Pressure builds against Russia as its forces edge closer to Ukraine’s capital city. A climate change report from a U.N. panel outlines a grim future for the planet. And turns out RV life is not for everyone.
? It’s Laura. It’s Monday, which means I’ve got Monday’s news – just for you!
But first, cheater cheater, pumpkin eater! ? The “MSAT” test by the artist collective MSCHF offers a cash prize for the best score on its SAT-inspired online test. And cheating is allowed.
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Support for Ukraine builds as Russia edges closer to Kyiv
Countries tightened the vise around Russia’s economy on Monday, announcing new sanctions on its central bank and individuals, and Switzerland has broken its neutral stance to join the European Union in its actions. The moves came as Ukrainian and Russian delegations met at the Belarusian border for their first direct talks since Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said it would demand an immediate cease-fire. In response to Russia’s invasion, the U.N. was meeting in two separate forums: The General Assembly gathered for only its 11th emergency meeting, and the 15-member Security Council came together again to discuss the crisis. Battered by global sanctions, Russia’s Central Bank dramatically increased interest rates to try to slow the ruble’s plunge. Russia’s conventional military assault on Ukraine moved toward the end of its fourth day with fighting in the streets of the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, and troops moving closer to the capital, Kyiv. The latest updates.
- Airbnb nonprofit to offer free housing to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine.
- ‘We left Dad in Kiev’: Families say goodbye as Ukrainians fight to save their home.
- Thousands of Russian anti-war protesters arrested: What are the freedom of speech laws in Russia?
Are Snake Island soldiers alive?
A group of Ukrainian soldiers who garnered worldwide attention after telling a Russian warship to “Go f— yourself” may be alive, according to Ukrainian officials. The soldiers on Snake Island, a small island in the Black Sea, rose to fame last week after a Russian warship asked them to surrender or be bombed, according to a tweet from the Ukrainian Embassy in Georgia. Ukrainian officials said last week that all 13 of the soldiers were killed. But the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said in a statement that the soldiers may have been captured by Russian forces and were still alive.
- Fact check roundup: What’s true and what’s false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- Doctor’s message after hospital staff unable to save Ukrainian girl: ‘Show this to Putin.’
- The news comes to you: Get the latest updates on the situation in Ukraine. Sign up here.
What everyone’s talking about
- ?? President Biden’s first State of the Union address is Tuesday. Here’s how to watch.
- ‘Modern-day Winston Churchill’: What to know about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- Jake Gyllenhaal knows cyberbullying all too well. But are stars responsible for toxic fan behavior?
- Sexual abuse rocked their church. Though their families weren’t victims, they bear scars.
- Why are Easter and Passover so late in 2022? Blame the moon and a cacophony of calendars.
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‘Parts of the planet will become uninhabitable’
Life in some locations on the planet is rapidly reaching the point where it will be too hot for the species that live there to survive, international climate experts said in a report Monday. “With climate change, some parts of the planet will become uninhabitable,” said German scientist Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of Working Group II for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which produced the report released in Berlin. The report assesses scientific literature documenting the devastating effects of human-caused climate change on society and ecosystems worldwide. The group studied the vulnerability of people and ecosystems to the changing climate and how adaptation could help reduce the risks, said Pörtner and co-chair Deborah Roberts of South Africa.
- Supreme Court wrestles with EPA authority to regulate carbon in major climate dispute.
- As Hawaii declares climate crisis, schools hope Indigenous knowledge will save the islands.
RV sales surged amid COVID, and not everyone is thrilled
It didn’t take long for Karin Smith to realize the RV life was not for her. The Jupiter, Florida, resident and single mom bought a 1995 Fleetwood Bounder in January 2021, hoping for peace of mind amid skyrocketing rent and a way to see America with her son. But owning an RV was more complicated than she thought. “It just started to feel like a money pit,” she said. “I really started thinking about things like: Is this safe? What would I do with Wi-Fi? I work remotely; do I work listening to neighbors argue or 14 people having a party next door for two days? It all just fell apart.” She ended up selling the RV six months after she bought it. She never got behind the wheel. Smith is just one of many Americans who became RV owners during the pandemic. Many are happy with their purchase and sales show no sign of slowing, but some owners note that rising travel costs and growing crowds have made RV travel more difficult. Rising prices play a large role. It’s not just gas – which is definitely taking a hit on his wallet with the national average for diesel at nearly $4 a gallon – but basics like campground spots and RVs themselves. More RV owners reflect on their pandemic buys.
- Planning RV travel for the first time? 8 tips newbies should know before their first trip.
Real quick
- Dictionary.com jabs Republican lawmaker’s tweet criticizing ‘millennial leftists.’
- Derek Jeter steps down as Marlins CEO after five years.
- Supreme Court takes up battle over adoption of Native American children.
- Target plans to open 250 more Ulta Beauty shops in its stores this year.
‘Atmospheric river’ slams Pacific Northwest
An “extreme” atmospheric river was barreling into the Pacific Northwest on Monday, and with it will come the threat of flooding and avalanches, forecasters say. Meteorologists said rainfall amounts will range from 2 to 4 inches early this week from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, and locally higher amounts are possible on the windward sides of the mountains through Wednesday. A flood watch is in effect for more than 5 million people in Washington and Oregon, the National Weather Service said, including the Seattle and Tacoma metro areas. An avalanche warning is also in effect for the mountains of Washington, and “very dangerous avalanche conditions” are expected, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center in Seattle. The foul weather is courtesy of an “atmospheric river,” a ribbon of water vapor that can extend thousands of miles from the tropics to the western U.S. At 250 to 375 miles wide, the river of moisture provides the fuel for massive rain and snowstorms that can cause flooding along the West Coast.
- What is an ‘atmospheric river’? These rivers of water vapor can extend thousands of miles.
A break from the news
- ? Ready, set, binge: 50 best TV shows to watch on Netflix in March.
- ? Should you itemize your taxes or take the standard deduction?
- ? SIL-zilla: My future sister-in-law paid for my wedding dress as a gift. Now, she wants her money back.
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