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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, March 24, 2022:
WAR CRIME ACCUSATIONS
The Biden administration has made official its accusation that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine and is now working with global partners to prosecute the offenders. This comes as President Joe Biden meets with leaders in Europe to form a united front with NATO allies against Russia during multiple summits. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is banking on the gatherings leading to more severe sanctions. THE ACCUSATION
RUSSIA'S STEEP LOSSES
The war in Ukraine is taking a serious toll on Russian troops, according to NATO. The organization estimated that between 7,000 and 15,000 soldiers from the invading country have died since the war began exactly one month ago. If those numbers prove correct, it would mean Russia has already lost as many troops as it did over 10 years in Afghanistan. The organization also estimated that Russia has lost 10% of its military equipment. Both numbers fit neatly with the narrative that Russia is bogged down in Ukraine due to tactical missteps. WSJ
UN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
As deadly natural disasters strike with increasing frequency, the United Nations is aiming to create a global early warning system within the next five years. While most developed countries have their own weather-warning systems in place, many less developed countries go without such safeguards, including 60% of Africa. To remedy this, the UN has started developing an action plan for getting alert systems into every country on earth. THE HILL
IN MEMORIAM: MADELEINE ALBRIGHT
Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, has died. She was 84-years-old, and her family said the cause of death was cancer. Albright served in multiple roles in the foreign policy establishment before President Bill Clinton appointed her as secretary of state in 1997. During her tenure, she presided over the transfer of Hong Kong to China and pressed the Clinton administration to intervene in the Bosnian War. In recent years, she was a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and an advocate for global collaboration. CNN
UNION ELECTIONS
HOMETOWN VICTORY: In a symbolic win for organizers, a Starbucks location in the coffee chain's hometown of Seattle has officially unionized. The victory comes as founder Howard Schultz returns as interim chief executive officer, in a bid to bring stability to the company as workers across at least 100 stores seek to unionize. SEATTLE TIMES
WAREHOUSE UPRISING: Two separate Amazon warehouses on Staten Island are gearing up for union elections — one of which is set to begin this Friday and run through the following week. The grassroot effort is being led by current and former employees. This is also the first time Amazon has faced a major challenge from U.S. workers in a labor-friendly city. WSJ
$2 BILLION CANNABIS DEAL
Cannabis still isn't legal in the U.S. at the federal level, but that's not stopping some industry giants from staking their claim for the day legalization comes. Cresco Labs has announced it is acquiring rival Columbia Care in a $2 billion all-stock deal. Both companies are already leaders in states where cannabis is legal and together they'll have more than 130 retail stores. CHEDDAR
WALL STREET BONUS BONANZA
The stock market has been all over the place lately, but Wall Street employees are still raking in the dough. A new report from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli showed a 20% jump from last year in the average bonus paid to securities professionals — bringing the total to an eye-watering $257,000. Adding insult to injury for the rest of us, those bonuses were on top of salaries that were already five times the private sector average. Overall compensation for the sector was $438,370 in 2020, the latest year with available income data. CNBC
We knew we should have majored in Wall Street.
THE WORLD OF SPORTS
25-YEAR-OLD TENNIS CHAMP RETIRES: Ashleigh Barty is retiring at the top of her game. The 25-year-old tennis champion announced that she's hanging up her racket, despite winning her third Grand Slam title just a few months ago. Fans were looking forward to Barty dominating the sport for the foreseeable future, but the tennis prodigy said she didn't have it in her anymore. "I don't have the physical drive, the emotional want, and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level anymore, and I just know that I am spent," she said. DEFECTOR
We too wanted to retire at 25 but our bank account wouldn’t let us.
NYC VAX RULES: Now that the NBA season is nearly over, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is expected to scrap the vaccine mandate that has kept Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving from playing this season. Early reports say Adams will make the announcement this morning that, effective immediately, athletes and performers will be exempt from the private sector vaccine mandate. NY TIMES
A RICKROLLING ANNIVERSARY
Rick Astley's hit song "Never Gonna Give You Up" started off as a hit single on the 1987 multi-platinum debut album "Whenever You Need Somebody." It's since become one of the most enduring memes/pranks in the history of the internet. Now, Astley is celebrating the song's 35th anniversary with a special reissue. As for whether buying the new CD box set counts as getting Rickrolled, that's for the meme-Gods to decide, but Astley is grateful either way. "I’ve had a really nice, comfortable existence because I got to make a pop record in 1987," he said. ABC
When he said “never gonna give you up” he was talking about CDs.
LEFTOVERS: SIMBA EVACUATED
A pair of animals have joined the exodus out of war-torn Ukraine. A lion named Simba and a wolf named Akyla were evacuated from a zoo in Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine. Due to a lack of tranquilizers, however, both were fully awake during the journey to Romania — a feat of animal rescue that was only made possible through the cooperation of multiple animal rights groups and volunteers. Here's hoping more people, and animals, have the same success. AP
INSIDE LOOK
By Reinventing Its Classic Bus, Volkswagen Hopes to Drive EV Adoption
After 40 years, the VW Bus is returning — with a few modifications. Cheddar's Michelle Castillo spoke to Volkswagen America CEO Scott Keogh about the company's shift to electric vehicles. CHEDDAR
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!
