flying combat aircraft from NATO territory into the war zone “raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance,” the Pentagon has said. “We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said. Phil Stewart, Humeyra Pamuk and Patricia Zengerle report for Reuters.

Vice President Harris is traveling to Poland today, as part of a three day trip which also includes Romania. In a statement announcing Harris’s trip last week, the White House said that Harris planned to discuss “security, economic, and humanitarian assistance” to Ukraine with the leaders of Poland and Romania. Mike Ives reports for the New York Times.

The U.S. is sending two Patriot anti-missile batteries to Poland to protect U.S., Polish and other allied troops in the country. The move reflects the increasing concerns that Russian missiles, fired deliberately or inadvertently, could come towards Poland. “This defensive deployment is being conducted proactively to counter any potential threat to U.S. and allied forces and NATO territory,” the military’s European Command said, adding that the systems “will in no way support any offensive operations.” Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.

U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Sudan’s military junta will allow Russia to build a naval base on the country’s strategic Red Sea coast after Sudanese officials suggested that they plan to resurrect a suspended 2020 agreement that would give Moscow a 25 year lease on a base in Port Sudan. Michael M. Phillips and Nicholas Bariyo report for the Wall Street Journal. 

Congressional leaders have reached a bipartisan deal for $13.6 billion in aid to be provided to Ukraine and European allies. The agreement is part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure to finance federal agencies for the rest of the year, and includes billions more funding to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Alan Farm reports for AP.

A Russian airstrike that reportedly killed 47 civilians as they queued for bread in Chernihiv last Thursday may constitute a war crime, an investigation by Amnesty International has found. The Guardian reports.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) faces “myriad challenges” to prosecute war crimes committed in Ukraine, Karim Khan, the ICC chief prosecutor, has said. Khan has announced that he has dispatched an advance team of investigators and lawyers to Ukraine, reiterating the importance that those committing war crimes are held to account. “Any side that targets – directly targets – civilians or civilian objects is committing a crime,” Khan said. Anthony Deutsch and Toby Sterling report for Reuters.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has called on Russian forces who are effectively in control of the Chernobyl nuclear site in northern Ukraine to allow some of the staff there to have a break. Grossi said that he was deeply worried about the stressful situation facing a group of about 210 workers that have been on duty constantly for the past two weeks. BBC News reports.

Grossi has also said that the remote transmission of data from security monitoring systems at the Chernobyl nuclear site to the IAEA has been lost. BBC News reports.

The Ukrainian authorities do not know what the radiation levels are at Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and have no control over what was happening at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko has said. Russian forces have taken control of both sites. Reuters reports.

Russia has warned the West that it is working on a broad response to Western sanctions that would be swift and felt in the West’s most sensitive areas. “Russia’s reaction will be swift, thoughtful and sensitive for those it addresses,” Dmitry Birichevsky, the director of the Russian foreign ministry’s department for economic cooperation, was quoted as saying by the state-owned RIA news agency. Reuters reports.

Putin has signed a package of measures aimed at mitigating the economic pain inflicted by the retreat of international businesses from Russia and Western sanctions, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The state will do everything necessary to support families,” Putin said in a televised address. The measures prioritizes protections for the most disadvantaged Russians, including millions of pensioners who constitute the core of Putin’s electorate. Ivan Nechepurenko reports for the New York Times.

The secretary of Russia’s ruling party’s general council has proposed nationalizing foreign-owned factories that shut down operations in Russia. In a statement published Monday evening, Andrei Turchak said shutting operations was a “war” against the citizens of Russia. Reuters reports.

The Russian foreign ministry has said that it does not plan to overthrow Ukraine’s government and that Russia’s goals in Ukraine would be better achieved through talks. A spokesperson said Russia’s goal is for Ukraine to have neutral status, as well as adding that about 140,000 Ukrainians have fled to Russia. Reuters reports.

Ukraine’s government has banned exports of rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, sugar, salt, and meat until the end of this year, according to a cabinet resolution published today. Reuters reports.

The New York Times has temporarily removed its news staff from Russia, following new Russian legislation that effectively outlaws independent reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Russia’s new legislation seeks to criminalize independent, accurate news reporting about the war against Ukraine. For the safety and security of our editorial staff working in the region, we are moving them out of the country for now,” a spokesperson said. Michael M. Grynbaum reports for the New York Times.

BBC News journalists in Russia have resumed their English-language broadcasts, days after putting their work on hold after the introduction of strict new media laws. BBC News reports.

Information on the number of refugees fleeing Ukraine is provided by UNHCR.

Jan. 6th Insurrection

A jury has convicted Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of obstruction and other charges for riling up the mob at the Capitol on Jan. 6 last year, confronting police while armed and later threatening his children not to report him, in the first trial stemming from the U.S. Capitol attack. Reffitt faces up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction count alone. Aruna Viswanatha and Alexa Corse report for the Wall Street Journal. 

Former Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio has been charged in a federal indictment with conspiring with other top members of the far-right nationalist group to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election by helping to plan and launch the Jan. 6 attack. Tarrio is the second leader of a far-right group to face charges in the past few months, the first being founder and leader of the Oath Keepers militia, Stewart Rhodes. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times. 

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack laid out its theory for potential criminal charges against former President Trump yesterday, arguing that he and the conservative lawyer John Eastman were involved in a conspiracy to perpetrate a fraud on the American public as part of a plan to overturn the 2020 election. The allegation could determine how deeply the panel can dig into emails, correspondence and other documents of lawyers close to Trump, and form the core part of the panel’s strategy for potentially holding Trump and his allies criminally liable for the Jan. 6 attack. Luke Broadwater reports for the New York Times. 

The Washington Post reports on the work of the Jan. 6 committee’s “green team”, charged with scrutinizing whether the Trump campaign knowingly used false claims that the election was stolen to dupe donors and raise large sums of cash. 

US

Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), an influential Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is signaling he’s leaning toward voting “no” on President Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, despite voting last year to confirm her to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  Only a few weeks ago Graham was dangling the prospect of a big bipartisan vote to confirm the first Black woman to the Supreme Court if Biden nominated South Carolina federal district judge J. Michelle Childs. But now, even though Graham has yet to announce how he will vote, the early signs point to no. Read the full story here.

Congressional negotiators have reached a bipartisan deal on a sprawling omnibus package to fund the government, as pressure mounts on lawmakers to wrap up spending negotiations under the wire amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The legislation includes what Democrats have lauded as the biggest increase to nondefense discretionary spending in four years. The GOP has also touted a $42 billion increase for defense spending in the package, saying the deal achieves dollar-for-dollar parity for defense and nondefense increases. Read the full story here.

Democrats are looking for ways to lower gas prices, which have skyrocketed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and could rise further as the U.S. and other countries move to ban Russian imports. Democrats believe they have some political cover because of the bipartisan backlash to Russia. President Biden made the point of blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the increase, calling it “Putin’s price hike.” But they are also taking a kitchen sink approach as they mull possible steps that Congress, the administration or even oil companies could take, in an acknowledgment that there are few easy answers for the party that could create immediate relief for consumers. Read the full story here.

Hackers working on behalf of the Chinese government have hacked at least six U.S. state governments in the past year, according to a report released by private security firm, Mandiant. The report does not identify the compromised states or offer a motive for the intrusions. However, APT41, the Chinese group believed to be responsible for the breaches, is known to launch operations for espionage purposes and for financial gains, and was implicated in a 2020 Justice Department indictment that accused Chinese hackers of targeting more than 100 companies and institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Eric Tucker reports for AP.

Two Californian men were sentenced this week for attacking five employees of a Turkish restaurant in Beverly Hills. The two men, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of committing a hate crime, were angry because of Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan in its recent war with Armenia, prosecutors said. Vimal Patel reports for the New York Times. 

The House yesterday adopted measures to condemn the spike in bomb threats against historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and the January attack on a Jewish synagogue in Texas. Cristina Marcos reports for The Hill. 

Former White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, who helped former President Trump spread false claims of voter fraud in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, is facing scrutiny over his own voting record. This follows a report that he registered to vote from a North Caroline mobile home, despite there being no indication that Meadows ever resided, or even spent a night at the rural mountain home. North Carolina law requires that a voter lives at their address for 30 days before the election in which they are voting. Reid J. Epstein reports for the New York Times.

A jury has been selected for the trial of four men who stand accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D). The jury will comprise of 11 women and 7 men, with 12 deciding the case and 6 alternates. Opening statements are scheduled for today. Michael Tarm, Ed White and Sara Burnett report for AP. 

The F.B.I. found a “massive fraud scheme” among food assistance nonprofits in the Minneapolis area.

Politico: Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Trump’s man in North Carolina, struggles in Senate primary.

Reid Wilson, The Hill: Up for re-election, Democratic governors dole out checks.

The Senate on Tuesday followed the lead of the House to approve a $107 billion financial overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service. Biden is expected to sign the Postal Service Reform Act into law (The Washington Post).

Virus/Climate/Science

COVID-19 has infected over 79.37 million people and has now killed over 962,300 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 449.90 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 6.02 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

In the country’s most liberal cities, many people are still avoiding restaurants. The number of seated diners last month was at least 40 percent below prepandemic levels in New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Portland, Ore., and Cambridge, Mass., according to OpenTable. By contrast, the number of diners has fully recovered in Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, Charlotte, N.C., and Austin, Texas, as well as in Oklahoma, Nebraska and New Hampshire.

Residents of liberal cities like New York, Washington and San Jose, Calif., are still spending significantly more time at home and less at the office than before the pandemic began, according to Opportunity Insights, a Harvard-based research group. In more conservative places, the rhythms of daily life have returned nearly to normal.

During the Omicron wave, schools in heavily Democratic areas were more likely to close some classrooms or require that students stay home for extended periods.

Mask wearing remains far more common in liberal communities than conservative ones.

The World Health Organization, in a reversal, now recommends COVID-19 booster doses, particularly for those at highest risk of serious illness (The Hill).

SHIP “ENDURANCE” FOUND: National Geographic and The New York Times report that the scientific expedition to locate the famed wreckage of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s vessel Endurance, which sank in the icy Weddell Sea in the Antarctic in 1915, has been located. The footage will be shown as a National Geographic documentary in the fall. (More than a minute of video provided by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust can also be seen at the Times link.)

Global Developments

The U.N.’s top human rights official, Michelle Bachelet, said yesterday that China would allow her to visit the country and examine conditions there, including in the Xinjiang region. If the visit goes ahead, Bachelet will be “the first United Nations high commissioner for human rights in 17 years to visit China, which has faced repeated criticism for its human rights policies,” Nick Cumming-Bruce reports for the New York Times. 

Israeli President Isacc Herzog will visit Turkey today, the first visit by an Israeli leader since 2008. One particular area of interest for Turkey and Israel is natural gas, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan saying that the visit will bring in a “new era” and that the countries could work together to carry Israeli natural gas to Europe. This is particularly timely given that gas supplies from the Mediterranean could ease European dependence on Russian gas. Steven Scheer reports for Reuters. 

South Koreans headed to the polls today to vote in one of the most tightly fought presidential elections in recent memory. According to pre-election surveys, the race is a close contest between Lee Jae-myung, of President Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party, and Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor representing the conservative opposition, the People Power Party. The New York Times provides live updates. 

As polls closed in South Korea, an exit survey conducted jointly by three television networks showed that conservative presidential candidate Suk-yeol was slightly ahead of liberal Jar-myung with 48.4 to 47.8%. Hyonhee Shin reports for Reuters. 

A French far-right presidential candidate has been accused by eight women of sexual misconduct in a video posted on the French news site, Mediapart. Noemie Bisserbe reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

DDSR 8 March 2022…Zero Good News

UKR/RU

Russia has reportedly opened humanitarian corridors from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol so that civilians can be evacuated. Reuters reports.

The Ukrainian government has said that evacuations from Sumy and Irpin have begun. “As of 09.30 (02.30 EST), more than 150 people have been evacuated and (evacuation) activities are underway,” said the governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Reuters reports.

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna has said that buses are on their way to Mariupol to collect evacuees from the besieged city. Reuters reports. 

Russia is shelling an evacuation route for civilians trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukraine foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko has said. Matthias Williams reports for Reuters. 

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk has warned that “the Russian side is preparing to disrupt the work of humanitarian corridors and manipulate the route to force people to go the other way.” The Guardian reports.

The latest humanitarian corridors followed a third round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators yesterday. However, the negotiators reported no progress on ending the war. Valerie Hopkins reports for the New York Times. 

Analysis of the use of humanitarian corridors by Russian and Syrian forces during the war in Syria, and their relevance to the Ukraine conflict, is provided by AP.

At least 21 civilians, including two children, were killed in a Russian airstrike on a residential street in the northeastern city of Sumy late yesterday, the regional prosecutor’s office has said. Reuters reports.

The Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs has reported that 12,000 Russian personnel have been killed in today’s latest assessment of their losses. The Guardian reports.

The World Health Organization has verified 16 attacks on health services in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began, leading to nine deaths and 16 injuries. “Dr Hans Kluge, the agency’s regional director for Europe, told a virtual news conference that 76 tons of health supplies have been sent to Ukraine, including five tons to Kyiv,” Isabella Kwai reports for the New York Times.

The U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has called on Russia and Ukraine to ensure civilians are allowed to safely leave areas under fire in Ukraine and to allow for the delivery of desperately needed aid to these locations. U.N. News reports. 

The E.U. has formally agreed to consider requests to join the bloc by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. The three countries neighbor Russia and have asked to join the E.U. amid Moscow’s recent invasion of Ukraine. The first step is for the bloc’s executives to present an “opinion” on the applications from the three countries, after which the E.U. member states have to agree unanimously to let the applicant formally become a “candidate.” The process of joining the bloc however usually then takes at least a decade to complete, though Ukraine has asked the E.U. to grant it a fast-track to membership. Agence France Presse reports.

Lithuania’s president told Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that warnings to deter Moscow from further aggression are “no longer enough.” Hours later, Latvia’s foreign minister Edgars Runkevics predicted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would shatter any belief that the region could ever let its guard down against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Blinken is likely to be met with similar sentiments in Estonia today, as he continues his bid to convince Baltic leaders that the U.S. is doing all it can to stop Russia’s assault on Ukraine spreading across Europe. Lara Jakes reports for the New York Times.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address British lawmakers via video link in the House of Commons at 12oo EST. This will be the first time a foreign leader has addressed the main Westminster chamber. Reuters reports.

U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace has said that the U.K. would support Poland if it decided to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, but warned that this could bring Poland “into direct line of fire.” Wallace added that the U.K. could not offer aircraft that the Ukrainians would be able to use, and said that he would make a statement tomorrow setting out what further lethal and non-lethal aid the U.K. will be providing. Reuters reports.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. BBC News reports. 

Australia has announced new sanctions targeting Russian propaganda and disinformation. The Australian government is sanctioning ten people for their role in promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda to legitimize the invasion. It is also working with social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and Google to suspend content generated by Russian state media in Australia. Rachel Pannett reports for the Washington Post. 

The E.U. will propose a new mechanism to punish disinformation around the world. Citing what he said were lies intentionally spread by Russian state-owned media, E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told the European Parliament that the E.U. should be able to freeze assets and ban travel to the bloc of those deemed responsible. Reuters reports.

Japan has unveiled a third round of sanctions against Russia and Belarus in connection with the situation in Ukraine. This latest package sees personal sanctions being placed on another 20 Russian and 12 Belarusian citizens. Japan has also imposed a ban on the export of oil refining equipment to Russia and general-purpose items bound for Belarus that could be used by its military, the Japanese foreign ministry said. BBC News reports.

South Korea will begin sending emergency medical supplies to assist Ukraine in four shipments totalling 40 tons starting tomorrow. Yu Yong Jin reports for the New York Times.

President Biden has come under pressure to ban Russian oil imports into the United States. A group of bipartisan lawmakers have agreed to move ahead with legislation that would ban Russian energy imports into the U.S. and suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus. However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said that “no decision has been made at this point by the president about a ban on importing oil from Russia,” adding that discussions were “ongoing internally” and with European allies. Alan Rappeport, Edward Wong and Michael D. Shear report for the New York Times.

Further reporting on the bipartisan legislation that would ban imports of Russian energy is provided by Ana Swanson for the New York Times.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said yesterday that he had spoken with Biden administration officials about curbing Russian imports “and they’re looking closely at it,” adding that the administration is working with European allies. “The administration’s newfound interest in an import ban is motivated in part by a desire to avoid a protracted debate over bipartisan oil-ban legislation that could include even more unwelcome provisions further tying the administration’s hands diplomatically. It also helps avoid the potential embarrassment of lawmakers appearing tougher on Putin than the president by forcing his hand and sending him a bill to sign,” Andrew Desidero, Burgess Everett and Jonathan Lemire report for POLITICO.

The threats from the West to ban imports of Russian oil are shaking the markets, with the price of oil increasingly rapidly. The Economist provides analysis. 

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has warned that Russia might close off its main gas pipeline to Germany if the West were to ban Russian oil imports. Novak added that such a move would have “catastrophic consequences” for global supply and would see oil prices doubling to $300 a barrel. The E.U. gets about 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia and has no easy substitute if supplies are disrupted. BBC News reports.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro yesterday signaled a willingness to increase his country’s oil production if Russian supplies are shut out of the international market, following a meeting with U.S. officials over the weekend. However, some members of Congress have been critical of efforts to rekindle ties with Venezuela, saying that efforts to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin should not boost other authoritarian leaders. Austine Ramzy reports for the New York Times. 

The White House has pushed back at concerns raised about the Biden administration’s willingness to reach deals on oil with countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela, which “may have engaged in unsavory actions in the past.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki emphasized that oil and energy were only one element of the meetings that Biden administration officials have had with the countries, adding that the talks are in progress. Myah Ward reports for POLITICO.

Shell has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia as it apologized for its purchase of cheap Russian crude at the weekend. The energy giant has also said it would close all its services stations in the country. BBC News reports.

In an interview with ABC news Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his plea for the U.S. and other countries to clear the way for Soviet-era fighter aircraft to supplement his military, and to enforce a no-fly zone over his country. Zelensky also confirmed reports that he has been offered safe passage out of the country, but said that he would remain, adding that he is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine. The U.S. is pursuing ways to address Ukraine’s request for combat jets and to replenish Poland’s arsenal should it hand over Soviet-era planes to its neighbor. Courtney McBride reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

The proposal to provide Ukraine with Soviet-era fighter jets from Poland is hitting logistical snags, according to U.S. officials. The plan is struggling to gain traction in President Biden’s administration, with concerns that Russia could see Poland supplying military aircraft as direct involvement in the conflict, and the U.S. is reviewing whether the plan is feasible given the difficulties in transferring planes and the fact that the U.S. does not have a surplus of the F-16 fighter jets to replenish Poland’s arsenal. Courtney Kube, Peter Alexander, Carol E. Lee and Dan De Luce report for NBC News.

Russia and the U.S. should return to the principle of “peaceful co-existence” like during the Cold War, the Interfax agency has cited the Russian foreign ministry as saying today. Reuters reports.

A bipartisan consensus in Congress to increase the Pentagon’s defense budget is growing stronger as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an emboldened China have created a sense of insecurity. Democratic lawmakers, including some who had resisted in the past, are pressing for increases in military spending to address the changed security landscape. Catie Edmondson reports for the New York Times.

The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine today reached two million, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The Guardian reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke from his office in Kyiv yesterday for the first time since the Russian invasion began. Jesus Jimenez reports for the New York Times.

The Ukrainian government has said that citizens from areas with the heaviest fighting will be entitled to a payment of 6,500 Ukrainian Hryvnia. The payment will be available to hired employees and individual entrepreneurs. The Guardian reports.

Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, has said it has blocked more than 25,000 Russian addresses that it believed to be engaging in illicit activity. Other cryptocurrency exchanges have refused calls to suspend Russian accounts. John Yoon reports for the New York Times. 

As western corporate giants cut off ties with Russia, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Papa John’s and Yum Brands – the conglomerate behind KFC and Pizza Hut, have all stayed silent on their plans for business in Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. This is despite coming under growing pressure on social media and from large investors, showing how “deeply entrenched certain industries are in the regional and Russian economy,” Jacob Bogage and Aaron Gregg report for the Washington Post.

US

The economic reverberations of a proposed ban on Russian oil and gas imports are fueling angst among Democratic lawmakers who are wrestling over what to do about rising prices, which have mushroomed into a big political problem for President Biden. Read the full story here.

A court has heard the final arguments in the first criminal trial stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. In their closing arguments, prosecutors said that defendant Guy Reffitt came to believe potentially violent means were needed to remove Washington lawmakers he deemed corrupt, and that he was a leader of the mob that attacked the capitol. “The defense, which called no witnesses, made a final brief statement saying Reffitt was guilty only of being in a restricted area outside the Capitol that day,” Alexa Corse and Aruna Viswanatha report for the Wall Street Journal.

The Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would make lynching a federal hate crime. Under the measure, the crime is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Emily Cochrane reports for the New York Times.

The Supreme Court has allowed congressional maps that had been approved by state courts in North Carolina and Pennsylvania to stand. The court rejected requests by Republicans to restore maps approved by the Republican-controlled state legislatures. “Under the new court-imposed maps in both states, Democrats are likely to gain more seats than they would have under the legislature-approved versions,” Adam Liptak reports for the New York Times.

The White House is set to release an executive order tasking several federal agencies with conducting a broad review of cryptocurrencies, including studying the creation of a U.S. digital currency. The executive order will task the Treasury, Commerce, State and Justice departments, among other agencies, with studying elements of the fast-growing cryptocurrency market, a person familiar with the matter said.  Andrew Duehren reports for the Wall Street Journal.

The “Peoples Convoy” of trucks, cars and SUVs protesting the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic circled the Capital beltway in Washington, D.C. yesterday for a second day. Brian Brase, a convoy organizer, told participants that the convoy would again avoid entering Washington, D.C. and authorities have said that the traffic disruptions yesterday were minimal. Madeleine Ngo and Adam Bednar report for the New York Times.

The People’s Convoy group has also secured a meeting in Washington with Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Ted Cruz (R-TX). An advisory from Johnson’s office has said that the senators would meet on Capitol Hill with convoy members “to discuss the harmful effects of President Biden’s vaccine mandates.” Ellie Silverman, Karina Elwood, Justin George and Lori Aratani report for the Washington Post.

The U.S. has adopted new policies which ease the path to obtaining green cards for immigrant minors who are victims of parental abuse and neglect. “The rules from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services expand the pool of individuals who are eligible for ‘special immigrant juvenile’ status and clarify the types of evidence that must be submitted to support an application,” Daniel Wiessner reports for Reuters.

The trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), is due to begin with jury selection today. Prosecutors say the men, some of whom are alleged militia members, targeted Whitmer over COVID-19 rules she imposed early in the pandemic. However, lawyers for the men say that the government’s evidence is flimsy and proves nothing. BBC News reports.

Bills to restrict abortion are advancing in several red states, offering a preview of a post-Roe America.The N.F.L. suspended Calvin Ridley of the Atlanta Falcons for the 2022 season for gambling on games.

Teachers in Minneapolis will strike today, affecting about 30,000 public school students.

Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke (D) on Monday said he is being sued for defamation following comments he made about energy companies by Dallas billionaire Kelcy Warren, CEO and owner of Energy Transfer Partners (The Dallas Morning News). 

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a sexual assault case against Bill Cosby, 84, a decision that effectively overturns his conviction in 2018 of drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University staff member. He had been serving a three-to-10-year sentence when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered his release in June (The Associated Press). 

Half a dozen states are nearing final passage of legislation to allow anyone to carry a firearm without needing a permit — the next frontier in the gun rights debate. But Republican legislators are advancing those measures over the objection of a surprising group: police (The Hill). 

Virus/Climate/Science

COVID-19 has infected over 79.39 million people and has now killed over 960,300 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 447.90 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 6.00 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

New York City public schools had their first day without mask requirements.

Florida will recommend that healthy children not get a vaccine, contradicting the C.D.C.

China’s Omicron outbreak is straining its “zero Covid” policy.

“Really unfathomable”: Covid has killed more than six million people.

Climate change and deforestation are making the Amazon less resilient against drought. If that continues, the rainforest may turn into grasslands.

The E.P.A. will tighten tailpipe rules for buses and heavy trucks

US Relations, North Korea, and Global Developments

Mohammad Ahmad al-Qahtani, a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, has been repatriated to his home country of Saudi Arabia for mental health treatment, after two decades of being in U.S. custody, the Department of Defense has said. Al-Qahtani, who was accused of attempting to join hijackers in carrying out the Sep. 11 attacks, was flown back to a treatment facility in Saudi Arabia after a review board including military and intelligence officials concluded that he was no longer a significant threat to national security and could be safely released. Al-Qahtani has suffered from mental illness, including schizophrenia, since childhood, according to medical examinations and records obtained by his lawyers. The Guardian staff and agencies report.

Iran’s chief negotiator at the talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal unexpectedly left Vienna yesterday night. Iranian officials said that Vagheri-Kani would soon return to Vienna, however, two Western diplomats have said that it is not clear why he left or when he would return. Laurence Norman reports for the Wall Street Journal.

North Korea appears to have started repairing a closed nuclear testing site, according to satellite images. The site was shut in 2018 and some parts were blown up after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised to halt all nuclear tests. “The satellite images showed ‘very early signs of activity’ which took place only in the last few days, including construction of a new building, repair of an existing one, and lumber and sawdust at Punggye-Ri, according to a report by analysts from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies,” BBC News reports.

North Korea’s missile launches could be groundwork for a return to intercontinental ballistic missile launches and nuclear bomb tests this year, the U.S. Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI) has said in its annual Worldwide Threat Assessment. The DNI report said that Kim Jong-un remained strongly committed to expanding his nuclear weapons arsenal, as well as ballistic missile research and development. Reuters reports.

Russia understands North Korea’s decision to renew frequent missile launches and sees no prerequisites to restart Korea denuclearization talks since Washington has chosen to pursue the path of sanctions against Pyongyang, Pyotr Ilyichyov, the head of the  Russian Foreign Ministry’s international organizations division, has been quoted by the state-owned RIA news agency as saying. Ilyichyov said that when Pyongyang paused missile tests before there had been an increase in military cooperation between Seoul and Washington. Reuters reports.

South Korea’s military has seized a North Korean boat that crossed into its waters today, and fired a warning shot to see off a North Korean patrol vessel that tried to intervene, Seoul officials have said. “Seven unarmed sailors were aboard the vessel, but six appeared to be wearing uniforms, a South Korean military official said,” Hyonhee Shin reports for Reuters.

Gunmen ambushed and killed at least 62 members of a volunteer vigilante group in Nigeria’s northwestern Kebbi state, the head of the group and a police spokesperson has said. “Usman Sani, the head of the ‘Yan Sa Kai’ vigilante group in Kebbi, told Reuters that his group had planned to attack bandits in the Sakaba area on Sunday night but someone tipped them off,” Gabra Muhammad reports for Reuters.

Iran has successfully put a second military satellite, the Noor 2, into orbit, the semi-official news agency Tasnim has reported. The U.S. military has previously said that the same long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also allow Tehran to launch longer-range weapons, possibly including nuclear warheads, something which Tehran denies it is doing. Reuters reports.

A Palestinian man has been shot dead by Israeli police after he stapped two officers at a gate to Jerusalem’s walled Old City, an Israeli police statement has said. Hamas claimed the attacker as a member and praised the stabbing attack as a response to what it called Israel’s “extrajudicial killings” of Palestinians in Jerusalem. Reuters reports.

DDSR…Fuckin’ Monday…7 Mar 22

UKR/RU

Today Russia announced new “humanitarian corridors” to transport Ukrainians trapped under its bombardment. However, according to maps published by the RIA news agency, the corridor from Kyiv would lead to Belarus, while civilians from Kharkiv would only be permitted to go to Russia. A spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the move “completely immoral.” Corridors from the besieged cities Mariupol and Sumy would lead to Ukrainian cities and to Russian ones. “They are citizens of Ukraine, they should have the right to evacuate to the territory of Ukraine” the spokesperson added. Reuters reports. 

An evacuation of civilians from the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where 200,000 people are trapped, was postponed yesterday because Russian forces encircling the city were not respecting an agreed ceasefire. Joel Gunter reports for BBC News. 

The director of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Dominik Stillhart, has explained that the ICRC had been talking to both sides “for days,” but problems remain in confirming the details of any ceasefire agreement to allow civilians out of bombarded cities. Without the precise details required, including on evacuation routes and who can take them, agreements “in principle” are immediately broken down, Stillhart explained. BBC News reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to punish Russian forces who committed atrocities during the invasion of Ukraine, amid outrage at Russia’s shelling of civilians as they tried to flee Irpin, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv. Peter Beaumont, Daniel Boffey and Graham Russell report for the Guardian. 

Around 2,000 civilians have so far been evacuated from the town of Irpin near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, police said today. The statement did not make clear over what period the evacuations had taken place. Natalia Zinets, Reuters reports. 

Ukrainian forces have retaken control of the town of Chuhuiv in northeastern Ukraine, presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych told a briefing today. Reuters reports.

Yesterday, Ukrainian troops drove back Russian forces from the city of Mykolaiv and retook the airport, temporarily halting Russian advances along the Black Sea. However, Russian forces have since resumed their attack. Michael Schwirtz reports for the New York Times. 

Moscow is recruiting Syrians skilled in urban combat to fight in Ukraine, U.S. officials have said. “An American assessment indicates that Russia, which has been operating inside Syria since 2015, has in recent days been recruiting fighters from there, hoping their expertise in urban combat can help take Kyiv and deal a devastating blow to the Ukraine government, according to four American officials,” Gordon Lubold, Nancy A. Youssef and Alan Cullison report for the New York Times.

The U.K.’s Ministry of Defense has suggested that Russia has been deliberately targeting Ukraine’s communications facilities. The defense intelligence update said that Moscow was “probably targeting Ukraine’s communications infrastructure in order to reduce Ukrainian citizens’ access to reliable news and information.” BBC News reports. 

Ukraine is asking the U.N.’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), today to intervene to halt Moscow’s invasion. Ukraine is arguing that Russia relied on false claims of genocide in two separatists regions in Ukraine. Ukraine has three hours of oral argument today and Russia has been allocated three hours tomorrow. Karla Adam and Rachel Pannett rapport for the Washington Post.

Russian has not attended today’s ICJ hearing. Mike Corder reports for AP.

The Russian ambassador in The Hague has indicated that his government did not intend to participate in the proceedings. Anna Holligan reports for BBC News.

A Russian delegation has arrived in Belarus where it will meet Ukrainian negotiators for the third round of talks about ending hostilities. Talks between Russia and Ukraine will begin at 0700 EST today. Reuters reports. 

Russia is demanding that Ukraine ceases military action, changes its constitution to ensure neutrality, acknowledges Crimea as Russian territory and recognises the separatist republic of Donetsk and Lugansk, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. According to Peskov, Russia has told Ukraine it is ready to halt its military action “in a moment” if Kyiv met its conditions. The outlining of these demands comes as Russian delegations prepare to start the third round of talks aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. Reuters reports.

Ukraine is not willing to compromise on its territorial integrity but is open to discussing “non- NATO models” for its future, in a wider forum, one of its negotiators has said. “The response that we are getting from the NATO countries is that they are not ready to even discuss having us in NATO, not for the next period of five or 10 years,” the negotiator said in remarks published by Fox News. “We are ready to discuss some non-NATO models. For example, there could be direct guarantees by different countries like the U.S., China, U.K., maybe Germany and France,” the negotiator added. Reuters reports.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba have agreed to meet at a forum in southern Turkey on Thursday, the first potential talks between top officials since Russia launched its invasion. Reuters reports.

The E.U. has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to safeguard Ukraine’s nuclear plants, two of which are now under Russian control, and mobilize international help in case of an emergency. Kate Abnett reports for Reuters. 

The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, has said that reports that the Russian military is controlling Ukraine’s nuclear plants are a cause for grave concern. In a statement Grossi said that he had been informed by Ukrainian authorities that, although regular staff continue to operate the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, any action of plant management – including measures related to the technical operation of the six reactor units – requires prior approval by the Russian commander of the Russian forces that took control of the site last week.  UN News Centre reports.

Russia has said that it supports Grossi’s suggestion of a trilateral meeting with Ukraine on ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities, but does not want to meet at Chernobyl as Grossi wants, Moscow’s envoy to the IAEA has said. Reuters reports.

Chinese Foereign Minister Wang Yi, has urged diplomacy to find an end to the war, saying Beijing would work with the international community to provide “necessary mediation” when required. Brett Forrest reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Wang said the causes of the “Ukraine situation” were “complex” and had not happened overnight, as well as praising China’s friendship with Russia as “rock solid.” Wang added that China’s Red Cross will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine “as soon as possible.” Ryan Woo reports for Reuters.

New Zealand is to rush a bill through its parliament this week that will significantly ramp up its sanctions against Russia and its oligarchs. New Zealand has no legal framework for passing broader, unilateral sanctions and usually only does so when called on by the U.N. Security Council. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden called the Russia Sanctions Bill the “first of its kind.” Eva Corlett reports for the Guardian.

Australia has committed A$70 million ($50 million) to fund lethal defensive weapons for Ukraine, including missiles and ammunition, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said. Reuters reports.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has signed a decree allowing NATO troops to deploy in western Hungary and weapons shipments to cross Hungary’s territory to other NATO member states. “The decree, however, says Hungary does not allow lethal weapons shipments across its territory to Ukraine,” Reuters reports.

Officials in Washington and European capitals are preparing for a Ukrainian government-in-exile and a long insurgency against any Russian occupation. Officials have been reluctant to share plans on how Western countries would support a Ukrainian resistance, “but as a first step, Ukraine’s allies are planning how to help establish and support a government-in-exile, which could direct guerrilla operations against Russian occupiers, according to several U.S. and European officials,” Shane Harris, Michael Birnbaum, John Hudson, Dan Lamothe and David L. Stern report for the Washington Post.

As many as 5 million Ukrainians are expected to flee the country if Russia’s bombing of Ukraine continues the E.U.’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell has warned. Borrell also pledged more scrutiny of E.U. aid spending in countries that have supported Russia diplomatically or abstained from criticizing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Guardian reports. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Nodi has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to an Indian government source. Reuters reports.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukranian diplomats in Poland at Ukraine’s border on Saturday, to assess what additional support and protection the U.S. might deliver to Ukraine. Ukrainian Freign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, thanked Blinken for “coming here to Ukraine, literally” and used the meeting as a further opportunity to remind the world of the consequences of the war. Lara Jakes reports for the New York Times.

Blinken has said that plans for Poland to send fighter jets to Ukraine have gotten “the green light” from the U.S., and that President Biden’s administration will work to backfill those needs. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield has also echoed Blinken’s remarks. Joseph Choi reports for The Hill.

U.S. officials have seen “credible reports” of international Russian attacks on civilians and are documenting actions that could constitute a war crime, Blinken said yesterday. David L. Stern, Danielle Paquette, Rachel Pannett, Jennifer Hassan, Paulina Firozi and Hannah Knowles report for the Washington Post. 

Blinken has assured Lithuania of NATO protection and American support as he begins a lightning visit to the three Baltic states, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, that are increasingly on edge as Russia presses ahead with its invasion of Ukraine. “We are bolstering our shared defense so that we and our allies are prepared”, Blinken said today, adding that the U.S. commitment to NATO’s mutual defense pact is “sacrosanct”, the Guardian reports.

Blinken has said that the U.S. is working to free Americans in Russian custody, and urged other Americans in Russia to leave the country. “There’s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point” Blinken said Sunday alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Chisinau. “Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia,” he added. Peter Grantiz reports for NPR.

U.S. lawmakers from both parties have emphasized that they are largely opposed to implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but that they believed that the U.S. should ban Russian oil imports. Luke Broadwater and Chris Cameron report for the New York Times.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has said that the House is exploring legislative options to isolate Russia, including a ban on Russian oil and energy imports. “Our bill would ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States, repeal normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, and take the first step to deny Russia access to the World Trade Organization … We would also empower the Executive branch to raise tariffs on Russian imports,”  Pelosi said in a letter to colleagues. Monique Beals reports for The Hill.

More than 5,020 people were detained at anti-war protests across Russia yesterday, according to the OVD-Info rights group. Reuters reports.

Many Ukrainians are finding that relatives in Russia don’t believe there is a war, due to disinformation emanating from the Russian state, as the Kremlin moves to clamp down on independent news reporting. “As Ukrainians deal with the devastation of the Russian attacks in their homeland, many are also encountering a confounding and almost surreal backlash from family members in Russia, who refuse to believe that Russian soldiers could bomb innocent people, or even that a war is taking place at all,” Valerie Hopkins reports for the New York Times. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called today for an international trade embargo on Russia. Reuters reports. 

Visa, Mastercard and American Express have announced they will suspend all operations in Russia in protest of its invasion of Ukraine. Shoppers will still be able to use the cards for purchases within Russia until they reach their expiry dates. However, Visa, Mastercard or American Express cards issued abroad will no longer work in Russia, and clients will no longer be able to use their Russian cards abroad, or for international payments online. BBC News reports. 

Russian banks, cut off from global payment networks, are turning to China’s state-owned UnionPay system as Russia tries to sidestep boycotts by Western businesses. Patricia Kowsmann and Alexander Osipovich report for the Wall Street Journal.

Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, sported the letter Z, seen to symbolize support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as he stood next to the Ukrainian gold medalist Kovtun Illia at the Gymnastics World Cup. The International Gymnastics Federation has confirmed that it will ask the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation to open disciplinary proceedings against Kuliak. The Guardian reports. 

The hacker group Anonymous has been actively targeting Russia in cyberspace since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. The group’s actions include hacking into Russian streaming services yesterday to broadcast footage of the war with Ukraine. The Jerusalem Post reports.

The Kremlin is likely still weighing whether destructive action in cyberspace against the West is worth the consequences, experts have said. Ines Kagubare reports for The Hill.

US

Republicans are eyeing Senate races in a handful of blue states they believe have the potential to come into play ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, underscoring the confidence the party is feeling as it seeks to reclaim the upper chamber. Read the full story here.

Led by truckers, hundreds of vehicles protesting COVID-19 mandates slowed traffic outside Washington for hours yesterday. The vehicles encircled the capital and drove at a slower speed, hampering traffic outside the city. “Organizers [have] said they did not want people to drive into the capital on Sunday out of fears that some participants could turn it into a chaotic event reminiscent of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. They also wanted to avoid a confrontation with law enforcement after dozens of people protesting in Ottawa … were arrested last month,” Madeleine Ngo, Adam Bednar and Esha Ray report for the New York Times.

The “People’s Convoy” of truckers, cars and SUVs, plans to head to the Capital Beltway at about 9:30am today for a second day of demonstrations in the D.C. area, an organizer has said. Ellie Silverman and Karina Elwood report for the Washington Post.

An armed intruder caused a military base in Maryland, which the president and the vice president use to travel to and from Washington, to be put on lockdown yesterday night. Two people, at least one of whom was armed, bypassed a security checkpoint at about the time that Vice President Harris and four Cabinet members landed at the base, military officials said. The authorities at the base stopped the intruders’ vehicle with “barriers,” but they fled, Joint Base Andrews said in a statement. One intruder was apprehended and officials later said they had found evidence the second intruder had “departed the installation.” Alyssa Lukpat and Zach Montague report for the New York Times.

“We can confirm that the individual who was apprehended had a weapon, but no shots have been fired,” the statement from the base said. “There is not an active shooter situation at Joint Base Andrews; however, the intruder’s whereabouts are currently unknown,” the statement added. Colin Meyn reports for The Hill.

Harris yesterday called for Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation before walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, to mark the 57th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. “A record number of people cast their ballots in the 2020 elections. It was a triumph of democracy in many ways. But not everyone saw it that way. Some saw it as a threat,” Harris said. Maegan Vazquez reports for CNN.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)’s ties to white nationalists, a pro-Nazi blogger and the far-right fringe has received little pushback and examination by Republican leadership, according to an extensive review by CNN of Gosar’s events and social media posts. Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck report for CNN.

Politico: “Pretty far down on the list”: Why Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) are an unsolvable problem for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Republican lawmakers are warning that any Department of Justice prosecution of former President Trump will turn into a political battle, setting a high bar for Attorney General Merrick Garland to act on an expected criminal referral from the House’s Jan. 6 committee. Read the full story here.

Tornadoes in Iowa killed seven people and destroyed dozens of homes.

Investigators are looking into the role of Alex Jones, the Infowars host who tormented Sandy Hook families and helped elect Donald Trump, in the Capitol attack.

After Texas restricted abortion, more women sought abortions in other states or ordered pills online.

Politico: The Democratic Party’s emerging priority: Save the governors.

Josh Kraushaar, National Journal: Democrats at an ideological crossroads in Texas.

The Associated Press: Republican “unforced errors” threaten path to Senate control.

The Hill: Jan. 6 panel has tough case to make on Trump criminal conspiracy.

The New York Times: How the Manhattan D.A.’s investigation into Trump unraveled.

Virus/Climate/Science

COVID-19 has infected over 79.27 million people and has now killed over 958,600 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 446.28 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 5.99 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

A semi-autonomous city in China with a population of 7.5 million people now experiencing a dramatic surge in coronavirus infections, Hong Kong urged public calm over the weekend about required mass COVID-19 testing. On Sunday, 153 people died from COVID-19 as 31,008 new infections were reported (Reuters and The Hill). COVID-19 is seen as a “preventable disaster” there (CNN).

The Wall Street Journal: Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, which uses a more traditional version of vaccine science, is moving closer to a decision by the Food and Drug Administration about whether it will get federal approval.

The Wall Street Journal: As COVID-19 rules dissolve into voluntary guidance for businesses, local governments and individuals, restaurants continue debating masking. For example, Shake Shack is keeping them. Texas Roadhouse dropped them.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial and backyard bird flocks has been confirmed in at least 10 states since early February, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state governments. That’s bad news nationwide for poultry producers and backyard poultry enthusiasts. Impacted to date and on alert for the HPAI virus, which can be deadly in bird flocks but not in humans: Missouri, Indiana, Connecticut, Iowa, New York, Michigan, Maine, Delaware, Kentucky and Virginia. Because infections in wild ducks and geese can spread the virus to commercial flocks, a list of states in which HPAI has been reported in wild fowl helps the industry track the current spread across the U.S. 

US Relations and Global Developments

President Biden met with Finnish President Saili Niinisto, in an exchange that captured how diplomacy has changed since Russia invaded Ukraine. Non-NATO member Finland is rethinking its relationship with Washington, NATO and the West, with the invasion making the country consider seriously whether it should join NATO. However, in Biden and Niinisto’s brief public appearance together — during which both leaders expressed a desire to strengthen what Niinisto called the “long-lasting partnership” between their countries — neither one mentioned the possibility of Finland joining the Western alliance. A position which appeared deliberate. David E. Sanger reports for the New York Times.

Biden’s advisers are weighing a possible visit by Biden to Saudi Arabia this Spring to help repair relations and convince Saudi Arabia to pump more oil for the West. Biden has previously chastised Saudi Arabia for its human rights abuses, and the CIA believes its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was involved in the dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. A trip by Biden to the Kingdom would therefore illustrate the gravity of the global energy crisis driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hans Nichols reports for Axios.

Senior U.S. officials have traveled to Venezuela to meet with the government of President Nicolás Maduro, as the Biden administration steps up efforts to separate Russia from its remaining international allies. Anatoly Kurmanaev, Natalie Kitroeff and Kenneth P. Vogel report for the New York Times.

Fresh demands from Russia threatened to derail talks to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal over the weekend. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded guarantees that Ukraine-related sanctions would not prevent it from trading broadly with Tehran under a revived nuclear deal. However, Lavrov’s demands could introduce major loopholes in those tight financial, economic and energy sanctions. Laurence Norman reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has dismissed Russia’s demands as “irrelevant,” saying that sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine “have nothing to do with the Iran nuclear deal.” Patrick Wintour reports for the Guardian.

Iranian officials have said that Russia’s demands are “not constructive,” and are aimed at securing its own interests, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency has reported. Reuters reports.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has however said that Russia’s contribution to negotiations so far has been constructive and that a revived nuclear deal can be reached “in the shortest time” if Washington accepts Tehran’s position. “Iran’s peaceful nuclear cooperation should not be limited and affected by any sanctions, including Iran’s peaceful cooperation with Russia and China,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Reuters reports.

North Korean state media has said that the country performed data transmission and other key tests that would be necessary to create a spy satellite. The reported tests are the second such tests in about a week, signaling that North Korea could soon launch a long-range rocket despite a U.N. ban. Hyung-Jin Kim reports for AP.

South Korea’s ruling party leader, Song Young-gil, has been hospitalized after being attacked by a stranger with an unknown object while campaigning in Seoul for the party’s presidential candidate, the Yonhap news agency reported. Reuters reports.

An Israeli attack over the Syrian capital Damascus has killed two civilians and left some material damage, Syrian state media has reported. Reuters reports.

The Taliban have arrested a Canadian aid worker in Afghanistan, amid a widening crackdown on activists and foreigners. Nadima Noor, a dual Canadian-Afghan citizen who ran a small humanitarian organization with a Western colleague, was arrested by the Taliban in mid-February and has not been released since. It is not clear whether Noor has been charged with a crime. Susannah George reports for the Washington Post.

DDSR TGIF 4 Mar 22

RU/UKR

Russian troops have entered the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Mykolayiv for the first time, regional authorities have said today. In a video statement the region’s governor said that fighting is under way in parts of the city. Reuters reports.

Following a second round of talks yesterday, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to temporary local cease-fires to create “humanitarian corridors” so that civilians can be evacuated, and food and medicine can be delivered. However, the cease-fires will not apply everywhere, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has said, and logistical details remain unclear. David L. Stern, Paulina Firozi, Danielle Paquette, Rachel Pannett, Ellen Francis, Robyn Dixon, Maria Luisa Paul, Hannah Knowles and Meryl Kornfield report for the Washington Post.

Russian forces appear to be attempting to cut Ukraine off from the sea via its key southern ports, capturing the city of Kherson and tightening the siege of Mariupol, as a large amphibious task force threatened Odessa to the west. Amid sightings of a convoy of Russian warships, residents of Ukraine’s coastline are stepping up preparations to defend it against a potential Russian marine landing. The Guardian reports. 

At least 47 people were killed in Russia airstrikes on a residential district of the northern city of Chernihiv, regional authorities have said. BBC News reports. 

The deputy mayor of Mariupol has urged NATO leader to send troops into Ukraine, saying Russia will not stop until it has made the country a desert and killed many civilians. BBC News reports. 

An Estonian-owned ship was sunk off the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa yesterday. The ship was hit by “occupier artillery,” the Ukrainian parliament said on Twitter citing the country’s seaports administration. All six crew members of the ship were rescued. CNN reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent 90 percent of the forces his military readied around Ukraine into the country, according to a senior U.S. defense official. The official also said that, as of yet, there are no indications that Russia is reinforcing its assets with additional troops to the area, even as it nears full engagement. Karound Demirjian reports for the Washington Post.

Ukrainian officials have said that shelling has caused a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, prompting concern from the international community about a nuclear disaster and renewing fears about Moscow’s tactics. Ukrainian officials have told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the fire did not affect essential equipment and there has been no increase in radiation levels, lessening initial concerns that the shelling damaged a reactor. Andrew Restuccia, Yaroslav Trofimov and Stacy Meichtry report for the Wall Street Journal.

No damage was done to the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and there was no release of radioactive material, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said. “What we understand is that this projectile is a projectile that is coming from the Russian forces. We do not have details about the kind of projectile,” Grossi said. Francois Murphy reports for Reuters.

World leaders have accused Russia of endangering the safety of an entire continent, following the shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. President Biden urged Moscow to stop its military activities around the site, while Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the “horrific attacks must cease immediately.” U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the attack as a “reckless” warning that Russia’s attack would “directly threaten the safety of all of Europe.” All three leaders have spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone. BBC News reports. 

U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said that it is very difficult to believe that the Russian attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was not deliberate. Reuters reports.

Following the attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Zelensky made an appeal to Europe to “wake up now.” Zelensky warned that “not a single nation ever shelled nuclear power stations. For the first time in the history of humankind, the terrorist states commites nuclear terrorism.”  The Guardian reports. 

Russia’s defense ministry has blamed the attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Ukrainian saboteurs, claiming that it was a response to an attack on Russian troops during a patrol of the territory adjacent to the plant.Reuters reports. 

NATO is to meet today as Ukraine calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something which NATO members foreign ministers have pushed back upon. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that the NATO alliance is defensive only. “We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us, we are ready for it and we will defend every inch of NATO territory,” Blinken said. Sabine Siebold and Bart H. Meijer report for Reuters.

Lithuania Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has criticized calls for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone in Ukraine as irresponsible. Andrius Sytas reports for Reuters. 

Following a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron was left convinced that “the worst is yet to come” and that Putin aims to take control of all of Ukraine, a senior French official has said. The 90-minute call, which the French presidency said was initiated by Putin, failed to deliver a diplomatic breakthrough and it appears to have been markedly more tense than previous exchanges between the two leaders. Rick Noack reports for the Washington Post.

The U.N. Human Rights Council has voted overwhelmingly for a resolution condemning alleged rights violations by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. The vote also established a commission of inquiry to authorised to investigate these alleged rights violations. Emma Farge reports for Reuters. 

The war in Ukraine is “a catastrophe” for the world which will cut global economic growth, David Malpass, the president of the World Bank, has said. Malpass said the economic impact of the war stretched beyond Ukraine’s border, and the rises in global energy prices particularly affect“the poor the most, as does inflation.” He added that food prices have also been pushed up by the war, and “are a very real consideration and problem for people in poorer countries.” Jonathan Josephs reports for BBC News.

The ratings agencies Fitch and Moody’s have downgraded Russia’s sovereign rating to “junk” status, following western sanctions which the agencies said threw into doubt Russia’s ability to service debt and would weaken its economy. Reuters reports.

Belarusian armed forces are not taking part and will not take part in Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has said. Lukashenko also said that he had spoken to Putin at length by telephone today. Reuters reports.

Belarus has strengthened its air defenses along the perimeter of its border in line with an order for Lukashenko, a senior military official has said today. Reuters reports. 

Japan will send the Ukrainian military bulletproof vests and other basic supplies in response to a request from Kyiv. However, it has no plans to send weapons, a government spokesperson said. Tokyo has self-imposed restrictions on exports of military equipment, but wants to offer “the maximum possible support” to Ukraine, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. Alistair Gale report for the Wall Street Journal. 

The U.S. is imposing sanctions and visa restrictions on a range of Russian elites, the White House has said. The U.S. will put full block sanctions on eight Russians with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and will impose visa restrictions on 19 Russian oligarchs and 47 of their family members and associates. In addition, the U.S. will put full blocking sanctions on seven Russian entities accused of spreading disinformation. Andre Restuccia and Courtney McBride report for the Wall Street Journal. 

President Biden’s administration has asked Congress for $10 billion in humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine. White House officials initially floated a $6.4 billion request for Ukraine, but lawmakers in both parties quickly called for more aid as Russian forces bombarded the country. Emily Cochrane and Catie Edmondson report for the New York Times. 

The U.S. military has set up a channel to communicate directly with the Russian military to prevent “miscalculations” or “escalation” over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a defense spokesperson has confirmed. The spokesperson noted that the U.S. “retains a number of channels to discuss critical security issues with the Russians during a contingency or emergency.” However, the line is apparently an exchange of phone numbers, according to a report from CNN, one from the U.S. European Command’s operations center in Stuttgart, Germany, and the other expected from the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill.

It is possible that the U.S. is providing Ukraine with targeted intelligence to assist its forces to fight back against Russia, something which would, if openly admitted by the U.S., risk the U.S. crossing the threshold into appearing a party to the war. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, has said that “we are providing some intelligence” to Ukraine, but are “not providing the kind of real-time targeting” the U.S. military has used in past conflicts. However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki subsequently implied that the U.S. was providing intelligence that could help Ukrainian forces strike Russian targets. Alexander Ward and Quint Forgey report for POLITICO.

RT America will cease production and lay off most of its staff, according to a memo from T&R Productions, the production company behind the Russian state-funded network, which CNN obtained. RT has seen its global reach significantly diminish in recent days as technology companies and television providers have moved to sever ties. RT America was dropped earlier this week by DirecTV, and Roku has also said that it had banished RT America from its platform. Olivia Darcy reports for CNN.

Bipartisan pressure is mounting on the Biden administration to end all Russian oil imports and sanction Russia’s energy sector as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to escalate the war in Ukraine. However the administration remains concerned over inflation and already high gas prices, which could skyrocket if Biden takes this step. Ellie Kaufman and Ali Zaslav report for CNN. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status meaning that Ukranians already in the U.S. will be allowed to remain in the country and work without fear of deportation for the next 18 months. Rafael Bernal reports for The Hill.

Yesterday one of Russia’s last independent news outlets, TV Rain, stopped broadcasting indefinitely after coming under pressure for its coverage of the invasion. BBC News reports. 

The lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duman, has unanimously passed a law imposing a jail term of up to 15 years for spreading intentionally ‘fake’ information about the armed forces. Reuters reports. 

Russian law enforcement officers have conducted searches at the Moscow office of human rights group Memorial International as well as migrant and refugee organization Civic Assistance, the OVD-Info protest monitor has said. Reuters reports.

Jan. 6th Insurrections

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack has subpoenaed former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., after she withdrew from voluntary testimony last week. “Guilfoyle met with [former President] Donald Trump inside the White House, spoke at the rally that took place before the riot on January 6th, and apparently played a key role organizing and raising funds for that event … The Select Committee is seeking information from her about these and other matters,” Chair of the committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), said in a statement. Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu report for POLITICO.

The Justice Department is facing increasing pressure to prosecute Trump after the Jan. 6 select committee laid out an argument for a potential criminal case against him in court filings. The filings were in court proceedings which related to a dispute over a committee subpoena to lawyer John Eastman. Attorney General Merrick Garland has remained silent on Trump’s actions, seeking to insulate the Justice Department from politicization. However, building a criminal case against Trump would be very difficult for prosecutors, experts have said. Katie Benner and Charlie Savage report for the New York Times.

In the filing, the Jan. 6 select committee suggested that Trump knew he had lost the election and sought to overturn it anyway. “Trump — time and again — discounted the facts, the data and many of his own advisers as he continued to promote the lie of a stolen election, according to hundreds of pages of exhibits, interview transcripts and email correspondence assembled by the [Jan. 6 committee],” Luke Broadwater and Alan Feuer report for the New York Times.

The filings by the Jan. 6 committee also offer new details about the extent of Trump’s team’s pressure campaign on former Vice President Pence, as they pushed Pence not to certify the 2020 election results. The evidence however “also showcases the exasperation of the Pence team as they pushed back on pleas that only got more desperate leading up to Jan. 6,” Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill.

Further reporting on the Jan. 6 select committee’s recent court filing and the allegations against Trump is provided by Rosalind S. Helderman, Jacqueline Alemany, Josh Dawsey and Tom Hamburger for the Washington Post.

Former Attorney General William Barr has published an excerpt from his new memoir in the Wall Street Journal, recalling the explosive White House meeting where he rejected Trump’s claims that the 2020 election has been “stolen” through voting fraud.

The son of defendant Guy Reffitt in the first trial stemming from the Jan. 6 attack took the stand yesterday testifying against his father. Alexa Corse and Aruna Viswanatha report for the Wall Street Journal.

US

Jurors have acquitted former officer Brett Hankison of wanton endangerment in relation to his actions during the fatal police raid on Breonna Taylor’s apartment. Hankison had been charged with endangering three of Taylor’s neighbors by firing bullets into their home during the botched operation. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports for the New York Times.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) intends to increase its focus on the individual victims of white-collar crimes, while also placing greater accountability on the individual executives responsible for such crimes, Kenneth Polite, assistant attorney general of the DoJ’s criminal division, has said. Dylan Tokar reports for the Wall Street Journal.

Former President Trump has reached a deal with the New York Attorney General’s office that will allow him to temporarily evade a deposition in the office’s investigation into his business.  Trump and his two eldest children were ordered by a court in February to appear for a deposition as part of the New York state’s civil investigation, however Trump has since appealed that ruling. “Under the new agreement between Trump and the attorney general’s office, detailed in court papers on Thursday, Trump and his two children must sit for depositions within two weeks of a ruling from the appeals court, if it upholds the lower-court decision requiring their testimony,” Guardian staff and agencies report.

Senior officials at the DoJ have criticized a Senate-passed cybersecurity bill, the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act, as having “serious flaws,” including a lack of direct reporting to the FBI. Ines Kagubare reports for The Hill.

Florida legislators voted to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. The Supreme Court appears poised this summer to uphold a Mississippi law that similarly bans abortions at 15 weeks.

The Sackler family and Purdue Pharma reached a deal with states to settle thousands of opioid lawsuits.

The House on Thursday approved legislation to allow military families to seek justice for decades of water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina. The legislation says those exposed — even in-utero — to water contamination at the base between August 1953 and 1987 can file a claim. The bill effectively would override a North Carolina legal hurdle that has blocked such lawsuits. The bill now moves to the Senate (The Hill).

The Wall Street Journal: Republican National Committee seeks to choke funding for Commission on Presidential Debates in escalation of dispute.

Candidates in majority-Hispanic parts of the Lone Star State set primary turnout records Tuesday — and Democrats counting on favorable demographic trends to flip the state saw slippage among some of their most reliable voters. The GOP vote in 35 counties, most of them majority-Hispanic, broke records (The Washington Post).

Former Attorney General William Barr has an autobiography he wants to sell you (and a professional reputation he wants to rescue): NBC News anchor Lester Holt will interview Barr during a primetime special on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. Barr also will appear Tuesday on “CBS Mornings.” (He was AG under Trump and former President George H.W. Bush. He has cooperated with the House select committee investigating Trump’s role before, during and after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol).

Oregon and New Jersey are considering abandoning century-old make-work rules in order to let customers pump their own gas. Such a seemingly small and obvious change is far from certain to pass, however, underscoring the influence of special interests, even during a national worker shortage (The Hill).

Virus/Climate/Science

COVID-19 has infected over 79.19 million people and has now killed over 956,000 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 442.10 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 5.98 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

The seven-day average of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is at the lowest level since last July, CNN reports. 

States are being left with large stockpiles of COVID-19 vaccine doses as demand falls. The result has been waste, expired doses and a determined effort to find providers who can use the unused doses (The Associated Press).

New York City was hit hard and early by COVID-19 infections beginning in 2019 and many (but not all) residents say they are now ready to move on. How ready New Yorkers are depends on whom you ask (The Associated Press).

Many Republican candidates this year are critical of administration energy policies, although analysts say higher prices for gasoline are not the result of Biden’s policies tied to the Keystone XL pipeline or domestic oil and gas leasing (The Hill).

US Relations and Global Developments

The head of the International Atomic Energy Association, Rafael Grossi, has said that his upcoming trip on Saturday to Tehran could “pave the way” to reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Grossi’s optimism has also been echoed by diplomats in Vienna, who are continuing to negotiate the final few outstanding points. Jonathan Tirone, Golnar Motevalli, and Ben Bartenstein report for Bloomberg.

Despite senior diplomats saying that they are now within reach of an agreement to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, U.S. and Iranian officials have cautioned there is at least one big issue outstanding. Iran wants the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be taken off Washington’s Foreign Terrorist Organization list, however the U.S. has long pushed back against the demand given the Revolutionary Guard’s role across the Middle East backing designated terrorist groups such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Laurence Norman reports for the Wall Street Journal.

A bombing inside a mosque in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar has killed at least 30 people and injured more than 50, police have said. The suspected suicide attack happened in a Shia mosque while Friday prayers were being held this morning. No group has yet said it carried out the attack. BBC News reports.

Tanzania has freed the leader of the country’s main opposition party, after prosecutors “dropped charges of  economic crimes and terrorism” brought against him last year, his party has said. Freeman Mbowe is the chair of the Chadema party and was detained and charged in court last July. Reuters reports.

The Kuwaiti state is allegedly using an Interpol red notice to intimidate and harass Sheikha Moneera Fahad al-Sabah, a Kuwaiti princess seeking asylum in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and to force the extradition of her partner, a prominent dissident blogger, back to Kuwait. Katie McQue reports for the Guardian

DDSR…This is just where we are now…3 Feb 22

What it means:

• RU has begun its destruction of UKR…RU will not stop til it has assumed control of all of UKR.
• A UKR insurgency will be beaten down…but they will extract a lot of RU blood for years…foreign fighters will be killed as indiscriminately as UKR fighters.
• NATO/EU will be stronger…GE announcing to exceed the NATO requirement of 2% defense spending (a first) is first sign.
• Biden’s response…the only response any president (not a RU puppet) would do…but will not increase his poll numbers.
• GQP is a RU sponsored political party of fascists.

RU/UKR

The White House on Thursday formally asked Congress to authorize $10 billion in additional humanitarian, economic and security assistance for Ukraine and allies in central Europe to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read the developing report here.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine’s defense lines are holding against the Russian attack. Zelensky added that there had been no respite in Moscow’s shelling of Ukraine but said that Russia’s changing tactics and shelling of civilians in cities proved Ukraine was successful in resisting Moscow’s initial plan of claiming a quick victory through a land assault. The Guardian reports.

Russian troops are in the southern Ukrainian port city of Kherson after forcing their way into the council building, the mayor of Kherson, Igor Kolykhaev, has said. “There is no Ukrainian army here … The city is surrounded,” Kolykhaev said. “The battle for control of Kherson, a shipbuilding center, left bodies strewn about the city streets, power outages, limited water and little food, Kolykhaev said. Utility workers have tried to fix damaged pipes and downed lines, he said, but have come under fire from snipers. He said a group of about 10 armed Russian officers, including the commander of forces attacking the city, had entered the city hall and informed him that they planned to set up a military administration,”  Michael Schwirtz and Richard Pérez-Peña report for the New York Times.

In a Facebook post, Kolykhaev indicated that he negotiated with the invading troops, saying that “I made no promises to them. I just have nothing to promise. I am only interested in the normal life of our city! I just asked not to shoot people.” The Guardian reports.

The key Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is “near to a humanitarian catastrophe,” the city’s mayor has said, as it suffers continuous bombardment by Russian forces. “The Russian army is working through all their weapons here – artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, airplanes, tactical rockets. They are trying to destroy the city,” Serhiy Orlov said. Joel Gunter and Yaroslav Lukov report for BBC News.

Orlov has made a desperate video address saying: “we cannot even take the wounded from the streets, from apartments, since the shelling does not stop.” “The Russian Defense Ministry has urged civilians to leave the city via a so-called ‘green corridor,’’” BBC News reports.

The situation in Kyiv is “difficult but under control,” Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko has said. “Klitschko said there were no casualties overnight and that night time explosions were Ukrainian air defenses striking down incoming Russian missiles. He said a heating system site damaged by Russian shelling on Wednesday would be fixed during the day,” Reuters reports.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has said that 498 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine and 1,597 more sustained wounds, in the first report of casualties by Moscow since it launched the invasion. Defense ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov on Wednesday also rejected reports about “incalculable losses” among Russian forces as “disinformation.”   Al Jazeera reports.

More than 7,000 Russian troops have been killed since the start of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s presidential adviser has said in a television briefing. Oleksiy Arestovich added that hundreds of Russian servicemen have been taken prisoner, including senior officers. The Guardian reports.

The U.N. human rights office has said 227 civilians had been killed and another 525 injured in Ukraine since Russia’s military invasion began a week ago until midnight on March 1. The U.N. has however warned that the real toll is likely to be “much higher.” Tim Lister reports for CNN.

More than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed during Russia’s ongoing invasion, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said yesterday, reporting a far higher number than the U.N., before removing the statement. Olya Voitovych reports for CNN.

The U.K.’s Ministry of Defense has said that the Russian advance on Kyiv has been delayed bv “staunch Ukrainian resistance, mechanical breakdown and congestion” and remains over 30km (18 miles) from the center of Kyiv. The U.K’s report has also said  “despite heavy Russian shelling, the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol remain in Ukrainian hands. Some Russian forces have entered the city of Kherson but the military situation remains unclear.”  The Guardian reports.

According to a military adviser to Zelenskiy, Ukraine is able to launch counter-attacks against invading Russian forces even as it defends itself. “Help to us is increasing every minute and the strength of the enemy is decreasing every minute. We’re not only defending but also counter-attacking,” he said in a televised briefing. Reuters reports. 

Ukraine’s defense ministry is asking mothers of captured Russian troops to come pick up their sons.  “Mama! Your [prisoner of war] son is waiting for you!” the ministry wrote on Facebook yesterday. Jake Epstein reports for INSIDER.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that its investigators have begun gathering evidence of possible war crimes committed in Ukraine. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said that he opened an immediate investigation after being urged to do so by 39 nations. The investigation will cover allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and would extend to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Becky Morton reports for BBC News.

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna has said that NATO is partially responsible for civilian deaths in Ukraine by refusing to enforce a no-fly zone. Stefanishyna said in an interview that “it is inhumane knowing that the civilian population and kids will be killed by not taking this decision.” Owen Amos reports for BBC News.

The U.K. Foreign Secretary has said that the West must make sure no Russian bank has access to the SWIFT banking system. Some, but not all, Russian banks have been barred from the system so far. BBC News reports.

Australian Federal Police are investigating a suspicious package delivered to the Russian Embassy in Canberra today. Ilya Roshchenkov, a press secretary at the embassy, said that the package contained “suspicious powder.” In a statement, the embassy said it had been “massively targeted lately with threatening and insulting messages and actions” and thanked the police for their “quick and professional response.” Michael E. Miller reports for the Washington Post.

Organizers of this summer’s Farnborough Air show in England, have banned Russia from participating in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The ban is a blow to Russian aerospace companies who use the biennial event to market their aircrafts. Marcus Weisgerber reports for Defense One.

The Justice Department has announced the creation of a task force to go after billionaire oligarchs who have aided Russian President Vladimir Putin in his invasion of Ukraine. “The task force will marshal the resources of various federal agencies to enforce the sweeping economic measures that the United States has imposed as Russia continues its unprovoked assault on Ukraine,” Katie Benner reports for the New York Times.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is proposing a resolution which would urge Putin to be investigated for war crimes. The draft resolution, which is non-binding, supports the complaint filed by the Ukrainian government with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which Graham has said provides “a good example of where the [ICC] should exercise jurisdiction.” Graham stressed that the resolution would not pre-judge the outcome of an ICC investigation but instead would throw the Senate’s support behind having a probe. Jordain Carney reports for The Hill. 

Russia has decided to stop supplying rocket engines to the U.S. in retaliation for its sanctions against Russia. “In a situation like this we can’t supply the United States with our world’s best rocket engines. Let them fly on something else, their broomsticks, I don’t know what,” Dimitry Rogozin, head of the state space agency Roscosmos, said on state Russian television. Reuters reports. 

A second round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine is set to take place today, and a Ukrainian delegation has reportedly departed to Belarus for the talks. Reuters reports.

A Russian negotiator has said a ceasefire was on the agenda in the second round of talks, however Ukraine has said Moscow’s demands are unacceptable and Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before any progress can be expected. AFP reports.

More than one million people have fled across the borders of Ukraine since Russian forces invaded a week ago, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has said in a Tweet. “For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided,” Grandi added. Jerome Socolovsky and Jonathan Franklin report for NPR.

A Western intelligence report said that senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early February not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to officials from President Biden’s administration and a European official. The classified intelligence was collected by a Western intelligence service and considered credible by officials. Senior officials passed it around as they discussed when Russian President Vladimir Putin might attack Ukraine. However, different intelligence services had varying interpretations. One official familiar with the intelligence said the material did not necessarily indicate the conversations about an invasion took place at the level of Chinese Leader Xi JingPing and Putin. Edward Wong and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times.

A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied that Beijing had advance knowledge of Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine, calling the New York Times report “purely false information,” which sought to “divert attention.” The spokesperson repeated Beijing’s assertions that the United States deserves blame for the conflict because the expansion of NATO has threatened Russia’s security interests. Austin Ramzy reports for the New York Times.

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has voiced concern after Russian forces claimed to have surrounded Ukraine’s biggest atomic plant. Grossi said that the Russian government had informed the agency that its troops had taken control of the area around the Zaporizhzhia plant in south-eastern Ukraine, the second biggest in Europe. Julian Borger reports for the Guardian.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said in a news conference today that he believes some foreign leaders are preparing for war against Russia and that Moscow will press on with its military operation in Ukraine until “the end.” Lavrov said that he had no doubt that a solution to the crisis in Ukraine would be found but he “accused NATO of seeking to maintain supremacy and said that while Russia had a lot of goodwill, it could not let anyone undermine its interests,” Reuters reports.

Lavrov has also said that President Biden has said that the only alternative to sanctions is a third world war, going on to say that any third world war could only be a “nuclear war.”  Lavrov however said that this is not something Russians are thinking about. BBC News reports.

Lavrov has continued to repeat his claim that the Ukrainian government is a neo-Nazi regime and has said that gangs are looting towns and cities, including in Mariupol. Lavrov also said that Ukrainians are “now trying to use civilians as human shields.” He has also compared the U.S. to Napoleon and Hitler for “subjugating Europe.” BBC News reports. 

Russia’s central bank has imposed a 30% commission on foreign currency purchases by individuals on currency exchanges. Reuters reports.

Moscow is stepping up censorship of the coverage of the war in Ukraine, pressurizing social media sites and news organizations. Russia’s communication and media regulator Roskomnadzor has slowed online traffic to Facebook, and connectivity to Twitter has also been restricted for those who use services provided by four major telecommunications companies. Amy Cheng reports for the Washington Post.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched two new shortwave radio frequencies that will reach areas of Ukraine and Russia where access to information may be limited because of Russia’s invasion, the BBC has said in a statement. “Shortwave radio was invented in the early 1920s and became especially popular in Europe during times of conflict because it can reach remote areas and travel vast distances without the need for satellites or cables, which can be compromised in wartime,” Annabelle Timsit reports for the Washington Post.

As Russia battles to spread false narratives about the crisis on the Internet, “social media sites should make sure they don’t end up on the side of the invaders.” Whilst Facebook, YouTube and TikTok have prevented most Russian state media entities from monetizing their posts, “the impact of these moves pales in comparison with the potential effect of a wholesale ban.” The Editorial Board of the Washington Post provides analysis. 

Thousands of Russians have taken to the streets in protest against the invasion of Ukraine, with more than 6,500 demonstrators arrested as of Tuesday, according to the OVD-Info human rights group, which tracks political arrests. “We have never seen such a large number of detainees per day,” said Grigory Durnovo, an analyst for the group. “We counted at least 6,489 detainees in five days. This is enough to show us the number of people willing to go out on the streets and express their views,” he added. Pauline Rouquette reports for France 24.

Jan. 6th Insurrection

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack said in a court filing yesterday that former President Trump and some of his allies might have committed crimes by seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The potential criminal charges against Trump include conspiracy to defraud the U.S., obstructing an official proceeding and fraud. The filing was part of the legal proceedings over the testimony of pro-Trump lawyer John Eastman. Byron Tau and Sadie Gurman report for the Wall Street Journal. 

Jan. 6 attack defendant Joshua James pleaded guilty yesterday to seditious conspiracy and obstructing official proceedings. James is the first of a group of Oath Keepers members indicted on seditious conspiracy charges to reach a plea agreement. Under the agreement outlined in court, James will have to fully cooperate with prosecutors, including testifying at trials or before a grand jury. Harper Neidig reports for The Hill. 

Yesterday prosecutors opened the first criminal trial stemming from the Jan. 6 attack, arguing that defendant Guy Wesley Reffitt was at the forefront of the pro-Trump crowd that stormed into the building. Prosecutors said that Reffitt, who was armed, not only helped lead a mob up a staircase of the building, but also recorded himself narrating his role in advance. “He planned to light the match that would start the fire,” federal prosecutor Jeffery S. Nestler said in his opening statement. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times. 

US

The Justice Department has accused telecommunications company Ericsson of violating a billion-dollar legal settlement by failing to fully disclose evidence of alleged corruption and possible payments to terrorists in Iraq, according to a statement posted yesterday on the company’s website. This revelation raises significant legal risks for the company including the possibility of fines or a new criminal investigation. Greg Miller and Louisa Loveluck report for the Washington Post. 

On Tuesday the Senate unanimously passed cybersecurity legislation requiring companies in critical sectors to alert the government of potential hacks or ransomware. The Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act comes as U.S. officials urge the private sector to prepare for possible Russian cyberattacks in response to U.S. sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Ines Kagubare reports for The Hill.

A 28-year-old man has been arrested and charged with hate crimes in connection with a two-hour spree of attacks on Asian women in Manhattan over the weekend. There was no indication that the assailant knew any of the seven victims, two of whom were treated in hospital. The attack comes as the city faces a surge in anti-Asian violence. Kren Zraick reports for the New York Times. 

The former detective, Brett Hankison, who is facing charges of reckless endangerment for his role in the Breonna Taylor raid, testified at his trial yesterday that he wrongly interpreted the sound of fellow officers’ gunfire as that of a suspect shooting at the police. Hankison is the only officer to be indicted for his actions during the raid. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports for the New York Times. 

Progressives are losing steam on some of the issues they hold dear given opposition from centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and the White House, even as wins in Texas seem likely to grow the number of liberal “squad” numbers in the next Congress. Read the full story here.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) indicated on Wednesday that he hopes to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court in early April before lawmakers leave for a two-week break. “We want to do this fairly but expeditiously. … We would like to get this done and have the judge approved by the Senate before the Easter break,” Schumer told reporters after his meeting with the judge. The Senate is scheduled to leave town on April 8. The New York Democrat’s plan lines up with the 30 to 40 days the White House and top Democrats have eyed as a timeline between the formal announcement until a confirmation vote (The Hill).

CNN: Confirmation hearings for Jackson set to begin on March 21.

The Hill: Partisan cracks emerge over how to implement $1 trillion infrastructure law.

The Hill: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell lays out cautious plan to raise interest rates, combat high inflation.

The Hill: Progressive policies lose steam amid primary wins.

Niall Stanage: The Memo: Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Color.) antics blasted as another twist in politics’ downward spiral.

Inmate Dylann Roof asked the Supreme Court to review his case after a lower federal appeals court declined to vacate the convictions and death sentence he was handed for racially motivated shootings in 2016 in Charleston, S.C., which resulted in the deaths of nine Black congregants at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. It was unclear what Roof and his attorney seek from the justices (The Hill).

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia outlined a spending plan, including climate policies, that he could support.The levels of brutality experienced by detainees at Rikers Island over the past year might have been even worse than known.

Fitbit is recalling its Ionic smart watch after reports of overheating batteries.

Police officers removed a pilot who seemed to be drunk from the cockpit of a JetBlue flight.

Workers at an REI store in New York City voted to unionize.

FL Gov. Ron DeSantis pressured students appearing at an event with him to take off their masks.

Virus/Climate/Science

COVID-19 has infected over 79.14 million people and has now killed over 954,520 people in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been over 440.53 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 5.97 million deaths. Sergio Hernandez, Sean O’Key, Amanda Watts, Byron Manley and Henrik Pettersson report for CNN.

Democratic lawmakers are distancing themselves from the strong pro-mask stance they took for most of the pandemic, which is becoming more and more of a political liability at a time when many Americans are reaching their limits of COVID-19 fatigue. Read the full story here.

The New York Times: New York students shed masks, and elation mixes with trepidation.

The Boston Globe: Boston to lift mask mandate for some indoor spaces Saturday.

Reuters: Hong Kong government urges residents spooked by citywide lockdown not to panic.

Global Developments

The Taliban has launched an intrusive search operation across several Taliban-resistant provinces in Afghanistan, echoing resented U.S. tactics that risk alienating Afghans and fueling the insurgency that the Taliban are trying to prevent. Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Christina Goldbaum and Najum Rahim report for the New York Times. 

The U.N. Human Rights Council has appointed former International Criminal Court prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, to head a team that will probe alleged violations during the conflict in Ethiopia. BBC News reports. 

Taiwan plans to more than double its yearly missile production capacity to close to 500 this year, a report by the island’s defense ministry states. This comes as part of a strategy to boost its combat powers amid what it sees as China’s growing military threat. Taiwan last year approved extra military spending of T$240 billion ($8.6 billion) over the next five years as tensions with China hit a new high. Yimou Lee reports for Reuters. 

The U.N. has voiced concerns over reports that a vote in Libya’s parliament to install a new government, which risks triggering new fighting or a return to territorial division, “fell short of the expected standards” of transparency and procedure. The parliament plans to swear in Fathi Bashagha as prime minister. However, the incumbent, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, refuses to hand over power. “International powers will be key in the coming tussle for control of Libya’s government and political process, with analysts pointing to the risks of another full-blown war or another split between warring administrations,” Reuters reports. 

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will visit Tehran on Saturday. The trip comes as negotiators enter the final stages of trying to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, and it is hoped that it may increase the prospect of progress on certain safeguarding issues currently blocking the revival of the deal. Parisa Hafezi and Francois Murphy report for Reuters. 

Germany’s federal prosecutor has filed charges against a Gambian man suspected of participating in crimes against humanity, including the killing of a journalist. The Federal Public Prosecutor has identified the man as a member of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s elite guard, and said that on at least three occasions the man drove officers to locations where they opened fire on the former president’s opponents. Reuters reports.