| | | President Joe Biden will send — or shift — 2,000 troops to Eastern Europe to calm fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. As the omicron variant mutates, scientists are paying close attention to how its sub-variants could affect pandemic-weary world populations. Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján’s recent stroke could endanger the party’s Supreme Court pick, though optimism over a speedy recovery persists. And CNN Chair Jeff Zucker has resigned after his relationship with a colleague was revealed. All this and more in today’s PDB. | | |
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| IMPORTANT | | | 1 - On the March President Biden Will Send Troops to Poland, Germany and Romania In a move to demonstrate U.S. commitment to its European allies, President Biden announced he will send 2,000 troops to Poland and Germany and shift 1,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Romania. With the reinforcements, concentrated on NATO’s eastern flank, Biden hopes to show resolve and solidarity with European allies without escalating tensions with Russia. Biden refrained from sending troops to any former Soviet states — Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that the administration will stop referring to a Russian invasion as “imminent,” implying knowledge of President Vladimir Putin's intentions, which remain unclear. (Source: AP) |
| 2 - More in Store with Omicron A New COVID-19 Sub-Variant May Not Be as Dangerous as Its Predecessor The first omicron variant, which scientists dubbed BA.1, led to a massive worldwide wave of new COVID-19 cases. Now researchers are on edge as omicron BA.2, a sub-variant of BA.1, seems to be on the rise, particularly in Asia and Europe. Though it’s too early to know how this sub-variant compares with the main omicron strain, scientists in Denmark have found that BA.2 is “substantially” more transmissible and better able to evade vaccines. But there is no evidence BA.2 is any more dangerous than the main strain, or that vaccines are any less effective against symptomatic disease. (Source: BBC) |
| 3 - Stroke of (Bad) Luck Edgy Democrats Worry Senator’s Stroke Could Endanger Court Pick Sources close to New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who recently suffered a stroke, say he’ll be back in 4 to 6 weeks if all goes well. That should be in time for Democrats to quickly confirm President Joe Biden’s upcoming Supreme Court nominee. In the 50-50 split chamber, Democrats need only a simple majority to confirm the nominee. But that margin leaves no room for defectors, as when Biden’s Build Back Better Act was recently blocked by Senator Joe Manchin. Senators on both sides of the aisle dismissed speculation on Luján’s health yesterday, instead offering wishes for his quick recovery. (Source: CNN) |
| 4 - CNN Exec Steps Down One of America’s Most Powerful Media Execs Steps Down Amid Scandal CNN Chair Jeff Zucker announced he would resign after his relationship with Allison Gollust, CNN’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, was revealed during CNN’s investigation of disgraced former anchor Chris Cuomo. He has also stepped down as chair of WarnerMedia’s news and sports division. Zucker and Gollust have worked together for 20 years, and their failure to disclose the relationship violates CNN company policy. For years, Zucker, 56, has dominated U.S. media, launching the careers of Donald Trump on The Apprentice and Joe Rogan on Fear Factor. Gollust will continue in her roles at CNN. (Source: The Guardian) |
| 5 - Briefly Here are some things you should know about today: The U.S. Army will begin discharging soldiers who refuse vaccination. The military branch reported 96% of its active troops are completely vaccinated. (Source: NPR) Meta stock tumbles more than 20% on latest projections. Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms blames its lackluster projections in part on privacy changes to Apple’s iOS and supply-chain issues. (Source: TheHill) The National Archives will give former Vice President Mike Pence’s official records to the House committee investigating Jan. 6. Former President Donald Trump could still request a court order to stop the panel from receiving the records. (Source: ABCNews) |
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| | | Watch Bill Gates As He Weighs in on Vaccines
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| INTRIGUING | 1 - The Chorus Grows Crosby, Stills and Nash are the Latest to Follow Young, Mitchell and Lofgren Musicians David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, of the legendary group Crosby, Stills and Nash (formerly Crosby, Stills and Nash and Young) have asked that their work be removed from the streaming service Spotify to protest podcaster Joe Rogan’s ongoing coronavirus misinformation. The three join a growing group of artists who take issue with Spotify for supporting Rogan’s controversial podcast, where he has consistently spread misinformation about COVID-19. Other notables who have opposed racist comments made by Rogan in the past, including singer India.Arie and author Mary Trump, say the new allegations are grounds to embrace the #DeleteSpotify movement. (Source: NPR) |
| | | 2 - End of an Era The International Space Station Will Plunge to Earth by 2030 — by Design The ISS space station, which for 20 years has welcomed an international community of scientists, will soon enter its final act. NASA released its ISS Transition Plan yesterday, detailing how by 2030 the space station will splash down at Point Nemo, the spot in the Pacific Ocean farthest from land, with thousands of miles separating it from New Zealand and Antarctica. NASA plans to hand authority for the ISS transition over to private companies like Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman, who will also help NASA ensure the new ISS will be able to accommodate potential government and commercial needs. (Source: TheHill) |
| 3 - Overdose Arrests Four Men Charged in Connection With Actor Michael K. Williams’ Death Williams, known for his role as Omar Little on the hit show The Wire, died five months ago in what was thought to be an accidental overdose. But this week, four men alleged to be part of a drug distribution crew were charged in Williams’ overdose. Detectives in Brooklyn say that the men, part of a drug-trafficking organization in Williamsburg, sold Williams heroin laced with fentanyl. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say the defendants, who were caught on security cameras, continued to sell the fentanyl-laced heroin in Brooklyn and Manhattan even after knowing Williams had died from using their product. (Source: AP) |
| 4 - Take That, Cancer Two Patients Confirmed Cancer-Free for 10 Years After Promising Therapy The two patients, who had chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a form of blood cancer, have been in remission for 10 years. The costly therapy they received, called CAR-T therapy, involves modifying a patient’s T cells to target and destroy cancer cells. While the therapy has been in use for some time, it’s been uncertain how its effects would endure over time. The two patients’ long remission is encouraging evidence of how long the effects of the treatment may persist. But the therapy is not risk-free: some patients have suffered neurological side effects or have developed cytokine release syndrome. (Source: Axios) |
| 5 - The Washington … Commanders! After Outcry and Debate, DC’s Football Team has New Name Once the team’s leadership decided to jettison the old name — a racial reference widely regarded as offensive — the challenge was on to find a suitable replacement. Washington’s team president Jason Wright took his time with the process, soliciting 40,000 suggestions from fans, which yielded a whopping 1,200 potential team names. From there, the group conducted surveys, one-on-one interviews with fans and scoured the internet, leaving no stone unturned. After all the fanfare, the team, which had already decided to keep the team’s traditional red and gold, unanimously agreed on a new name: The Washington Commanders. (Source: ESPN) |
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