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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, March 7, 2022:

CEASEFIRE CEASES

Ukrainians trying to escape the southeastern cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha were cut off after Russia apparently broke a ceasefire agreement and now there are reports that necessary supplies like power and water are running out. The U.N. says 1.7 million refugees have fled so far, but the Ukrainian government just rejected humanitarian routes proposed by Russia - because they all lead to Russia or its ally Belarus. Netflix, TikTok, and American Express are among the latest corporations halting services in Russia as the West tries to use economic pressure to stop the invasion. CNN


Netflix should have kept streaming, but the only movie they could watch is Rocky IV.

WNBA PLAYER DETAINED IN RUSSIA

Meanwhile, Russia has detained American WNBA player Brittney Griner on drug charges, saying they found vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage. Griner, like many players, compete in Russia during the off-season thanks to lucrative deals that pad their WNBA salaries, which are laughably low compared to what men make in the NBA. The league announced that all players are now out of Russia and Ukraine, except for Griner. NY TIMES

TRUCKERS PROTEST IN DC

Slow-moving truckers are ready to jam up the DC Beltway again today. The self-proclaimed "People's Convoy" spent four hours slow-rolling around the highway yesterday to protest COVID restrictions and say they're coming back for more. They weren't moving at a snail's pace — clocking about 45 mph — and there wasn't too much traffic over the weekend, but once the region's infamous commuter traffic arrives today, it might make more of an impact. WASH POST

SIX MILLION COVID DEATHS

It has been nearly two years since then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over what would come to be known as COVID-19. And with just days to go until we hit that mark, the world has surpassed six million deaths from the horrific virus, according to Johns Hopkins. Still, U.S. states and cities continue to ease many of the restrictions Americans have gotten used to since that time, with New Jersey lifting its public emergency today and New York City dropping vaccination mandates for many businesses and mask mandates for most students. THE GRIM STATS

DEADLY TORNADOES

At least seven people, including two kids, died when tornadoes swept through Iowa on Saturday. The storms struck Winterset, the birthplace of John Wayne, which is just outside of Des Moines. The town's high school basketball team was gearing up for the state tournament, beginning for them on Tuesday, but instead spent the weekend helping neighbors devastated by the deadly storms. Then, last night, the area got snow, even as residents continue to clean up. DES MOINES REGISTER

FL PANHANDLE WILDFIRES

Wildfires were spreading on the panhandle of the Sunshine State over the weekend, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 homes and leading to state of emergency orders in three counties. Several schools in Panama City are closed today as firefighters try to get the flames under control. Now officials say one of the fires started when a trash burn got out of hand. Governor Ron DeSantis has deployed the National Guard and made two trips to the area himself. CNN

'THE BATMAN' SAVES THE DAY

Hollywood sent out the Bat Signal, and the caped crusader responded with a box office winner. The Batman raked in $128 million in North America, making it the biggest opening weekend of the year so far and the second-biggest debut since the pandemic hobbled the industry. When you add in overseas ticket sales, the movie made nearly $250 million in just a few days. That must be a relief to Warner Bros. which shelled out $200 million to make the film, plus millions more in marketing and distribution. Notably, the movie was pulled from Russia as part of the effort to financially hit Putin and stop the invasion of Ukraine. VARIETY

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IDITAROD BEGINS

The sled dogs are off to the races in Alaska as the 50th Iditarod got underway on Sunday. More than 50 mushers and their teams of dogs will travel the challenging, snowy terrain for about a week before the winner arrives in Nome, 1,000 miles away from the starting line near Anchorage. Last year the race went on, but the trail had to be adjusted due to COVID-19. ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS

DOLLY PARTON/JAMES PATTERSON NOVEL

Hold onto your holsters — a novel collaboration from country legend Dolly Parton and bestselling author James Patterson hits bookstores today. Run, Rose, Run is a thriller about an aspiring country singer who is, well, on the run. While Patterson is the known novelist, Parton pulls her weight with songs written specifically for the book. Interested? READ AN EXCERPT

She definitely works longer than 9 to 5.

LEFTOVERS: EXPLOITED MERMAIDS

Florida mermaids are at the center of a dark scandal. A group of women who performed as underwater beauties at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium found out last year that they had been filmed while changing into their costumes and not told about it for months. Adding insult to injury, this year the aquarium hired a different group of mermaids to dazzle guests during an upcoming show. Shortly after a recent meeting with some of the women who had been violated, the aquarium canceled the upcoming show entirely.  WFLA

Turns out things really are better under the sea.

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!

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