Winners and Losers

 In sports and other competitive ventures, there is a fine line between competing fiercely and still being a good sport. It’s okay and in fact admired to try to win at any cost, yet it is frowned upon to pile it on or ridicule an opponent once you have prevailed.

This has analogies in foreign affairs like diplomacy before, during and after wars but before getting to that, I’d rather pause and examine the case of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.

Last season, the Giants won more games, 107, than any other team, although they didn’t have any of the game’s biggest names on their roster. Again this year they are off to a good start with a similar lineup of workmanlike players, no stars. 

One reason for their success may be that the organization uses data and plays the percentages better than most of the competition. They also employ a lot of coaches and use various analytical systems. As befits a team from Silicon Valley, they’re good at exploiting the latest technologies. They pick players who blend together well into a team, not just a collection of alpha males. 

But whatever the reason for their success, lately the Giants have incurred the wrath of several opponents for violating the “unwritten rules” of the national pastime. At issue has been the team’s decision to call “small ball” plays like bunts and stolen base attempts late in games when they already are way ahead.

This violates the long-standing idea that you don’t rub your opponents face in it in defeat, rather you show some mercy.

So their opponents have been outraged at plays seemingly designed simply to extend the game and build up the winning margin when the outcome is no longer really in doubt.

The Giants have explained that they were just making sure their opponent couldn’t stage an improbable late comeback, but also that they were intent on wearing out the opposing pitchers in order to gain a competitive advantage in the next game or two against the same bullpen.

Personally, I’m gonna stay agnostic on this one. I’m not a data scientist, but the odds of the opposing team coming back to win in the 8th or 9th inning when down by eight or ten runs is negligible, so it’s hard to buy that argument.

As for thinking about the next few games and therefore trying to exhaust the other team’s relief pitchers, that makes a bit more sense to me, but I have a counter-argument to the Giants’ reasoning.

In sports and in life, a great deal of success is not simply a matter of talent but of timing and motivation. When you make somebody angry at you, many times that will only wake them up and incentivize them to seek revenge. Thus, I am saying, the Giants strategy may ultimately backfire by giving their opponents a psychological edge in future games.

The baseball season is very long and so are the memories of the opposing players and coaches.

And if it was me, I’d rather be known as a good sport. Call it an insurance policy for the times success proves more elusive.

On to geopolitics. The back-and-forth between Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., Nato and Russia’s allies often seems to involve some similar dynamics to the baseball analogy. Yes there are both the written and unwritten rules of war. That’s why we have the Geneva Convention, war crimes trials, nuclear escalation fears, threats and counter-threats.

The adversaries are engaged in a long-term conflict and the outcome is far from certain. As they jockey for support on the world stage, spokespeople on both sides have to be careful they aren’t motivating their opponents to extend what in the end may prove to be a no-win situation for all parties.

They can win battles with guns and words, but they have to avoid escalating tensions and piling on. Otherwise they risk (and here comes the cliche) the chickens coming home to roost.

Today’s Headlines (51):

1. Rockets hit Ukrainian capital Kyiv as UN chief visits the city (BBC)

2. VIDEO: Missile Attack Strikes Ukraine’s Capital (AP)

3. Rescuers Look for Survivors at Kyiv Apartment Block Hit During U.N. Chief’s Visit to Ukraine (WSJ)

4. Attack on Kyiv was Putin’s ‘middle finger’ to UN (AP)

5. Ukraine acknowledged it was taking heavy losses in Russia's assault in the east, but said Russia's losses were even worse. (Reuters)

6. Ukrainian attacks bring war home to Russia, fraying civilian nerves (WP)

7. VIDEO: Russian Forces Strike Neighborhood in Central Ukraine (Reuters)

8. Ukraine cracks down on ‘traitors’ helping Russian troops (AP)

9. Biden Digs In on Ukraine Strategy, Seeking $33 Billion More in Aid (NYT)

10. Cracks emerge in Russian elite as tycoons start to bemoan invasion (WP)

11. Top Kremlin Mouthpiece Says Russia Has No Choice but to Use Nuclear Weapons (Daily Beast)

12. The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly backed legislation that will make it easier to export military equipment to Ukraine, reviving the 'Lend-Lease Act' that helped defeat Hitler during World War Two. (Reuters)

13. For Muslims in Ukraine, war revives questions of faith and belonging (WP)

14. Javelins, cannons and switchblades: Western weapons flow in to Ukraine (NBC)

15. NATO is ready to maintain its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia for years, including help for Kyiv to shift from Soviet-era weapons to modern Western arms and systems, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. (Reuters)

16. Zelenskyy to launch operation to evacuate civilians in Mariupol steel plant (Fox)

17. Ukraine names 10 Russians it accuses of war crimes in Bucha (WP)

18. Mysterious Zamestim artwork in St Petersburg signals Russia's anti-West defiance (BBC)

19. Strife over Ukraine conflict pulls Russian families apart (Financial Times)

20. Republican who refuses to bend the knee to Trump surges in Ohio Senate race (Politico)

21. The 2022 midterm election season is kicking into high gear, with 13 states holding primary contests. It will be a big test of just how much power former President Donald Trump has over the Republican Party. Here are some of the races HuffPost will be watching in May. [HuffPost]

22. Republicans have the advantage with voters in 2022 elections, poll finds (NPR)

23. U.S. Economy Shrank in First Quarter, but Underlying Measures Were Solid (NYT)

24. Inflation hits record high of 7.5% in countries using euro (AP)

25. Apple forecast bigger problems as COVID-19 lockdowns snarl production and demand in China, the war in Ukraine dents sales and growth slows in services, which the iPhone maker sees as its engine for expansion. Shares were down 2.2% in late trade after executives laid out their glum outlook on a conference call. (Reuters)

26. A key inflation gauge jumped 6.6% in March, most since 1982 (AP)

27. What California’s massive budget surplus could mean (Politico)

28. Musk Sells Batch of Tesla Shares After Deal to Buy Twitter (WSJ)

29. The Only Good Thing Left About Facebook (Atlantic)

30. Expats flee as Shanghai's COVID lockdown drags (Reuters)

31. The pandemic’s toll is no longer falling almost exclusively on those who chose not to get shots, according to a Post analysis, as the elderly and immunocompromised have a harder time dodging increasingly contagious strains. (WP)

32. South Africa may be entering fifth Covid wave earlier than expected (Guardian)

33. Scientists puzzle over Covid pandemic link to child hepatitis cases (Financial Times)

34. L.A. coronavirus cases up 40% in one week; hospitalizations rising, too (LAT)

35. China's capital Beijing closed more businesses and residential compounds, with authorities ramping up contact tracing to contain a COVID-19 outbreak, while resentment at the month-long lockdown in Shanghai grew. Shanghai's lockdown is driving scores of foreign residents to flee the commercial center, denting the appeal of mainland China's most cosmopolitan city. (Reuters)

36. Israeli forces raid Al-Aqsa mosque, over 40 Palestinians injured (Al Jazeera)

37. California Attorney General Bob Bonta said an investigation will focus on  a “half-century campaign of deception” and will target companies “that have caused and exacerbated the global plastics pollution crisis.” Despite a widespread belief that many plastics are recyclable, less than 9% of plastics were recycled in the U.S. in 2018. [HuffPost]

38. Heat wave scorches India’s wheat crop, snags export plans (AP)

39. he beef on your table may be helping destroy the Amazon. (WP)

40. Why the Great American Lawn is terrible for the West's water crisis (CNN)

41. Oyster reefs in Texas are disappearing. Fishermen there fear their jobs will too (NPR)

42. Chicago’s Wealthy Neighborhoods Hire Private Police as Crime Rises (WSJ)

43. F.D.A. Moves to Ban Sales of Menthol Cigarettes (NYT)

44. How the tobacco industry targeted Black Americans with menthol smokes (NPR)

45. Oklahoma lawmakers passed a bill banning abortions after six weeks. (WP)

46. A record 35 million-plus Americans have Affordable Care Act coverage -- but the gains may not last long (CNN)

47. First solar eclipse of 2022 occurs Saturday. Here's what to expect. (Space.com)

48. Loud fireball spotted over three Southern states streaking at 55,000 miles per hour, NASA confirms: "More people heard it than saw it" (CBS)

49. The Sheryl Crow You Never Knew (NYT)

50. The Long Arc of Historical Progress — A democratic world order is not the inexorable outcome of historical forces, but even amid setbacks, societies are clearly evolving toward equality and individual freedom. (WSJ)

51. How One Community Came Together To Fill Potholes With Old Electronics They Didn’t Know How To Dispose Of (The Onion)

At Odds

One striking aspect of the Grand-Canyon-sized gulf that seems to separate liberal urban Americans (aka Democrats) from conservative rural Americans (aka Republicans) is that we have largely stopped talking to each other.

In too many cases we simply talk past one another and therefore remain ensconced within our self-reinforcing ideological bubbles. The split between left and right-oriented cable TV networks exacerbates this gulf.

(BTW, if you find yourself agreeing too forcefully with your favorite TV commentators, you should turn them off and read the news instead. You can start with the links I aggregate here day after day.)

The Covid-19 pandemic made the national communication gap so much worse. President Trump recognized the issue immediately and started playing on it for his own political purposes. Democrats piled on. And due to the legitimate fear of infecting one another, families split up into their city and country halves and stopped getting together, reducing the natural cross-fertilization of ideas that traditionally would have occurred on holidays like Thanksgiving.

People joked about it at the time but it was no laughing matter. Everybody needed to keep talking and sharing our differing perspectives during the crisis more than ever. Both sides had something to offer.

Instead, isolated liberals erred by dismissing the anti-mask and anti-vaccine sentiment prevalent in isolated rural America as due to ignorance when it was actually more due to reluctance.

Much of the gulf was due to poor communication strategies on a national level about the scientific uncertainties involved. Mandates became mixed up with misguided notions of liberty manipulated by cynical politicians. 

Meanwhile, public health experts like Anthony Fauci were thrust into public roles for which they were poorly suited. While Fauci played well on the coasts he didn’t fare so well in the interior.

That problem prevails to this day.

One of this week’s most intriguing stories that shines light on all this is “Why Being Anti-Science Is Now Part Of Many Rural Americans’ Identity” on the polling site 538. Please give it a look.

And note how problems dissipate when people talk.

Now the pandemic is in remission somewhat, also consider resuming your conversations with relatives and friends with whom you may too long have been out of touch.

We quite desperately need to do this for the good of our common future.

Thanks to my old friend Martin Abraham for alerting me to the 538 article.

Today’s News (50):

1. Ukraine War Impact Widens: Russia Cuts Gas Flow and Vows More Reprisals (NYT)

2. E.U. calls Russia’s gas cut-off ‘blackmail’ (WP)

3. Russia stepped up its assaults on eastern and southern Ukraine, Kyiv said, and President Vladimir Putin threatened "lightning-fast" retaliation against any Western countries that intervene on Ukraine's behalf. (Reuters)

4. Explosions rock Kyiv again as Russians rain fire on Ukraine (AP)

5. Russia warned it could cut off gas to more countries in Europe. (WP)

6. What Russia cutting off energy to Poland and Bulgaria means for the world (NPR)

7. Fears Are Mounting That Ukraine War Will Spill Across Borders (NYT)

8. A Ukrainian soldier holed up in a steel works in Mariupol said his forces would fight for as long as needed and he urged world leaders to find a way to save civilians and the hundreds of troops trapped in Russia's "medieval" siege. (Reuters)

9. Key players urge accountability for atrocities in Ukraine (AP)

10. Biden seeks $33 billion for Ukraine, powers to liquidate Russian assets (WP)

11. They Flooded Their Own Village, and Kept the Russians at Bay (NYT)

12. Ukrainians deported to Russia beaten and mistreated (BBC)

13. Occupied Ukrainian city fears sham Russian referendum plans (AP)

14. If Russia starts winning, Americans won’t blame Ukraine. They’ll blame Biden. (WP)

15. Putin’s war backfires on Russia by reviving the west (Financial Times)

16. Russia is using dolphins to protect Black Sea naval base, satellite photos suggest (WP)

17. A chilling Russian cyber aim in Ukraine: Digital dossiers (AP)

18. Why Being Anti-Science Is Now Part Of Many Rural Americans’ Identity (538)

19. The Earth lost an Oregon-size area of tree cover last year. (WP)

20. ‘Relentless’ destruction of rainforest continuing despite Cop26 pledge (Guardian)

21. India's northwestern Rajasthan state scheduled four hours of power cuts for factories, making it at least the third state to disrupt industrial activity to manage surging power demand amid an intense heat wave. (Reuters)

22. Massive wildfires helped fuel global forest losses in 2021 (WP)

23. Cherokee Nation Can Gather Sacred Plants on National Park Land (NYT)

24. Tuition at University of California colleges will be covered for all state residents from federally recognized Native American tribes. (LAT)

25. Climate Solutions: Postcards from a ‘zero-waste’ town (WP)

26. Global warming risks most cataclysmic extinction of marine life in 250m years (Guardian)

27. Are We in the Middle of an Invisible COVID Wave? (Atlantic)

28. Dr. Anthony Fauci said the pandemic is not over after earlier saying the U.S. was “out of the pandemic phase” of COVID-19. "I probably should have said the acute component of the pandemic phase," he said after celebrating the nation’s low level of reported deaths, hospitalizations and cases. "And I understand how that can lead to some misinterpretation.” [HuffPost]

29. Moderna said its coronavirus vaccine for kids under 6 is ready. (WP)

30. China’s Covid Lockdown Outrage Tests Limits of Triumphant Propaganda (NYT)

31. A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that more than four in 10 parents say their children have fallen behind academically during the pandemic. (East Bay Times)

32. The Pandemic Warped Our Sense Of Time. Here's How To Gain It Back. (HuffPost)

33. Increased infectious disease risk likely from climate change (AP)

34. A political reckoning in Sri Lanka as economic crisis grows (NPR)

35. President Joe Biden said American teachers are being unfairly targeted in "the culture wars," and warned against book banning in an event at the White House. Across the United States, more than 1,000 titles, mostly addressing racism and LGBTQ issues, have been removed from school libraries in recent months. (Reuters)

36. President Joe Biden suggested to lawmakers that he is not only looking at further extending the pause on federal student loan payments, but could soon announce a broader cancellation of student loan debt. “I feel very confident that he is pushing on his team to do something, and to do something significant,” Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.) said. [HuffPost]

37. Amend the Constitution to bar senators from the presidency (George Will/WP)

38. Elon Musk wants to 'authenticate all real humans' on Twitter. Here's what that could mean (CNN)

39. Eighteen months after Donald Trump lost the White House, loyal supporters continue to falsely assert that compromised balloting machines across America robbed him of the 2020 election. To stand up that bogus claim, some Trump die-hards are taking the law into their own hands -- by attempting, with some success, to compromise the voting systems themselves. (Reuters)

40. Data shows law enforcement officers overwhelmingly white and male (Politico)

41. Why California Wants to Recall Its Most Progressive Prosecutors — Criminal-justice reform takes time, but voters might be running out of patience. (Atlantic)

42. U.S. economy shrinks 1.4 percent in first quarter, raising fears of recession (WP)

43. U.S. Economy Contracted on Trade, Supply Disruptions (WSJ)

44. US economy shrinks, threats loom, but growth likely to last (AP)

45. Why this economy may be sturdier than it looks (NPR)

46. Amazon Posts First Loss Since 2015 as Sales Growth Slows (WSJ)

47. Global warming risks most cataclysmic extinction of marine life in 250m years (Gizmodo)

48. From King Cobras to Geckos, 20 Percent of Reptiles Risk Extinction (NYT)

49. Your dog’s personality may have little to do with its breed (AP)

50. Yankees Attribute Offensive Slump To Terrified Hitters Closing Eyes During Swing (The Onion)

 

Until the Iceberg

 Let’s be optimistic and assume there are historians at work above-ground a century from now, and that they are examining what we did and said during the last few precious decades on earth before severe global climate change kicked into gear.

They might reasonably look at the century from 1950-2050, i.e., our time, as the pivotal years when humans had both the scientific knowledge and still enough time to change course and avert the worst.

But did we?

The answer almost certainly will be no. Check out the Atlantic: There’s No Scenario in Which 2050 Is ‘Normal’.

As much as I hate being a downer, it’s also true that our smartest environmental thinkers have been warning us since the 1950s and 60s what we would face if we didn’t mend our ways.

And although the alarms bells were loud and clear, not enough of us listened and hardly any of us did anything about it. Collectively we took baby steps when giant leaps were required.

Thus our children and grandchildren will be the ones to suffer. My oldest child will be reaching my current age (75) circa 2050; my oldest grandchild will be reaching my daughter’s current age (45) circa 2050.

Long before then, they will both certainly know that we didn’t do enough when we had our chance. And it shouldn’t take the self-immolation of a climate activist outside the Supreme Court to awaken a nation either. Alas, he died in vain.

The rise in global temperature by two degrees will transform the planet, rendering human life impossible in some places, more difficult than it is now in many others. Even more troubling, the fundamental operating systems on earth will be disrupted in ways we can’t predict — the oceans will be higher, the planet hotter and drier, super storms common, “natural” disasters continuous, and many species of plants and animals (including our food sources) extinct. No one knows what that means, but it is not good news for Homo sapiens.

So what now, beyond regret and recrimination, can be done about the inevitable?

We need our best minds to focus on whatever we can figure out about our possible options to intervene in the sequence of unfolding events to help the planet re-attain some of the balance it is losing — at least enough of a balance to sustain life in a few places at some semblance of normality for a while longer while we figure out a longer-term alternative plan.

That may sound like an inadequate, awkward, imprecise statement (the kind I hate), but that’s about the best we’ve got as to options. We will not, as a species, be able to leave earth for distant worlds by 2050, although various billionaires will try. We will not be able to extend life indefinitely through modern medicine by then, though some scientists will try. We probably will not achieve world unity, either, though as unlikely as it seems, that may be a slightly more attainable goal.

Working together toward the survival of our grandchildren rather than fighting silly wars over fossil fuels may indeed be achievable in the coming quarter-century and probably represents the best chance for the survival of our species.

Think about it.

Today’s Headlines (51):

1. There’s No Scenario in Which 2050 Is ‘Normal’ — The two paths to avoid the worst of climate change would still dramatically change the world as we know it. (Atlantic)

2. A man who died after self-immolating in front of Supreme Court was a climate activist (CNN)

3. Russia warns Poland, Bulgaria of gas supply cuts (Reuters)

4. European gas prices soar after Gazprom halts supplies to Poland and Bulgaria (Financial Times)

5. As Diplomacy Hopes Dim, U.S. Marshals Allies to Furnish Long-Term Military Aid to Ukraine (NYT)

6. Putin warns against 'outside intervention' in Ukraine (BBC)

7. VIDEO: Ukraine Removes ‘Friendship’ Monument in Kyiv — The statue, built to represent the connection between Ukraine and Russia, was taken down as part of a broader campaign to remove any lingering symbols of Russia’s dominance during Soviet times. (Reuters, AP)

8. Putin breaks out the Kremlin's ridiculously long table to meet with the head of the UN (Business Insider)

9. Russian provinces bordering Ukraine report series of blasts (Al Jazeera)

10. Drone giant DJI Technology said it will temporarily suspend business in Russia and Ukraine to ensure its products are not used in combat, making it the first major Chinese firm to cite the conflict in halting sales in Russia. (Reuters)

11. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin met one-on-one for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the United Nations said they agreed on arranging evacuations from a besieged steel complex in Mariupol. Guterres is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. [AP]

12. Rand Paul says U.S. backing Ukraine in NATO played a role in invasion (WP)

13. Russian-occupied area of Moldova blames Ukrainian militants for explosions (NPR)

14. Canada sanctions more than 200 loyal to Putin (AP)

15. As Russian forces tightened their siege of Mariupol and missiles rained down, Mykhailo Puryshev drove into the city six times last month to evacuate its citizens, somehow surviving despite his red van being all but destroyed. The 36-year-old Ukrainian, who once ran a nightclub in the city, said he evacuated more than 200 people. (Reuters)

16. Mystery fires at sensitive facilities compound Russia’s war challenge (WP)

17. Why U.S. Oil Companies Aren’t Riding to Europe’s Rescue (NYT)

18. Russian Gas Stoppages Spur Europe’s Race for New Energy Supplies (WSJ)

19. The war in Ukraine sparks biggest commodity shock in half a century, World Bank says (CNN)

20. British defense ministry: Ukraine retains control of most of its airspace (NHK)

21. Beijing testing millions for COVID amid outbreak, prompting concerns of a potential lockdown (CBS)

22. More than half of Americans have had Covid, including three of four children (Guardian)

23. U.S. no longer in ‘full-blown’ pandemic phase, Fauci says (WP)

24. ‘It's insanity’: Providers end Covid care for uninsured in the wake of congressional inaction (Politico)

25. VIDEO: China Orders Mass Covid Testing for Beijing Residents (Reuters)

26. Disney Employees Slated to Relocate to Florida Caught in Political Crossfire (WSJ)

27. Judge Orders Man Who Defaced L.G.B.T. Pride Mural to Write Essay on Pulse Shooting (NYT)

28. Harvard releases report detailing its ties to slavery, plans to issue reparations.(NPR)

29. A bipartisan bill that would subject U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges to tougher disclosure requirements for their financial holdings and stock trades is expected to win final congressional approval today.(Reuters)

30. New Details Underscore House G.O.P. Role in Jan. 6 Planning (NYT)

31. Elon Musk boosts criticism of Twitter executives, prompting online attacks (WP)

32. The religious right had a great day in the Supreme Court (Vox)

33. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was no fan of Donald Trump’s incendiary tweets and even called one post “appalling.” But now that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is buying Twitter, the moderate Republican says Trump’s Twitter account should be reinstated. "To me, it’s ironic that we allow Russian government sites to be on Twitter, but we don’t allow President Trump,” she said. [HuffPost]

34. Google parent Alphabet reported its first quarterly revenue miss of the pandemic after the war in Ukraine hurt YouTube ad sales, leaving investors rattled as the global economy sputters. (Reuters)

35. Meteorites could have brought all 5 genetic 'letters' of DNA to early Earth — These key building blocks of life were found in space rocks, scientists confirm. The scientists detailed their findings in the journal Nature Communications. (Space.com)

36. Two planets will appear to ‘nearly collide’ in the night sky this week (WP)

37. SpaceX launches Crew-4 mission for NASA, has now sent 26 astronauts to space in under two years (CNBC)

38. Asteroid twice the size of the Empire State Building will fly by the Earth at 30 times the speed of sound, NASA says (Daily Mail)

39. One-fifth of reptiles worldwide face risk of extinction (AP)

40. Critically endangered monkey born in Colombian zoo (BBC)

41. Canada’s attempt to phase out open-pen salmon farms faces setback (Guardian)

42. Investors at top US banks refuse to back climate proposals (Financial Times)

43. India is getting too hot too early, raising the risk of fires, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned, as New Delhi sweltered in extreme heat and a burning landfill on the outskirts of the capital spewed toxic smoke into the air. (Reuters)

44. Palestinian farmer finds 4,500-year-old goddess statue while working his land (CNN)

45. Major Japan railway now powered only by renewable energy (AP)

46. Reports of the fax machine’s death are greatly exaggerated (Politico)

47. In Australia, slot machines are everywhere. So is gambling addiction. (WP)

48. A 1.5-mile stretch of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park will become permanently car-free as San Francisco supervisors vote to keep vehicles away. (SFC)

49. Ideas on mute? Study: Remote meetings dampen brainstorming (AP)

50. Autocorrect Explained: Why Your iPhone Adds Annoying Typos While Fixing Others7 min read (WSJ)

51. Florida Bans Schools From Teaching Anything Besides Misadventures Of Best Friends George Washington And Jesus Christ (The Onion)

Personalizing the News

Some studies indicate that only around ten percent of the population plays close attention to the news.

If true, that makes those of us who do pay attention a distinct minority. But those studies may not accurately capture the alternative ways many people access the news these days since trusting major media institutions is a choice fewer and fewer people are making.

Social media channels like Instagram and TikTok are the news sources of choice for many, particularly among the young. Far more obscure subgroups and niches of the Internet attract their share of the audience as well.

Many people learn about and sort the news mainly by talking with friends or relatives. Kids, for example, hear about news stories very efficiently at school, on the playground, or in transit. Few major events escape their notice.

Adults accomplish the same interchange about news events in coffee houses, places of worship or at community centers. They chat while shopping or playing cards.

In fact, the flow of information about mega-events like the war in Ukraine is ubiquitous.

One tiny example: During my biannual checkup yesterday, my doctor, who is a native of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, described the war as deja vu,to to her, and denounced Putin as someone who “has to go.”

In the course of a 15-minute visit, we shared information and perspectives about the conflict while we were both far off the media grid, while also discussing the more prosaic blood pressure, heart rate and medication issues at hand.

Had I been lacking an opinion on the war, my perspective might well have been affected by our interchange. As it was, my own ideas simply got amplified. But for my doctor, given her background, the war is personal in a way it is not to me, and that is a good example about what I’m talking about. Information — and how we feel about it — spreads unevenly throughout the human community person to person.

Like a virus. 

As for the war, Putin has his apologists out there; Russian propaganda and disinformation is effective in some places (including parts of the U.S.) but world opinion is solidly against him. The Western mass media outlets covering the war are only partially responsible for that.

People talking with each other are taking care of the rest.

Today’s Posts (42):

1. Emboldened by Ukraine’s Grit, U.S. Wants to See Russia Weakened (NYT)

2. Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, warned Ukraine against provoking World War III and said the threat of a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated” as his country unleashed attacks against rail and fuel installations far from the front lines of Moscow’s new eastern offensive. [AP]

3. Russia accused NATO of engaging in a proxy battle that created a serious risk of nuclear war as Washington convened its allies at a German air base to pledge the heavy weapons Ukraine needs to achieve victory. (Reuters)

4. Putin gets what he didn’t want: Ukraine army closer to West (AP)

5. Defense chief meets with NATO allies in Germany (WP)

6. Russia will shut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria (CNN)

7. How Zelensky Tamed Ukraine’s Fractious Politics and Stood Up to Putin (NYT)

8. Biden open to neutrality for Ukraine (WP)

9. In Liberated Ukrainian Villages, Fears Grow for Men Taken to Russia (WSJ)

10. ‘Putin never imagined’ global rally of Ukraine support, defense secretary says (WP)

11. Moldova's president convened an urgent security meeting after two blasts damaged Soviet-era radio masts in the breakaway region of Transdniestria, where authorities said a military unit was also targeted. The Moldovan authorities are sensitive to any sign of growing tensions in the unrecognized Moscow-backed sliver of land bordering southwestern Ukraine. (Reuters)

12. Looming ground battle is crucial phase in Ukraine, U.S. officials say (WP)

13. Behind Austin’s Call for a ‘Weakened’ Russia, Hints of a Shift (NYT)

14. Three Russian pilots suspected of bombing civilian buildings in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions are among at least seven Russian military personnel that Kyiv is preparing war crimes charges against. (Reuters)

15. ‘Russia is failing,’ Blinken says as U.S. restarts diplomatic activity inside Ukraine (WP)

16. A professor in the U.S. teaches economics — and survival — to her students in Ukraine via Zoom (WP)

17. The U.N. now projects more than 8 million people will flee Ukraine as refugees (NPR)

18. Russia pounds eastern Ukraine (AP)

19. How Elon Musk Won Twitter (WSJ)

20. With Deal for Twitter, Musk Lands a Prize and Pledges Fewer Limits (NYT)

21. Twitter workers face a reality they’ve long feared: Elon Musk as owner (WP)

22. Twitter’s board of directors agreed to sell the company to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, climaxing the world’s richest person’s quest to acquire his favorite social media platform and take it private. The deal was met with alarm by some Democratic lawmakers. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called it “dangerous for democracy.” [HuffPost]

23. "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means." — Elon Musk

24. Facebook will open its first physical store next month in California. (WP)

25. Weary of many disasters? UN says worse to come (AP)

26. How American cities are wrestling with crime on public transit. (Cal Today)

27. Antiviral pills that treat covid-19 may be easier to find soon. — The U.S. announced today that it will double the number of pharmacies carrying Paxlovid. (WP)

28. VIDEO: Coronavirus Outbreak Sparks Panic Buying in Beijing (AP)

29. Three-quarters of Beijing's 22 million people lined up for COVID-19 tests as authorities in the Chinese capital raced to stamp out a nascent outbreak and avert the debilitating city-wide lockdown that has shrouded Shanghai for a month. (Reuters)

30. What do we know about the new omicron mutant? (AP)

31. Most Americans have been infected with the COVID-19 virus, the CDC reports (NPR)

32. Covid Outbreak in Beijing Prompts Order for Nearly Citywide Testing (NYT)

33. Lockdowns drag on China’s economy as ripple effects of ‘zero covid’ cascade (WP)

34. A major recession is coming, Deutsche Bank warns (CNN)

35. Computers using light rather than electric currents for processing, only years ago seen as research projects, are gaining traction and startups that have solved the engineering challenge of using photons in chips are getting big funding. (Reuters)

36. Fidelity to Allow Bitcoin in 401(k) Accounts (WSJ)

37. CNN has obtained thousands more texts exchanged between Mark Meadows and Donald Trump’s high-profile supporters. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) asked Meadows for help organizing the congressional objection to Joe Biden’s victory. Meadows also frequently texted with Fox News host Sean Hannity, who appeared to ask Meadows how he could help improve Trump’s election results. [HuffPost]

38. In the hours after the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, House Republican Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly said he was “exhilarated” that the then-president had finally trashed his reputation, according to a new book. “He put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger,” McConnell said. “Couldn’t have happened at a better time.” [HuffPost]

39. Egyptian archaeologists unearthed the ruins of a temple for the ancient Greek god Zeus in the Sinai Peninsula. The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said the temple ruins were found in the Tell el-Farma archaeological site, which dates back to the late Pharaonic period and was also used during Greco-Roman and Byzantine times. [AP]

40. Afghan evacuees in DMV struggle with rent after running out of aid (WP)

41. The Netflix Bubble Is Finally Bursting (Atlantic)

42. Sycophantic Backup Singers Just Mindlessly Parroting Whatever Lead Singer Says (The Onion)

 

Good News Break

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):

1. Russia’s Lavrov Says NATO Is Using Ukraine as a Proxy, Warns Against World War III — Ukraine said comments suggest Moscow senses defeat (WSJ)

2. Russia warns Ukraine conflict could lead to World War Three (BBC)

3. The threat of nuclear war is real, top Russian official says; UN chief travels to Moscow to meet with Putin (CNBC)

4. U.S. Wants to See Russia Weakened, Says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin After Ukraine Visit (WSJ)

5. Russia failing in its war aims, Antony Blinken says after Ukraine visit (BBC)

6. 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]

7. 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)

8. Russia warns United States against sending more arms to Ukraine (Reuters)

9. In a Ukrainian School, 12 People Await the War’s End, or Their Own (NYT)

10. In Ukraine, despair and bloodshed in the backdrop of a somber holiday (WP)

11. Russia hits rail, fuel facilities in attacks deep in Ukraine (AP)

12. Heavy weaponry pours into Ukraine as commanders become more desperate (Politico)

13. Five dead as stations hit in rocket attacks - Ukraine (BBC)

14. President Biden Announces Nominee for Ambassador to Ukraine (White House)

15. America’s Road to the Ukraine War (NYT)

16. In Mariupol, echoes of history, utter devastation and a last stand (WP)

17. Ukraine removes Hirohito from video after Japan protests (AP)

18. Scale of Refugees From Ukraine War on Display in Poland’s Public Schools (WSJ)

19. Russia focuses on eastern Ukraine, but its advance stalls (NHK)

20. Foreign investors are ditching China. Russia's war is the latest trigger (CNN)

21. Ukraine and the Words That Lead to Mass Murder — First comes the dehumanization. Then comes the killing. (Atlantic)

22. 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)

23. Beijing kicks off mass testing after spike in Covid cases (BBC)

24. COVID-19 Third Dose Vaccine Protection Against Hospitalization Wanes After 3 Months (SciTechDaily)

25. U.S. Nears One Million Covid-19 Deaths (WSJ)

26. 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)

27. Kemp and Perdue clash over 2020 election results at Georgia GOP governor's debate (CNN)

28. Greene, in text to Meadows, raised topic of martial law to keep Trump in power (WP)

29. 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]

30. Trump held in contempt for failing to hand over business records to N.Y. attorney general (WP)

31. 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)

32. Wildfires Burn More Than 150,000 Acres in Three States (NYT)

33. War in Ukraine Cuts Fertilizer Supply, Hurting Food Prices and Farmers (WSJ)

34. 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]

35. Indonesia to ban palm oil exports (NHK)

36. Twitter 'on track' to reach deal with Elon Musk soon: Report (CNBC)

37. 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]

38. Shadow of Jupiter's largest moon looms in magnificent new Juno photo (Space.com)

39. China Plans System to Take Out Asteroids Hurtling Toward Earth (BloombergQuint)

40. Cities Want to Return to Prepandemic Life. One Obstacle: Transit Crime. (NYT)

41. 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)

42. World's oldest person, Kane Tanaka, dies in Japan aged 119 (CNN)

43. Package That Arrived In 24 Hours Sits Unopened On Table For Week (The Onion)