Monday, March 14th, 2022
War Nears NATO Border, China’s Lockdown & Tom Brady is Back
All the news you need in about 10 min:
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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 review the latest happenings...
Russian Airstrikes Hit Military Base
Russian attacks on Ukraine continue to intensify and become more widespread. One of the latest attacks is the closest Russian missiles have landed to NATO territory, so far. Russian airstrikes hit a military base in Ukraine, and officials there say at least 35 people are dead and 100+ are hurt. The base is used for training and is said to be a crucial hub for cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. American officials continue to warn Russia that the U.S. will defend “every inch of NATO territory.”
Read more: WSJ, NYT, AP, NBC News, CBS News
U.S. Journalist Killed
In the suburbs of the capital city of Kyiv, an award-winning American filmmaker and journalist was killed yesterday. Time Magazine confirmed that Brent Renaud was in Ukraine working for its TV and film division on a series about the global refugee crisis. He’s thought to be the first journalist working on assignment to be killed while reporting on this war.
Ukraine-Russia Talks
There are more peace talks planned today between Ukrainian and Russian officials. Both sides have expressed at least some optimism that, despite everything, there could be some progress, and open the way for more civilians to evacuate.
Russia, China, & U.S.
Top U.S. and Chinese officials plan to meet today to talk about Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with his Chinese counterpart in Rome. Meanwhile, new reports say Russia has asked China for help, including a request for military equipment. Sullivan publicly warned China not to help Russia evade global sanctions or “...there will absolutely be consequences.” China’s government says it hasn’t heard anything about it. The Biden administration has also accused China of spreading disinformation for Russia.
Read more: Fox News, AP, Financial Times, WaPo
Russia Blocks Instagram
As of midnight Monday local time, Russia blocked Instagram. A Russian regulator officially banned it Friday and gave the 80 million Russian Instagram users the weekend to say goodbye on the app. Russia is blaming Instagram’s parent company, Meta, for allowing calls for violence against Russian soldiers. It’s because Meta made a temporary exception to the rules to allow violent speech like, “death to the Russian invaders.”
Read more: AP, WaPo, NY Post, Meta on Twitter, President Zelensky
Met Opera Ukraine Benefit
The world-renowned Metropolitan Opera in New York City is drumming up support for Ukraine with a benefit concert today. The 70-minute concert will donate all the proceeds to relief efforts in Ukraine. It will broadcast across radio stations around the world today, and stream on the Met’s website, starting at 6 PM ET.
Read more: NY Times, AP, Playbill, Met
China’s Covid Lockdown
About 17 million people are now under lockdown in China. Two of China’s largest cities put new restrictions in place because of the rising number of Covid-19 cases. China still has far fewer cases than most countries, but new case numbers are at the highest daily figure in two years. So now, the southern tech hub of Shenzhen announced a lockdown for at least seven days. Because it has one of the world’s largest ports, it’s expected to have an impact on the global supply chain. China’s financial hub of Shanghai also announced new restrictions but not a complete lockdown.
Read more: NYT, The Guardian, Axios, Reuters
Tom Brady Returning
Just six weeks into retirement, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady changed his mind. He announced he’s coming out of retirement and will play another season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after all. The 2022 season will become his 23rd season playing in the NFL.
Read more: NFL, ESPN, USA Today, Tom Brady
FIFA Record Broken
Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name in the record books on Saturday after he scored a hat trick, becoming professional soccer’s all-time leading scorer with 807 goals.
Read more: CNN, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, NY Post
March Madness Brackets Revealed
Get your brackets ready, it’s time for March Madness. College basketball’s regular season is over, and now we know which teams will be competing in the men’s and women’s NCAA Division 1 Tournament. Selection Sunday revealed Gonzaga University clinched the #1 overall seed for the men. For the women, South Carolina is the #1 overall seed. The first 4 games are happening tomorrow and Wednesday.
Read more: CBS Sports, ESPN, NCAA, USA Today, March Madness
Actor William Hurt Dies
Movie fans are mourning the loss of an Oscar-winning actor, William Hurt. He was a leading man in the movies from the 80s, like Broadcast News, Body Heat, and Kiss of The Spider Woman. He also became known by the younger generation for his role in the Marvel Universe. His son says he lost his battle to cancer. He was 71.
Read more: AP, Variety, Fox News, Deadline
Critics Choice Awards
Big Hollywood names came together last night at the Critics Choice Awards. Netflix’s The Power of The Dog took the top honors of Best Picture and Best Director. On the TV side, “Ted Lasso” won Best Comedy, while “Succession” won the drama category, and “Mare of Easttown” nabbed Best Limited Series. Halle Berry won the #SeeHer Award, and Billy Crystal was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Oscars are next up on March 27th.
Read more: Vanity Fair, NY Times, Critics Choice
Pi Day
Pi is the famous mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It’s rounded to 3.14, so today’s date (3/14) is the first three numbers of Pi. Math and science lovers everywhere are celebrating! The day also brings some fun discounts and deals from restaurants offering pizzas and pies (the kind you eat).
Read more: EarthSky, USA Today, CNET, Pi Day
Money Monday: Uber Fuel Fee
Uber says its drivers are feeling the pain at the pump right now, so it’s adding an extra fuel fee. So, for your next Uber ride or Uber Eats delivery, it’ll cost you an extra 35-55 cents, depending on location. Uber says the fuel fee goes straight into drivers’ pockets to offset gas prices. The extra fee is nationwide, with New York City being the exception (drivers there already got a pay raise this month under the city’s minimum wage law). The extra fees start Wednesday and will stick around for at least 60 days.
Read more: AP, CNN, Engadget, Uber, CNN, AAA