Wednesday, February 9th, 2022 

Moscow denies deal to de-escalate as Macron meets with Ukraine leader  Moscow on Tuesday denied reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron had reached a tentative agreement on de-escalating the Ukraine crisis. French officials had indicated that Macron left Moscow with the understanding that Russia would not keep troops in Belarus near the Ukrainian border after military exercises end this month. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was the United States, not France, that had the status to work out a deal. The statement cast doubt on Macron’s diplomatic clout as he moved on to meet with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Kyiv on Tuesday. Macron said the tension caused by the fear Russia will invade Ukraine is “unprecedented,” and won’t “be solved thanks to a few hours of discussions.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis wins 1st U.S. gold at Winter Olympics  Lindsey Jacobellis won the women’s snowboard cross event at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Wednesday, giving the United States its first gold medal of the Games. Jacobellis, 36, is the oldest snowboarder to medal at the Games, and the oldest American woman to win gold in any sport at the Winter Games. Jacobellis is competing in her fifth Olympic Games, and this is the second medal of her career. She took silver in 2006 after infamously losing her lead in the final by making a celebratory board-grab. She placed fourth in the 2018 Games. Her gold gave Team USA seven medals in all and raises its ranking to 10th place. No. 1 Norway has four golds among nine medals. ESPN 

CDC director says mask guidance unchanged as some states lift mandates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a radio interview Tuesday that the agency has not changed its mask guidelines urging all schools to encourage students to wear well-fitting face coverings indoors. Walensky also said everyone should wear masks in public indoor settings with substantial risk of coronavirus infection. “Right now, we still have about 290,000 cases every single day, and our hospitalization rates now are higher than they even were at the peak of our Delta surge,” Walensky said. Her comments came as a growing number of states, from California to Delaware, this week announced they would be dropping indoor mask mandates now that new cases driven by the Omicron variant are falling. CNN 

Canadian ‘Freedom Convoy’ drivers snarl key U.S. border crossings Canadian “Freedom Convoy” drivers have spread their protest against COVID-19 restrictions from Ottawa to the U.S. border, where they partially blocked an auto-industry supply-chain lifeline connecting Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit. Canadian-bound traffic across the Ambassador Bridge was shut down early Tuesday. Limited U.S.-bound traffic got through. Protesters in idling trucks and other vehicles also blocked traffic early Tuesday at an access point between Alberta and Montana. Lawmakers in Australia said they feared that local Freedom-Convoy-inspired protests that have continued peacefully for eight days in their country’s capital, Canberra, could deteriorate. “Some of these protesters actually want to undermine and overturn democracy,” Kristina Keneally of the Australian Labor Party said. CNN 

Biden says Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is ‘hateful’ President Biden on Tuesday slammed Florida legislation that critics are calling the “Don’t Say Gay” bill after the state Senate Education Committee advanced the controversial legislation. The proposed law would ban discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida public schools in primary grade levels, or in any manner that is not “age-appropriate.” “I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are,” Biden tweeted. “I have your back.” A day earlier, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signaled support for the bill, saying it was “entirely inappropriate” for teachers to talk about gender identity and sexual orientation in the classroom. INSIDER 

Teen charged in case linked to police killing of Amir Locke Minnesota prosecutors on Tuesday charged 17-year-old Mekhi Speed with second-degree murder in the case that police were investigating when they conducted a no-knock raid and fatally shot 22-year-old Amir Locke. Officers were looking for Speed, Locke’s cousin, when they rushed into a Minneapolis apartment where Locke was sleeping on a couch. An officer fatally shot Locke when he grabbed a handgun, police said. Speed was charged with shooting and killing Otis Elder, 38, in what a witness described as a drug deal that went bad. Locke’s death has set off protests and a Monday march on City Hall demanding that Mayor Jacob Frey fire the officer who shot Locke, Mark Hanneman, and interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman. Frey has suspended the use of no-knock warrants in the city. STAR TRIBUNE 

Household debt surged as home, car prices rose in 2021 U.S. household debt rose by $1.02 trillion in 2021, the most since a $1.06 trillion rise in 2007, according to a report released Tuesday by the New York Federal Reserve. The increase came as Americans borrowed more so they could afford homes, cars, and other big purchases as prices soared. The average U.S. home price jumped by almost 20 percent in 2021, and rising vehicle prices pushed new auto loans to $734 billion, a record. “As car prices have soared, buyers have borrowed more to finance the additional cost,” researchers wrote in a separate blog post. So far, households have managed the extra debt as the economy recovers from the coronavirus crisis, and incomes rise. REUTERS 

Toyota profit drops as computer-chip shortage impact continues Toyota reported Wednesday that its profit dropped by almost 6 percent in the last quarter of 2021 as the computer-chip shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic continued to hurt the auto industry. The Japanese automaker said its quarterly profit was 791.7 billion yen or $6.9 billion, down from 838.7 billion yen in the same period a year earlier. Toyota sold 2.5 million vehicles globally, down from 2.8 million a year earlier. The company trimmed its sales forecast for its current fiscal year to 8.25 million vehicles from the previous 8.55 million estimate, still more than the 7.6 million it sold in the previous fiscal year as the pandemic hammered the industry. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

U.S. arrests couple for allegedly laundering bitcoin from $4.5 billion heist The Justice Department announced Tuesday that authorities had arrested a married couple — Ilya Lichtenstein, 34, and Heather Morgan, 31 — in connection with the theft of cryptocurrency currently worth $4.5 billion in a 2016 hack of the Bitfinex exchange. They were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors said Lichtenstein and Morgan lied to financial institutions and virtual currency exchanges about who they were and how they got their bitcoin, and tried to cover their tracks by laundering the stolen funds “through a labyrinth of cryptocurrency transactions,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said. Law enforcement agencies have seized more than $3.6 billion linked to the crime. THE HILL 

‘The Power of the Dog’ leads Oscar nominations The Power of the Dog led Academy Awards nominations announced Tuesday with 12 nods, including Best Picture and Best Director. Benedict Cumberbatch received a Best Actor nomination for his role in the Netflix Western drama. His fellow nominees in the category were Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos), Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!), Will Smith (King Richard), and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth). The Best Actress nominees were Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter), Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers), Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos), and Kristen Stewart (Spencer). The other films up for Best Picture were Belfast, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, and West Side Story. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

Tuesday,  February 8th, 2022 

Biden vows to block gas pipeline if Russia invades Ukraine President Biden vowed to block the planned Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Europe if Moscow sends troops into Ukraine. Biden, standing with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House, said the U.S. and its NATO allies are unified in their commitment to react strongly if Russia invades. Biden also said any U.S. citizens remaining in Ukraine would be “wise” to leave, even though Biden said he remained hopeful that diplomacy would defuse the crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in a bid to de-escalate tensions. “I believe that our continent is today in an eminently critical situation, which requires us all to be extremely responsible,” Macron said. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Frontier to buy Spirit Airlines in deal worth $6.6 billion Frontier on Monday agreed to buy rival low-cost airline Spirit for $2.9 billion in cash and stock. The total value would be $6.6 billion, including debt and operating leases. If the sale goes through, it will create the nation’s fifth-biggest airline and a discount-flight powerhouse more able to compete with bigger carriers. Low-cost airlines have shaken up the airline industry in recent years by offering passengers often far cheaper flights by cutting frills. The consolidation comes as the travel industry tries to rebound from a painful pandemic-induced slowdown while still fighting higher costs and labor shortages caused by COVID-19. Spirit shares jumped by 17 percent on Monday. Frontier rose by 3.5 percent. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Rumble offers Joe Rogan $100 million to switch from Spotify Conservative video hosting website Rumble on Monday tweeted an offer to pay popular podcaster Joe Rogan $100 million to leave Spotify and bring his show, The Joe Rogan Experience, to its platform. Rogan and Spotify apologized for Rogan’s airing of inaccurate COVID-19 information and his use of racial slurs as several recording artists, starting with Neil Young, pulled their music off the streaming platform in protest. Rumble bills itself as an anti-censorship platform and is popular with the American right, and its CEO, Chris Pavlovski, said in a letter to Rogan posted on Twitter that his company is ready to “stand with you, your guests, and your legion of fans in desire for real conversation.” FOX BUSINESS 

U.S.-born Eileen Gu wins freestyle skiing gold for China Eileen Gu, the 18-year-old Californian competing for China at the Beijing Winter Olympics, won her first gold medal on Monday. The U.S.-born freestyle skiing prodigy was trailing Tess Ledeux of France and another skier heading into her final jump of the women’s big air competition. She landed her first-ever double cork 1620, a move in which skiers spin 4 1/2 times while rotating twice off-axis while soaring 20 feet above the snow. It was enough to vault her into first. Ledeux, unable to match Gu’s score, won the silver medal. Gu has attracted international attention for her decision to represent China, her mother’s homeland, rather than the U.S. She has two more events in her effort to win three golds. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

A planned US$66 billion merger between British semiconductor company Arm Ltd. and American hardware company Nvidia is cancelled after facing regulatory pressures from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and China. Arm says that it will instead go public sometime before March 2023. If the deal were successful, it would have been the largest merger in the history of the semiconductor industry. (Reuters) (Ars Technica) 

Israel says that the Syrian military fired an anti-aircraft missile towards its territory, which exploded in mid-air over the north of the country, triggering air raid sirens. However, Syrian state television reports that an Israeli Air Force airstrike occurred near Damascus. (Reuters) 

The IDF says it has struck several Syrian air defense batteries and radars in response to the missile entering Israeli airspace. (Times of Israel) 

Shin Bet officers kill three Palestinian al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades militants in the West Bank after opening fire on their vehicle. Israel says that the men were armed and were responsible for a series of drive-by shootings in recent weeks. Protests occur in the West Bank in response to the killings. (Reuters) 

A joint operation by the Malian Armed Forces and the French-led Takuba Task Force kills at least 30 jihadists. A Mirage 2000 fighter jet was involved in the operation, bombing a group of terrorists on motorbikes. (Reuters) 

Hong Kong reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 625 new COVID-19 cases, prompting the government to impose strict social distancing measures in places of worship and hair salons as well as limiting private gatherings to two people beginning on February 10. (Al-Arabiya) 

Japan reports a record 159 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Jiji Press) 

Poland indefinitely postpones its deadline of March 1 for mandatory full vaccination of teachers, members of the army and police officers, due to the current vaccination rate. (AP) 

Thousands of Slovaks protest in Bratislava against a potential military defense treaty between Slovakia and the United States. Police prevented some protesters from entering the National Council building, where the bill is being debated by lawmakers. (ABC News) 

NASA awards Lockheed Martin a contract to build a next-generation “Mars Ascent Vehicle” to return the first rock samples from Mars to Earth in the 2030s. (Phys) 

Oscar nominations include a shock Lady Gaga snub Tell me something girl: are you happy in this modern world? The 2022 Oscar nominations are here, and with a leading 12 nods, Netflix’s slow burn Western The Power of the Dog looks set to win Best Picture. But the biggest jaw-dropper of the morning was Lady Gaga not being nominated for her performance in House of Gucci, a film that earned just a single nomination for makeup and hairstyling. As recently as last week, some pundits thought Gaga was the frontrunner to actually win Best Actress. Meanwhile, it increasingly seemed like former frontrunner Kristen Stewart would get snubbed for playing Princess Diana in Spencer, but she did land a nomination. Gaga shrugged off her snub on Instagram, congratulating the nominees “on all your hard work, dedication, your nomination and YOUR magic.” Stewart, meanwhile, was over the moon, declaring, “I would pay to make movies. I would make them if it was illegal.” Better luck next time, Little Monsters, and congrats to the K-Stew stans.  THE WEEK 

Robert Pattinson says his Batman is a ‘weirdo’ Finally, a Batman movie that’s aggressively dark and depressing! Robert Pattinson chatted with GQ about his upcoming movie The Batman, assuring everyone it will be a “nihilistic” story revolving around a total nutcase. The actor explained that Bruce Wayne in this version “doesn’t have a playboy persona at all” and is “kind of a weirdo as Bruce and a weirdo as Batman.” Further, it’s “sort of implied that he’s had a bit of a breakdown,” and the film will explore “how s— everything is” in Gotham. “Like, it’s a sad movie,” Pattinson promised. So yeah, probably don’t expect Mr. Freeze-style puns in this one. Pattinson also spoke about his previous bizarre revelation that he had a business idea to sell “a pasta which you can hold in your hand.” While he admitted he sometimes completely makes stuff up in interviews, he would never lie about something this important. “I was fully, actually trying to make that pasta,” Pattinson said. “Like I was literally in talks with frozen-food factories, and hoped that that article would be the proof of concept.”  GQ 

NBC says it has ‘resolved the situation’ with Leslie Jones over Olympics commentary Was the death of Leslie Jones’ Olympics commentary greatly exaggerated? Jones typically provides hilarious commentary of the games via videos she posts on social media of herself watching them. But on Monday, she said she was considering quitting, suggesting NBC had a problem with her videos and was trying to have them blocked. Now, a spokesperson for NBC tells The Associated Press that “we have resolved the situation,” and the former Saturday Night Live star is “free to do her social media posts as she has done in the past.” The spokesperson also said Jones’ videos getting blocked was the result of a “third-party error,” adding, “She is a super fan of the Olympics and we are super fans of her.” It’s unclear whether Jones is satisfied with this resolution, and as of Tuesday afternoon, her most Twitter activity was still a retweet from someone telling NBC to “f— off.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Fox plans to ‘reimagine the Gumby franchise’ Look out, Marvel Cinematic Universe: your status as Hollywood’s biggest franchise is in jeopardy. Fox Entertainment has “acquired the Gumby franchise” and plans to “reimagine” it, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This plan involves the creation of new animated and live-action Gumby content and — oh god — even Gumby NFTs. “Uncovering this gem, with its built-in awareness and affinity, and bringing it to Fox, adds meaningful value and creative possibilities to the IP itself and to multiple divisions of our company,” Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said — so yeah, sounds like a real passion project. Fox even attached a statement from the green clay character himself, who declared he’s excited that Fox has a “vision for my modern, multi-platform re-emergence.” If Fox’s recent The Masked Singer debacle is any indication of what this vision might look like, we look forward to seeing Gumby’s adventures with Rudy Giuliani.   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

‘Evolved beings’ Kanye West and Julia Fox are reportedly in an open relationship In case we didn’t already know way more than necessary about Kanye West and Julia Fox’s relationship thanks to her bizarre blogs of their dates, Page Six is here to help. On Tuesday, the outlet reported that West and Fox, who have been dating since New Year’s Eve, are “in an open relationship” and both seeing other people. West was recently spotted with model Chaney Jones amid his increasingly dramatic divorce from estranged wife Kim Kardashian. But if that might have suggested he and Fox weren’t together anymore, Page Six said West is indeed “openly seeing” Jones, but an insider close to Fox said, “Their bond transcends typical norms because they’re evolved beings who just want each other to be happy. There is no jealousy or bad vibes.” Meanwhile, according to the report, Fox is “talking to” a “mystery man on the East Coast.” Wait a minute, the East Coast … Pete Davidson isn’t dating her too, is he?  PAGE SIX 

The End Wednesday 

Biden science adviser Eric Lander resigns  President Biden’s top science adviser, Eric Lander, resigned Monday after an internal investigation found that he violated the White House’s workplace policy. The two-month investigation found that Lander was “bullying” his former general counsel, Rachel Wallace, Politico reported, citing investigation recordings and documents it obtained. Lander apologized in his resignation letter to Biden, saying he was “devastated that I caused hurt to past and present colleagues by the way in which I have spoken to them.” Biden warned on his first day in office that he would fire “on the spot” anyone who doesn’t treat others with respect. Lander is the first Cabinet-level administration official to be fired or leave under pressure. AXIOS 

National Archives takes 15 boxes of records from Trump at Mar-a-Lago The National Archives and Records Administration last month took 15 boxes of documents and other items from former President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reported Monday, citing Archives officials. Trump had taken them to his Mar-a-Lago resort residence in Palm Beach, Florida, instead of turning them over as the Presidential Records Act requires. Trump advisers say the former president did nothing wrong by keeping the boxes, saying they contained gifts and letters from world leaders. The Post also reported recently that Trump frequently tore up documents, apparently violating records rules. Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero said following the Presidential Records Act “is critical to our democracy” because it ensures accountability. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Canadian judge bars protesters from honking horns in Ottawa A Canadian judge on Monday issued a 10-day injunction barring truckers protesting vaccine mandates from honking their horns in downtown Ottawa. “Tooting a horn is not an expression of any great thought I’m aware of,” Justice Hugh McLean of the Ottawa Superior Court said. He also said the ban would not violate demonstrators’ right to protest. A convoy of truckers and other demonstrators protesting Canada’s COVID-19 policies entered Ottawa on Jan. 29 and has been blocking streets and using horns to disturb residents ever since. According to the order, police now can arrest and remove people who knowingly violate the ban, and release them if they promise in writing to obey the judge’s order. CBC 

Judge rules U.S. must pay Texas church massacre victims and families $230 million A federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. government must pay $230 million to victims and families of victims of a 2017 Texas church massacre. The gunman, Devin Patrick Kelley, had been court-martialed by the Air Force for assaulting his then-wife and stepson in 2012. He should have been barred from owning firearms due to the conviction, but the Air Force failed to enter his name in the correct database, allowing him to buy the AR-556 rifle he used to kill 26 people and wound 22 others at the Sutherland Springs, Texas, church. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez awarded damages to about 80 people who were wounded or lost family members.  NPR 

 
Frontier to buy Spirit Airlines in deal worth $6.6 billion Frontier on Monday agreed to buy rival low-cost airline Spirit for $2.9 billion in cash and stock. The total value would be $6.6 billion, including debt and operating leases. If the sale goes through, it will create the nation’s fifth-biggest airline and a discount-flight powerhouse more able to compete with bigger carriers. Low-cost airlines have shaken up the airline industry in recent years by offering passengers often far cheaper flights by cutting frills. The consolidation comes as the travel industry tries to rebound from a painful pandemic-induced slowdown while still fighting higher costs and labor shortages caused by COVID-19. Spirit shares jumped by 17 percent on Monday. Frontier rose by 3.5 percent. NPR 

Early Facebook investor Peter Thiel stepping down from Meta board Billionaire tech investor and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel is stepping down from the board of Facebook’s parent company, Meta, after its next meeting, the company announced Monday. The news came after Meta’s stock price dropped 26 percent last Wednesday and the social media giant reported that last quarter, for the first time in its history, it lost daily users. Thiel, Facebook’s first outside investor, joined the company’s board in 2005. In a statement, Meta Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he was “deeply grateful” for Thiel’s contributions to Facebook. Thiel, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, reportedly plans on turning to help elect Republicans J.D. Vance and Blake Masters to the U.S. Senate in Ohio and Arizona. CNBC 

Rumble offers Joe Rogan $100 million to switch from Spotify Conservative video hosting website Rumble on Monday tweeted an offer to pay popular podcaster Joe Rogan $100 million to leave Spotify and bring his show, The Joe Rogan Experience, to its platform. Rogan and Spotify apologized for Rogan’s airing of inaccurate COVID-19 information and his use of racial slurs as several recording artists, starting with Neil Young, pulled their music off the streaming platform in protest. Rumble bills itself as an anti-censorship platform and is popular with the American right, and its CEO, Chris Pavlovski, said in a letter to Rogan posted on Twitter that his company is ready to “stand with you, your guests, and your legion of fans in desire for real conversation.” FOX BUSINESS 

Peloton co-founder John Foley to step down as CEO Peloton co-founder John Foley is stepping down as CEO after leading the fitness company since it launched a decade ago, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The company said it also planned to cut costs — including 2,800 jobs — and shake up its board. Foley will become executive chair. Peloton’s sales of its exercise bikes and treadmills with streaming fitness classes soared early in the coronavirus pandemic as lockdowns forced people to spend more time at home. But demand has fallen sharply as COVID-19 restrictions eased. Activist investor Blackwells Capital has called for firing Foley and exploring a sale. Amazon, among others, has expressed interest.  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Monday,  February 7th, 2022 

German chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with U.S. president Joe Biden during his first visit to the United States in order to discuss the situation in Ukraine, saying that Germany will be “acting together” with the United States if Russia invades Ukraine. (CNN) 

Nigeria receives two million doses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine donated by the European Union. (All Africa) 

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approves the use of the Sinopharm BBIBP COVID-19 vaccine for adults aged above 18 years. (The Straits Times) 

Australia announces that it will reopen its international borders to fully vaccinated tourists on February 21, after a closure of almost two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Western Australia is expected to continue to close its borders to tourists. (ABC News Australia) 

In Ottawa, seven people are arrested, more than 500 others are ticketed, and sixty criminal investigations are commenced, for a number of offenses related to the truckers’ protest, including violations of the Highway Traffic Act, vandalism, and the smuggling of gasoline. (MSN) 

Tunisian police close the Supreme Judicial Council building in Tunis and prevent its members and their staff from entering. The legal body was dissolved yesterday by President Kais Saied in a move widely decried within the nation as illegal. (Al Jazeera) 

Leslie Jones may retire from Olympics commentary Enjoy Leslie Jones’ live commentary of the Olympics while you still can. The Saturday Night Live alum has been providing her usual hilarious play-by-play of the Olympics on Twitter this year, something she started back in 2016. But she said Monday she’s “starting to feel like this should be my last Olympics I live tweet” because she’s “tired of fighting the folks who don’t want me to do it.” This group seemingly includes the network airing the Olympics, as Jones bemoaned the fact that her videos apparently keep getting blocked and told fans confused about the issue, “It’s NBC.” On Instagram, actor Holly Robinson Peete suggested Jones should be providing her commentary in an official capacity like Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg, who offer highlights on Peacock. But she shot back, “You think Kevin and Snoop give a f— about athletes and Olympics? Honestly I think this should be my last one. [It’s] frustrating.” She also retweeted a number of fans who offered their support, including one who bluntly wrote, “Hey NBC f— off with that trash.”  ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY 

Razzies introduce new category for worst Bruce Willis performance And the Razzie for worst Bruce Willis performance of 2021 goes to … what do you know, Bruce Willis! The nominations for this year’s Golden Raspberry Awards, a parody award show that “honors” the worst films and performances of the year, were unveiled Monday, and the group decided Willis delivered so many bad performances he needed his very own category: “Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie.” The nominees, drumroll please, are …. Bruce Willis for American Siege, Bruce Willis for Apex, Bruce Willis for Cosmic Sin, Bruce Willis for Deadlock, Bruce Willis for Fortress, Bruce Willis for Midnight in the Switchgrass, Bruce Willis for Out of Death, and Bruce Willis for Survive the Game! For those who don’t frequent the discount DVD bin at Target, yes, those are all real movies released in 2021. To be fair, the Razzies also nominated Ben Affleck for The Last Duel even though critics really liked that performance, as well as Jared Leto for House of Gucci, a role that might actually earn him an Oscar nomination tomorrow. Either way, we wish Bruce Willis luck, but who knows — maybe Leto could still pull off a write-in upset.  INDIEWIRE 

Billie Eilish stops concert to get fan an inhaler She’s the good guy. Billie Eilish stopped her Atlanta concert for several minutes over the weekend to get a fan an inhaler after learning they were having difficulty breathing. Videos showed the “Bad Guy” singer asking fans how they were doing before responding to someone in the crowd, “You need an inhaler? Who needs an inhaler? Do we have an inhaler?” Moments later, Eilish said “we got one,” urging concertgoers not to “crowd” and telling them, “We’re taking care of our people. I wait for people to be OK until I keep going.” She sure seemed to be throwing shade at Travis Scott, who continues to face scrutiny after 10 people died in a crowd surge at his Astroworld music festival last year. A video of Eilish stopping to make sure fans were OK and giving one a water bottle previously made the rounds following Astroworld. “What can I do to help?” Eilish asked fans. “I need you to be OK.”  TMZ 

Awkwafina quits Twitter after addressing ‘blaccent’ criticism Awkwafina popped up on Twitter over the weekend to announce she’ll be quitting for “years” after facing criticism over her “blaccent.” The Crazy Rich Asians star has long been accused of “making a mockery of Black people and Black culture” through her use of African American Vernacular English, as critic Carolyn Hinds wrote. In a statement on Twitter, Awkwafina said”to mock, belittle, or to be unkind in any way possible at the expense of others is: Simply. Not. My. Nature.” She also promised that “as a non-Black POC,” she will “always listen and work tirelessly to understand” what is “deemed appropriate or backwards toward the progress of ANY and EVERY marginalized group.” After dropping the statement, which was quickly criticized for not including an apology, she said she’s sorry “if I ever fell short, in anything I did” and announced she’ll be “retiring from the ingrown toenail that is Twitter” — though she hadn’t tweeted since 2019 anyway. “Well,” she said, “I’ll see you in a few years.”  BUZZFEED NEWS 

Steven Soderbergh can’t direct a superhero movie because ‘there’s no f—ing’ in them Tired: hating superhero movies because they’re like theme park rides. Wired: hating superhero movies because “nobody’s f—ing” in them. Ocean’s Eleven and Magic Mike director Steven Soderbergh shared with The Daily Beast his take on the superhero genre, explaining he never really gets approached to direct franchise blockbusters and probably wouldn’t direct a film like this. But that’s for a specific reason: “I’m not a snob,” Soderbergh explained, and “it’s not that I feel it’s some lower tier in any way.” Instead, he said he’s an “earthbound” filmmaker, whereas in superhero films, “There’s no f—ing. Nobody’s f—ing! Like, I don’t know how to tell people how to behave in a world in which that is not a thing.” Soderbergh presumably didn’t see Marvel’s Eternals or just doesn’t count that film’s sex scene because it was so lame — which, yeah, fair.  THE DAILY BEAST 

The End Tuesday 

Monday,  February 7th, 2022 

French President Emmanuel Macron says that a deal to “avoid war in Ukraine” is “within reach” and that it is legitimate for Russia to raise its own security concerns to NATO. Macron will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow tomorrow. (BBC News) 

National security adviser says Russia could invade Ukraine ‘any day now’ President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned Sunday that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day now,” although he added that an attack might not start for weeks, “or Russia could choose to take the diplomatic path instead.” Russia has substantially increased its military presence near the Ukraine border since December. Sullivan said on Fox News Sunday that a war would “come at an enormous human cost to Ukraine,” with intelligence officials estimating up to 50,000 Ukrainian civilians could be killed or wounded in an all-out war. But Russia will pay dearly, Sullivan said, under harsh economic sanctions Biden has vowed to impose if Russia invades. Moscow calls allegations it plans to invade U.S. propaganda. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Tennis player Peng Shuai retires, denies accusing Chinese official of sexual assault Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai told French sports magazine L’Équipe on Sunday that the international outcry over her apparent disappearance was a “huge misunderstanding,” and she announced her retirement from competition. Peng, 36, thanked international athletes and Women’s Tennis Association players for expressing concern, but she said her post on Chinese microblog Weibo in November had been twisted to suggest she had been pressured into sex by a retired Chinese official, with whom she had a fraught intimate relationship. “I never said that anyone made me submit to a sexual assault,” she said. “I hope that we no longer distort the meaning of this post.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Spotify CEO says company won’t cancel Joe Rogan Spotify CEO Daniel Ek responded to intensifying criticism of popular podcast host Joe Rogan’s anti-vaccine comments and use of racial slurs, saying the streaming service would not drop Rogan’s show. “While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more,” Ek said in a message to employees released Sunday. But, he said, “canceling voices is a slippery slope.” Rogan apologized Saturday after a compilation video showed him repeatedly using the N-word. Spotify has a lot riding on The Joe Rogan Experience. The company reportedly paid $100 million to exclusively host the show, a centerpiece of its effort to expand beyond music. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Ottawa’s mayor declares state of emergency over anti-vaccine-mandate protests Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency Sunday over the so-called Freedom Convoy by hundreds of anti-vaccine-mandate protesters using large trucks to paralyze the Canadian capital’s downtown. “[This] reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government,” Watson said in a statement. Ottawa police officials have called the siege, which includes blaring horns and nightly fireworks, part of a “nationwide insurrection.” Authorities have noted that the protesters include far-right extremists, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he won’t be intimidated by a “fringe minority.” REUTERS

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declares a state of emergency in the capital as a trucker protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates enters its second week. (The Independent) 

Minneapolis protesters demand justice after police fatally shoot Amir Locke Hundreds of people walked and drove through the streets of Minneapolis on Saturday and Sunday to protest the fatal police shooting of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man. Locke was killed by officers who stormed into a downtown Minneapolis apartment under a no-knock warrant. The warrant didn’t name Locke. He wasn’t a suspect in any case the police were investigating. Locke, a DoorDash delivery driver, was sleeping on a couch wrapped in a comforter when four officers opened the apartment door early Wednesday, and rushed in, shouting, “Police! Search warrant!” Locke had a gun in his hand. His family said he had recently purchased it legally for protection. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey suspended no-knock warrants in the city after the shooting. STAR TRIBUNE 

Pence aid says Trump got advice from ‘snake oil salesmen’ Former President Donald Trump was misled by “snake oil salesmen” who falsely told him that his vice president, Mike Pence, had the power to reverse Trump’s election loss to President Biden, former Pence chief of staff Marc Short said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Unfortunately, the president had many bad advisers,” Short said. His comments came two days after Pence told the conservative Federalist Society that Trump was wrong to think the vice president could overturn the result. Short was with Pence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 when a mob of Trump supporters tried to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory, with some of them shouting, “Hang Mike Pence!” REUTERS 

More GOP lawmakers criticize RNC for censuring Jan. 6 committee members More Republicans spoke out Sunday against the Republican National Committee’s description of the events of Jan. 6, 2021, as “legitimate political discourse” as it censured the two House Republicans on the House Jan. 6 committee — Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said on ABC’s This Week that he disagreed with the RNC if it was referring to people who committed violence. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his impeachment trial on charges of inciting the violence, said on CNN’s State of the Union that it was “absolutely wrong” to censure lawmakers for seeking the truth, echoing sentiments Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) expressed Friday. NBC NEWS 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin’s campaign attacked high schooler on Twitter Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) official campaign Twitter account deleted a post on Sunday that singled out a 17-year-old high school student, including his name and photo, 12 hours after posting the tweet. The student, Ethan Lynne, retweeted an article from Virginia Public Media on Saturday about the resignation of a historical interpreter at the Virginia governor’s mansion who quit after Youngkin’s team reportedly emptied out her office. The historian, Kelley Fanto Deetz, had focused on the history of enslaved people at the mansion. “Team Youngkin” replied to Lynne’s tweet with a photo of him and former Gov. Ralph Northam, next to an old photo from Northam’s yearbook page that included somebody in blackface. THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 

Navy identifies SEAL candidate who died after ‘Hell Week’ training The Navy on Sunday identified the Navy SEAL candidate who died after completing “Hell Week” training as Kyle Mullen, a 24-year-old former Manalapan (New Jersey) High School and Yale football star. Mullen and another seaman became ill and were rushed to hospitals in the San Diego area hours after they successfully completed their Basic Underwater Demolition class, part of the first phase of the SEAL qualification process. The other SEAL candidate was in stable condition. “Great athlete but a better person. Everybody loved him,” former Manalapan High School football coach Ed Guerreri said. Investigators could not immediately say what caused the tragedy. USA TODAY 

U.S. wins its 1st medals of Beijing Winter Olympics The United States picked up its first two medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics over the weekend, followed by its third medal on Monday. Snowboarder Julia Marino won a silver medal in slopestyle. Marino finished just behind gold winner Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand. Skier Jaelin Kauf then took silver in the freestyle skiing women’s moguls. On Monday, the United States won the silver medal in the team figure skating competition behind Russia. The Russian Olympic Committee team leads the medal count with six (two gold, two silver, three bronze), followed by Canada (one gold, one silver, one bronze), Austria (three silver, one bronze), and Italy (two silver and two bronze). Sweden has the most golds, three. THE NEW YORK TIMES

Toshiba says it plans to split into 2 companies, not 3 Toshiba said Monday that it had revised its restructuring plan and wants to break into two parts, not three. The Japanese conglomerate said it would spin off its device business, which makes semiconductors that have been in short supply during the coronavirus pandemic, into a separate entity. The company initially said it would split into three companies — one for devices, another for energy and infrastructure, and a third to manage its Kioxia flash memory chip assets. The company revised the plan hoping to appease angry shareholders, but foreign hedge funds, many opposed to any split and preferring to take the company private, are expected to push back against the new plan, too. REUTERS 

Peloton shares surge on reports of Amazon, Nike takeover interest Peloton shares jumped by 27 percent in pre-market trading after reports that Nike and Amazon are interested in taking over the fitness company. Peloton did well early in the coronavirus pandemic as people were forced to exercise and work from home, but its stock has fallen more than 80 percent from the high it reached a year ago as easing of COVID-19 restrictions fueled concerns about growth. Activist investor Blackwells Capital last month called for exploring a sale and firing co-founder and CEO John Foley and pursue a sale. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Amazon was talking to advisers about a possible deal. Financial Times reported on Nike’s interest. MSN 

Five Pakistani troops are killed after “militants from inside Afghanistan” opened fire on a border post in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The army says that it retaliated, causing heavy casualties among the militants. The Taliban government denies that the firing came from within Afghan territory. (Reuters) 

A general election is held in Costa Rica. (Al Jazeera) 

The End