During Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal remarked on how boring they found Salt Lake City. O’Neal even said, “I never ate so much room service in my life.”

Meg Walter, had she known Charles and Shaq were looking for something to do, would have given them some spectacular suggestions.

As the war in Ukraine enters its second year, refugees hang in limbo

Today marks one year since the invasion of Ukraine.

The war has displaced millions, including 8,075,440 refugees from Ukraine living in Europe and an unknown number who have been internally displaced. As of January, the United Nations estimates 5.3 million people are internally displaced. At least 8,000 civilians have perished, although some organizations estimate the number is higher. Roughly 300,000 soldiers, both Ukrainian and Russian, have died in the conflict.

Almost 125,000 refugees have applied for the U.S. sponsorship program Uniting for Ukraine. Some refugees have received humanitarian parole allowing them 18 months of legal status in the U.S. But with the conflict showing no signs of stopping any time soon, time is running out.

What happens now?

More on Ukraine:

• Opinion: U.S. aid to Ukraine fulfills a promise made in 1994 (Deseret News)
• Freedom isn’t free: What a year of war in Ukraine has taught the world (Deseret News)
• ‘We’re in this for the long haul’: How Utah businesses stood up, and stayed there, for Ukraine (Deseret News)

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• Opinion: Referendums are not weaponized — let the people have a voice (Deseret News) 🐝
• Utah bill to remove police reporting requirement for abortion stalls in committee (KSL) 🐝
• 'Don't Say Gay' bill introduced in Utah legislature (FOX13) 🐝

Health:

• New FDA guidance says plant-based beverages are ‘milk,’ too (Deseret News)
• Idaho lawmaker wants to criminalize the most-used COVID-19 vaccines (Deseret News)

Culture:

• A David Bowie museum exhibit will display 80,000 pieces — including ones that ‘have never been seen in public before’ (Deseret News)
• ‘Empress of Soul’ Gladys Knight is coming to Utah (Deseret News)

Education:

• Utah lawmaker proposes rating system for school library books, instructional materials (Deseret News) 🐝
• How recent research out of BYU shows its scholarship is both ‘wide and deep’ (Church News)
• New deal is offered on proposed constitutional amendment on education funding (FOX13) 🐝

Family:

• Utah Indian Child Welfare Act bill passes committee (KSL) 🐝
• New report shows increase in Utah children experiencing homelessness (KSL)

Police and Courts:

• Does the Supreme Court need to be reformed? (Deseret News)

Business:

• The uncertain future of Disney characters when they enter public domain (Deseret News)
• TheTomsters wants you to be in on the joke (Utah Business)

Faith:

• Religion influences abortion policy. But does it actually shape people’s abortion views? (Deseret News)
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The West:

• Great Salt Lake bills start to advance in Utah Legislature (Great Salt Lake Collaborative) 🐝

The Nation:

• Reporter killed while covering a shooting in Florida (Deseret News)
• Biden’s approval rating climbs while Trump faces dip, new poll shows (Deseret News)

The World:

• Mitt Romney says U.S. can’t appear ‘wobbly’ in support of Ukraine (Deseret News)

Sports:

• The Utah Jazz made a film unlike any NBA team has before — and it’s seeing success (Deseret News)
• A 2030 Winter Games in Ukraine? That was Zelenskyy’s hope before Russia invaded (Deseret News)
• Who leaked that the Pac-12 was talking to Apple? And why that is important (Deseret News)