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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, March 22, 2022:
UKRAINE WAR LATEST
STALEMATE?: The war in Ukraine might be headed for a stalemate, according to one NATO intelligence official. The official said neither side has the upper-hand, and that doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon, even as Russia ramped up missile attacks across the country. The coastal city of Mauripol continued to defy calls for surrender, as reports trickled out of intensifying attacks, including one devastating missile attack on a shopping mall. NBC NEWS
'LET IT GO': Amelia Anisovych brought us to tears once, as the 7-year-old sang the hit Disney song 'Let It Go' while her family was living in a Ukrainian bomb shelter. Thank goodness we have good news to report. She has brought us to tears again…as she performed the Ukrainian national anthem during a charity event in Poland. Thousands watched live, but even more have watched online now that the video has gone viral. WATCH
SCOTUS NOMINEE HEARING
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson finished the first day of her historic confirmation hearing with a pledge to decide cases "without fear or fervor." Her comments came at the end of a four-hour hearing which was mostly consumed by opening statements from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The hard part comes next, as Republicans signal their plan to ask pointed questions about the judge's record on criminal matters. AP
Maybe they can find a way to let her speak a little more.
CHINESE AIRLINER CRASHES
China is reeling from its first major civilian plane crash in more than a decade. A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 carrying 132 people went down in the mountainous Guangxi region of southern China. Today investigators announced they have found no survivors, but the search is still on for the black box to see if they can determine a cause. Now eyes are on Boeing, which has been under intense scrutiny since two 737 Max planes crashed three years ago. Regulators are currently "monitoring" the situation. CNN
TEXAS BATTLES WILDFIRES
Firefighters are waging a pitched battle with major wildfires in central Texas, as multiple blazes forced additional evacuations throughout the region. The larger Eastland Complex fire has already killed one person and burned more than 54,000 acres. The fires were mostly contained over the weekend, but unfavorable weather conditions fueled further spread. Volunteer cowboys have stepped up to move livestock out of the path of the fires. WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD
SPRING BREAK CURFEW
Spring Breakers may want to rethink a trip to Miami Beach this year. The city is under a state of emergency and will begin enforcing a midnight curfew on Thursday after five people were injured in two separate shootings last weekend. The curfew will be in effect throughout this weekend and could be extended to next weekend, too. A spring break concert for this weekend will be postponed. It's been a relatively quiet three weeks of spring break for the city, but enough is enough. Mayor Dan Gelber said, "This isn't your father's, your mother's spring break." MIAMI HERALD
SEC TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE
Having an opinion about how financial regulators should tackle climate change just sunk a Federal Reserve nomination, but that's not stopping the SEC from wading into the controversial topic. The agency on Monday said public companies must now disclose information on their climate impact to the federal government and shareholders. The disclosure rule will require companies to report on their emissions in a standardized fashion. WASH POST
Because when you think of protecting the environment, you think of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
AG GIANTS STAY IN RUSSIA
Public pressure on U.S. and European companies to pull out of Russia continues to grow, but at least one industry is holding out on humanitarian grounds. Agricultural giants such as Cargill and Bayer AG have refused to cease operations in the country, citing concerns that leaving Russia high and dry could end up disrupting the global supply of food. Russia and Ukraine are among the largest grain-producing countries in the world and any drop in exports could impact multiple countries, as the war is already expected to reduce food stocks. WSJ
Big Grain going against the grain.
WANTED: TESLA STUNT DRIVER
The LAPD is offering a $1,000 reward to help find the driver of a rented Tesla Model S who crashed into two parked cars while attempting an ill-advised stunt. A video of the incident shows the Tesla getting some serious air and then nose-diving before crashing. Local news station KTLA caught up with the man who claimed he was the driver, although he didn't have much to say. Apparently, this isn't the first time someone has misused a Tesla in pursuit of social media infamy. One TikToker recently took a video of himself pretending to sleep in the backseat while the car was on autopilot. KTLA
We hope he bought the insurance.
MAURY SAYS FAREWELL
Sick days, waiting rooms, and long stints of unemployment will never be the same: Daytime talk show "Maury" is ceasing production in 2022 after three decades. Host Maury Povich became a cultural icon for his show's sensational relationship dramas and paternity test reveals. His retirement comes amid a major shift in daytime television, with shows such as “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Nick Cannon” and “The Wendy Williams Show” ending as well. Fans won't be left totally Maury-free, however. NBCUniversal will continue to syndicate repeats. NBC NEWS
Now how are we going to find out who’s not the father?
LEFTOVERS: WARHOL PAINTING TO BREAK RECORDS
You've probably seen Andy Warhol's 1964 work "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" at a poster shop or hanging up in a funky antique store. It's a high-contrast silkscreen of the late-great Marilyn Monroe, and it's at least partly responsible for solidifying the icon's pop culture image years after her death. Now the artwork is headed to auction in New York City for an estimated $200 million. Christie's said it will be the most expensive 20th-century painting to ever sell at auction. So take that, Beeple. NFTs have nothing on this Warhol masterpiece. BLOOMBERG
CHEDDAR EXPLAINS
Who Are Russia's Oligarchs And Why Are they Being Sanctioned?
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States, along with much of the Western world, has imposed economic sanctions on Russia’s economy and its oligarchs. And these measures are costing these oligarchs — billions. So what exactly is an oligarch and what are their ties to Putin and the ongoing invasion? And will sanctioning them work?
Need2Know Podcast Note: The Need2Know podcast is taking a break for now. We're looking forward to bringing you more context and analysis on the big stories of the day in a few weeks. In the meantime, check out our archive on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!
