In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Military aggression] Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted Russia's right to use military force in eastern Ukraine, saying "that the upper chamber of Parliament had authorized him to use military force if necessary in eastern Ukraine, and he stressed Russia's historical claim to the territory in language not often used before, signaling a new and more aggressive policy. Mr. Putin repeatedly referred to eastern Ukraine as 'New Russia'—as the area north of the Black Sea was known after it was conquered by the Russian Empire in the late 1700s." Hoo boy.

Meanwhile: "Secretary of State John Kerry is headed to Geneva to meet with his Russian counterpart Thursday as part of the Ukraine contact group—but administration officials said Wednesday they're already expecting the result will be more sanctions, not any kind of breakthrough. ...Asked about the prospect of new sanctions in an interview with CBS News Wednesday, Obama reiterated that he's said consistently that 'each time Russia violates Ukraine’s sovereignty…there are going to be consequences.' In the geopolitical chess game that's been unfolding over recent weeks, they admit they aren't sure what Vladimir Putin's next move would be then. Without any direct knowledge of his mindframe, they say they're relying on their best assessments of the Russian leader."

(I love, ahem, "geopolitical chess game," as if it's just abstract strategy and not massive upheaval that is already affecting many people's lives and threatens the lives of many more.)

[CN: Antisemitism] And this is very, very worrying: "Jews emerging from a synagogue [in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk where pro-Russian militants have taken over government buildings] say they were handed leaflets that ordered the city's Jews to provide a list of property they own and pay a registration fee 'or else have their citizenship revoked, face deportation and see their assets confiscated,' reported Ynet News, Israel's largest news website. ...The leaflet begins, 'Dear Ukraine citizens of Jewish nationality,' and states that all people of Jewish descent over 16 years old must report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and 'register.'"

[CN: Sexual assault] Director Bryan Singer, who directed The Usual Suspects and helms the X-Men franchise, has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a teenage boy in 1999. "Marc Collins-Rector, the former chairman of Digital Entertainment Network, an ambitious Internet startup that sputtered in the dotcom bust of 2000, is also cited in the Singer lawsuit, although he is not named as a defendant. He is accused of initiating the sexual abuse of Egan and arranging for Singer to assault Egan at a house in Encino, Calif. Collins-Rector is a registered sex offender, having pleaded guilty in 2004 to luring minors across state lines for sexual acts." Xeni Jardin recalls that, in 1997, "a 14-year-old movie extra filed a lawsuit claiming that Singer and others 'ordered him and other minors to strip for a scene that was shot in the showers of a school locker room.'"

[CN: Disaster; death] The captain of the ferry that capsized off the coast of South Korea says "I am really sorry and deeply ashamed. I don't know what to say," but hasn't made any further statement indicating what might have happened. The investigation continues, as does the search, rescue, and recovery: Nearly 300 people are still missing.

[CN: Class warfare] A new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has found that the US is an oligarchy: "The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful."

In totally unrelated news (cough): "Charles and David Koch, the billionaire brothers who run Wichita, Kansas-based Koch Industries Inc., added $1.3 billion to their collective fortune yesterday on reports that U.S. industrial production gained more than forecast. The surge elevated their net worth to more than $100 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Koch's ascent comes as Freedom Partners, one of their fundraising networks, last week aired its first batch of television ads targeted at this year's U.S. Senate races, including commercials knocking Democratic Senator Mark Udall of Colorado and Representative Bruce Braley of Iowa for supporting President Barack Obama's health-care law."

[CN: Misogyny] Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren reports she was told by an unnamed Obama adviser (COUGHLARRYSUMMERSCOUGH) that her primary role for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency she helped create, would be "cheerleader." Writes Warren in a new book: "I assume that was meant as a metaphor, but I had to wonder: Cheerleader? Would the same suggestion have been made to a man in my position? I did not rush out to buy pom-poms."

Here's some good news: "Over the past two decades, the rates of heart attacks and strokes among diabetics fell by more than 60 percent, a new federal study shows. The research also confirms earlier reports of drastic declines in diabetes-related kidney failure and amputations. The drop is mainly attributed to better screening, medicines, and care. ...'It is great news,' said Dr. John Buse, a University of North Carolina diabetes specialist. 'The prognosis for folks with diabetes has improved dramatically over the last two decades, at least for those with good access to care,' Buse said in an email." Universal healthcare now. Repeat ad infinitum.

And finally! Here is a terrific video of a greyhound being silly!