Good morning.
Russia has launched its long-awaited large-scale military operation to take over eastern Ukraine, President Vladimir Zelensky said.
“We can already say that the Russian troops have started the battle for Donbass, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” he said in a video message late Monday night. Zelensky said that “a significant part of the entire Russian army is now focused on this offensive.”
He added: “No matter how many soldiers are driven there, we will defend ourselves. we will fight. We will not give up anything Ukrainian. “
Echoing his comments, Kyiv’s chief of staff Andrei Ermak said: “The second phase of the war has begun.”
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Why is Donbass so important to Vladimir Putin? The Russian president has declared his intention to take over Donbass, which is already partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Control of Donbass will allow Moscow to create a southern corridor to the occupied Crimean peninsula.
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What is Biden doing? The US president will hold talks with his allies today to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, including how to coordinate Russia’s accountability, the White House said.
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What else is going on? Here is what we know on the 55th day of the invasion.
An American judge cancels Biden’s mandate for a mask for planes and trains
A federal judge overturned the mandate of federal masks for airports, planes and other public transport. Photo: Nam Y Huh / AP
A federal judge in Florida has revoked Joe Biden’s mandate for national masks covering planes, airports and other public transportation, prompting the White House to declare that the rule will not apply until federal agencies decide how to respond to the judge’s order.
The decision appears to be freeing operators to make their own decisions on mask requirements, with several airlines announcing they will resign, but other transport networks, including the New York subway, plan to keep them.
The mandate was revoked on Monday by U.S. District Judge Catherine Kimball Misel in Tampa, who ruled the rule exceeded the powers of U.S. health officials during the coronavirus pandemic.
She added that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had failed to justify its decision and had not followed proper rules-making procedures.
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What did the judge say? In his 59-page ruling, Mizel said the only remedy was to repeal the rule altogether because it would be impossible to end it for the limited group that objected to it in the trial.
“Election Integrity Summits” aim to incite Trump activists over big lies
Kletha Mitchell, a central figure in Trump’s 2020 cancellation scheme, is chairing the CPI summit. Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
An influential conservative group, which includes two of Trump’s allies who helped spread lies about voter fraud in 2020, has spearheaded “electoral integrity” summits in the states of the battlefield, advocating for expanded poll monitoring. “Clean” voter lists and other measures that would allow observers to restrict the right to vote to help Republican candidates.
The Conservative Partnership’s (CPI) Electoral Integrity Network is run by Republican veteran lawyer Cleta Mitchell, who helped spread misinformation about alleged election fraud in 2020.
Mark Meadows, the last head of Donald Trump’s White House cabinet, is a senior partner at the CPI and has reportedly been a leader in at least one summit.
Mitchell, a senior CPI legal associate, hosted multi-day summits in a bid to mobilize hundreds of conservative activists for this year’s elections in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania, all states that Trump lost to Joe Biden and the Florida he won. .
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What did the voting observers say about the summits? “Ongoing efforts to promote false allegations of widespread voter fraud are dangerous and detrimental to our democracy,” said Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Justice Center. “There is a multifaceted attack on the basic principles of our democracy in the name of the integrity of elections.
In other news…
Protesters gather in Chicago to protest the release of Jason Van Dyke in February. Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images
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Federal officials have said they will not charge Jason Van Dyke, a former Chicago police officer convicted of murdering Lacuan MacDonald in 2014. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago said the decision was made in consultation with the MacDonald family.
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Shanghai is preparing to ease its blockade of more than 24 million people in the city, with authorities hoping Covid’s transfer will be limited to quarantine facilities as factories return to closed-loop production, according to Tesla officials. told to sleep on the spot.
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Emmanuel Macron consolidated his lead over Marin Le Pen as France’s presidential race enters its final week, according to opinion polls, which suggests that tighter control of the far-right contender’s plans could change the pace of the race. Both candidates have chosen a light agenda ahead of a televised debate tomorrow.
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The bald eagle, America’s national bird, is the latest victim of the highly contagious bird flu, which has spread to the United States, affecting birds in most states. According to government figures, the United States is suffering from the worst bird flu epidemic of 2015 in terms of poultry deaths.
Day Stats: American Gets $ 450,000 After Unwanted Birthday Party Causes Panic Attack
Gravity Diagnostics hosted Kevin Berling’s birthday party, in which he panicked. Photo: Ken McKay / ITV / Rex / Shutterstock
A Kentucky man received $ 450,000 in a lawsuit against his former employer after the company ignored his wish not to have a birthday party for him due to his anxiety disorder. In August 2019, the Gravity Diagnostics Medical Laboratory ignored Kevin Berling’s request and as a result he had a panic attack. The next day, according to Berling’s case, Berling was “confronted and criticized” for “stealing the joy of other colleagues.” He was fired the following week.
Don’t miss this: “Birth while black” is a national crisis. This is what black lawmakers want to do about it
Alma Adams, whose daughter had a last-minute caesarean section, helped create Black Maternal Health. Photo: Bryan Dozier / Rex / Shutterstock
The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among industrialized countries. The maternal mortality rate has risen by nearly 60% since 2000, making it worse now than it was decades ago. More than half of these deaths are preventable. For black women in Congress, maternal mortality is close to home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), black women die three times more than white women. Black Maternal Health is striving for change.
… or this: high-energy hedonism, surprise stars and fears about Covid
“Megan Thee Stallion presented an absolutely dazzling hip-pop cake in the style of Tron on Saturday.” Photo: Gina Ferrazzi / Los Angeles Times / Rex / Shutterstock
The first weekend of the returning mega-festival in California brought with it many big names and a crowd of fans eager for fun. However, from top to bottom, this was a special year for the lack of inheritance acts, writes Kate Hutchinson. Or even those who have released more than two albums. Both Harry Styles on Friday and Billy Aishish do bombastic shows on Saturday, but neither has a discography that is part of a true festival legend (although they both bring out more experienced guests: Shania Twain and Damon Albarn, respectively).
Climate test: Smoke from forest fires in the Northwest Pacific cancels emission reductions – study
Smoke rises from the Bratine fire as trees burn in the Fremont National Forest in Paisley, Oregon, in September 2020. Photo: Adrees Latif / Reuters
Rising black smoke that has covered the U.S. Pacific Northwest during wildfires in recent years has caused spikes in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, as pollutants offset recent emission reductions, scientists from the National Center for atmospheric research. As the American West faces growing threats from major fires fueled by a climate that is getting warmer and drier, researchers have documented the effects of smoke on public health.
One last thing: Sheep sheared from 18 kg of fleece after three years of lambing
Shrekapo, the elusive merino sheep who has spent most of his life on the run. Photo: George Empson
A merino sheep named Shrekapo, who raised a huge fleece while avoiding capture in New Zealand, is 18.6 kg lighter after his first shave. Shrekapo, who has spent the past three years on the run, was spotted hiding in the rocks last week, carrying almost half his body weight in wool. The four-year-old is the latest in a series of elusive sheep that have developed an overgrown fleece, entering the unofficial ranking of shaggy heavyweight champions in New Zealand and Australia, including Chris, Shrek, Eunice, Baarak and Sean Sheep.
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