| Good morning. It's Monday, March 7, and if you've been wondering how to think about Ukraine's key cities, our graphics team put together these helpful U.S. comparisons. Let's catch up from the weekend. |
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 | Major Ukrainian cities weren't able to evacuate over the weekend. | - Why? Russia had agreed to a limited cease-fire to let civilians escape cities under attack, but it never materialized, Ukraine said.
- The growing toll: At least 364 civilians have been killed and 759 injured since attacks began Feb. 24, according to the U.N. Over 1.5 million people have left the country.
- Potential war crimes: U.S. officials have seen "credible reports" of Russia intentionally attacking civilians and are documenting those actions.
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 | Thousands of people in Russia protested over Ukraine yesterday. | - More than 4,500 demonstrators across 56 cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, were arrested, according to a human rights group.
- Russia is cracking down on free speech: It banned "fake" news about its military (including calling Russia's attack an "invasion") on Friday, with a punishment of up to 15 years in prison.
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 | Russia's invasion of Ukraine could be an economic "game changer." | - The conflict will slow the world's economic recovery from the pandemic, with the biggest impact in Europe, experts said.
- Why? Soaring oil prices and shifting trade decisions because of sanctions against Russia.
- In the U.S.: There probably won't be a huge impact, although gas prices are rising and inflation, already at a 40-year high, could get worse.
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 | A group of protesters is driving around the nation's capital. | - The "People's Convoy," inspired by Canada's trucker movement, rode an interstate around Washington, D.C., for hours yesterday (with no major traffic disruptions) and will be back today.
- What's the goal? To protest how the government handled the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the hundreds of trucks, cars and SUVs in the convoy started in Southern California on Feb. 23.
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 | A tornado outbreak killed at least 7 people in Iowa. | - What happened: Multiple twisters, more powerful than usual for this time of year, hit central and southwestern parts of the state Saturday.
- The hardest-hit area: A county just southwest of Des Moines, where six of the seven victims — including two children under 5 — were killed.
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 | Mental health counseling is hard to find in the U.S. right now. | - Many people looking for help are stuck on waiting lists, and people who live in rural areas or have a lower income have even more of a disadvantage.
- One data point: 65% of psychologists who responded to a survey last fall said they weren't able to take on new patients.
- Why is this happening? Two years of the pandemic have created huge mental health problems, causing higher demand — including from those who hadn't considered therapy before.
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 | Major League Baseball and its players have started talking again. | - What's going on? A lockout (meaning no games or team activities) by team owners because of a labor dispute. About 90 regular-season games have already been canceled.
- Are they any closer to a deal? An MLB spokesman said they're "deadlocked" after reading a proposal from the players yesterday.
You're all caught up. See you tomorrow. But before you go … there's a lot of misinformation flying around about the war in Ukraine. Here's how to spot it. (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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