| Good morning. It's Wednesday, March 2, and we're listening to one of our colleagues explain how sanctions affect Russia's economy in last night's Post Reports episode. Let's catch up. |
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 | Russian forces ramped up strikes on Ukraine's key cities. | - In the capital: A Russian missile hit a Kyiv Holocaust memorial yesterday, killing five people. Its troops around the city are still waiting for reinforcements, which have been stalled by food and fuel shortages.
- Elsewhere: Russian forces claimed control of a coastal city, while Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, faced intensified bombing.
- Nearly 680,000 people have left Ukraine so far, the largest exodus in Europe since the Balkan wars in the 1990s.
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 | Apple joined the growing backlash against Russia. | - The iPhone maker paused all Russian sales and will limit Apple Pay. It also joined YouTube, Facebook and TikTok in limiting access to Russian state media outlets.
- Bands Green Day, the Killers and Franz Ferdinand — which cited "madness" in Russia's leadership — canceled concerts in Moscow.
- Olympic gold medalist Anna Shcherbakova, Kamila Valieva and other Russian skaters were barred from competing in the world championships this month.
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 | President Biden delivered his first State of the Union address. | - Main takeaways: He condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine; promised to fight inflation and "fund the police," rather than defund them; and said covid "no longer need control our lives."
- Key moment: Several lawmakers wore blue and yellow outfits or pins, matching the colors of Ukraine's flag, as a sign of support for the country.
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 | Texas voted in the first primary of this election season. | - In the governor's race: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke, a 2020 presidential candidate, will face each other in the fall election.
- What else to know: A 28-year-old forced a 17-year Democratic congressman into a runoff election, and a Bush who challenged the attorney general is also headed for a runoff.
- What voting looked like: There were some long lines and confusion about new equipment, fewer polling places and other changes.
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 | The coronavirus vaccine for kids 5-11 lost some effectiveness over time. | - What CDC data shows: It wasn't as good at preventing infections during the omicron surge, but Pfizer's shot still protected the kids from hospitalization and death.
- Why is this happening? Other age groups have seen similar patterns, as well, which is why adults have received booster shots.
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 | Major League Baseball delayed the start of the regular season. | - Why? Players are in a labor dispute with the teams, which had set a new deadline of yesterday afternoon for an agreement. But the players rejected what owners called their "best" offer.
- What happens now: At least the first two series, or roughly 90 games, are canceled, and all team activities are still suspended. New talks haven't been scheduled yet.
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 | You may see more severe weather in the U.S. this month. | - What's happening: Warm weather starts moving in as cold weather leaves — a meteorological recipe for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
- The forecast: Dangerous weather could hit the Southern Plains, the Mid-South and the Mississippi Valley this weekend. Parts of the South risk flash floods and heavy rainfall in the next two weeks.
You're all caught up. See you tomorrow. But before you go … because these are stressful times: We put together some self-care tips from readers like you. (Jordan Robertson for The Post) | Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Share it with them. Prefer push notifications? Download The Post's app to get one when The 7 publishes. |
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