With all the bad news day after day, all of us need strategies to cope with the state of the world. For me, connecting with the people around me is best; beyond that, it’s always been helpful to watch sports in person or on TV for relief. The great thing all sports fans know is that even when we make fools of ourselves jumping and cheering, none of it really matters.
It’s not like World War III.
So on Monday evening I watched as the San Francisco Giants came from behind with two home runs late in the game to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-2. It was the final game of an 11-game road trip, and in baseball it is hard to win on the road.
But the Giants did just that, going 8-3 on the trip to keep pace with their arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the National League West Division. The Giants and the Dodgers were the two best teams last year in all of baseball during the 162-game regular season. SF won 107; LA won 106.
There are always small dramas within the main drama of a big league game. In this case, the Giants slugger Job Pederson was being tormented by a Brewers fan who was yelling loud obscenities from the stands when Pederson came up to take his turn to hit.
The Giants outfielder took the unusual step of stepping out of the batter’s box to stare down the fan and indicate his displeasure.
Then he stepped back in swung at the next pitch and blasted it 435 feet for the go-ahead home run. As he rounded the bases, he stared pointedly at the fan again, pounding his chest.
“It’s nice to help the team when you can to win a ballgame,” Pederson said afterward. “The interaction with fans and the excitement of that added more pressure, but I enjoyed it and it was fun.”
There was to be more back-and-forth drama before the game was over but suffice it too say that Pederson and the Giants got the final laugh this time around.
As for me, I smiled as well.
But when it comes to the news, there is precious little to smile about when the headlines warn of the possibility of the unthinkable. So let’s go there.
Today’s News (43):
Russia’s Lavrov Says NATO Is Using Ukraine as a Proxy, Warns Against World War III — Ukraine said comments suggest Moscow senses defeat (WSJ)
Russia warns Ukraine conflict could lead to World War Three (BBC)
The threat of nuclear war is real, top Russian official says; UN chief travels to Moscow to meet with Putin (CNBC)
U.S. Wants to See Russia Weakened, Says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin After Ukraine Visit (WSJ)
Russia failing in its war aims, Antony Blinken says after Ukraine visit (BBC)
After a secrecy-shrouded visit to Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia is failing in its war aims and “Ukraine is succeeding.” The trip by Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was the highest-level American visit to the capital since Russia invaded in late February. They told Ukraine’s president, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, that the U.S. would provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition. [AP]
The United States promised to reopen its embassy in Kyiv soon, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine's capital and hailed its success so far against Russia's invasion. (Reuters)
Russia warns United States against sending more arms to Ukraine (Reuters)
In a Ukrainian School, 12 People Await the War’s End, or Their Own (NYT)
In Ukraine, despair and bloodshed in the backdrop of a somber holiday (WP)
Russia hits rail, fuel facilities in attacks deep in Ukraine (AP)
Heavy weaponry pours into Ukraine as commanders become more desperate (Politico)
Five dead as stations hit in rocket attacks - Ukraine (BBC)
President Biden Announces Nominee for Ambassador to Ukraine (White House)
In Mariupol, echoes of history, utter devastation and a last stand (WP)
Ukraine removes Hirohito from video after Japan protests (AP)
Scale of Refugees From Ukraine War on Display in Poland’s Public Schools (WSJ)
Russia focuses on eastern Ukraine, but its advance stalls (NHK)
Foreign investors are ditching China. Russia's war is the latest trigger (CNN)
Ukraine and the Words That Lead to Mass Murder — First comes the dehumanization. Then comes the killing. (Atlantic)
Emmanuel Macron pledged to address deep divisions within France as results showed a clear presidential election win over Marine Le Pen, acknowledging that many had voted for him mainly to thwart his far-right challenger. Macron’s easy election victory masks a big challenge. (Reuters)
Beijing kicks off mass testing after spike in Covid cases (BBC)
COVID-19 Third Dose Vaccine Protection Against Hospitalization Wanes After 3 Months (SciTechDaily)
A mass COVID-19 testing order in Beijing's biggest district prompted residents in the Chinese capital to stock up on groceries, fearing they could be destined for a lockdown similar to that of Shanghai, which entered a fourth week of bitter isolation. (Reuters)
Kemp and Perdue clash over 2020 election results at Georgia GOP governor's debate (CNN)
Greene, in text to Meadows, raised topic of martial law to keep Trump in power (WP)
British journalist and one-time Donald Trump chum Piers Morgan revisited his recent tense interview with the former president, calling him “pathological.” Morgan stood by his claim that Trump walked off the set angry and "fired up" after Morgan confronted him over his lies that the presidential election was rigged against him. [HuffPost]
Trump held in contempt for failing to hand over business records to N.Y. attorney general (WP)
A California man was arrested on charges that he threatened to shoot and bomb Merriam-Webster’s offices because he didn’t like the company’s dictionary definitions relating to gender identity. (Cal Today)
Wildfires Burn More Than 150,000 Acres in Three States (NYT)
War in Ukraine Cuts Fertilizer Supply, Hurting Food Prices and Farmers (WSJ)
A Finnish project called Onkalo will turn the page to a new chapter of nuclear energy’s turbulent 80-year story, as the world’s first nuclear power plant that solves the problem of the toxic waste that has for years rendered humanity’s most reliable and efficient energy source politically radioactive across much of the globe. [HuffPost]
Indonesia to ban palm oil exports (NHK)
Twitter 'on track' to reach deal with Elon Musk soon: Report (CNBC)
In a startling new development, Twitter was negotiating to sell the company to Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and could settle on a deal by this week. The two sides reportedly met Sunday — just 10 days after Musk offered $43 billion for the social media platform. Twitter had been chilly about the offer, but then Musk revealed that he had amassed $46.5 billion in financing. [HuffPost]
Shadow of Jupiter's largest moon looms in magnificent new Juno photo (Space.com)
China Plans System to Take Out Asteroids Hurtling Toward Earth (BloombergQuint)
Cities Want to Return to Prepandemic Life. One Obstacle: Transit Crime. (NYT)
A report published on Friday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said that 1,988 homeless people died in the county from April 2020 through March 2021, a 56 percent increase from the 12 months before the pandemic began. A separate report published by officials in New York counted 640 deaths among homeless people from July 2020 through June 2021, an increase of just 4 percent from the previous year. (Cal Today)
World's oldest person, Kane Tanaka, dies in Japan aged 119 (CNN)
Package That Arrived In 24 Hours Sits Unopened On Table For Week (The Onion)
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