Post by mhbruin on Feb 27, 2022 9:43:22 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 552 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
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California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday Feb 22)
January had NO rain or snow. February looks the same.
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
Cheney Nominates Greene and Gosar. -- Or Did They Nominate Themselves?
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming called out two members of her conference who spoke at an event organized by White nationalist Nick Fuentes.
"As Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep Paul Gosar speak at this white supremacist, anti-Semitic, pro-Putin event, silence by Republican Party leaders is deafening and enabling," Cheney tweeted Saturday.
"All Americans should renounce this garbage and reject the Putin wing of the GOP now," she added.
Even Mitt Can't Stomach Them
Mitt Romney appeared on CNN’s State of the Union. Dana Bash asked him about Republicans who are palling around with white nationalists. He was not kind with his response.
“There's no place in either political party for this white nationalism or racism,” Mitt Romney said. “It's simply wrong. It's as you've indicated, speaking of evil, it's evil as well. And, you know, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, I don't know them, but I'm reminded of that old line from the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid movie where one character says, morons, I've got morons on my team. And I have to think anybody that would sit down with white nationalists and speak at their conference was certainly missing a few IQ points.”
Now We Know TucKKKer Likes Two Colors: White and Red
They Are Using Clips of TucKKKer on Russian TV
They Are Backing Down to the Tune of ONE BOOK
Students sued when a school district restricted several books. The school board reinstated one novel
A Missouri school board reversed an earlier decision to remove a Toni Morrison book from school shelves just days after two students filed a lawsuit.
The Wentzville school board voted on Friday to reinstate "The Bluest Eye," with only one vote against the decision. The book tells the story of an impoverished and abused Black girl who is fixated on White standards of beauty and longs for blue eyes. Board members had voted 4-3 in January to remove it from school library shelves and restrict digital access.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU), who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the students, argued the board has restricted several books that engage students with a "diversity of ideas and minority viewpoints, including with respect to race, gender, and sexual identity," adding board members ban books because of "ideological disagreement."
Daniel Brice, the school board's vice president, said Friday that parents will still be able to prohibit their children from accessing "The Bluest Eye" if they wish. "I think we've brought enough attention to this book that the parents are aware that this book is going to be in the library," said Brice, who had originally voted to remove the novel.
Here's the NBC News Headline that Mis-Represents What Happen:
Missouri district rescinds decision to ban Toni Morrison book
An Isolated Madman With Nukes. No, It's Not Previous Guy.
Like many aging autocrats, Putin has, over time, remained himself, only more so: more resentful, more isolated, more repressive, more ruthless. He operates in an airless political environment, free of contrary counsel. His stagecraft—seating foreign visitors at the opposite end of a twenty-foot-long table, humiliating security chiefs in front of television cameras—is a blend of “Triumph of the Will” and “The Great Dictator.” But there is nothing comic in the performance of his office. As Putin spills blood across Ukraine and threatens to destabilize Europe, Russians themselves stand to lose immeasurably. The ruble and the Russian stock market have cratered. But Putin does not care. His eyes are fixed on matters far grander than the well-being of his people. He is in full command of the largest army in Europe, and, as he has reminded the world, of an immense arsenal of nuclear weapons. In his mind, this is his moment, his triumphal historical drama, and damn the cost.
.............
President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered his military’s nuclear deterrent forces to be on alert as international tensions over Russia’s four-day-old invasion of Ukraine spiraled.
Putin said in a meeting of top officials shown on state TV on Sunday that the move, which means the country’s nuclear weapons are prepared for increased readiness to launch, was in response to NATO powers making what he called “aggressive statements.”
It Would Be Interesting to Ask a White Nominee.
Having recently gone through three confirmation hearings, most recently for the D.C. Circuit (in which she picked up three Republican votes), Jackson is already versed in the art of handling obnoxious questions. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) last year asked her a question no White nominee would ever be asked: “What role does race play, Judge Jackson, in the kind of judge that you have been and the kind of judge that you will be?” She responded, of course, that it would play no role.
Another Victim of the Invasion of Ukraine Wants Your Sympathy
Last Christmas, Alexei Navalny’s investigative team, FBK, videotaped the state TV host’s luxury abodes and left him special gifts—Ukrainian chocolates, since Vladimir Soloviev is also well-known for his years of anti-Ukrainian propaganda. The Kremlin’s talking head was enraged and complained about what he considered an outrageous privacy violation, but the worst was yet to come.
Soloviev learned this week that the latest sanctions imposed against the Kremlin’s regime and its accomplices would impact him personally. His access to properties in Europe is now being impacted, and perhaps his ownership as well.
During Friday’s edition of The Evening With Vladimir Soloviev, the host raged: “I was told that Europe is a citadel of rights, that everything is permitted, that’s what they said... I know from personal experience about the so-called ‘sacred property rights.’ With every transaction I was bringing paperwork demonstrating my official salary, income, I did it all. I bought it, paid crazy amount of taxes, I did everything. And suddenly someone makes a decision that this journalist is now on the list of sanctions. And right away it affects your real estate. Wait a minute. But you told us that Europe has sacred property rights!”
Follow the Money
As early as 2012, more than 40 percent of all money spent in US federal elections came from the wealthiest of the wealthiest—not the top one percent or even the top tenth of the one percent, but from the top one percent of the one percent.
Peter Thiel, a staunch Trump supporter whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $2.6 billion, has become one of the Republican’s Party’s largest donors. The oligarchs don’t just support Republicans, though. Last year, at least 13 billionaires who had previously donated to Trump lavished campaign donations on Democratic senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission records.
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Ukraine Stories
It's a Big Deal That the US Did This. It's an Even Bigger Deal that Our Allies Came Along
The United States and its allies announced an agreement on Saturday to take aim at Russia through SWIFT, a service that facilitates global transactions among thousands of financial institutions.
"We commit to ensuring that selected Russian banks are removed from the SWIFT messaging system. This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally," the leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States said in a joint statement.
When Bankers Tell You to Remain Calm, It is Time to Panic
Russia's central bank has issued an appeal for calm amid fears that new financial sanctions could spark a run on its banks.
It said it "has the necessary resources and tools to maintain financial stability and ensure the operational continuity of the financial sector".
The EU, the US, the UK and Canada have announced that the assets of Russia's central bank will be frozen.
Some Russian banks will also be excluded from the Swift payment system.
A run on Russian banks would see too many people trying to withdraw money. On Friday, Russia's central bank was forced to increase the amount of money it supplies to ATMs after demand for cash reached the highest level since March 2020.
Russia's central bank has reserves of around $630bn (£470bn).
Four Reasons to Love Ukrainians
Welcome to the Party, Germany
In a significant shift, the German government said Saturday it will send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine and supports some restrictions of the SWIFT global banking system for Russia.
Germany’s chancellery announced it will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine “as quickly as possible.”
Fly the Friendly Skies ... But Not You
Twenty European countries have closed — or have said they will close — their airspace to Russian flights and flight operators, amid a coordinated pushback against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
About half of the countries announced the move on Sunday, ahead of an extraordinary meeting of European foreign ministers to discuss further measures to support Ukraine and punish Moscow. Other countries, including Estonia and Romania, had previously announced their intention to ban Russian flights.
“Our European skies are open skies,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Twitter. “They’re open for those who connect people, not for those who seek to brutally aggress.”
Remember When Previous Guy Was Impeached for Trying Hold Back Military Aid to Ukraine?
President Biden authorized a $350 million defense aid package for Ukraine, the White House announced late Friday, as Washington rushes to send more assistance to the pro-Western government.
The package includes anti-armor missiles, including antitank Javelin missiles; small arms; body armor; and various other munitions “in support of Ukraine’s front-line defenders who are facing down Russia’s brutal attack,” a senior defense official told reporters Saturday. The Biden administration intends to provide support as long as there is a viable Ukrainian government fighting off Russian forces, The Washington Post previously reported.
In Case You Missed It
I Guess It's Better If They Are Talking, But I Don't See Much Hope Here
"The politicians have agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River," a statement from Zelensky's office said, per the Telegram app.
"Oleksandr Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters, and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks, and return," the message said.
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Why Does England Call Say "Maths" Instead of "Math", But "Sport" Instead of "Sports"? Here is the News From Sport or Sports.
The Czech Republic have joined Sweden and Poland in saying they will boycott any game against Russia in football's World Cup play-offs as sport continues to react to the invasion of Ukraine.
The International Judo Federation has suspended Russian president Vladimir Putin as its honorary president.
Boxing's world governing bodies the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO say they will not sanction any title fights in Russia.
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina will donate prize money to aid efforts.
The world number 15 says the money will used to "support the army and humanitarian needs and help them to defend you, our country".
At the Fencing World Cup in Cairo, Ukraine's men's foil team refused to fence against Russia on Sunday.
"This is our protest against the war. We cannot fence against them while our families are in danger, and everybody is in danger," said the team.
Meanwhile, Premier League football club Chelsea said the situation in Ukraine was "horrific and devastating".
The statement came after Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, the Russia billionaire who is believed to be close to Putin, was criticised for not mentioning the war when he announced he was handing over "stewardship and care" of the club.
The Czech FA's move puts further pressure on world governing body Fifa to make a decision about the 2022 World Cup play-offs.
"The Czech FA executive committee, staff members and players of the national team agreed it's not possible to play against the Russian national team in the current situation, not even on the neutral venue," a statement read.
"We all want the war to end as soon as possible."
The matches - which would see Russia face Poland then either the Czech Republic or Sweden if they win - are due to be played next month.
On Thursday, Fifa said it would monitor the situation. On Saturday, Poland announced they will boycott their play-off against Russia on 24 March, with captain Robert Lewandowski saying "we can't pretend that nothing is happening".
French Football Federation president Noel le Graet suggested Russia should be banned from the World Cup, telling French media outlet Le Parisien he would "lean towards" the move.
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Why Is This Idiot Trying to Spend It All?
For Juan Hernandez, it wasn't just beginner's luck...
The man from Uniondale, New York, recently won a $10 million lottery prize, three years after winning another prize for the same amount.
In fact, Hernandez told New York Lottery officials on Tuesday that he's "still trying to spend the $10 million" he won in 2019.
The first time Hernandez won, he was playing a $350,000,000 Cash Spectacular scratch-off ticket. This time, he won on a Deluxe scratch-off.
He opted to collect his latest prize in a single lump sum payment of $6,510,000.
The odds of winning the top prize on Deluxe is 1 in 3,521,600, according to the New York Lottery. Of course, the odds of winning the lottery twice is exponentially higher.
If You Were to Waste $10 on this Lottery Every Week, You Will Win On Average Once Every 6,800 Years
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The Revolution Will Not be Televised. It Will Be Streamed.
The notion of war as a spectator event did not begin with television or even film. Regimented battles, with dates of engagement known in advance, lured spectators to witness the fighting. That was the case with the Civil War’s first land battle at Bull Run. Civilians, including several members of Congress, packed lunches – and flasks – to witness the first fight of what was expected to be a short war. But instead, they saw a deadly, chaotic clash that eventually sent the spectators fleeing.
New technologies made it possible to watch the fighting from a safer distance. Millions of Americans flocked to theaters to watch newsreels during both world wars. These were social events, watching war as an act of community and, once the US entered the wars, solidarity and support. But the newsreels were also often propaganda efforts, first produced during World War I by the new Committee on Public Information’s film division. Its films used carefully edited footage of the war to increase public support. Its successor during World War II, the Office of War Information, did the same, enlisting the thriving Hollywood film studios to make their propaganda more subtle and sophisticated.
The shift to televised war changed that dynamic. As the war in Vietnam escalated in the 1960s, the scenes played out in people’s homes. This was not the wall-to-wall coverage of modern cable news – scenes from the war were often packaged as part of each night’s news – but the visuals of the fighting became part of the private rhythms of home life, something to be consumed between dinner and episodes of “Gilligan’s Island.”
Cable news made round-the-clock coverage of and information about war possible, and it turned out, US audiences craved exactly that. Though I didn’t realize it when I was tuning into the war after school, millions of other Americans were doing the same, making CNN a household name and revolutionizing 24-hour news.
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Who Won the Week?
Everyone around the world who is responding to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with anger and disgust for Putin, solidarity and support for the Ukrainians
Civil rights in America, as six men (3 of them ex-cops), are convicted of federal hate crimes in connection with the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian law enforcement, for efficiently scattering the nutty truckers, cleaning up the mess they left, and standing down from code red
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be nominated to serve on the Supreme Court
Karma, as SCOTUS slams door on 45's bid for document secrecy, and his new social media platform goes ker-flooey on day 1
The U.S. women’s national soccer team, for its $24 million settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation over unequal pay---a landmark case against gender discrimination
President Biden, for getting rave reviews over the way he's strengthening our alliances, dealing with Putin, supporting Ukraine, and being forthright about what's going on and why
The Dept. of the Interior, for proposing alternatives for 660 federal sites that include “squaw," a slur against Native women, in their name
The North Carolina Supreme Court, for upholding voting maps that give Democrats a much fairer shot at winning more districts (from 11-3 GOP advantage to 7-6)
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The Test Panic Was Kind of Like the Toilet Paper Panic
Nearly half of the 500 million free COVID-19 tests the Biden administration recently made available to the public still have not been claimed as virus cases plummet and people feel less urgency to test.
Wild demand swings have been a subplot in the pandemic, from vaccines to hand sanitizer, along with tests. On the first day of the White House test giveaway in January, COVIDtests.gov received over 45 million orders. Now officials say fewer than 100,000 orders a day are coming in for the packages of four free rapid tests per household, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
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Another War Is About to Begin
Democrats are gearing up to spend record sums on lawyers, advertising and other protect-the-vote efforts before the 2022 midterm elections, hoping to stave off Republican efforts they believe will choke off access to the ballot box.
Worried that a spate of more restrictive voting laws adopted by Republican-controlled states will keep Democrats from registering their votes, donors big and small are filling their party's coffers.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) took in $157 million last year, the most for a year without a presidential election, and added $10 million more in January. More than half of Democrats' national funding is coming from people donating less than $200, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks political spending.
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CDC doesn't do a good job of reporting around holidays.
Doses Administered 7-Day Average | Number of People Receiving 1 or More Doses | Number of People 2 or More Doses | New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Feb 27 | |||||
| Feb 26 | 369,644 | 253,395,029 | 215,457,016 | ||
| Feb 25 | 372,242 | 253,232,298 | 215,318,037 | ||
| Feb 24 | 417,363 | 253,307,984 | 215,253,201 | 72,111 | 1,720 |
| Feb 23 | 425,810 | 253,179,401 | 215,129,430 | 75,208 | 1,674 |
| Feb 22 | 425,178 | 253,055,679 | 215,006,201 | 79,539 | 1,602 |
| Feb 21 | No Data | 78,306 | 1,872 | ||
| Feb 20 | No Data | 98,012 | 1,872 | ||
| Feb 19 | 473,537 | 252,791,817 | 214,745,073 | 100,129 | 1,890 |
| Feb 18 | 491,120 | 252,650,507 | 214,602,856 | 103,462 | 1,920 |
| Feb 17 | 493,892 | 252,539,755 | 214,474,721 | 112,653 | 1,998 |
| Feb 16 | 516,988 | 252,400,057 | 214,218,580 | 121,664 | 2,020 |
| Feb 15 | 544,184 | 252,277,758 | 214,104,148 | 134,468 | 2,100 |
| Feb 14 | 546,667 | 252,144,326 | 213,962,983 | 146,921 | 2,208 |
| Feb 13 | 555,669 | 252,054,215 | 213,869,678 | 161,197 | 2,196 |
| Feb 12 | 486,374 | 251,926,344 | 213,734,419 | 168,881 | 2,197 |
| Feb 11 | 568,820 | 251,755,851 | 213,563,173 | 175,395 | 2,241 |
| Feb 10 | 580,896 | 251,655,172 | 213,430,434 | 190,401 | 2,305 |
| Feb 9 | 591,786 | 251,467,303 | 213,246,140 | 215,418 | 2,313 |
| Feb 8 | 602,606 | 251,312,470 | 213,061,117 | 230,602 | 2,303 |
| Feb 7 | 611,742 | 251,176,199 | 212,920,278 | 247,319 | 2,404 |
| Feb 6 | 627,161 | 251,070,439 | 212,806,521 | 291,471 | 2,294 |
| Feb 5 | 655,591 | 250,915,858 | 212,657,682 | 298,890 | 2,331 |
| Feb 4 | 680,135 | 250,731,754 | 212,481,465 | 313,117 | 2,404 |
| Feb 3 | 719,986 | 250,593,665 | 212,336,183 | 343,563 | 2,371 |
| Feb 2 | 494,092 | 250,378,993 | 212,130,684 | 378,015 | 2,403 |
| Feb 1 | 510,477 | 250,184,240 | 211,954,555 | 415,552 | 2,369 |
| Jan 31 | 575,732 | 250,029,773 | 211,818,885 | 446,355 | 2,287 |
| Jan 30 | 603,030 | 249,892,470 | 211,695,131 | 497,296 | 2,234 |
| Jan 29 | 595,871 | 249,695,301 | 211,533,229 | 522,626 | 2,261 |
| Jan 28 | 626,946 | 249,473,925 | 211,343,818 | 543,016 | 2,265 |
| Jan 27 | 643,725 | 249,267,851 (I don't know why) | 211,162,083 | 577,748 | 2,300 |
| Jan 26 | 962,958 | 251,518,114 | 210,850,212 | 596,859 | 2,288 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 1,716,311 | 39,670,551 | 15,015,434 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 76.3% | 64.9% | 43.6% |
| % of Population 5+ | 81.1% | 68.9% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 86.0% | 73.4% | 45.1% |
| % of Population 18+ | 87.8% | 74.9% | 46.9% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 88.7% | 66.1% |
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday Feb 22)
January had NO rain or snow. February looks the same.
| Percent of Average for this Date | Last Week | 2 Weeks ago | 3 Weeks ago | 7 Weeks ago | |
| Northern Sierra Precipitation | 93% (60%) | 99% (59%) | 105% (59% of average for full season) | 113% | 170% |
| San Joaquin Precipitation | 80% (51%) | 86% (51%) | 92% (51%) | 99% | 170% |
| Tulare Basin Precipitation | 75% (47%) | 79% (46%) | 84% (46%) | 91% | 151% |
| Snow Water Content - North | 61% (52%) | 68% (53%) | 80% (58%) | 89% | 134% |
| Snow Water Content - Central | 71% (59%) | 75% (57%) | 80% (57%) | 89% | 148% |
| Snow Water Content - South | 67% (54%) | 74% (54%) | 81% (57%) | 92% | 158% |
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
Cheney Nominates Greene and Gosar. -- Or Did They Nominate Themselves?
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming called out two members of her conference who spoke at an event organized by White nationalist Nick Fuentes.
"As Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep Paul Gosar speak at this white supremacist, anti-Semitic, pro-Putin event, silence by Republican Party leaders is deafening and enabling," Cheney tweeted Saturday.
"All Americans should renounce this garbage and reject the Putin wing of the GOP now," she added.
Even Mitt Can't Stomach Them
Mitt Romney appeared on CNN’s State of the Union. Dana Bash asked him about Republicans who are palling around with white nationalists. He was not kind with his response.
“There's no place in either political party for this white nationalism or racism,” Mitt Romney said. “It's simply wrong. It's as you've indicated, speaking of evil, it's evil as well. And, you know, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, I don't know them, but I'm reminded of that old line from the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid movie where one character says, morons, I've got morons on my team. And I have to think anybody that would sit down with white nationalists and speak at their conference was certainly missing a few IQ points.”
Now We Know TucKKKer Likes Two Colors: White and Red
They Are Using Clips of TucKKKer on Russian TV
They Are Backing Down to the Tune of ONE BOOK
Students sued when a school district restricted several books. The school board reinstated one novel
A Missouri school board reversed an earlier decision to remove a Toni Morrison book from school shelves just days after two students filed a lawsuit.
The Wentzville school board voted on Friday to reinstate "The Bluest Eye," with only one vote against the decision. The book tells the story of an impoverished and abused Black girl who is fixated on White standards of beauty and longs for blue eyes. Board members had voted 4-3 in January to remove it from school library shelves and restrict digital access.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU), who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the students, argued the board has restricted several books that engage students with a "diversity of ideas and minority viewpoints, including with respect to race, gender, and sexual identity," adding board members ban books because of "ideological disagreement."
Daniel Brice, the school board's vice president, said Friday that parents will still be able to prohibit their children from accessing "The Bluest Eye" if they wish. "I think we've brought enough attention to this book that the parents are aware that this book is going to be in the library," said Brice, who had originally voted to remove the novel.
Here's the NBC News Headline that Mis-Represents What Happen:
Missouri district rescinds decision to ban Toni Morrison book
An Isolated Madman With Nukes. No, It's Not Previous Guy.
Like many aging autocrats, Putin has, over time, remained himself, only more so: more resentful, more isolated, more repressive, more ruthless. He operates in an airless political environment, free of contrary counsel. His stagecraft—seating foreign visitors at the opposite end of a twenty-foot-long table, humiliating security chiefs in front of television cameras—is a blend of “Triumph of the Will” and “The Great Dictator.” But there is nothing comic in the performance of his office. As Putin spills blood across Ukraine and threatens to destabilize Europe, Russians themselves stand to lose immeasurably. The ruble and the Russian stock market have cratered. But Putin does not care. His eyes are fixed on matters far grander than the well-being of his people. He is in full command of the largest army in Europe, and, as he has reminded the world, of an immense arsenal of nuclear weapons. In his mind, this is his moment, his triumphal historical drama, and damn the cost.
.............
President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered his military’s nuclear deterrent forces to be on alert as international tensions over Russia’s four-day-old invasion of Ukraine spiraled.
Putin said in a meeting of top officials shown on state TV on Sunday that the move, which means the country’s nuclear weapons are prepared for increased readiness to launch, was in response to NATO powers making what he called “aggressive statements.”
It Would Be Interesting to Ask a White Nominee.
Having recently gone through three confirmation hearings, most recently for the D.C. Circuit (in which she picked up three Republican votes), Jackson is already versed in the art of handling obnoxious questions. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) last year asked her a question no White nominee would ever be asked: “What role does race play, Judge Jackson, in the kind of judge that you have been and the kind of judge that you will be?” She responded, of course, that it would play no role.
Another Victim of the Invasion of Ukraine Wants Your Sympathy
Last Christmas, Alexei Navalny’s investigative team, FBK, videotaped the state TV host’s luxury abodes and left him special gifts—Ukrainian chocolates, since Vladimir Soloviev is also well-known for his years of anti-Ukrainian propaganda. The Kremlin’s talking head was enraged and complained about what he considered an outrageous privacy violation, but the worst was yet to come.
Soloviev learned this week that the latest sanctions imposed against the Kremlin’s regime and its accomplices would impact him personally. His access to properties in Europe is now being impacted, and perhaps his ownership as well.
During Friday’s edition of The Evening With Vladimir Soloviev, the host raged: “I was told that Europe is a citadel of rights, that everything is permitted, that’s what they said... I know from personal experience about the so-called ‘sacred property rights.’ With every transaction I was bringing paperwork demonstrating my official salary, income, I did it all. I bought it, paid crazy amount of taxes, I did everything. And suddenly someone makes a decision that this journalist is now on the list of sanctions. And right away it affects your real estate. Wait a minute. But you told us that Europe has sacred property rights!”
Follow the Money
As early as 2012, more than 40 percent of all money spent in US federal elections came from the wealthiest of the wealthiest—not the top one percent or even the top tenth of the one percent, but from the top one percent of the one percent.
Peter Thiel, a staunch Trump supporter whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $2.6 billion, has become one of the Republican’s Party’s largest donors. The oligarchs don’t just support Republicans, though. Last year, at least 13 billionaires who had previously donated to Trump lavished campaign donations on Democratic senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission records.
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Ukraine Stories
It's a Big Deal That the US Did This. It's an Even Bigger Deal that Our Allies Came Along
The United States and its allies announced an agreement on Saturday to take aim at Russia through SWIFT, a service that facilitates global transactions among thousands of financial institutions.
"We commit to ensuring that selected Russian banks are removed from the SWIFT messaging system. This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally," the leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States said in a joint statement.
When Bankers Tell You to Remain Calm, It is Time to Panic
Russia's central bank has issued an appeal for calm amid fears that new financial sanctions could spark a run on its banks.
It said it "has the necessary resources and tools to maintain financial stability and ensure the operational continuity of the financial sector".
The EU, the US, the UK and Canada have announced that the assets of Russia's central bank will be frozen.
Some Russian banks will also be excluded from the Swift payment system.
A run on Russian banks would see too many people trying to withdraw money. On Friday, Russia's central bank was forced to increase the amount of money it supplies to ATMs after demand for cash reached the highest level since March 2020.
Russia's central bank has reserves of around $630bn (£470bn).
Four Reasons to Love Ukrainians
Welcome to the Party, Germany
In a significant shift, the German government said Saturday it will send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine and supports some restrictions of the SWIFT global banking system for Russia.
Germany’s chancellery announced it will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine “as quickly as possible.”
Fly the Friendly Skies ... But Not You
Twenty European countries have closed — or have said they will close — their airspace to Russian flights and flight operators, amid a coordinated pushback against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
About half of the countries announced the move on Sunday, ahead of an extraordinary meeting of European foreign ministers to discuss further measures to support Ukraine and punish Moscow. Other countries, including Estonia and Romania, had previously announced their intention to ban Russian flights.
“Our European skies are open skies,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Twitter. “They’re open for those who connect people, not for those who seek to brutally aggress.”
Remember When Previous Guy Was Impeached for Trying Hold Back Military Aid to Ukraine?
President Biden authorized a $350 million defense aid package for Ukraine, the White House announced late Friday, as Washington rushes to send more assistance to the pro-Western government.
The package includes anti-armor missiles, including antitank Javelin missiles; small arms; body armor; and various other munitions “in support of Ukraine’s front-line defenders who are facing down Russia’s brutal attack,” a senior defense official told reporters Saturday. The Biden administration intends to provide support as long as there is a viable Ukrainian government fighting off Russian forces, The Washington Post previously reported.
In Case You Missed It
I Guess It's Better If They Are Talking, But I Don't See Much Hope Here
"The politicians have agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River," a statement from Zelensky's office said, per the Telegram app.
"Oleksandr Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters, and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks, and return," the message said.
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Why Does England Call Say "Maths" Instead of "Math", But "Sport" Instead of "Sports"? Here is the News From Sport or Sports.
The Czech Republic have joined Sweden and Poland in saying they will boycott any game against Russia in football's World Cup play-offs as sport continues to react to the invasion of Ukraine.
The International Judo Federation has suspended Russian president Vladimir Putin as its honorary president.
Boxing's world governing bodies the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO say they will not sanction any title fights in Russia.
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina will donate prize money to aid efforts.
The world number 15 says the money will used to "support the army and humanitarian needs and help them to defend you, our country".
At the Fencing World Cup in Cairo, Ukraine's men's foil team refused to fence against Russia on Sunday.
"This is our protest against the war. We cannot fence against them while our families are in danger, and everybody is in danger," said the team.
Meanwhile, Premier League football club Chelsea said the situation in Ukraine was "horrific and devastating".
The statement came after Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, the Russia billionaire who is believed to be close to Putin, was criticised for not mentioning the war when he announced he was handing over "stewardship and care" of the club.
The Czech FA's move puts further pressure on world governing body Fifa to make a decision about the 2022 World Cup play-offs.
"The Czech FA executive committee, staff members and players of the national team agreed it's not possible to play against the Russian national team in the current situation, not even on the neutral venue," a statement read.
"We all want the war to end as soon as possible."
The matches - which would see Russia face Poland then either the Czech Republic or Sweden if they win - are due to be played next month.
On Thursday, Fifa said it would monitor the situation. On Saturday, Poland announced they will boycott their play-off against Russia on 24 March, with captain Robert Lewandowski saying "we can't pretend that nothing is happening".
French Football Federation president Noel le Graet suggested Russia should be banned from the World Cup, telling French media outlet Le Parisien he would "lean towards" the move.
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Why Is This Idiot Trying to Spend It All?
For Juan Hernandez, it wasn't just beginner's luck...
The man from Uniondale, New York, recently won a $10 million lottery prize, three years after winning another prize for the same amount.
In fact, Hernandez told New York Lottery officials on Tuesday that he's "still trying to spend the $10 million" he won in 2019.
The first time Hernandez won, he was playing a $350,000,000 Cash Spectacular scratch-off ticket. This time, he won on a Deluxe scratch-off.
He opted to collect his latest prize in a single lump sum payment of $6,510,000.
The odds of winning the top prize on Deluxe is 1 in 3,521,600, according to the New York Lottery. Of course, the odds of winning the lottery twice is exponentially higher.
If You Were to Waste $10 on this Lottery Every Week, You Will Win On Average Once Every 6,800 Years
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The Revolution Will Not be Televised. It Will Be Streamed.
The notion of war as a spectator event did not begin with television or even film. Regimented battles, with dates of engagement known in advance, lured spectators to witness the fighting. That was the case with the Civil War’s first land battle at Bull Run. Civilians, including several members of Congress, packed lunches – and flasks – to witness the first fight of what was expected to be a short war. But instead, they saw a deadly, chaotic clash that eventually sent the spectators fleeing.
New technologies made it possible to watch the fighting from a safer distance. Millions of Americans flocked to theaters to watch newsreels during both world wars. These were social events, watching war as an act of community and, once the US entered the wars, solidarity and support. But the newsreels were also often propaganda efforts, first produced during World War I by the new Committee on Public Information’s film division. Its films used carefully edited footage of the war to increase public support. Its successor during World War II, the Office of War Information, did the same, enlisting the thriving Hollywood film studios to make their propaganda more subtle and sophisticated.
The shift to televised war changed that dynamic. As the war in Vietnam escalated in the 1960s, the scenes played out in people’s homes. This was not the wall-to-wall coverage of modern cable news – scenes from the war were often packaged as part of each night’s news – but the visuals of the fighting became part of the private rhythms of home life, something to be consumed between dinner and episodes of “Gilligan’s Island.”
Cable news made round-the-clock coverage of and information about war possible, and it turned out, US audiences craved exactly that. Though I didn’t realize it when I was tuning into the war after school, millions of other Americans were doing the same, making CNN a household name and revolutionizing 24-hour news.
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Who Won the Week?
Everyone around the world who is responding to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with anger and disgust for Putin, solidarity and support for the Ukrainians
Civil rights in America, as six men (3 of them ex-cops), are convicted of federal hate crimes in connection with the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian law enforcement, for efficiently scattering the nutty truckers, cleaning up the mess they left, and standing down from code red
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be nominated to serve on the Supreme Court
Karma, as SCOTUS slams door on 45's bid for document secrecy, and his new social media platform goes ker-flooey on day 1
The U.S. women’s national soccer team, for its $24 million settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation over unequal pay---a landmark case against gender discrimination
President Biden, for getting rave reviews over the way he's strengthening our alliances, dealing with Putin, supporting Ukraine, and being forthright about what's going on and why
The Dept. of the Interior, for proposing alternatives for 660 federal sites that include “squaw," a slur against Native women, in their name
The North Carolina Supreme Court, for upholding voting maps that give Democrats a much fairer shot at winning more districts (from 11-3 GOP advantage to 7-6)
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The Test Panic Was Kind of Like the Toilet Paper Panic
Nearly half of the 500 million free COVID-19 tests the Biden administration recently made available to the public still have not been claimed as virus cases plummet and people feel less urgency to test.
Wild demand swings have been a subplot in the pandemic, from vaccines to hand sanitizer, along with tests. On the first day of the White House test giveaway in January, COVIDtests.gov received over 45 million orders. Now officials say fewer than 100,000 orders a day are coming in for the packages of four free rapid tests per household, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
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Another War Is About to Begin
Democrats are gearing up to spend record sums on lawyers, advertising and other protect-the-vote efforts before the 2022 midterm elections, hoping to stave off Republican efforts they believe will choke off access to the ballot box.
Worried that a spate of more restrictive voting laws adopted by Republican-controlled states will keep Democrats from registering their votes, donors big and small are filling their party's coffers.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) took in $157 million last year, the most for a year without a presidential election, and added $10 million more in January. More than half of Democrats' national funding is coming from people donating less than $200, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks political spending.
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