March 17, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 22 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates [more]:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invoked memories of Pearl Harbor and 9/11 in his virtual address to members of the U.S. Congress yesterday. In the address, Zelensky asked the U.S. to provide additional weapons to resist the Russian invasion and reiterated his call for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Ukraine.
• Ukrainian officials say Russian forces destroyed a theater yesterday in the port city of Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering. No specific reports of casualties from the attack have been released.
• The Associated Press reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to discuss a possible transfer of Cold War-era S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine this week when he visits Bulgaria and Slovakia.
• U.S. President Joe Biden yesterday referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time as a "war criminal."
• Reports say electricity supply networks in Ukraine and Moldova have been successfully connected to the Continental European power grid as of today. European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said the move will help Ukraine maintain stable power supplies while facing  Russian attacks on the country’s power infrastructure. [more]
• British defense ministry officials say that Russian forces invading Ukraine have made only minimal progress in recent days amidst strong Ukrainian resistance.

COVID-19 | World Health Organization officials said yesterday that new global COVID-19 infections rose 8% last week after falling for several weeks, with the largest increase seen in the Western Pacific region. [more]

PARKLAND SHOOTING | The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed yesterday that it has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the families of most of those killed or wounded in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The $127.5 million settlement resolves some 40 legal cases that claimed the FBI never acted on tips up to five weeks before the attack that the perpetrator of the massacre was planning gun violence at the school. [more]

ECONOMY | The U.S. Federal Reserve announced a quarter-point increase in its short-term interest rate yesterday — the first rate increase since 2018. The Fed also suggested that up to six rate hikes could take place this year. [more]

JAPAN | A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, leaving two dead, and triggering a tsunami advisory that has since been lifted. [more]

HONDURAS | A judge in Honduras ruled yesterday that former President Juan Orlando Hernández should be extradited to the United States to face charges of drug and weapons  trafficking. [more]

U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS | The U.S. Federal Communications Commission issued an order yesterday revoking authorizations for Chinese company Pacific Networks Corp. to provide domestic and international phone service in the U.S., citing national security and law enforcement risks as the reasons for the move. [more]

TENNIS | With his win over Reilly Opelka yesterday in California, Rafael Nadal became the second player in ATP Tour history to start a season with 18 straight match wins. [more]

MUSIC | Kane Brown leads the nominees for the 2022 CMT Music Awards, with four nominations. Mickey Guyton, Breland and Cody Johnson each received three nominations. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on April 11. [more]

ST. PATRICK’S DAY | According to a recent NielsenIQ analysis, St. Patrick’s Day is the highest grossing day of the year for U.S. bars and restaurants. [more]

SMOLLETT | Actor Jussie Smollett was released from jail yesterday after a judge ruled that he should be freed pending an appeal of his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1992, nearly 69 percent of white South African voters backed F.W. de Klerk's reforms—which included the repeal of racially discriminatory laws—and effectively endorsed the dismantling of apartheid. [more history]