The Full Belmonte, 3/8/2022
Emergency workers in a warehouse complex that was attacked by Russian forces the day before, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. On Monday, Russian forces also hit a residential street and barracks used by Ukrainian airborne troops.Credit...Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
“LVIV, Ukraine — On land, in the air and across the sea, the Ukrainian military and civilian soldiers continued to bog down Russian forces on Tuesday, protecting the borders of key cities and inflicting heavy losses against the larger and better equipped Russian army.
But with Russian forces largely relying on long-range missiles, the invasion has caused widespread and often indiscriminate damage, creating a humanitarian catastrophe that has left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without heat, water or electricity, and struggling to find a path to escape. While relief convoys helped some people flee areas of fighting on Tuesday, there was little sign that conditions on the ground would allow for large-scale evacuations from most areas of eastern and southern Ukraine where clashes have been heaviest.
Ukrainian forces continued to hold onto Kyiv, the capital, and were withstanding heavy artillery barrages in the eastern city of Kharkiv, although the Pentagon and other allies cautioned that the Russian army could soon regroup. Here are the latest developments:
Less than two weeks into the fighting, the U.N. refugee agency said that the number of people who have fled Ukraine has reached two million. UNICEF said that figure includes one million children.
After days of dashed hopes, the first significant effort at a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to escape fighting was holding in Sumy, a city east of Kyiv, with a convoy of buses led by the Red Cross. While initial reports suggested that a few hundred people had been brought to safety and that a temporary cease-fire was being observed, evacuations for towns and cities farther east have failed to materialize.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, taunting President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and showing confidence in the Ukrainian defense of Kyiv, released a video that opened with cellphone footage showing his exact location. ‘I’m staying in Kyiv. In my office,’ he said. ‘I’m not hiding. And I’m not afraid of anyone.’
The Ukrainian military claimed to have shot down three Russian fighter jets and a cruise missile, an assertion that appeared to be backed up by several loud explosions in the night sky over Kyiv. If confirmed, it would be a sign that Ukraine’s air defense systems and air force are still functioning nearly two weeks into the war.” Read more at New York Times
Photo from Ukrainian Presidency video
“Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of himself in his presidential office in Kyiv last night, declaring in the face of multiple alleged assassination attempts: ‘I'm not hiding. And I'm not afraid of anyone.’
Why it matters: Zelensky's nightly addresses, in which he details Russian attacks and honors fallen heroes, have become appointment viewing for news and inspiration, Axios' Zachary Basu writes.
‘You know, we used to say: Monday is a hard day,’ Zelensky said as he filmed out his window on Bankova Street on the 12th day of the invasion.
‘Now there is a war in the country, so every day is Monday.’
Zelensky entered selfie-style, then sat at his desk. Photo from Ukrainian Presidency video
More than 2 million refugees have now fled Ukraine.
Russia claims it is allowing ‘humanitarian corridors’ for the safe passage of civilians, but Ukrainian officials have reported multiple instances of shelling along those routes in the last 24 hours.
Ukraine's infrastructure minister said the country has suffered about $10 billion in damage since Russia's invasion began.
Zelensky pledged to continue peace talks until the war ends — and to rebuild Ukraine until there is "no trace" of the ‘hatred that the enemy brought to our cities with shelling and bombing.’” Read more at Axios
Bill Cosby had been serving a three-to-10-year prison sentence when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered his release.
PHOTO: JESSICA KOURKOUNIS/REUTERS
“(CNN)The Supreme Court left in place Monday an opinion by Pennsylvania's highest court that overturned comedian Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction, rejecting a bid from Pennsylvania prosecutors to review the decision.
Cosby was convicted of aggravated indecent assault in 2018 for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his Pennsylvania home in 2004. He was sentenced to three to 10 years in a state prison.
He was released from prison in June after the state's Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction on the grounds that his due process rights had been violated. The Pennsylvania state Supreme Court justices said in their opinion that a former Montgomery County district attorney's decision to not prosecute Cosby in 2005 in return for his deposition in a civil case was ultimately used against him at trial.” Read more at CNN
“In a victory for Democrats, the Supreme Court has turned away efforts from Republicans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania to block state court-ordered congressional districting plans.” Read more at USA Today
“Viewed from space, the Amazon rainforest doesn’t look like an ecosystem on the brink. Clouds still coalesce from the breath of some 390 billion trees. Rivers snake their way through what appears to be a sea of endless green.
Yet satellite images taken over the past several decades reveal that more than 75 percent of the rainforest is losing resilience, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. The vegetation is drier and takes longer to regenerate after a disturbance. Even the most densely forested tracts struggle to bounce back.
This widespread weakness offers an early warning sign that the Amazon is nearing its ‘tipping point,’ the study’s authors say. Amid rising temperatures and other human pressures, the ecosystem could suffer sudden and irreversible dieback. More than half of the rainforest could be converted into savanna in a matter of decades — a transition that would imperil biodiversity, shift regional weather patterns and dramatically accelerate climate change.” Read more at Washington Post
“A bill that criminalizes lynching heads to Biden to be signed into law after the Senate passed it unanimously. Anti-lynching legislation has had a long journey: Congress has failed to pass it for more than a century.” Read more at NPR
“In 2019, Donald Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Ukraine and pressured President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a call to investigate a political rival. Now, with Zelenskyy being hailed around the world as a hero for his resolve, that call is put in a very different light.” Read more at USA Today
“After days of dramatically rising gas prices in wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the national average for a gallon of gas is now the highest in United States history, breaking the record that stood for nearly 14 years. As of Tuesday morning, the cost of regular gas in the U.S. is $4.17, according to AAA, up from $4.06 on Monday. Last week, the average cost was $3.60. The previous national average high was $4.11, set on July 17, 2008, according to AAA. The cost for diesel is also nearing the record of $4.84, which was also set in July 2008. The current price for a gallon of diesel is $4.75, over double what it was in October 2020. One of the main components of the rising costs is the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces.” Read more at USA Today
“Florida health officials declared the state will soon issue guidance urging parents not to vaccinate their children. The move would make Florida the first state to break from CDC guidance on Covid-19 vaccines for kids, which are recommended for those ages 5 and up.” Read more at CNN
“Netflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government cracks down on what people and media outlets can say about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Pulling the plug on online entertainment — and information — is likely to further isolate the country and its people after a growing number of multinational businesses have cut off Russia from vital financial services, technology and a variety of consumer products in response to Western economic sanctions and global outrage over the invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. credit card companies Visa, Mastercard and American Express all said over the weekend they would cut service in Russia. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, a leading supplier of both smartphones and computer chips, said it would halt product shipments to the country, joining other big tech companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Intel and Dell.” Read more at AP News
“A major security scare sent Joint Base Andrews into lockdown late Sunday. Just as Vice President Kamala Harris and four Cabinet members were touching down at the Maryland military base, two suspects, at least one of whom was armed, got through a security checkpoint. In a statement, the base said the pair ‘failed to adhere to commands of security personnel’ at the main gate, and both fled when their vehicle was stopped by barriers. Only one of them had been caught and that individual was found to be armed, but no shots were fired, according to the statement. Later Monday, the Air Force Times reported that the apprehended suspect is 17 years old, and the second suspect is still at large but a search determined they were not on the base. The New York Times reports that Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, left the base on Marine Two after the incident.” [Daily Beast] Read it at The New York Times
“The Biden administration on Monday proposed curbing pollution pouring out of the tailpipes of new tractor-trailers, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles that forms smog, along with emissions warming the planet.
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new rule to cut the emission of nitrogen oxides — poisonous and reactive gases that can cause asthma attacks — from engines in some of the biggest vehicles on roadways. In the same proposal, the agency will also consider further limiting the amount of carbon dioxide these vehicles spew into the air.
The proposed smog rule marks the first update to heavy-duty tailpipe standards in two decades and come as Biden is seeking ways to advance his environmental agenda outside Congress. They would apply to not only huge 18-wheelers hauling freight on highways, but also many school buses, delivery vans and moving trucks.” Read more at Washington Post
“More than 130,000 homes and businesses in the Northeast were without power this morning after a series of strong storms brought heavy rain and damaging winds to the region. Approximately 65 million people from the mountains of North Carolina to Cape Cod -- including Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York -- were under wind advisories overnight as forecasters warned gusts of up to 50 mph were possible, raising the potential for tree damage and dangerous road conditions. Hail was also falling in some areas, though the severe conditions that spawned deadly tornadoes over the weekend have faded. On Saturday, seven people were killed in a series of tornadoes that ripped through multiple counties near Des Moines, Iowa.” Read more at CNN
“Florida’s state Senate is set to consider the ‘Don't Say Gay’ bill this week amid a wave of student protests and walkouts. The bill would effectively ban teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms for young students. LGBTQ advocates say the measure would lead to further stigmatization of gay, lesbian and transgender children. More than 500 students participated in a massive walkout yesterday at a high school in Orange County, Florida, following similar protests at other schools last week. Separately, Disney’s CEO said the company, which employs over 75,000 in Florida, is committed to inclusivity – but would not publicly condemn the controversial bill. The bill passed the Florida House of Representatives in February and now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, which could set the stage for a final vote as soon as today.” Read more at CNN
“One teenager is dead and two remain hospitalized after a shooting yesterday outside a high school in Des Moines, Iowa. Two of the three victims were students at the school. The gunfire appeared to have come from a passing vehicle, police said. Potential suspects have been detained, but no charges have been filed as police continue their investigation. The incident is at least the 13th shooting at an American campus with K-12 students in 2022, according to a CNN tally. The school is closed today and grief counselors will be available for students and staff for the remainder of the week.” Read more at CNN
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
“The Chinese government is scrubbing the country's internet of sympathetic or accurate coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and systematically amplifying pro-Putin talking points, Axios China author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian writes.
Why it matters: China's use of its propaganda and censorship muscle helps insulate Beijing from domestic backlash against its support for Putin — and leaves its citizens with an airbrushed, false version of events, similar to what's seen in Putin's state-controlled Russia.
What's happening: Chinese media outlets were told to avoid posting ‘anything unfavorable to Russia or pro-Western’ on their social media accounts, and to only use hashtags started by Chinese state media outlets, according to a leaked censorship directive.
Online comments expressing sympathy for Ukraine have been deleted — even the anti-war speech given by the Paralympic Committee president during the opening ceremony was censored on Chinese TV.
Pro-Putin social media posts on Chinese social media were allowed to proliferate, as were posts blaming the U.S. and NATO for the conflict.
Chinese state media have widely aggregated content from Russian outlets.” Read more at Axios
Ukrainian refugees arrive in Poland on March 1. Photo: Maciej Luczniewski/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“A number of Black people living in Ukraine, many of them exchange students, report being blocked as they tried to board trains to escape the war, Axios' Fadel Allassan reports.
Why it matters: The racist incidents — some documented on video, as the hashtag #AfricansInUkraine flooded Twitter — added individual agony to the desperate nationwide exodus.
Zoom in: Among the more than 2 million people who have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion is Alexander Somto Orah, a 25-year-old Nigerian student who told Axios he witnessed three separate incidents of racial discrimination against evacuees by Ukrainian authorities during the long journey from Kyiv to Warsaw.
At a Kyiv train station, police officers said they'd prioritize entry to women and children, Orah said. But they denied access to a group of African women — some of whom were pregnant — even as African men pleaded with authorities to let them pass.
At a station in Lviv, officers said only Ukrainian nationals could pass, ‘but I saw them take only white people,’ Orah said. The authorities didn't respond when he and others confronted them to ask how they knew who was Ukrainian without checking passports, he recalled.
At the Ukraine-Poland border, white and nonwhite people were separated by a barricade, Orah said.” Read more at Axios
“For International Women's Day, The Economist is out with a glass-ceiling index showing four Nordic countries as the best places for working women — based on metrics that include gender pay gap, parental leave and the cost of childcare.
The U.S. is 20th.” Read more at Axios
“Pakistan’s women’s march. As Pakistani women’s rights activists and organizers prepare to march for International Women’s Day, many have faced growing threats and pushback—a reflection of the country’s tense political climate. Pakistan is currently ranked 153 out of 156 countries on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report.
Within the government, Pakistan’s minister of religious affairs has urged the government to rebrand March 8 from ‘International Women’s Day’ to ‘Hijab Day,’ FP’s Lynne O’Donnell reports from Islamabad. As the state works to consolidate power, she writes, it is exploiting religious conservatives to ensure that ideas like gender equality do not threaten its authoritarian control.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Menacing behavior | A threat assessment by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence paints a grim picture of global challenges, including China’s development of one of the greatest nuclear weapons forces in history and Russia’s efforts to undermine the West. The declassified 31-page document also cites Iran’s bid to erode American influence in the Middle East and North Korean expansion of its nuclear arsenal and ballistic missile development.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Belt tightening | Households in the U.K. are facing the biggest decline in living standards for half a century as the war in Ukraine deepens the cost-of-living crisis, the Resolution Foundation research group said. Soaring oil and gas prices triggered by the invasion could cause typical incomes to drop by 4% in real terms in the coming financial year.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Holding power | Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party looks set to retainpower in India’s most politically crucial state, exit polls predicted, indicating he remains popular despite rising inflation, joblessness and a devastating wave of Covid-19 infections. At least eight exit polls showed his Bharatiya Janata Party would win a majority in the 403-seat assembly in the northern Uttar Pradesh state after the final round of voting ended yesterday.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Ukraine fallout | The European Union says it may unveil a plan as soon as this week to jointly issue bonds on a potentially massive scale to finance energy and defense spending in the 27 member states to cope with the repercussions of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The EU’s executive arm is mapping out a way to end the bloc’s reliance on Russian gas that could see import needs cut by almost 80% this year, sources say.
Russia threatened to cut natural gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, saying it has the right to take actions that ‘mirror’ sanctions imposed over the invasion.” Read more at Bloomberg
Russia has vaulted past Iran and North Korea to become the world’s most-sanctioned nation after its invasion of Ukraine. In a surge of actions led by the U.S. and European allies, Russia became the target of 2,778 new sanctions designations, bringing them to more than 5,530, according to Castellum.ai, a global sanctions-tracking database.
“Russia's invasion of Ukraine is threatening the global food supply.
The big picture: The two countries combine for nearly 1/3 of global wheat and barley exports, AP reports. Ukraine is a major exporter of corn.
🌾 Lebanon, Egypt and Syria are among the countries most dependent on affordable wheat. ‘Any [price] hikes will be catastrophic not only for me, but for the majority of the people,’ Ahmed Salah, an Egyptian father of seven, told AP.
Supplies were already tight because of droughts hitting the wheat belts of North America, NPR notes.
🐖 European livestock farmers are heavily reliant on Ukraine for corn and other grain additives for animal feed.
Between the lines: This also threatens efforts to help famine-stricken countries like Afghanistan, Yemen and Ethiopia, the Financial Times reports (paywall).
The bottom line: Ukraine and Russia ‘account for about 12% of the calories the world trades,’ NPR reports.” Read more at NPR
Photo: Steve Parsons/Pool via AP
“Queen Elizabeth II is back after recovering from COVID: Her first in-person engagement was with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.” [Axios] — NBC News
“The Pentagon will permanently shut down the Navy’s massive fuel tank facility in Hawaii that leaked petroleum into Pearl Harbor’s tap water, and will remove all the fuel, AP reports.” [Axios]
“WASHINGTON (AP) — As the prospect of a red wave grows, a series of Republican missteps including recruiting stumbles, weak fundraising and intense infighting is threatening the GOP’s path to the Senate majority.
Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey dealt his party its latest setback late last week by announcing he would not challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly this fall. His decision, which leaves no obvious front-runner in a crowded Republican primary, disappointed Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and his allies who had spent months privately encouraging Ducey to run.
But the GOP’s shortcomings extend well beyond Arizona.
Republican candidates in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada are struggling to keep pace with Democratic fundraising. Recruiting failures have dashed GOP hopes in reach states like Maryland and threaten a prime pickup opportunity in New Hampshire. And a recent plan that would raise taxes on low-income Americans and seniors, released by the Republican Senate midterm chief, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is putting GOP candidates in a difficult position across states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida.
The challenges amount to an early warning sign for Republicans less than two months before the opening Senate primaries of the 2022 election season. With Democrats confronting historic headwinds and the weight of an unpopular president, a Republican Senate majority is easily within reach. But, sensing discord within the GOP, Democrats are suddenly optimistic they may have a path to hold — or even expand — their majority.
Rep. Val Demings, the leading Democrat in the race to unseat Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, acknowledged that her party has struggled to highlight its accomplishments — including sweeping coronavirus pandemic relief and a massive infrastructure package — in the face of President Joe Biden’s political woes. But she seized on Scott’s plan as a clear contrast for how Democrats and Republicans would govern differently.
‘This plan is toxic. It would hurt working families. It would hurt seniors. And Rubio’s going to own it,’ Demings said in an interview.
Rubio’s campaign declined to say specifically whether he supported Scott’s plan when asked, issuing a statement instead that called Demings “a do-nothing member of Congress who has never even passed a real law, much less a tax cut.”
With eight months until Election Day, the political landscape remains in flux. The health of the economy, a Supreme Court decision on abortion and the war in Eastern Europe remain major variables. But history suggests Democrats would be lucky to preserve their fragile Senate majority in November.
In a 50-50 Senate, Democrats would lose control of Congress’ upper chamber if they lose a seat. And without the majority, they lose any hope of enacting Biden’s plans to bolster child care, education, family leave and environmental protection while protecting voting rights.
The GOP’s best pickup opportunities rest in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, according to Steven Law, a McConnell ally who leads the most powerful Republican-aligned Senate super PAC. He said he’s increasingly optimistic about the state viewed as the Democrats’ best pickup opportunity, Pennsylvania, and sees competitive races in Republican-held states like North Carolina, Florida and Missouri trending in the right direction.
Given historic trends against the party that occupies the White House, Law predicted that a state like Colorado or Washington state could become more competitive than expected this fall as well.
‘The fundamentals of this election cycle are still very, very good,’ Law said. ‘I don’t think recent challenges or setbacks or issues are going to define it at all. There are going to be bumps in the road. But at the end of the day, this election is going to be about the historic unpopularity of Joe Biden and his agenda, which virtually all Democrats have blindly supported.’” Read more at AP News
“Jury selection began today in the case of the former USC water polo coach allegedly involved in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. Jovan Vavic is charged with taking bribes in exchange for flagging applicants as recruited athletes. He has denied the allegations and is the only coach to take his case to trial. Fifty-seven people—including Hollywood actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman—were charged with crimes, such as fraud and racketeering conspiracy.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
“The NFL suspended Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the entire 2022 season Monday, a shocking (and stupid) story on multiple levels. Before we get to #narratives, let’s break down the facts:
Ridley placed three bets in November, while he was away from the team: a three-team, a five-team, and an eight-team parlay. He placed the bets via a mobile app in Florida, where online sports gambling was legal at the time.
The bets were stupid, yes, both as an employee and because they are essentially scratch-off tickets.He bet on the Falcons to win in each wager. The bets totaled $1,500, according to the man himself.
The league determined he used no insider information for these bets, and no one with the team was aware of the bets.
Still a major no-no! The bets were stupid, yes. It is against league rules to bet on NFL games as an NFL player, and routinely stated. It’s also common sense. He even did it on his own phone. The investigation wasn’t too complex.
But for the NFL, Ridley will be an example for everyone else. As states across the country legalize sports betting, fans have been flooded with ads and sponsorships from casinos and sportsbooks. The last thing the league needs is one of its own players possibly sullying the integrity of game results that millions bet on every week.” Read more at The Athletic
“Quick (depressing) baseball update: In a meeting Monday, Major League Baseball told its players that the sides would have to agree to a deal by today in order to save a full 162-game season, something that already seemed off the table when commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two series of the season last week.
Deadlines are simply another negotiating tactic in these talks, which grow more antagonistic by the day. Neither side seems confident in a deal getting done soon.” Read more at The Athletic
His suspension, while harsh, shouldn’t be surprising. There will be plenty of deserved whataboutism attributed to the length of the suspension compared to what we've seen for far more problematic off-field behavior, including multiple cases of violence.
The sad difference: Those are off-field incidents, while Ridley’s infraction (and penalty) is all about not jeopardizing the on-field product.
“Lives Lived: During World War II, Monique Hanotte helped smuggle Allied airmen who crashed in German-occupied Belgium to safety in France. She died at 101.” Read more at New York Times