Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022
Russia’s ‘Kill List’, Arctic Cold Front & Britney Spears Memoir
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by StitchFix.com/newsworthy and Seed.com/newsworthy
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to read the latest happenings...
Russia Orders Troops to Ukraine
Russia’s president ordered troops into eastern Ukraine. They’re going into two territories that Russia just recognized as independent and no longer part of Ukraine. Russia says troops will be assigned to “peacekeeping functions” since it claims Ukraine is preparing to attack those regions, something that Ukraine says is not true. The territories are already mostly controlled by Russian-backed rebels, but much of the world views the land as Ukrainian territory. Russia’s president doesn’t sound like he plans to stop there, either. In a speech, he claimed all of Ukraine was “created by Russia.”
Read more: NY Times, Politico, Axios, AP, WSJ
New Russia Sanctions
President Biden signed an executive order to ban any American investment and trade in those eastern separatist regions. The White House says more measures will come today. British and European Union leaders also promised to impose sanctions on the people involved with the latest conflict. Western officials say they’re still willing to talk to avoid a war but will respond with even more severe consequences if Russia launches a full-scale investigation. Meanwhile, the U.S. relocated its diplomatic staff in western Ukraine into Poland.
Read more: CNBC, Politico, Axios, CBS News, White House
Russia’s ‘Kill List’
New U.S. intelligence shows Russia could have some disturbing plans for after a Ukraine invasion. The Washington Post got ahold of a letter the U.S. sent to the United Nations. It says there’s credible information that Russia is making a list of Ukrainians “to be killed or sent to camps” after an invasion. American officials say Russia’s targets would include people who don’t support Moscow’s actions, as well as journalists, anti-corruption activists, religious and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ Ukrainians. The Russian government says that letter is full of lies, and there is no such kill list.
Read more: WaPo, NPR, CNN, Fox News
US Cold Front Coming
A big part of the U.S. is expected to get one of the season’s most severe cold blasts this week. For the next few days, temperatures will be 20-30 degrees below average across a few states, especially in the northern plains. Several places could get record-breaking cold temperatures. Overall, CNN meteorologists say more than 70% of Americans in the continental U.S. will be getting temperatures below freezing. More than 15 million people will have temperatures below zero.
Read more: USA Today, CNN, WaPo, NWS
Mask Mandates Lifted
49 states have announced plans to drop their indoor mask mandates. Now, Hawaii is the only holdout unless we’re talking about schools. California, Maryland, and New York haven't announced end dates for the school mandates yet, either. There could be more federal guidance soon, too. The CDC says it's working on new, relevant advice that encourages protection only when it’s needed most.
Read more: ABC News, USA Today, NBC News, NY Times
Loosened Covid Restrictions Worldwide
Other countries are loosening up their Covid-19 restrictions, too. Australia welcomed international tourists and business travelers for the first time in almost two years. Travelers do have to be vaccinated, but they don’t have to quarantine when they get there. Plus, the UK announced it will lift all remaining restrictions in England this week. People won’t be legally required to isolate after testing positive, and routine contract tracing will end. Then, free mass Covid-19 testing for the public will end in April.
Read more: BBC, WSJ, WaPo, Reuters
AT&T 3G Shutting Down
It’s the beginning of the end of the 3G era. AT&T is shutting down its 3G wireless network today, making some older phones and devices useless. It’s just the start of the switch to faster networks like 5G. Verizon and T-Mobile are following suit, but not until later this year. If you have a 3G phone or a phone that doesn’t support HD voice calls, it’s not going to work starting today. Old devices won’t be able to call 911, either. If you aren’t sure if your device will be impacted, you can check with your wireless carrier.
Read more: CNBC, USA Today, USA Today (2), FCC, AT&T
Credit Suisse Leak
The second-biggest bank in Switzerland is on the defensive after a massive data leak exposed some so-called dirty money dealings. Credit Suisse is scrambling because several reports say more than 18,000 leaked accounts from 70 years show criminals, alleged human rights abusers, and sanctioned people have been clients of the bank. They also say Credit Suisse kept doing business with customers even after bank officials flagged suspicious activity with their finances. A spokesperson for the bank rejected the claims.
Read more: AP, NY Times, Axios, CNBC, Reuters, NY Post
2021 Kentucky Derby Title Stripped
The reigning Kentucky Derby champion was officially stripped of his title. Racehorse Medina Spirit won last year’s race but tested positive for a banned steroid afterward. Now, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission made its final decision, announcing it's taking away the horse’s title and suspending its trainer. The trainer, Bob Baffert, responded, saying he’s disappointed in the ruling and will appeal. The horse that finished second in last year’s Derby, Mandaloun, is now considered the winner. Mandaloun’s owners will be awarded the $1.8 million winner’s purse.
Read more: Courier-Journal, AP, Thoroughbred Daily News, Kentucky HRC
Michigan's Coach Suspended for Altercation
In college basketball, a post-game scuffle cost the coach of Michigan's Wolverines the rest of the regular season. Men’s head coach Juwan Howard was suspended for the final games of the season for hitting a Wisconsin assistant coach in the handshake line of Sunday’s game. Howard was unhappy with the way Wisconsin used their final timeouts. When Wisconsin’s coach tried to explain, he grabbed Howard by the arm, and things escalated. Coach Howard also got a $40,000 fine for the fight. Wisconsin’s coach got fined $10,000 for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy.
Read more: ESPN, Bleacher Report, AP, WSJ, Big Ten
Britney Spears Book Deal
The so-called princess of pop is putting her side of the story in print. Britney Spears reportedly inked a $15 million deal to publish a tell-all memoir. Her 13-year conservatorship ended last year, but she’s still entangled in legal battles with her father, Jamie. He had control over her finances and other parts of her life from 2008 until a few months ago under a conservatorship. Britney’s book deal is reported to be with publisher Simon and Schuster, but so far, no release date has been announced.
Read more: Page Six, People, TMZ, Variety, Britney Spears
Trivia Tuesday
Q. Which is the main substance used to make a crayon?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia
Q: What grows from an acorn?
A: Oak Tree
Read more: Audubon, Iowa State, TreeHugger, Nature Center at Shaker Lakes