Thursday, March 3, 2022

Has Putin committed war crimes in Ukraine?

More than 1 million refugees have fled Ukraine, MLB and players union could meet again and more news to start your Thursday. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
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Daily Briefing
 
Thursday, March 3
Students hold placard as they stage a demonstration in Bangalore on March 3, 2022, urging Russia's President Vladimir Putin to halt the war on Ukraine and to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to evacuate Indian students and citizens stranded in Ukraine.
Has Putin committed war crimes in Ukraine?
More than 1 million refugees have fled Ukraine, MLB and players union could meet again and more news to start your Thursday.

Good morning, Daily Briefing readers. An investigation is underway into possible war crimes by Vladimir Putin and Russia, as the number of people fleeing Ukraine for neighboring countries has exceeded 1 million. If you're on the West coast, watch out: Scientists have drawn up an ominous scenario of a massive quake that could hit the San Francisco Bay Area. Thankfully it's just theoretical – for now.

It's Jane, with Thursday's news.

🔴 The House committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack said it has gathered evidence indicating that former President Donald Trump and others "engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States."

⚖️ Joshua James, a co-defendant in a criminal case involving Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction. He's the first person involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol to be convicted of the rarely used charge.

📺 Farrah Forke, best known for her role as helicopter pilot Alex Lambert on the '90s sitcom "Wings," has died, according to Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, People and Deadline. She was 54.

Farrah Forke, best known for her role as helicopter pilot Alex Lambert on the '90s sitcom
Farrah Forke, best known for her role as helicopter pilot Alex Lambert on the '90s sitcom "Wings," has died, according to Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, People and Deadline. She was 54. Forke died of cancer at her Texas home on Feb. 25, a family friend told Deadline, People and Variety.
TONY ESPARZA, CBS

🏁 NASCAR Hall of Fame owner Richard Childress is offering to donate one million rounds of ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to help in the ongoing war with Russia

💔 Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates opened up about splitting from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates after 27 years marriage in an interview with "CBS Mornings" anchor Gayle King, airing Thursday.

🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, reporter Ryan Miller asks the question: What is a war crime? You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

Here's what's happening today:

International Criminal Court investigates whether Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine 

The International Criminal Court is expected to continue its investigation Thursday into whether Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, have committed war crimes in Ukraine. Urged by a coalition of 38 countries led by the U.K., the investigation was opened Wednesday into possible war crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity in Ukraine dating back to 2013 — including the current conflict sparked by Russia's invasion. The U.N. human rights office said 227 civilians have been killed and another 525 injured since the invasion began a week ago, eclipsing the entire civilian casualty count from the war in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces in 2014. That conflict left 136 dead and 577 injured. On Thursday, the International Paralympic Committee said Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Winter Paralympic Games for their countries' roles in the war. The about-face comes less than 24 hours after the IPC said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete when the Games open on Friday, but only as neutral athletes with colors, flags and other national symbols removed. 

📩 Sign up for Ukraine updates: We'll email you the latest news once a day.

🏥 Opinion: Thermobaric weapons. Targeting hospitals. The case against Putin as a war criminal is strong.

📹 Watch: How the Russia-Ukraine conflict started and the role the West plays in it.

More than 1 million refugees have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries

More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries  in "the swiftest refugee exodus this century," the United Nations says. Some citizens of Africa, Asia and the Mideast who are also fleeing Ukraine say they are experiencing mistreatment. At a refugee center in Romania, some Indian citizens told the Associated Press that Ukrainian border guards gave fellow Ukrainians priority in getting out of the country and attempted to physically push non-Ukrainians back. Buchizya Mseteka, a spokesperson for UNHCR based in South Africa, said the organization was aware of reports that some Africans in Ukraine were not being allowed to board trains and to cross borders. "Our position is that irrespective of nationality and race, people seeking protection should be allowed to seek safety and to leave the country," he said. The UNHCR has warned the situation may become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century, surpassing the 1.3 million people who requested asylum in 2015 as conflicts raged in the Middle East.

A woman who fled Ukraine due to the Russian invasion plays with a newborn on the floor at a refugee camp in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on March 3, 2022.
A woman who fled Ukraine due to the Russian invasion plays with a newborn on the floor at a refugee camp in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on March 3, 2022.
NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV, AFP via Getty Images

MLB, players union could meet again 

Major League baseball and the players union could meet again Thursday, two days after the sides could not reach a collective bargaining agreement. If both parties return to the negotiating table, it comes after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the league was canceling Opening Day and the first two series of the 2022 season due to the ongoing lockout. The lockout continues with no immediate end in sight, with both sides blaming each other for not getting a deal done. Moreover, the players and management disagree on core economic issues, ranging from minimum salaries to arbitration eligibility to how many teams will make the playoffs. 

Just for subscribers:

🗳 Texas primary tidbits: As the Russian military rolled toward Kyiv and Biden delivered his State of the Union address, Texas held elections that offered previews of intense fall campaigns nationwide.

🔴 "Bombs, bombs, bombs": Ukrainian refugees describe the harrowing journey to Poland.

🧳 Black and brown refugees are once again being turned away in Europe amid the Ukraine migrant crisis.

💩 The future of fuel? Thanks to California, experts say a manure gas gold rush is underway. But some environmentalists argue the red-hot "dairy methane" market might be pointing us in the wrong direction. 

🏈 Hand-size hysteria is no reason to downgrade top NFL draft QB prospect Kenny Pickett| Opinion.

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Republican Greg Abbott, Democrat Beto O'Rourke secure nominations for governor in Texas primary elections

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues his race for reelection Thursday after winning the Republican party nomination in his bid for a third term in office. Abbott will face Beto O'Rourke in the November general election after the El Paso Democrat cruised to victory in the Democratic primary contest with more than 90% of the vote, according to early results. Abbott has worked to paint O'Rourke as "too liberal for Texas," highlighting his past policy positions on guns, the border and the environment. O'Rourke argues that Abbott lost the trust of Texans due to his response to the coronavirus pandemic and last year's deadly winter freeze that left millions without electricity for days at a time. 

ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday

Russian figure skaters have been banned from the world championships, but not for the reason we expected.

🖋 "I am angry": Rep. Boebert's State of the Union heckle disrespected the president and veterans like me.

⛪️ Why Christians wear ashes for Ash Wednesday and give up their favorite things for Lent.

🗣 Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene heckled President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address.

⚓️  A cargo ship carrying thousands of luxury cars such as Porsches, Bentleys and Audis has sunk to the Mid-Atlantic ocean floor after 13 days afloat.

'It could happen tomorrow': Experts know disaster upon disaster looms for West Coast

Scientists say a massive quake could strike the San Francisco Bay Area  at any moment. When it does, the city can expect to be slammed with a force equal to hundreds of atomic bombs. Scientists have drawn up several disaster scenarios to prepare for impending catastrophes like this. The HayWired Scenario is a detailed look at the cascading calamities that will happen when a major earthquake strikes the Bay Area, including the possibility of power-outages that will strand elevators — possibly for weeks. Depending on the scenario, thousands of people are expected to die  and hundreds of thousands more could be left without shelter. The disaster remains theoretical for now. But the United States Geological Survey estimates a 51% chance that a quake as big as the one described in HayWired will occur in the region within three decades. 

📸 Christians in the US and around the world mark Ash Wednesday 📸

Indigenous women take part in the Cristo Rey de la Justicia procession during the celebration of Ash Wednesday, at the Juan Bautista church, in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala, on March 2, 2022. - Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day period of reflection and fasting that precedes the Holy Week and Easter.
Indigenous women take part in the Cristo Rey de la Justicia procession during the celebration of Ash Wednesday, at the Juan Bautista church, in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala, on March 2, 2022. - Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day period of reflection and fasting that precedes the Holy Week and Easter.
JOHAN ORDONEZ, AFP via Getty Images

Christians worldwide marked Ash Wednesday yesterday, many wearing a smudge of ashes on their foreheads. The day, officially known as the Day of Ashes, is a day of repentance, when Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God. It marks the beginning of the six-week Lenten period, which culminates with Easter.

Scroll through the gallery of Christians around the world marking Ash Wednesday. 

Contributing: The Associated Press

 
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