IMPORTANT |  | Keeping Diplomacy Alive | Ukraine and Russia Hold Talks, Keep Communications Open It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours. High-level talks between Russia and Ukraine ended with no progress yesterday, and Russia continued bombarding civilians in Kyiv this morning. The U.N. General Assembly held an emergency meeting, and an International Criminal Court prosecutor announced plans to investigate Moscow’s alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, Russian rockets fell on a residential area of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, killing at least nine civilians and wounding many more. The civilian death toll has reached 352, including 14 children, said Ukraine’s Health Ministry, and over 500,000 people have fled since the invasion began. (Sources: Al Jazeera, NYT) |
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| | |  | Disaster(s) Ahead | New Climate Report Says Decades of Strife Ahead for the Planet We ain’t seen nothin’ yet. That’s the upshot of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on the state of the planet and it’s not looking good. At least 3.3 billion people are “highly vulnerable to climate change” on a daily basis, making them 15 times more likely to die from extreme weather. The world’s poorest populations bear the brunt of climate change now and will continue to do so, but no population is immune. If temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius (3.4 degrees Fahrenheit), we will see five times more floods, storms, droughts and heat waves by 2100. (Source: AP) |
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|  | Ruble Lost in the Rubble | Russia’s Central Bank Sets Key Interest Rate at 20% to Prop Up Ruble Moscow doubled interest rates yesterday as regulators shut down the Russian stock market after the ruble plunged by at least 20% at the market’s open. All this to try to limit economic fallout from harsh sanctions imposed by the international community that have grown even harsher as the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on. Last week, Russian banks were cut off from the SWIFT financial messaging system that facilitates secure transactions, and Moscow’s international currency reserves were frozen by Western authorities. Despite everything, Russia’s central bank insists its financial infrastructure “will continue to operate smoothly.” (Source: NPR) |
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|  | Taliban End Evacuations | Afghans Barred From Leaving the Country Without Good Reason All evacuations of Afghans have been halted and women forbidden to travel without a male chaperone. Since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August, thousands have been evacuated or have fled, including political refugees who fear retaliation for their connections abroad. Meanwhile, humanitarian and economic crises have wracked the country, with a million Afghans now facing starvation. A Taliban spokesperson called the restrictions necessary to protect citizens and cited religious reasons for the new chaperone law. Taliban fighters stopped individuals and families traveling on a highway from the nation’s capital to Pakistan yesterday to establish their reasons for traveling. (Source: The Hill) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: U.S. Supreme Court hears pivotal EPA climate case. Justices will decide whether it is constitutional for the Environmental Protection Agency to limit emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. (Source: BBC) FIFA suspends Russia. Its national and club soccer teams will be banned from all international competition over the invasion of Ukraine. (Source: Axios) Former President Donald Trump and children Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. appeal state decision. The three were ordered earlier this month to sit for depositions in the New York attorney general’s investigation into the Trump Organization. (Source: CNN) |
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| INTRIGUING | | | Last Bush Standing | Final George Bush in Elected Office Faces Uphill Battle Not George H.W. Bush, not George W. Bush … George P. Bush is on the primary ballot for Texas attorney general at a crucial time for the GOP. He’s up against controversial incumbent Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s under FBI investigation for corruption but still commands a sizable following as he drags the party ever further to the right. Bush, the 45-year-old son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, could court wider appeal as a young Hispanic from a prominent family, but it’s exactly those things that expose him to criticism from his opponents. (Source: ABC News) |
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| | | | | HBD, YNP! | Yellowstone National Park Turns 150 Today Established in 1872, Yellowstone was America’s first national park and among the first officially designated national parks in the world. The massive 2.2 million-acre plot covers territory in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and welcomes millions of visitors every year. The park has been busier than ever during the pandemic, with nearly 4.9 million visitors last year and 5 million expected in 2022. Although global warming threatens Yellowstone’s seasons and long-term ecological health, its wildlife has flourished in recent decades. Grizzly bears, wolves and bison have all returned from the brink of extinction thanks to park initiatives. (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | | Angel Tech | Airbnb Announces Effort to House Ukrainian Refugees for Free It takes a village, but sometimes an app doesn’t hurt either. Airbnb.org, the vacation rental company’s nonprofit organization, has announced that it will provide short-term housing for up to 100,000 displaced Ukrainians. The effort will be funded via donations and company dollars, as well as by Europeans willing to open their homes to refugees. Airbnb began its efforts in Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania and hopes to include the global community. Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, along with other top executives, sent letters to European leaders yesterday urging them to welcome refugees and offering their company’s support. (Source: NPR) |
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| | | Win for Water | Almost $2 Billion Allocated to Completing Tribal Water Rights Claims The U.S. Department of the Interior announced it will use funds from President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law to fulfill its responsibilities to tribes and settlements. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary, commended the decision as an important step toward building trust by fulfilling the department’s promises to 16 tribes and settlements this year. “Water is a sacred resource, and water rights are crucial to ensuring the health, safety and empowerment of Tribal communities,” she said. Biden’s infrastructure law earmarked $2.5 billion for the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund. (Source: The Hill) |
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| | | Later, Jeter | Derek Jeter Splits With Miami Marlins After Unsuccessful Tenure The former Yankees shortstop, who served as the MLB franchise’s CEO for four and a half years, shocked the sports world with his announcement yesterday. Unlike his wildly successful 20-year playing career, Jeter’s management tenure was marked by a disappointing 218-327 record: The team had just one winning year in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when they went 31-29. Jeter will also step down as a Marlins shareholder, citing a difference of vision with the organization. Jeter, a five-time World Series champion with New York, already earned his place in baseball’s Hall of Fame back in 2020. On to greener pastures? (Source: ESPN, Miami Herald) |
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