Tuesday, March 8th, 2022
Russia’s Latest Terms, Gas Price Record & Int’l Women’s Day
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by StitchFix.com/newsworthy and BetterHelp.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...
Little Progress in Peace Talks
The third round of peace talks between Russia and Ukrainian officials ended with no major breakthroughs. Russia is still pounding Ukraine with rockets, bombs, and bullets. Ukraine’s president once again accused Russian forces of attacking the safe corridors that were supposed to be for delivering aid and evacuating refugees. Meanwhile, Russia says it will stop attacking if the Ukrainian government meets their demands, like stopping all military action and adjusting the country’s constitution to rule out ever joining NATO or the EU. Ukraine rejected those terms.
Read more: CBS News, WSJ, Reuters, NY Post
Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis
There are reported fears that thousands of Ukrainians could die in the coming days if urgent relief doesn’t arrive soon. In some places, it’s been days since they’ve seen water, food, power, heat, or medicine. The World Health Organization confirmed at least 14 attacks on Ukrainian health facilities. Through it all, Ukraine’s president is praising his people’s unprecedented courage. However, the road ahead is tough. Zelensky told ABC News, “for one soldier of Ukraine, we have 10 Russian soldiers, and for one Ukrainian tank, we have 50 Russian tanks,” The Pentagon also says Russia is recruiting Syrian mercenaries to fight in Ukraine.
Read more: NY Times, AP, WaPo, Axios, WHO
Western Aid/No Fly Zone Rejected
Even though western countries aren’t deploying troops into Ukraine, they keep sending aid and weapons. They’ve also hit Russia with massive sanctions that Russia’s president has called “akin to a declaration of war.” However, Ukraine’s president is still calling on the west to do more. President Zelenksy is asking for more fighter jets for the Ukrainian air force. That’s something the Biden administration says it’s considering now. Zelensky also wants a no-fly zone over his country so Russian planes can’t carry out so many airstrikes. The issue with that is that no-fly zones would be enforced with military power, something NATO is resisting.
Read more: NBC News, Al Jazeera, NY Times, Axios
More US Troops to Europe
The U.S. just sent another 500 troops to Europe. That pushes the total number of American forces in the region to 100,000. The idea is to keep Russia from moving the invasion into other countries, and they’ll help defend NATO’s airspace if needed.
Read more: The Hill, CNN, WSJ
Iowa HS Shooting
Unfortunately, we have another school shooting to tell you about. This one happened yesterday on the grounds of a Des Moines, Iowa high school, outside of the building. Three teens were shot, and one who was reportedly not a student there died. The others were students there and are said to be in critical condition. Police say it appeared to be a drive-by shooting, and at last check, there are potential suspects, but no charges have been filed. Classes at the school are canceled today.
Read more: KCCI, NBC News, Fox News, CNN, DMPD
6M Covid-19 Deaths
The Covid-19 pandemic is entering its third year this week, and the official global death count is still climbing. As Johns Hopkins reports, it surpassed six million. Public health experts agree that number is likely a vast undercount since data collecting and testing isn’t reliable everywhere. Just in the U.S., nearly a million deaths have been confirmed since the virus first showed up here in 2020. That’s the biggest official death toll in the world. However, the American numbers have been trending downward in the last month.
Read more: AP, WaPo, CNN, Johns Hopkins, CDC
U.S. Gas Hits Record High
Gas prices have officially hit an all-time high. GasBuddy says the national average for a gallon of gasoline topped $4.10, beating the record from July 2008. Experts warn these sky-high prices will stick around a lot longer than they did 14 years ago. The head of GasBuddy says not only have Americans never paid this much for gas, but they’ve also never seen prices climb this quickly. Of course, he blames the price hike on Russia’s war on Ukraine, since sanctions on Russia have curbed their flow of oil, leading to a massive spike in oil prices.
Read more: Fox News, The Hill, GasBuddy, AAA
Stocks Sink
The economic fallout from the war rippled through Wall Street, too. The S&P had its sharpest drop since May of 2020. The Dow lost 800 points, and the Nasdaq dropped 20% from its November high. It’s now in what’s called a bear market, a sustained period when stock prices are falling. The slump comes as Congress mulls over a deal that would ban Russian energy imports altogether.
Read more: NPR, WSJ, CNN, Fox Business
Bed Bath & Beyond Stock Soars
Bed Bath & Beyond’s stock soared more than 30% yesterday. It happened after billionaire investor Ryan Cohen revealed he bought a nearly 10% stake in the retailer. Cohen was one of the investors who drove the GameStop stock mania back in 2020. Well, Cohen sent a letter to Bed Bath & Beyond, criticizing their current business strategies and urging them to make changes. In recent years, the home goods store has struggled to compete with stores like Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
Read more: WSJ, CNN, CNBC, PR Newswire
Apple Product Event
Today, we could get a glimpse of a new iPhone, iPad, and maybe fresh Mac models at Apple’s first launch event of the year. Reports say we’re mainly expected to see some product updates, like a big upgrade to its MacBooks and iMacs. There are rumors, though, that the unofficial star of today’s event might be an updated iPhone SE. That’s Apple’s budget iPhone, and as Bloomberg News reports, Apple could unveil a faster version that runs on 5G and features an updated camera.
Read more: The Verge, CNN, Cnet, CNBC, Bloomberg
Watch Live: Apple
Calvin Ridley Suspended from NFL
A pro football player is now suspended for at least the next season. The NFL says Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley bet on games while he was off the field last November. Ridley left the Falcons last season to focus on his mental health, and during that time, he allegedly made bets that aren’t allowed. The NFL said no inside information was used, and no games were compromised. After the news of his suspension, Ridley took to Twitter to say he doesn’t have a gambling problem. He also vowed to come back better than ever, but he’s not eligible to take the field until February of next year, at the very earliest.
Read more: ESPN, AP, NY Post, NFL, Calvin Ridley
International Women’s Day
If you’ve seen selfies on social media lately with people striking an “X” pose with their arms, it’s a nod to this year’s International Women’s Day, which is today. The theme of this year’s global holiday is #breakthebias. That’s where the “X” selfies come in: the campaign is calling for support on social media. It’s also putting the spotlight on biases women face every day, like gender discrimination at their jobs or maternal bias. Rallies and events are happening all over the world today, including the UN’s virtual event that will recognize women leading the charge on climate change.
Read more: USA Today, HHS, IWD, UN Event
Trivia Tuesday
Q: Who was Sports Illustrated’s first female sportsperson of the year?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia
Q: What is the largest planet in our solar system?
A: Jupiter
Read More: NASA, Space, The Planets