- Raw recap & reactions (Mar. 27, 2023): WrestleMania Raw lacks something Cageside Seats
- WWE Raw Results (03/27) – Cody Rhodes Vs. Solo Sikoa, Brock Lesnar Meets Omos In A Weigh-In, Eight-Man Tag Team Bout Wrestling Inc.
- WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction, Highlights of Go-home WrestleMania Show Bleacher Report
- Video: Aaron Rift’s recap of WWE RAW for March 27th 2023 NoDQ.com
- WWE Raw live results: Final Raw before WrestleMania 39 – WON/F4W – WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, AEW News, AEW results Figure Four Online
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: Mar
Texas vs Kansas Odds, Pick | Big 12 Championship Betting Guide (Saturday, Mar. 11) – The Action Network
- Texas vs Kansas Odds, Pick | Big 12 Championship Betting Guide (Saturday, Mar. 11) The Action Network
- 2023 Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship, Texas vs. Kansas odds, line: Proven model reveals college basketball picks for March 11, 2023, matchup SportsLine
- Joe Lunardi’s Moves Oklahoma State to First Team Out of 2023 NCAA Tournament Heartland College Sports
- How to Watch the 2023 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, & More Cord Cutters News
- How KU basketball can win Big 12 Tournament championship game vs. Texas Longhorns Kansas City Star
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Actress Anne Heche Critically Injured in Fiery Car Crash in Mar Vista – NBC Los Angeles
Actress Anne Heche was critically injured in a fiery car crash into a house in Mar Vista on Friday, sources tell NBCLA.
The crash was reported shortly before 11 a.m. in the 1700 block of South Walgrove Avenue, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Police said the driver was speeding down a residential street and launched 30-feet into a home. The Mini Cooper involved in the crash was speeding and possibly hit a curb before launching at more than two feet through the front yard and into the home.
The home owner was in the backyard at the time of the crash and was not injured.
A neighbor described what he saw after that driver was rescued.
“The house was tons of smoke. I think they used the crane to move the car to extract the driver. It was crazy.”
Humphrey said car stopped within a 738- square-foot two-story home that was built in 1952.
The crash caused structural compromise and a fire, Humphrey said.
“Fifty-nine Firefighters took 65 minutes to access, confine and fully extinguish the stubborn flames within the heavily damaged structure, and rescue one female adult found within the vehicle, who has been taken to an area hospital by LAFD Paramedics in critical condition,” Humphrey said.
Actress Anne Heche crashes car into Mar Vista home, sparking large fire
LOS ANGELES – The driver who crashed into a Mar Vista home, sparking a fire, has been identified as actress Anne Heche.
Firefighters were sent to the 1800 block of South Walgrove Avenue just before 11 a.m.
The car, a 2020 Mini Copper, went through the house, causing a massive fire. Firefighters knocked down the flames within an hour and eventually pulled the car out of the home.
LAFD says Heche was rescued and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Images from SkyFOX appear to show Heche trying to get out of the gurney she was placed in.
Ring camera footage shows a blue Mini Copper speeding down a residential street prior to the accident. It is unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the vehicle came to rest within a 738- square-foot two-story home, built in 1952, causing structural compromise and erupting in heavy fire. Witnesses say a neighbor ran to the home and got the homeowner and her pets out of the house safely. He tried to get Heche out of the vehicle but couldn’t due to heavy smoke.
No other injuries were reported. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Heche is an Emmy nominated actress. Her most recent film was ’13 Minutes’. She also stared in ‘Six days seven nights’ and ‘Volcano’. She also dated talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Preview for Sunday, Mar. 27
Miami vs. Kansas Odds
The Kansas Jayhawks represent the final No. 1 seed remaining in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Head coach Bill Self’s squad has automatically become the favorite to win the national title at many sportsbooks.
But, we can’t just assume that Kansas will roll to the title. First, it has to get past head coach Jim Larrañaga and the red-hot Miami Hurricanes.
Admittedly, Miami hasn’t had the most difficult road to the Elite 8. After a close game against USC, Miami rolled past Auburn and then crushed a pitiful Iowa State team.
So, does that mean that Kansas is more battle-tested? Or, is Miami more talented than its 10-seed suggests?
At the time of writing, Miami is catching six or more points across the betting market with the total sticking at 147.5.
Kam McGusty sure is something.
He’s a true three-level scorer who shoots 70% at the rim, 43% from the mid-range, and 35% from 3. McGusty is also rock-solid with the basketball, draws plenty of fouls and converts 81% of his free throw attempts.
But it’s not just McGusty; the entire Miami Hurricanes team takes care of the ball. The ‘Canes rank sixth in offensive turnover rate and seventh in non-steal turnover rate — always getting a shot up.
That shot usually goes in, too. The Canes are top-30 nationally in effective field goal percentage (53.8%) and rank top-25 in 2-point shooting (55%). The latter is especially important, because almost all of Miami’s shots come from inside the arc.
However, the Hurricanes defense is an issue:
- Miami does not excel at contesting shots, enabling opponents to average 52.5% in effective field goal percentage (283rd in Division-I).
- The Hurricanes also allow the majority of opponent shot attempts either at the rim or from the 3-point line, producing a defensive rim-and-3 rate of 83% (ranks 290th in Division-I).
- Miami also rebounds poorly on both ends of the court, ranking 319th in offensive rebounding rate and 271st in defensive rebounding rate.
So, the Canes score a lot of points … and allow a lot of points.
Image credit: CBB Analytics
Nevertheless, Miami’s defense isn’t without its strengths, too. For instance, it creates a lot of turnovers — ranking 10th nationally in defensive steal rate.
The Hurricanes’ ability to avoid turnovers offensively and create turnovers defensively enabled it to lead the ACC in turnover margin (+4.66). For perspective, NC State ranked second in the conference at a measly +2.66.
Miami defends aggressively and leverages steals in order to get out in transition — something the Canes do at a top-80 frequency nationally.
Transition is of the utmost importance because Miami is the most efficient transition team in the nation, scoring 1.22 PPP out in the open court. Kansas doesn’t allow many shots in transition, but it is also only middling in efficiency when defending against it.
Miami’s other offensive option is to shoot from the mid-range, which Kansas is very good at defending. So, Larrañaga and co. better find ways to run the floor.
Kansas truly is an elite basketball team — but not for the reasons you may expect.
People look at Kansas and see an offensive juggernaut: A team that ranks sixth in offensive efficiency with Ochai Agbaji on the perimeter and David McCormack on the interior.
Interestingly, however, Kansas doesn’t run many offensive sets well. The Jayhawks are sub-200 in pick-and-roll efficiency, off-screen efficiency, cutting efficiency, and isolation efficiency.
But Kansas has shot-makers, and those shot makers take smart shots. Per ShotQuality, the Jayhawks are 26th nationally in shot selection and fifth in offensive SQ PPP (1.27).
Kansas is efficient posting up, efficient shooting from 3, and Agbaji, Christian Braun, Jalen Wilson, and Remy Martin are killers offensively. The ‘Hawks attack the rim, and there’s hardly an area of the floor these guys can’t find points:
Image credit: CBB Analytics
Kansas also crashes the offensive glass behind McCormack, who is one of few players who can keep up with Oscar Tshiebwe on the offensive glass. Plus, the Jayhawks finished third in the Big 12 in transition efficiency.
The defense is also excellent … but not really against ball-screen sets. Instead, the squad plays analytically smart, running everyone off the 3-point line. The ‘Hawks allow the 56th-lowest 3-point rate to opponents while pacing the Big 12 in defending catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble 3s.
The Jayhawks are talented, but they play smart, which I find more important.
I’m excited to see if Remy Martin can keep up this torrid pace. Injuries held him back this season, but he has now scored in double-digits in five straight games. During the Jayhawks’ NCAA Tournament run, Martin has scored a combined 58 points and earned KenPom MVP honors in all three games.
Of all the shot-makers on this roster, he might be the deadliest.
Miami vs. Kansas Betting Pick
Kansas can run Miami off the 3-point line, but Miami doesn’t shoot from 3.
Instead, Kansas will force Miami into the mid-range, where it will have defensive success. But the Jayhawks might be vulnerable on the interior otherwise.
Miami ranked first in the ACC in frequency of shots at the rim and second in efficiency on those shots. In the Big 12, Kansas allowed over 40% of opposing shots via finishes at the rim and finished eighth in defending those shots.
Moreover, Kansas isn’t immune to offensive turnovers. The Jayhawks were sub-110 nationally in offensive turnover rate this season, so Miami can find transition opportunities there.
I think this line is slightly undervaluing Miami. The Hurricanes have the personnel and style of play to keep up with Kansas in a tournament setting.
Miami went 8-2 ATS as an underdog this season. I’ll take it to cover one more time. There’s a stray +6.5 out on the market, but I’ll buy Miami at +6 or better.
Pick: Miami +6.5 (Play to +6)
AEW Rampage recap & reactions (Mar. 18, 2022): Keith Lee still Limitless
AEW Rampage (Mar. 18, 2022) emanated from Freeman Coliseum on San Antonio, TX. The show featured Keith Lee striking up a friendship of convenience and Darby Allin in a car crash of a fight.
Let’s jump right in with a recap of the show followed by reactions.
Excalibur, Taz, Ricky Starks, and Chris Jericho were on commentary. Justin Roberts handled ring announcer duties.
Darby Allin vs. Butcher
Sting, Blade, and Bunny were ringside. Allin kicked off the action with a speedy assault, but Butcher regained balance to maul the smaller man. Allin worked up an appetite to bite Butcher’s sausage fingers. That angered Butcher, so he swung Allin around by the neck in retaliation.
Butcher worked the cloverleaf submission. Allin tried to escape, but Butcher kept the grip tight for a powerbomb then back to the cloverleaf. Allin eventually reached the ropes for the break. The fight spilled outside with Butcher swinging Allin into the guardrail and ring steps.
Allin turned the tide with his quickness. He dodged a charging Butcher to create a collision into the ring steps. Allin popped up for a Code Red on the floor. He followed with a Coffin Drop to the outside. Butcher was down as Allin won by count-out.
Darby Allin defeated Butcher.
Afterward, the AFO attacked Allin and Sting. The Hardys ran out for the save. Matt Hardy challenged Andrade to a Texas Tornado 8-man for Dynamite. Andrade had to think about it, but it was later announced as official.
Scorpio Sky continues to make history as TNT champ. Dan Lambert chimed in as co-champ to put over Paige VanZant. She looks better, fights better, and prints more money than the federal reserve. Jump on board the Paige train or get run over.
Leyla Hirsch vs. Red Velvet
Hirsch charged up the ramp to fight before the bell. Velvet had the upper hand for a suplex onto the hard surface. In the ring, Velvet landed double knees and a standing moonsault. Hirsch took charge to rough up her opponent. As Hirsch talked trash, Velvet smacked a backhand slap. Back to bashing for Hirsch.
Velvet rallied with kicks and bulldogs. Hirsch caught a spinning kick for a suplex bonanza. She went for the armbar, but Velvet locked her fingers to prevent extension. The dancer was able to place her lithe lower limb on the rope for a break. Hirsch went for her trademark turnbuckle tool to use as a foreign object. Kris Statlander arrived from behind to snatch the piece of steel. Velvet capitalized with a corkscrew kick for victory.
Red Velvet defeated Leyla Hirsch.
QT Marshall is proud of Hook as his prized student. He invited Hook to the ring next week to receive the inaugural QT Marshall Certificate of Accomplishment.
House of Black vs. Bear Country & Fuego del Sol
House of Black wrecked shop. Fuego scored a rally, but it didn’t last long. Buddy Matthews clobbered him. Brody King and Malakai Black connected on a suicide dive and moonsault on the outside to take out Bear Country. Matthews finished with a pumphandle spinning Samoan Drop maneuver.
House of Black defeated Bear Country & Fuego del Sol.
Penta Oscuro feels alive in the darkness. Death Triangle is inevitable. Cero miedo.
Mark Henry interviewed the main event participants. Max Caster has lots of money and lots of mouth to back up his bravado. He plans to back that ass up for Keith Lee to kiss. Lee has a painful lesson to teach his opponent. Enough talk. Henry closed with, “It’s time for the main event!”
Keith Lee vs. Max Caster
Caster’s rap included references to Ted Cruz, Razor Ramon, Pete Davidson, and the Alamo.
Lee utilized a brickhouse offense with a jumping jack flash leapfrog. Will Hobbs made his presence known on stage. That allowed Caster a moment to attack with a knee to knock Lee out of the ring. Lee still ran roughshod over Caster on the outside. As Lee chased Caster to re-enter the ring, Anthony Bowens created a distraction for Caster to land a dropkick and finally put Lee down on the mat. Caster focused on keeping the behemoth down.
Down the stretch, Lee powered up for a huge shoulder block. Caster fired back with kicks. He tried for a fireman’s carry lift, and that proved to be a pivotal mistake. Lee was too much weight for Caster to handle. Lee erupted for strikes and seized Caster for a fireman’s carry powerslam to win.
Keith Lee defeated Max Caster.
After the match, Hobbs ran in for fisticuffs. Ricky Starks quickly joined his Team Taz cohort. The Acclaimed added in with their boombox. Swerve Strickland came on the scene with a chair. The bad guys retreated, and the good guys shared a handshake.
Keith Lee is still Limitless in AEW. He is living up to his nickname with limitless potential. This story with Team Taz and Swerve Strickland is keeping him on point until he is unleashed for bigger things. Being a brickhouse in the ring has been his bread and butter so far. He’s mighty-mighty, just letting it all hang out. I can’t wait to see Lee smash meat with Will Hobbs. That should be hoss heaven.
Darby Allin and Butcher put on a very entertaining fight. It was a badass slobberknocker in their own way. Butcher dished out cool power moves, and Allin played crash dummy. The count-out was surprising for a finish. I can’t remember any other TV matches in AEW resulting in a count-out. That’s what made it stick out positively. Allin and Butcher also executed it well. A Code Red and a Coffin Drop are enough to keep any man down, and that made the count-out believable. Since it didn’t finish via pinfall, the door is open for a rematch down the line. The physicality was riveting, so I wouldn’t mind another round.
The intensity from Red Velvet and Leyla Hirsch made that match interesting. Hirsch thrived using her legit skills, while Velvet played the comeback kid. Hirsch was rotten enough in attitude that she set up a rooting interest in seeing Velvet prevail. Commentary put over Kris Statlander as having a new look, but I didn’t notice much of a difference. She wore some sort of chaps outfit. Does that make her a space cowboy? That’s more fitting than calling her a gangster of love or Maurice.
The House of Black made the most of their minutes with a variety of cool ass-kicking techniques. Each member had a turn showing strong skills in dismantling their opponents. It achieved the goal of keeping them fresh on our minds.
Grade: B
AEW did the best they could with a late-night airing this week. The first two matches maintained the fire and energy Rampage is known for. The final two matches were effective showcases for the winners. Add in a Hardys appearance and a budding friendship between Swerve and Limitless to keep the story elements intriguing.
Share your thoughts about Rampage. How do you rate it? Who stole the show?
Major Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake – North Pacific Ocean, 89 km Southeast of Sendai, Honshu-miyagi-ken, Japan, on Wednesday, Mar 16, 2022 at 11:36 pm (GMT +9)
11 years ago
9.1
29 km
62 years ago
8.0
15 km
11 years ago
7.9
43 km
83 years ago
7.8
35 km
44 years ago
7.7
44 km
83 years ago
7.7
30 km
83 years ago
7.7
35 km
84 years ago
7.7
15 km
91 years ago
7.7
30 km
58 years ago
7.6
15 km
83 years ago
7.6
25 km
66 years ago
7.5
66 km
32 years ago
7.4
29 km
9 years ago
7.3
36 km
11 years ago
7.3
32 km
60 years ago
7.3
28 km
17 years ago
7.2
36 km
61 years ago
7.2
30 km
85 years ago
7.2
35 km
89 years ago
7.2
30 km
94 years ago
7.2
35 km
1 year 4 weeks ago
7.1
56 km
11 years ago
7.1
42 km
40 years ago
7.1
37 km
52 weeks ago
7.0
44 km
11 years ago
7.0
23 km
14 years ago
7.0
22 km
18 years ago
7.0
10 km
19 years ago
7.0
68 km
54 years ago
7.0
32 km
61 years ago
7.0
30 km
62 years ago
7.0
15 km
63 years ago
7.0
35 km
82 years ago
7.0
20 km
83 years ago
7.0
10 km
5 years ago
6.9
10 km
14 years ago
6.9
7.8 km
14 years ago
6.9
27 km
30 years ago
6.9
29 km
32 years ago
6.9
9.6 km
41 years ago
6.9
33 km
46 weeks ago
6.8
61 km
7 years ago
6.8
53 km
14 years ago
6.8
108 km
35 years ago
6.8
48 km
7 years ago
6.7
24 km
11 years ago
6.7
33 km
11 years ago
6.7
2.8 km
26 years ago
6.7
41 km
35 years ago
6.7
30 km
35 years ago
6.7
29 km
11 years ago
6.6
26 km
11 years ago
6.6
16 km
17 years ago
6.6
16 km
35 years ago
6.6
68 km
3 years ago
6.5
10 km
8 years ago
6.5
10 km
11 years ago
6.5
20 km
11 years ago
6.5
6.8 km
11 years ago
6.5
49 km
11 years ago
6.5
15 km
12 years ago
6.5
32 km
16 years ago
6.5
29 km
20 years ago
6.5
124 km
37 years ago
6.5
52 km
1 year 47 weeks ago
6.4
53 km
11 years ago
6.4
13 km
11 years ago
6.4
11 km
11 years ago
6.4
32 km
11 years ago
6.4
35 km
19 years ago
6.4
39 km
30 years ago
6.4
27 km
32 years ago
6.4
9.1 km
35 years ago
6.4
36 km
41 years ago
6.4
20 km
51 years ago
6.4
22 km
52 years ago
6.4
49 km
3 years ago
6.3
49 km
7 years ago
6.3
16 km
10 years ago
6.3
36 km
10 years ago
6.3
11 km
11 years ago
6.3
38 km
11 years ago
6.3
40 km
11 years ago
6.3
41 km
12 years ago
6.3
27 km
13 years ago
6.3
19 km
16 years ago
6.3
32 km
17 years ago
6.3
10 km
32 years ago
6.3
67 km
44 years ago
6.3
40 km
4 years ago
6.2
10 km
9 years ago
6.2
29 km
9 years ago
6.2
9.7 km
14 years ago
6.2
19 km
22 years ago
6.2
62 km
24 years ago
6.2
33 km
26 years ago
6.2
55 km
27 years ago
6.2
9.1 km
30 years ago
6.2
16 km
32 years ago
6.2
8 km
Russia-Ukraine war updates for Sun Mar 13
Ukraine says it shot down 8 Russian military aircraft on Sunday
Ukraine’s Air Force Command claims it downed eight Russian military aircraft on Sunday, including four fixed-wing aircraft.
The command said on Facebook that it used anti-aircraft missiles to take down four planes, three helicopters and an unmanned aerial vehicle during an attack by Russian forces in the Kyiv region.
CNBC was unable to independently verify Ukraine’s claim, which it made late Sunday. NBC News reported that air raid sirens sounded over Kyiv on Sunday morning.
Separately on Sunday, Russian missiles pounded a Ukraine military base near Lviv, only 20 miles (33 km) from the border with NATO nation Poland.
Ukraine officials said 35 people were killed and 135 injured in the Lviv attack.
Russian aircraft are flying 200 sorties a day, but mostly firing missiles from within Russian airspace rather than risking flights over Ukraine, according to a Friday report from military and security news site Defense One.
— Ted Kemp
China foreign affairs official and U.S. national security advisor set to meet in Rome
On Monday, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan is set to meet in Rome with Yang Jiechi, director of the foreign affairs office for the Chinese Communist Party’s central committee, according to official announcements.
“The two sides will discuss ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security,” National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in a statement the meeting would discuss China-U.S. relations, as well as international and regional issues of mutual concern. He did not mention Russia or Ukraine.
China has refused to call Russia’s attack on Ukraine an invasion. On Friday, Premier Li Keqiang said China was “deeply” worried about the crisis.
— Evelyn Cheng
Russia reportedly asks China for assistance in invasion
Russia has asked China for military equipment to help in its invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
Moscow has reportedly asked for military equipment and other assistance since it began the invasion on Feb. 24, the sources said.
The U.S. government was preparing to warn allies about the situation, according to the FT report. It comes as some observers believe Russia is running out of some of its weaponry.
Moscow had expected to make far more gains and face less resistance in its attack, according to analysts. That has led to Russian President Vladimir Putin becoming increasingly frustrated, current and former U.S. officials briefed on the matter told NBC News. They warned Putin may double down on the violence as a result.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled for talks Monday with China’s top foreign policy official, Yang Jiechi, to discuss the invasion.
The FT reported that Sullivan is expected to warn officials that efforts to help Russia in the war or avoid sanctions would have consequences.
Read the full Financial Times report here.
—Jessica Bursztynsky
People leave notes and flowers outside the Ukraine Embassy in Washington, D.C.
People are showing their sympathy for Ukrainians with notes and flowers outside the Ukraine Embassy in Washington, D.C.
A woman prays and places flowers at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2022.
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
Notes and flowers are left outside the Ukraine Embassy in Washington D.C.
Amanda Macias | CNBC
Notes and flowers are left outside the Ukraine Embassy in Washington D.C.
Amanda Macias | CNBC
Notes and flowers are left outside the Ukraine Embassy in Washington D.C.
Amanda Macias | CNBC
Ukraine says power has been restored to Chornobyl plant
A satellite image shows a closer view of sarcophagus at Chernobyl, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine, March 10, 2022.
Maxar Technologies | Reuters
Ukraine said a broken power line to the Chornobyl energy plant has been restored, the Associated Press reported.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later confirmed the news, saying Ukrainian specialist teams fixed one of two damaged lines and would now be able to deliver all required off-site power to the power plant.
The power station in Chornobyl, which suffered a nuclear meltdown in 1986, is currently controlled by Russian troops.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that “heroes” from the national power grid company managed to repair the connection, according to the AP report. That means the cooling systems that work to prevent radiation leaks are operating normally.
— Yun Li
Red Cross warns of ‘worst-case scenario’ for civilians in Mariupol
Evacuees from Mariupol area get settled at a refugee camp in the settlement of Bezymennoye during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the Donetsk region, Ukraine March 8, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
The hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians still in Mariupol are facing the “worst-case scenario” unless leaders are able to reach a “concrete humanitarian agreement urgently,” the International Committee of the Red Cross warned.
Conditions in the heavily besieged port city are dire, with the Red Cross agency detailing shortages of food, water and medicine. People are risking their lives to find basic necessities and sheltering in unheated basements, it added.
“We call on all parties involved in the fighting to place humanitarian imperatives first. People in Mariupol have endured a weekslong life-and-death nightmare. This needs to stop now. Their safety and their access to food, water and shelter must be guaranteed,” Peter Maurer, ICRC president, said in a statement.
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to partial cease-fires to allow civilians to leave the city, but multiple reports indicate attacks continued after the set time. That’s led Ukrainian leaders to accuse Moscow of refusing to let civilians out of the city.
—Jessica Bursztynsky
Many Ukrainians find refuge underground in the Kharkiv Metro
For those who remain in Kharkiv, a city in northeast Ukraine, many have taken refuge underground in the city’s Metro stations.
Residents shelter from attacks in a metro station of Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine.
Emre Caylak | AFP | Getty Images
Studentska metro station, where 200 to 400 people live every day and, in case of emergency, where at least 1,000 people find refuge in Kharkiv, Ukraine as Russian attacks continue.
Andrea Carrubba | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A view of people taking refuge at the Kharkiv Metro Station in Kharkiv, Ukraine as Russian attacks continue.
Andrea Carrubba | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A view of people taking refuge at the Kharkiv Metro Station in Kharkiv, Ukraine as Russian attacks continue.
Andrea Carrubba | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A view of people taking refuge at the Kharkiv Metro Station in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 10, 2022 as Russian attacks continue.
Andrea Carrubba | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Studentska metro station, where 200 to 400 people live every day in the beseiged city of Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Andrea Carrubba | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A Kharkiv resident takes refuge at the Studentska metro station in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Andrea Carrubba | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Children pass the time at the Studentska metro station, where 200 to 400 people are sheltering as Russian attacks on the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine continue.
Andrea Carrubba | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Zelenskyy calls on software giants to stop support services in Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on software giants Oracle, Microsoft and SAP to stop support services for their products in Russia.
“Now can be no ‘half’ decisions or ‘halftones’! There is only black and white, good or evil! You are either for peace or support the bloody Russian aggressor to kill Ukrainian children and women,” Zelenskky wrote on Twitter.
“Stop supporting your products in Russia, stop the war!” he added.
Ukrainian officials have been pressuring technology giants and corporations still doing business in Russia to pull their products and support from the country.
— Jessica Bursztynsky
U.S. journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud killed in Ukraine
Brent Renaud attends the 74th Annual Peabody Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 31, 2015, in New York. Renaud, an American journalist, was killed in a suburb of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 13, 2022, while gathering material for a report about refugees.
Charles Sykes | AP
American journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud was killed by Russian forces on Sunday in Ukraine, a State Department spokesman confirmed.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to his family on their loss and are offering all possible consular assistance. Out of respect for his family’s privacy, we have no specifics to offer at this time,” the spokesman.
Renaud was a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, television producer and journalist, who lived and worked in New York City and Little Rock, Ark., according to his biography on the Renaud Brothers website.
He worked with his brother Craig on a number of film and TV projects covering the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the earthquake in Haiti and political turmoil in Egypt and Libya, according to the website.
Renaud was also a contributor to the New York Times.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death. Brent was a talented filmmaker who had contributed to The New York Times over the years,” The New York Times said in a statement. “Though he had contributed to The Times in the past (most recently in 2015), he was not on assignment for any desk at The Times in Ukraine. Early reports that he worked for Times circulated because he was wearing a Times press badge that had been issued for an assignment many years ago.”
— Yun Li
IMF’s Georgieva says Russian sovereign default no longer improbable
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press conference as she meets with economic and financial organizations in Berlin at the German chancellery on August 26, 2021 in Berlin, Germany.
Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said a Russian sovereign default could happen.
“In terms of servicing debt obligations, I can say that no longer we think of Russian default as [an] improbable event,” Georgieva said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Russia has the money to service its debt, but cannot access it.”
The country, whose Ukraine invasion has entered its third week, is facing those economic consequences amid massive sanctions by the U.S. and other allies.
Last week, rating agency Fitch downgraded Russia’s sovereign rating by six notches further into junk territory to a C grade, saying a default is “imminent.”
Moody’s and S&P have also slashed the country’s sovereign rating to “junk” status, saying Western sanctions could undermine Russia’s ability to service its debt.
— Yun Li
Evacuation train hit by shelling, conductor killed
An evacuation train in eastern Ukraine came under fire, killing the conductor and injuring another individual, the country’s national railroad Ukrzaliznytsia said in a statement. It marks the latest attack against civilians who are attempting to escape violence.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were on the train. The railroad company was working to evacuate the crew and passengers on the train, which includes about 100 children, it said.
The train was on its way to pick up evacuees from Lyman. It had been near the Brusyn station in the Donetsk region when it was hit by shelling, the company said in a Facebook post.
Ultimately, the train was headed to Lviv, a city in the Western part of Ukraine that many refugees have seen as a transfer point to get to safety, Ukrainian official Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a Telegram post.
“The occupiers crossed all possible boundaries of common sense and humanity,” Kyrylenko said. “They must receive proper punishment for their hellish crimes!”
—Jessica Bursztynsky
UN says at least 596 dead in Ukraine
A wounded man is evacuated as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in the town of Irpin outside Kyiv, Ukraine, March 12, 2022.
Marko Djurica | Reuters
At least 596 people, including 43 children, have been killed since Russia began its invasion on Ukraine, the United Nations said. An additional 1,067 civilians, including 57 children, were wounded as of midnight on Saturday.
U.N. officials have said they believe actual casualties are “considerably higher,” as reports in some areas are delayed and others are pending confirmation.
Most of the casualties have been caused by the use of explosive weapons that have a “wide impact area,” including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, missiles and airstrikes, the agency said.
The death toll has continued to rapidly mount since troops invaded on Feb. 24, while Ukrainians still are trying to flee the country. U.S. officials have said they are collecting evidence of possible war crimes, human rights abuses and violations of international law by Russia.
“What we’ve been seeing in recent three weeks is a series of deliberately committed war crimes, crimes against humanity,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Sunday of civilian deaths on CBS’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” “And when they bomb hospitals, maternity houses, schools, when they kill civilians passing by trying to be evacuated from the war zone, that, of course, indicates that they are trying to break us down and to destroy us.”
—Jessica Bursztynsky
A second mayor captured by Russian forces, Ukrainian official says
A second Ukrainian mayor was abducted by Russian forces on Sunday according to Dmytro Kuleba, the nation’s top diplomat.
“Today, Russian war criminals abducted another democratically elected Ukrainian mayor, head of Dniprorudne Yevhen Matveyev,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
Yevhen Matveyev, the mayor of Dniprorudne, a southern port city in Ukraine, is the second known mayor to be captured by Russian forces. Ukrainian officials said the mayor of the southeastern city of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, was captured by Russian soldiers on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a tweet on Saturday that he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for help in the release of Fedorov.
— Amanda Macias
Zelenskyy meets with wounded troops at hospital
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits an injured Ukrainian serviceman at a military hospital, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2022.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a hospital to meet with wounded service members fighting against Russian forces.
In the three-minute video, which was posted on Telegram, Zelenskyy is seen at the bedside of wounded troops, shaking hands and posing for selfies. He also appears to award one soldier with a medal.
Ukraine?s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits an injured Ukrainian serviceman at a military hospital, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2022.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Reuters
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits an injured Ukrainian serviceman at a military hospital, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2022.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Reuters
Ukraine?s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits an injured Ukrainian serviceman at a military hospital, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2022.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Reuters
‘Arm Ukraine and we will do the rest,’ Ukrainian official says
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks during the NATO Foreign Ministers summit in Riga, Latvia December 1, 2021.
Ints Kalnins | Reuters
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on allies and partners to continue to supply his country with more firepower, as the Kremlin’s war approaches the fourth week.
Kuleba also said he does not expect NATO allies to defend Ukraine in the event of a potential chemical attack. Instead, he called on the alliance to deploy more weapons and defensive systems.
“We say arm Ukraine and we will do the rest. Give us all the weapons necessary and we will fight for our own land and for our people, Kuleba told CBS Sunday program “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
He added that “the most pressing issue” is to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with more planes.
He described Ukraine’s air power as “uncomparable” to Russia’s fleet. Last week, the Pentagon scrapped a plan to send Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine citing logistics issues of flying aircraft into contested airspace.
— Amanda Macias
Military Chaplain Nikolay Medynsky blesses Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv
Military Chaplain Nikolay Medynsky blesses Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv as Russia’s attack on the Ukraine continues.
Military Chaplain Nikolay Medynsky blesses Ukrainian soldiers before they go into battle, as Russia’s attack on the Ukraine continues.
Thomas Peter | Reuters
Military Chaplain Nikolay Medynsky blesses a Ukrainian soldier in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 13, 2022.
Thomas Peter | Reuters
Military Chaplain Nikolay Medynsky prays with Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 13, 2022.
Thomas Peter | Reuters
Ukrainian servicemen attend a prayer service before going into battle, as Russia’s attack on the Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 13, 2022.
Thomas Peter | Reuters
Instagram service will cease at midnight in Russia
Meta logo displayed on a phone screen and Russian flag displayed on a screen in the background are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on March 1, 2022.
Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Russian Instagram users were alerted that the Meta-owned platform will cease operations in the country starting at midnight.
The state communications regulator sent an email encouraging people to move their photos and videos from Instagram before it was shut down and to switch to Russia’s own “competitive internet platforms,” Reuters reported.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has said the decision would cut 80 million users in Russia off from one another.
The decision comes after Meta began allowing users in Ukraine to call for violence against Russia’s president and military. Russia opened a criminal case against the company, attempting to have it declared an extremist organization because of the temporary change in its hate speech policy to permit threats on Instagram and Facebook in the context of Russia’s Ukraine invasion.
Russia’s media regulator has already blocked Meta’s flagship app Facebook in the country.
—Jessica Bursztynsky
Jake Sullivan and China’s Yang Jiechi to discuss Ukraine on Monday
US National Security advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily press briefing on the situation in Afghanistan at the White House in Washington, DC on August 17, 2021.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
National security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet in Rome on Monday with China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, to discuss the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.
The meeting, which will include officials from the National Security Council and State Department, follows warnings from Washington that Beijing should not alleviate the economic pressure mounting on Moscow.
“The two sides will discuss ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security,” the White House said in a statement.
Sullivan told CNN’s Dana Bash in a Sunday interview that “there will absolutely be consequences for large scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them.”
“We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country anywhere in the world,” he added.
Sullivan will also meet with Luigi Mattiolo, a diplomatic advisor to Italy’s prime minister, on “coordinating a strong, united international response to President Putin’s war of choice.”
— Amanda Macias
Pentagon is sending more firepower to Ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen prepare a Swedish-British portable anti-tank guided missile NLAW before an attack in Lugansk region on February 26, 2022.
Anatolii Stepanov | AFP | Getty Images
The Pentagon is working to send additional military equipment to Ukraine as part of President Joe Biden’s weekend authorization of an additional $200 million.
“We’re going to get working on that right away to get that additional material into their hands,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told ABC News on Sunday.
Kirby declined to specify what type of U.S. military equipment could be forward deployed to Ukraine but said that the most effective platforms are air defense systems, drones and man-portable air-defense systems or MANPADS.
“They are doing very well with that and we believe those are what they need the most,” Kirby added.
— Amanda Macias
Anti-war protesters arrested in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia
Russian police arrested numerous anti-war protesters in St. Petersburg and Moscow as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.
Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russian military action in Ukraine, in central Saint Petersburg on March 13, 2022.
Afp | Getty Images
Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russian military action in Ukraine, in Manezhnaya Square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022.
Afp | Getty Images
Police officers detain a woman during a protest against Russian military action in Ukraine, in central Saint Petersburg on March 13, 2022.
Afp | Getty Images
Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russian military action in Ukraine, in Manezhnaya Square in central Moscow on March 13, 2022.
Afp | Getty Images
Riot police officers are seen deployed in the streets during a protest against Russian military action in Ukraine, in central Saint Petersburg on March 13, 2022.
Afp | Getty Images
Sullivan warns of potential miscalculations amid Putin’s provocative rhetoric on nuclear weapons
National security advisor Jake Sullivan condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric around Moscow’s nuclear posture and warned of potential miscalculations.
Last month, Putin placed his nation’s nuclear forces on high alert amid tensions with the West over the invasion of Ukraine. Putin, speaking in a meeting on Feb. 27 with his top defense officials, cited “aggressive statements” made against Russia by NATO as a reason to order the elevation.
“We are watching this extremely closely and obviously the escalation risk with nuclear power is severe and it is a different kind of conflict,” Sullivan told CNN’s Dana Bash when asked if Putin would use a nuclear weapon.
Of the world’s combined nuclear weapons inventory, Washington and Moscow own the lion’s share with approximately 4,000 warheads each.
Sullivan added that the U.S. has not adjusted its nuclear weapons posture but that the administration is monitoring this issue “day by day, hour by hour because it is a paramount priority to the president.”
— Amanda Macias
White House watching China closely as Putin attempts to blunt sweeping sanctions
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 23, 2021.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
The Biden administration said it is watching to see if the world’s second-largest economy comes to the aid of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid a slew of punishing sanctions.
National security advisor Jake Sullivan said the U.S. believes China was aware of Putin’s pre-planned invasion of Ukraine.
“They [China] may not have understood the full extent of it because it’s very possible that Putin lied to them the same way that he lied to Europeans and others,” Sullivan told CNN’s Dana Bash.
“We also are watching closely to see the extent to which China actually does provide any form of support, material support or economic support to Russia. It is a concern of ours and we have communicated to Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses,” he added.
— Amanda Macias
‘Vladimir Putin does not look like he is prepared to stop the onslaught,’ Biden security advisor says
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with government members via a video link in Moscow, Russia March 10, 2022.
Mikhail Klimentyev | Sputnik | Reuters
National security advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not look like he is prepared to stop the onslaught” in Ukraine.
Sullivan told CNN’s Sunday program that while the United States will not send troops to fight in Ukraine, the Biden administration will “escalate the pressure against him [Putin] and continue to support the Ukrainians.”
Sullivan added that the U.S. was coordinating with NATO allies on sending additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
— Amanda Macias
With nearly half its gold and currency reserves frozen, Russia turns to China
Russia said it is counting on China to assist it as Western sanctions batter its economy, Reuters reported. The sanctions have frozen nearly half of the country’s gold and foreign currency reserves.
“We have part of our gold and foreign exchange reserves in the Chinese currency, in yuan. And we see what pressure is being exerted by Western countries on China in order to limit mutual trade with China. Of course, there is pressure to limit access to those reserves,” Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.
“But I think that our partnership with China will still allow us to maintain the cooperation that we have achieved, and not only maintain, but also increase it in an environment where Western markets are closing.”
Siluanov made the remarks in a TV interview, Reuters said, and made it clear that Moscow is reaching out to China to help cushion the blow on its economy.
— Terri Cullen
Pope Francis says ‘unacceptable armed aggression’ in Ukraine must stop
Pope Francis delivers his Sunday Angelus blessing from his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square on March 13, 2022 in Vatican City, Vatican.
Franco Origlia | Getty Images
Pope Francis has issued a strong condemnation of the war in Ukraine, saying the “unacceptable armed aggression” must stop before it reduces cities to cemeteries.
“In the name of God, let the cries of those who suffer be heard and let the bombings and attacks cease,” Pope Francis said during his Sunday blessing, addressing thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
“Let there be a real and decisive focus on negotiation, and let the humanitarian corridors be effective and safe. In the name of God, I ask you: stop this massacre,” he said, describing the killing of children and unarmed civilians as “barbaric.”
— Holly Ellyatt
U.K. considers using sanctioned oligarchs’ properties for refugees
Britain is exploring whether it can use properties belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs for humanitarian purposes.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove said Sunday that seized homes in Britain could potentially be used to house refugees from Ukraine as the government seeks to improve its response to the migrant crisis following heavy criticism.
A property being sold by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in the Kensington district of London on March 2, 2022.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
“I want to explore an option which would allow us to use the homes and properties of sanctioned individuals for as long as they are sanctioned for humanitarian and other purposes,” Gove told the BBC.
Given that the sanctioned properties have not been permanently confiscated, Gove noted that the legal barriers of such a move could be high. However, he added, “if we can use [the properties] in order to help others, let’s do that.”
— Karen Gilchrist
Death toll rises after Russia strikes Ukrainian military facility
A man wounded in Sunday morning’s air strikes at a nearby military complex is assisted by medical staff outside Novoiavorivsk District Hospital on March 13, 2022 in Novoiavorivsk, Ukraine. Early this morning, a series of Russian missiles struck the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security at the nearby Yavoriv military complex, killing at least 35 and wounding scores, according to Ukrainian officials. The site is west of Lviv and mere miles from Ukraine’s border with Poland, a NATO member.
Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | Getty Images
At least 35 people have been killed and 134 injured after Russia attacked a military training base in western Ukraine, the Lviv regional governor said on Sunday.
The death toll has risen from an earlier tally that stated there had been nine fatalities and 57 people wounded in the attack on the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre (IPSC), in Ukraine’s Yavoriv district.
That location of the military facility, which is used for training Ukraine’s armed forces, is around 32 miles (52 km) from the major western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
— Holly Ellyatt
Any use of chemical weapons by Russia would be a ‘game changer,’ Poland’s president says
Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Artur Widak | NurPhoto | Getty Images
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said in an interview on Sunday that the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine by Russia would be a “game changer” and a red line for NATO.
“If he uses any weapons of mass destruction then this will be a game changer in the whole thing,” he told the BBC’s Sophie Raworth on Sunday, adding that NATO would have to “think seriously what to do because then it starts to be dangerous.”
With his almost universally condemned invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb.24, Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen as an increasingly unpredictable leader.
As Russia is facing far more resistance than it expected in Ukraine, and appearing to prepare to attack the capital Kyiv, there are fears that Putin could resort to using unconventional — and outlawed — weapons.
— Holly Ellyatt
Nine reportedly killed and 57 wounded in Russian strike on military facility
Wounded person is being carried to a hospital after a series of Russian missiles hit the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security this morning in Lviv, Ukraine on March 13, 2022.
Abdullah Tevge | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Nine people have been killed and 57 wounded in an air strike on a military facility in western Ukraine, according to a Reuters report citing the governor of the Lviv region, where the facility is located.
Russia targeted the military training center in western Ukraine, close to the border with Poland, earlier on Saturday. Lviv’s regional military administration said that eight missiles were fired at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre (IPSC), in Ukraine’s Yavoriv district. That location is around 34 miles (55 km) from the major western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
A ministry representative told Reuters the ministry was still trying to establish if any of the instructors were at the centre at the time of the attack.
“Russia has attacked the International Center for Peacekeeping & Security near Lviv. Foreign instructors work here. Information about the victims is being clarified,” Reznikov said in an online post, Reuters reported.
— Holly Ellyatt
U.K. warns Russian forces are trying to envelop Ukrainian forces in the east
A view shows an armoured convoy of pro-Russian troops during Ukraine-Russia conflict outside the separatist-controlled town of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region, Ukraine March 12, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
The U.K.’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that Russian forces are attempting to envelop Ukrainian forces in the east of the country.
The authorities said that military personnel are seen advancing from Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south.
Additional Russian forces advancing from Crimea are trying to circumvent Mykolaiv in the south as they attempt to drive west toward Odesa, the ministry said in a tweet.
“Russia is paying a high price for each advance as the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues to offer staunch resistance across the country,” it said.
— Karen Gilchrist
Russia targets military site in western Ukraine, near Polish border
A man wounded in this morning’s air strikes at a nearby military complex is assisted by medical staff outside Novoiavorivsk District Hospital on March 13, 2022 in Novoiavorivsk, Ukraine.
Dan Kitwood | Getty Images
Russia has targeted a military training center in western Ukraine, close to the border with Poland, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Lviv’s regional military administration said that eight missiles were fired at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre (IPSC), in Ukraine’s Yavoriv district.
That location is around 34 miles (55 km) from Lviv, a major city in the west of Ukraine where thousands of civilians have fled to or passed through as they try to get to Poland.
The IPSC is a training center for the Ukrainian army, particularly for peacekeeping missions. Information about any casualties is being established, the administration said.
At the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its forces attacked predominantly in the north, east and south of the country, but in recent days Moscow has expanded its attacks to sites in the center and west.
— Holly Ellyatt
NATO secretary general warns that Russia may use chemical weapons
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned on Sunday that Russia might use chemical weapons against Ukrainians, Reuters reported, citing an interview with a German newspaper.
Stoltenberg told Welt am Sonntag that such an attack would constitute a war crime, but that Russia appeared to be inventing advance justification for using chemical weapons.
“In recent days, we have heard absurd claims about chemical and biological weapons laboratories,” said Stoltenberg, who added that the Kremlin was creating a false pretext to justify something that can’t be justified.
— Ted Kemp
Russia wants to break Ukraine into ‘pseudo-republics,’ Zelenskyy says
A service member of pro-Russian troops in a uniform without insignia tests a loudspeaker near a local police department during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the separatist-controlled town of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region, Ukraine March 12, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a nightly address that Russia is trying to break up the country by creating new “pseudo-republics,” the Associated Press reported.
“The occupiers on the territory of the Kherson region are trying to repeat the sad experience of the formation of pseudo-republics,” Zelenskyy said, according to AP. “They are blackmailing local leaders, putting pressure on deputies, looking for someone to bribe.”
Zelenskyy said that Kherson city council members on Saturday rejected plans for a new republic. Kherson is in Ukraine’s south and now under the control of Russian forces.
Before invading Ukraine in late February, Russia “recognized” the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as new, independent countries.
Russia has supported a separatist war in the east of Ukraine since 2014.
— Ted Kemp
Starlink satellites mar a fifth of asteroid-spotting telescope’s critical observations
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation has been concerning the world’s astronomers for years. Now, a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters by astronomers at the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory shows just how bad the problem is – and how much worse it is likely to become.
Since 2019, SpaceX has been launching batches of satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO) to build a constellation network that will provide internet access from any point on the globe. There are close to 1,800 satellites in orbit already, with plans for tens of thousands to eventually be deployed.
The problem is these satellites reflect light from both the Sun and the Earth over the horizon, which makes them visible in the night sky even to the unaided eye. While this can be a spectacular sight, or even a nuisance, for ground-based observers looking up at the stars, for ground-based astronomical observatories it’s a serious issue.
When the human eye stares at the night sky and sees a Starlink satellite, it looks like a particularly bright star moving across the sky. It only does that because our brain is constantly updating the visual data it’s getting from our eye to create that motion.
That is not how telescope observatories work, though. For these observatories to capture images of distant objects, they have to collect a lot of light over an extended period and then create a single image out of all that light. This is how they can capture such vivid imagery of objects that our eyes can’t detect on their own.
When a Starlink satellite passes through the view of these observatories, however, it doesn’t look like it’s moving. It appears as a bright line across the image, blocking out whatever is behind it. This is especially true of images taken during twilight hours at dawn and dusk, which are essential for identifying objects that might be between the Earth and the Sun, like near-Earth asteroids.
“In 2019, 0.5 percent of twilight images were affected, and now almost 20 percent are affected,” Przemek Mróz, the study lead author and a former Caltech postdoctoral scholar, now at the University of Warsaw in Poland, said in a statement.
“We don’t expect Starlink satellites to affect non-twilight images, but if the satellite constellation of other companies goes into higher orbits, this could cause problems for non-twilight observations,” Mróz added.
Twilight observations are especially important for planetary defense
The reason twilight observations are so important is that most of the objects in the solar system orbit the Sun on a level plane. Some objects have far more eccentric orbits – comets, most notably – but all asteroids are leftover material from the Sun’s original accretion disk during the formation of the solar system.
So, asteroid orbits aren’t very eccentric and can sometimes intersect our own and hit the planet. Usually, this isn’t catastrophic, as the meteors (any space object that enters our atmosphere is defined as a meteor) burn up in the atmosphere and simply create a light show in the form of shooting stars or more spectacular fireballs.
It’s the bigger meteors we need to worry about and it’s vital we track as many asteroids as we can that might threaten life on Earth. That’s where twilight observations come in.
If the Earth is between an asteroid and the Sun, there’s no problem tracking it. It’ll be visible deep into the night and will even be reflecting the Sun’s light making it easier to spot. But that is only half of the sky. The other half is completely overwhelmed by the light of the Sun, making it impossible to observe anything during the day.
This makes it all-but-impossible to spot an object that orbits between the Earth and the Sun, as many asteroids do. It also means that we lose track of any object that might orbit further away from the Sun than we do if that object’s relative position is only visible during the day.
So how do you spot these objects? Fortunately, you can point a telescope towards the Sun’s position on the horizon just after sunset or just before sunrise and get a pretty clear view of these objects.
This allows us to keep track of the position of near-Earth asteroids and project their orbits into the future, thereby identifying possible threats far enough in advance to do something about them.
However, they are also tiny points of light in the sky, so telescopes have to take very long exposure images over multiple days for them to show up and for us to be able to determine their velocity and trajectories. And now, about 20% of these images are compromised by SpaceX’s Starlink satellites streaking across them.
Tom Prince, the Ira S. Bowen Professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Caltech and co-author of the ZTF study, notes that the problem isn’t too bad, yet.
“There is a small chance that we would miss an asteroid or another event hidden behind a satellite streak,” Prince said, “but compared to the impact of weather, such as a cloudy sky, these are rather small effects for ZTF.”
Unfortunately, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, under construction in Chile, is far more sensitive than ZTF and will be far more susceptible to satellite streaks during its observations. With tens of thousands of satellites planned this decade, it will be disastrous for the new observatory’s work.
“There’ll be nowhere where you can take [the Vera Rubin] and point it without having one of them in the field of view,” Tony Tyson, a University of California, Davis astronomer and physicist working on observatory told Vox in December 2019.
What’s the big deal about streaks?
So what if there’s a white line across an image? Isn’t the rest of the image still perfectly usable?
Yes, the rest of the image is usable, but anything that was behind that streak is going to get missed. It might show up in a subsequent image, but without knowing its position in the first image, you can’t measure its speed or trajectory.
If one out of every five images might be compromised, can’t we just take more images to compensate? Yes, and we’ll have to do that, but one in five images is being compromised by Starlink satellites when there are only about 1,800 satellites in LEO. SpaceX already has approval to put 12,000 Starlink satellites in orbit and has plans to deploy an additional 18,000 satellites on top of that.
What’s more, SpaceX isn’t the only company looking to create satellite constellations. Companies like Amazon and OneWeb are planning their own constellations.
What happens when there are 100,000 satellites in LEO, all streaking across the sky during twilight and marring these vital observations? That’s how many are likely to be deployed within the decade between the various satellite companies. With that many satellites in LEO, every single observation taken at twilight is going to be affected. All of them. And it won’t be a single streak either, it could be dozens.
Can technology help?
It’s possible that machine learning algorithms can help compensate by removing these streaks, but that has the potential to effectively smudge the data and create objects that aren’t there or erase objects that are.
It is also possible to coordinate observations with satellite operators so that observations aren’t taken when satellites are passing overhead. That’s easy enough, for now, but will it still be easy when there are a hundred thousand satellites in orbit?
Could Starlink satellites be made of a non-reflective material? Possibly, and SpaceX has already put a sun visor on the satellites and positioned their solar panels to reduce the amount of light reflected back at Earth. This has cut down their brightness considerably, but not enough to keep from streaking across observatories’ images.
Even if SpaceX took every satellite out of orbit and scrapped its Starlink plans, there’s nothing to stop a Russian or Chinese company from doing something similar. It’s not like a constellation of Chinese internet satellites will be any better.
So what is the solution? That is the big question, and no one has come up with a satisfying answer yet. Astronomers have turned to the UN to ask for help in regulating these satellites to protect ground-based observation. That won’t stop these companies from deploying their satellites, though. SpaceX alone puts a hundred or so satellites into orbit every month. There’s money to be made, after all.
“The mechanisms in [international] law that might have allowed us to avoid this, those wheels turn so slowly that by the time we would get to any consensus on a policy solution, this is all going to be over,” said John Barentine, an astronomer and the director of public policy at the International Dark-Sky Association. “I just think that it’s a numbers game that astronomy probably cannot win.”
What it means to have the night sky taken from us
For all the purported benefits to humanity – and don’t get me wrong, bringing true broadband internet speeds to developing countries and rural areas is an unquestionably good thing – no one should forget that SpaceX, Amazon, and others aren’t doing this out of altruism.
They aren’t bringing free internet service to the world. They will be charging for it and presumably making profits off its investment in their satellite constellations. Making money is the whole point of the enterprise, twilight observations of near-Earth objects or even just simple star-gazing be damned.
“Satellite constellations…strike at the core of humanity’s scientific and cultural relation to the night sky, affecting millennia-old sky traditions and cultural practices across all nations around celestial cycles and the night sky,” Aparna Venkatesan, James Lowenthal, Parvathy Prem, and Monica Vidaurri wrote in a study published in Nature Astronomy in November 2020.
They too advocate for an international consensus to protect the night sky for future generations: “This approach requires a radical shift in the policies of international regulatory bodies towards the view of space as an ancestral global commons that contains the heritage and future of humanity’s scientific and cultural practices.”
With little regulation and no international rules governing satellite constellation deployment, it feels like screaming into a void, one that will soon be charging you money for the privilege of doing so. Whatever happens, we should never forget what is being taken from us and why.
Stock Market Today: Dow Holds Near Records, the Fed Meets, Zillow Slumps
Text size
The
Dow Jones Industrial Average
was slightly lower Wednesday morning after closing at a record high Tuesday as markets await the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision.
In morning trading, the Dow was off 75 points, or 0.2%, after the blue-chip benchmark closed above 36,000 for the first time. The
S&P 500
fell 0.1%, while the
Nasdaq Composite
was essentially flat. All three indexes ended Tuesday at new all-time highs.
Today the spotlight is squarely on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)—the Federal Reserve’s monetary-policy body. Its monthly meeting got under way Tuesday and will wrap up Wednesday with a statement from Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
“Stock futures are little changed near record highs as a sense of Fed paralysis grips the markets ahead of the FOMC announcement today,” wrote Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research before the market opened.
It’s largely expected that the central bank will announce that it will start slowing, or tapering, its Covid-19 pandemic-era program of monthly asset purchases, which add liquidity to markets. The Fed has been buying $120 billion in bonds to keep their prices high and yields low since June 2020, when it settled into a steady pattern after more fervent bond-buying near the beginning of the pandemic.
Markets now largely expect that the Fed will begin slowing these purchases, which consist of Treasury securities and agency mortgage-backed securities, at a rate of about $15 billion a month, starting this month. If the central bank announces a faster pace, investors could react negatively, and it could put pressure on stocks.
The larger risk is that the Fed could indicate that it is considering short-term interest rate hikes sooner rather than later. With inflation running hot and economic growth slowing, an indication of a rate hike too soon could also cause a selloff in stocks.
“It is widely expected the central bank will commence tapering in November or perhaps December,” wrote Kent Engelke, chief economic strategist at Capitol Securities Management. “The question at hand is whether or not it will change its time line as to when it intends to increase the overnight rate.”
As the Fed looms, not even solid economic data could move stocks higher. The ADP jobs report showed that the U.S. added 571,000 private-sector jobs in October, above the consensus forecast for 395,000.
Also read: Is Inflation Here to Stay? The Data Are Cause for Worry. The Fed Will Have its Say Today
Overseas, Hong Kong’s
Hang Seng Index
slipped 0.3% as investors in Asia tread water ahead of the FOMC meeting. The pan-European
Stoxx 600
was up 0.1% as investors in Europe adopted a similar wait-and-see attitude.
In commodity markets, oil prices fell back amid indications that U.S. crude supply is higher than expected and pressure on the OPEC+ group of national producers to ramp up production.
U.S. futures for West Texas Intermediate crude were down 2.5% to around $81.80 after trading near $85 earlier in the week—the highest levels since late 2014.
Analysts cited data from the American Petroleum Institute Tuesday showing that U.S. crude inventories jumped by 3.6 million barrels last week—far more than the 1.5 million estimated—in a surprise to supply expectations. That puts the spotlight on official data Wednesday from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Here are six stocks on the move Wednesday:
Lyft (ticker: LYFT) stock gained 11% after the company’s earnings report showed a more than 50% rise in adjusted earnings before interest, tax and non-cash expenses. Sales were $864 million, above expectations for $863 million.
Lyft’s results helped rival
Uber (UBER) stock rise 5.6% ahead of its Thursday earnings report.
Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) stock gained 34% after the company announced a partnership with
Kroger (KR) to sell certain products at the grocer’s locations and through online channels. Still, the Bed Bath & Beyond stock is also benefiting from its status as a “meme stock,” so the initial buying has forced short-sellers to buy shares back.
Zillow Group (ZG) stock dropped 19% after seeing several analyst downgrades after the company said it will terminate its home buying and selling business.
Shake Shack (SHAK) stock gained 3.8% after getting upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Northcoast.
CVS Health (CVS) stock rose 3.6% after the company reported a profit of $1.97 a share, beating estimates of $1.78 a share, on sales of $73.8 billion, above expectations for $70.5 billion.
Write to Jacob Sonenshine at jacob.sonenshine@barrons.com