February 21, 2022

UKRAINE | Reports say that U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukraine crisis, though the Kremlin says there are no concrete plans as yet for such a meeting. [more]

OLYMPICS | The 2022 Winter Olympics closed on Sunday in Beijing with Norway, Germany, and China leading the total medal count. [full medal count]  The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place in Paris, France, and the 2026 Winter Games will take place in Milan and Cortina, Italy. [more]

MINNEAPOLIS | Former Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter, who was convicted of killing motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April 2021, was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday. Potter had said she confused her handgun for her Taser when she fatally shot Wright. [more]

MYANMAR | The International Court of Justice is set to begin hearings today in the Hague in a case brought against Myanmar over alleged acts of genocide against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. [more]

COVID-19 | Johns Hopkins University data indicates that COVID-19 infection rates in the U.S. continue to decline, with just over 100,000 cases being reported on Saturday — down from a daily rate of more than 800,000 in mid-January. [more]

TRUMP RECORDS | The National Archives and Records Administration confirmed Friday that classified documents were among the records recovered from former president Donald Trump’s Florida home in January. [more]

LONDON | Buckingham Palace announced Sunday that Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19 infection. The 95-year-old monarch is reported to be experiencing relatively mild symptoms of infection. [more]

AUSTRALIA | Australia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers today, nearly two years after almost all international travel to the country was banned as a COVID-19 mitigation measure. [more]

NASCAR | NASCAR Cup Series rookie Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500 yesterday, finishing 0.036 seconds ahead of veteran Bubba Wallace. [more]

USA | Truth Social — the new social media app backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump — went live for U.S. users of Apple’s App Store over the weekend. Trump had announced plans for the app after being banned from Facebook and Twitter last year. [more]

FILM | “Uncharted” topped the U.S. box office rankings over the weekend, bringing in an estimated $51 million. “Dog” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” had the second and third highest revenue, respectively. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | U.S. President Richard Nixon paid a state visit to the People's Republic of China on this date in 1972, ending a 21-year estrangement between the communist country and the United States. [more]