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IMPORTANT |  | Russia’s War | Ukraine Confirms First Major City Has Fallen The port city of Kherson is the first key city to fall to the Russians and the coastal city of Mariupol remains under siege. Russian troops continue to gain ground in the south, threatening Black Sea access, and a convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks appears to be stalled 16 miles from Kyiv. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, endured another aerial bombardment last night. A humanitarian crisis is well underway as more than 1 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine since the start of the war. A second round of talks between the warring nations is expected later today. (Sources: BBC, AP, NYT) |
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| |  | Crypto Battlefields | Cryptocurrency Exchange Boss Rules Out Total Russian Ban Changpeng Zhao, the founder and CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has refused Ukraine’s request to block all Russian accounts from the platform. Zhao argued that his company will ban the Russian individuals on the international sanction list, but banning all Russians would “fly in the face” of the spirit of cryptocurrencies and their promise of greater financial freedom across the globe. Many governments imposing sanctions fear Russian oligarchs will use crypto to bypass their restrictions, saying the decentralized digital currencies are Putin’s secret financial weapon. (Source: BBC) |
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|  | The Way Forward | White House Releases New Strategy for a Changing Pandemic The 96-page document released yesterday emphasizes that President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking to establish a new normal as the latest wave of the pandemic eases. The plan’s four pillars are to prevent and treat COVID-19 cases, prepare for new variants, prevent school and business closures, and distribute vaccines globally. In the long term, officials aim to research a vaccine that could treat all variants, and establish institutions for treating long COVID. It remains unclear how the administration intends to fund the initiative, although Biden has briefed congressional leaders on the need for short-term purchases. (Source: The Guardian) |
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|  | Hike It Up | Fed Chairman Jerome Powell Still Plans to Raise Interest Rates Many thought Powell would reconsider his game plan for 2022 given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the financial instability it has caused across global markets, but the Fed chairman reconfirmed his views on Wednesday. Speaking before House and Senate committees, Powell said he plans to implement several quarter-percentage-point increases in the near future, and possibly more aggressive increases if inflation persists. But that’s unlikely, in Powell’s view, because he expects inflation to decelerate throughout the year as global supply chain issues are cleared up. Powell also noted a “tight” labor market and strong wage gains for lower earners and minorities. (Source: NBC News) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Abramovich to sell British soccer team. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich will sell Chelsea Football Club and donate some of the funds to victims of the war in Ukraine. (Source: Al Jazeera) Settlement reached in death of actor Naya Rivera. Rivera’s husband filed a wrongful death lawsuit over her accidental drowning. (Source: NBC News) European-Russian mission to Mars likely delayed. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing European sanctions will likely delay the launch, planned for September. (Source: NPR) |
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| INTRIGUING | | Rock-Solid Hunch | New Research Suggests Stonehenge Is Probably a Solar Calendar The giant stone circle built around 2500 B.C. in Wiltshire, England, has bewildered scientists for centuries. Though theories abound, no one knows where it came from or how it was built. But now Timothy Darvill, a professor at Bournemouth University, has offered a sound analysis of the ring’s purpose. The stones, say Darvill, act as a solar calendar, measuring a solar year of 365.25 days. Each of the 30 stones represents a day of the month and the rings are divided into three weeks composed of 10 days. The elegant design makes for a deceptively simple and impressively accurate calendar. (Source: BBC) |
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| | | Ford for the Future | US Auto Giant Restructures for an Electric World Ford has already generated positive buzz over its F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach E — electric versions of its most popular cars. Now the company will split itself into two separate units to foster its vision for an electric future: Ford Blue will continue to manufacture traditional vehicles and Ford Model E will focus on creating new electric models. Some analysts had been pushing Ford to spin off its electric vehicles into a separate company, but CEO Jim Farley said it makes more sense for Model E to benefit from Blue’s technology and cash flow rather than go it alone. (Source: NPR) |
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| | Antisocial Media | Former US President’s Social Media Platform Falls Flat You may remember former President Donald Trump’s frequent boasts that his platform Truth Social would be a space where free speech could flourish. But on launch day, most potential users looking to download the app were waitlisted instead. Now, 10 days later, most are still waiting. The app fell from No. 1 on the Apple App Store to No. 57, just behind Planet Fitness Workouts. And, tellingly, its founder and chairman has yet to post anything to the platform. Trump continues to comment on radio and TV, with nary a word on his own floundering social media outlet. (Source: Axios) |
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| | Gender Justice | Maryland House Committee Votes Down Transgender Student Sports Ban The state House Ways and Means Committee defeated the Save Women’s Sports Act this week, a bill proposed by Republican state Delegate Kathy Szeliga that would have required intramural and interscholastic sports teams to be “expressly designated” based on “biological sex.” While it’s a big win for trans rights in Maryland, other state legislatures are pushing their own versions of the bill. The governors of both Indiana and Georgia are expected to sign bans in the near future, and South Dakota has already passed its rendition. More than 50 such bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year. (Source: The Hill) |
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| | Heavy Charges for Heavyweight | Former UFC Champ Charged With Attempted Premeditated Murder Two-time heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez also faces multiple gun assault charges in relation to a shooting earlier this week in San Jose, California. Velasquez, 39, is accused of targeting Harry Eugene Goularte, who was charged with molesting a child under the age of 10 — a relative of Velasquez. The UFC fighter allegedly chased Goularte by car for 11 miles before ramming his truck and firing a 40-caliber handgun multiple times into it. Velasquez, considered one of the best heavyweight fighters of all time, will face over 20 years in jail if convicted. (Source: ESPN) |
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| ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! | |
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