IMPORTANT | | | Bewitched, Battered and Bewildered | Russian Troops Demoralized While Putin Is ‘Misled’ by Advisers President Vladimir Putin’s advisers are shielding him from bad news about the resistance Russian troops are facing in Ukraine, according to U.S. officials. White House spokesperson Kate Bedingfield said Putin’s military leadership is afraid to break the news on “how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions.” Meanwhile, British intelligence reported that Russian troops are demoralized, short on supplies and refusing orders. Ukrainian fighters have begun to retake some areas from Russian control, while Moscow seems to be regrouping for a fresh assault on eastern Ukraine. (Sources: BBC, WaPo) |
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| | | | | Power Grab | Tunisian President Dissolves Parliament as Political Crisis Deepens President Kais Saied announced on state TV Wednesday that he had dissolved Tunisia’s parliament “to preserve the state and its institutions.” The move came after lawmakers held a virtual session to annul the sweeping new powers Saied granted himself last year. Tunisia had been seen as a model of democracy after overthrowing its autocratic leader and kicking off the Arab Spring in 2011. But since Saied was elected in 2019, he’s consolidated power by suspending parliament, seizing the judiciary and granting himself power to rule by decree. He announced plans to rewrite the country’s constitution and hold parliamentary elections in December. (Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters) |
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| | | Go With the Flow | Biden to Tap Oil Reserves to Control Rising Gas Prices Today President Joe Biden is expected to announce the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from America’s strategic petroleum reserve in order to tackle spiking energy prices. Crude oil traded at nearly $105 a barrel yesterday, up from about $60 a year ago, as international sanctions on Russia disrupt the world’s supply. After the plan was reported, Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, fell almost 5% in Asian trading Thursday. Meanwhile, Germany and Austria have taken first steps toward gas rationing as Europe tries to wean itself off Russian supplies. (Sources: WSJ, BBC) |
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| | | Tightrope Walk | Republicans Deal With Fallout of Trump’s Putin Comments Former President Donald Trump has put Republicans in a tricky position once again as they choose between following their de facto leader and distancing themselves from Vladimir Putin. Trump’s recent comments — asking Putin to dig up dirt on President Biden’s family — come as Republicans push Biden to take stronger measures against Russia. GOP Sen. John Thune explained, “We have very little control over what the former president says.” Trump previously described Putin as “savvy” and a “genius” for invading Ukraine, and his first impeachment was over withholding military aid from Ukraine unless President Volodymyr Zelenskyy investigated Hunter Biden. (Sources: The Hill, Politico) |
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| | | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Warring parties announce cease-fire in Yemen. The move is a first step toward ending the Saudi-led coalition’s seven-year war with Houthi rebels that has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. (Source: NYT) Will Smith refused to leave Oscars. The actor was asked to leave the ceremony after he struck presenter Chris Rock, but he refused. The academy is now weighing other consequences. (Source: NPR) U.K. withdraws judges from Hong Kong court. The two judges said it was “no longer appropriate” to sit on the city’s courts after China’s imposition of a national security law. (Source: SCMP) |
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| | | INTRIGUING | | | | | Here, Kitty Kitty | Scientists Give Lions ‘Love Potion’ to Make Them Friendlier The kings (and queens) of beasts are notoriously territorial and prone to violence — great for apex predators in the wild, but not for cats living in close proximity in reserves. So researchers at a South African wildlife reserve tried a novel approach to calm the feisty felines: They squirted doses of the “love hormone” oxytocin up lions’ noses. “You can see their features soften immediately,” said study author Jessica Burkhart. “They go from wrinkled and aggressive to this totally calm demeanor. They totally chill out.” After oxytocin the lions were much more tolerant of each other — unless food was involved. (Sources: IFLScience, Scimex) |
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| | | Safe Harbor | Bangladesh Town Reinvents Itself as Haven for Climate Migrants The riverside town of Mongla, 30 miles inland from the Bay of Bengal, is offering new hope to refugees fleeing the effects of climate change. Low-lying Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to rising seas and intensifying storms, and recent reports suggest it could see 19 million climate refugees by 2050. But Mongla — a town of 150,000, including thousands of displaced climate migrants — has invested heavily in climate-resilient infrastructure, and foreign investments have created factory jobs to support an influx of refugees. Other cities in Bangladesh are now looking to Mongla as a model for adaptation in the face of climate change. (Source: AP) |
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| | | Roman’s Best Friend | Robot Dogs Patrol Pompeii’s Ancient Ruins You can teach a new robot old tricks! Site managers at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy, are employing some surprisingly modern tactics to help preserve the ancient city’s weathered ruins. Robotic quadrupeds, made by Boston Dynamics, are now patrolling the streets of the Roman city, which was buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. The dog-like robots are able to monitor structural and safety issues by squeezing into narrow passages and sniffing out underground tunnels carved by tomb raiders. The park’s Smart@POMPEI project also includes drones to create 3D scans of the crumbling structures. (Sources: Artnet News, Forbes) |
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| | | Stepping Away | Bruce Willis Retires From Acting After Aphasia Diagnosis The 67-year-old actor’s family posted a message on social media Wednesday explaining that Willis was recently diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate and understand language. Over a four-decade career, featuring beloved films like Die Hard, The Sixth Sense and Pulp Fiction, Willis’ movies have grossed more than $5 billion worldwide. “We are moving through this as a strong family unit,” read the statement posted by his daughter Rumer, “and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.” (Sources: Variety, Hollywood Reporter) |
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| | | On the Ball | US Men’s Team Qualifies for Soccer World Cup in Qatar
Four years after an embarrassing collapse that shut the American men out of the 2018 tournament, they clinched a spot in this year’s World Cup Wednesday night despite losing 0-2 to Costa Rica. Coach Gregg Berhalter has led the team through several years of rebuilding and now hopes to echo the success of the American women’s team. Mexico also sealed its berth with a 2-0 victory over El Salvador, and Canada qualified Sunday, ending a 36-year drought. With 29 of 32 teams now set, the draw ceremony to determine the tournament’s eight groups will take place Friday afternoon. (Sources: Yahoo Sports, SI, ESPN) |
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