Sunday, February 20th, 2022 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that Vladimir Putin is planning “the biggest war in Europe since 1945” and that Russia intends to launch an invasion that will encircle the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. (BBC News) 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron announce they will work towards a ceasefire agreement to avert war with Ukraine. (Firstpost) 

Biden to convene National Security Council to discuss Ukraine crisis President Biden is scheduled to meet with the National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the situation on the Ukrainian border. Biden said Friday that he is “convinced” Russian President Vladimir Putin has made up his mind to invade Ukraine. Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have stepped up artillery attacks against government forces and begun evacuating women and children, while Russian forces stage large-scale military exercises, including test-firing nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Current estimates place the number of Russian troops positioned along Ukraine’s border at up to 190,000. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Americans could see increased energy costs if Russia invades Ukraine, Harris says Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters Sunday that if Russia invades Ukraine, Americans may have to “put ourselves out there in a way that” could result in increased energy costs. She added that the administration is “taking very specific … steps to mitigate what that cost might be.” Harris met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. Zelensky told Harris, through an interpreter, that he is grateful for American support and that “the only thing we want is to have peace.” In a speech delivered the same day, Harris warned the U.S. and NATO would respond to a Russian invasion of Ukraine with “far-reaching financial sanctions and export controls.” BLOOMBERG 

Russia launches an investigation following reports that shells landed inside Rostov Oblast, 2 km from the Russia–Ukraine border. At least one structure on a farm is reportedly destroyed.  (TASS) 

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton reveals a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer fired at a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing P-8 Poseidon over the exclusive economic zone of Australia with a military-grade laser weapon as it transited through the Arafura Sea last week. (Sky News Australia) 

The controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam begins its electricity production, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attending its inauguration. (Al Jazeera) 

Hundreds of protestors gather outside the Nepalese parliament in Kathmandu to protest a US$500 million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation for infrastructure projects, claiming the deal undermines Nepal’s sovereignty. Several are injured following clashes with police. (BBC) 

The closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Beijing is held. (NPR) 

2022 Olympics: Games conclude after 15 days of competition The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics closed Sunday after 15 days of competition. The closing ceremony featured children with illuminated snowflakes performing a loosely choreographed dance to an arrangement of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” followed by the Parade of Flags, set to an arrangement of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Norway topped the medal table with 16 gold medals, followed by Germany with 12 and China with nine. The U.S. came in fourth with eight gold medals. American athletes also brought home 10 silver medals and seven bronzes. Paris will host the 2024 Summer Olympics. The 2026 Winter Games will be held in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. NBC 

Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID-19 Queen Elizabeth II, 95, has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced Sunday. She is reportedly experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” but expects to be able to continue performing “light duties” during the coming week. The queen may have contracted the virus from her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, who tested positive earlier this month. The queen is fully vaccinated. On Feb. 6, Elizabeth marked 70 years on the throne. BBC 

Ottawa police continue clearing protesters on Parliament Hill. Over 170 people have been arrested since Thursday as part of an effort to end the protests. (NBC News) 

Freedom Convoy: Canadian police arrest at least 170 protesters and tow more than 50 vehicles Canadian police took aggressive action over the weekend to break up the Freedom Convoy protests that have occupied downtown Ottawa for three weeks. Police arrested at least 170 people on Friday and Saturday and towed more than 50 vehicles. Police used batons and “chemical irritant” against protesters, who they described as “aggressive and assaultive” and accused of attempting to use children to shield themselves from police. Videos show some demonstrators being trampled by police horses. One protester reportedly threw a bicycle at a police horse, and another was arrested after allegedly launching a gas canister. CNN 

Freedom Convoy demonstrators admit that the protests are near the end. (The Washington Post) 

Trump courses could host new Saudi-backed golf league Former President Donald Trump’s company is reportedly working on a deal with a new Saudi-backed golf league that would make at least two of Trump’s courses — located in Doral, Florida, and Bedminster, New Jersey, into stops on the tour. The PGA Tour pulled a tournament from Doral during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and another from Bedminster after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The new league, overseen by the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Investments, has been working to recruit PGA players, including Phil Mickelson. Mickelson reportedly said in an interview that, despite Saudi Arabia’s “horrible record on human rights,” he views the new league as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” FOX NEWS 

Epstein associate found dead in jail while awaiting trial for raping minors Former French modeling agent and Jeffrey Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel was found dead in his Paris jail cell during the night, a spokesman for the city’s prosecutor said Saturday. Brunel, 75, had been charged with raping minors over the age of 15 (France’s age of consent) and with sexual harassment. He was also suspected of procuring young women for Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. The prosecutor said Brunel was found hanging and that his death appeared to be a suicide. According to some sources, no cameras recorded Brunel’s death. THE MIAMI HERALD 

Jeffrey Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel is found dead inside his cell at La Santé Prison in Paris. Brunel faced allegations of sexual assault spanning three decades and of participating in the sex trafficking ring run by Epstein. (Sky News) 

Nepali police clash with rioters over U.S.-funded infrastructure project Hundreds of protesters clashed with riot police outside Nepal’s parliament as lawmakers debated a $500-million aid grant from the United States. Protesters rushed police barricades and hurled stones at officers. Police responded with batons, tear gas, and water cannons. The grant would fund construction of a 187-mile electricity transmission line and improve roads in the South Asian country. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki said the infrastructure program would benefit 24 million of Nepal’s 30 million people. Two communist parties, which are part of the governing coalition, oppose the deal, claiming that the project will erode Nepal’s sovereignty. REUTERS 

Australia welcomes tourists after nearly 2 years of closed borders Australia re-opened its borders to tourists on Monday after nearly two years of stringent travel restrictions that earned it the nickname “Fortress Australia.” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday that 56 international flights were expected to land at Australian airports in the next 24 hours. “We are going from Covid cautious to Covid confident when it comes to travel,” he said. Before the pandemic, Australia’s tourism industry was growing at a rate nearly double that of overall GDP growth, but many in the industry worry that it will take a long time for tourism to return to pre-COVID levels. Tourists who have received two vaccine doses will not need to quarantine. THE GUARDIAN 

2022 Olympics: U.S. figure skaters won’t receive medals until doping investigation concludes The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced Sunday in Beijing that the U.S. Olympic figure skating team will not receive their medals until a doping investigation into Russian skater Kamila Valieva has concluded. The CAS panel, which initially ruled Monday that no medals would be awarded for events in which Valieva finished in the top three, rejected the Americans’ appeal after meeting Saturday evening. It may take months or years for the investigation to reach its conclusion. Only then will the nine Americans, who finished second in the Feb. 7 team event, receive their medals. If the Russian team is disqualified, the U.S. will move up to third place on the medal table.  ESPN 

Saturday, February 19th, 2022 

The Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic declare a full military mobilisation, a day after starting evacuating civilians to Russia. (Reuters) 

Two Ukrainian troops are killed and four others are wounded after shelling by separatist forces. Separatists have opened fire on more than 30 settlements with artillery, according to the military. (Reuters) 

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris warns that the United States will impose sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine. (NBC News) 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges sanctions on Russia before a potential invasion. (CBS News) 

The Slovakia men’s hockey team wins their first medal at the Winter Olympics after defeating Sweden in the men’s tournament. (The Hockey News) 

Biden ‘convinced’ Putin has decided to invade Ukraine President Biden told reporters on Friday that he is “convinced” Russian President Vladimir Putin has made up his mind to invade Ukraine. “As of this moment, I’m convinced he’s made the decision. We have reason to believe that,” Biden said, when asked if he thought Putin was leaning one way or another. In response to a question about whether or not diplomacy is still an option, Biden replied, “Until he does, diplomacy is always a possibility.” Kyiv and Moscow have been engaged in a delicate back and forth for weeks now, as Russian troops continue to threaten Ukraine’s border, despite Putin’s repeated insistence that there’s no invasion on the horizon. NBC NEWS 

Trump brought classified documents to Mar-a-Lago, Archives says Classified national security documents were in fact among the boxes former President Donald Trump brought with him upon leaving office, the government’s chief archivist said Friday. In a letter to the chair of the House Oversight Committee, Archivist David Ferriero said the National Archives “has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes” recently recovered from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. By removing classified information from the White House in this way, Trump may have violated the Presidential Records Act. The Archives staff has been in touch with the Department of Justice. BLOOMBERG 

Freedom Convoy: Police move in on Ottawa protesters Police moved in to arrest Canadian protesters in downtown Ottawa Friday morning, with the goal of ending weekslong demonstrations that have transformed into a referendum on the country’s COVID-19 restrictions and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the pandemic. Hundreds of officers began handcuffing protesters and towing away vehicles as truckers honked defiantly. Ottawa police tweeted late Friday night that there have been no serious injuries or deaths. Police also set up a secured area within Ottawa’s downtown core and announced that “[o]nly those with an exception or who live/work there are allowed into the Secured Area.” Anyone else remaining in or attempting to enter the area, police said, “will be subject to arrest.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Putin orders nuclear weapons drills Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order Saturday for his country’s military to begin a series of drills involving its nuclear arsenal. The exercises will include ballistic and cruise missile launches as well as nuclear-capable bombers and warships from the Black Sea Fleet. This latest show of force comes after President Biden warned on Friday that he is “convinced” Putin has decided to invade Ukraine. The Russian-backed separatists who control part of eastern Ukraine are also preparing for war. On Friday, separatist leaders, warning of an imminent Ukrainian offensive, told 700,000 women and children to evacuate the region. On Saturday, they called on all military-age men to register to fight. REUTERS 

Daunte Wright’s family ‘very disappointed’ by Kim Potter sentencing Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter has received a two-year sentence for the killing of Daunte Wright. Judge Regina Chu during a hearing on Friday announced a 24-month sentence for Potter, 16 months of which she will serve in prison and the rest she will serve on supervised release. Prosecutors had pushed for a seven-year sentence. Potter was found guilty in December on charges of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter after she fatally shot Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop in April 2021. She says she mistook her gun for her taser. Daunte’s mother Katie Wright, who is white, said Chu had been swayed by Potter’s “white women tears.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Judge won’t throw out Jan. 6 incitement lawsuits against Trump Former President Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss lawsuits accusing him of inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol failed on Friday. Trump faces three lawsuits, one from Democratic members of Congress and two others from police officers. The Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that presidents are immune from lawsuits stemming from their officials acts, but Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Trump’s speech on Jan. 6 was outside the scope of his presidential duties. Mehta also seemed sympathetic to the accusations of incitement. “President Trump’s January 6 Rally Speech was akin to telling an excited mob that corn-dealers starve the poor in front of the corn-dealer’s home,” he wrote in his decision. REUTERS

Harris to meet with Ukrainian president in Munich Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. In a speech delivered the same day, Harris warned that the U.S. and NATO would respond to a Russian invasion of Ukraine with “far-reaching financial sanctions and export controls” that “will target Russia’s financial institutions and key industries” and “inflict great damage.” She told Eastern European allies on Friday that “our greatest strength is our unity.” Zelensky has faced criticism for leaving Ukraine when an invasion might commence any day, but President Biden said Friday that it was “a judgment for [Zelensky] to make.” CNN 

IOC president offers ‘rare’ criticism of China over official’s comments on Taiwan, Xinjiang The president of the International Olympic Committee — Thomas Bach — offered what has been described as a “rare” criticism of a Chinese Olympic official during a news conference on Friday. Bach said he reminded the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games of “the unequivocal commitment to remain politically neutral as it is required by the Olympic charter.” Rule 50 of the Olympic charter prohibits any “political, religious, or racial propaganda” at the Olympics. Beijing Olympics spokesperson Yan Jiarong said Thursday that “Taiwan is an indivisible part of China” and that reports of genocide and forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region are “based on lies.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Defense rests in hate crimes trial of men who killed Ahmaud Arbery The defense rested Friday after calling only one witness in the federal hate crimes trial of Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan, who were convicted in November of murdering Ahmaud Arbery. The defense argued the three white men who chased Arbery down in pick-up trucks and shot him while he was out jogging, were motivated by concerns about neighborhood crime, not racial animus. The prosecution called 20 witnesses, who said the three men routinely made racist remarks. One witness said Gregory McMichael told her, “All these Blacks are nothing but trouble. I wish they’d all die.” Another said Travis McMichael called her a “n—-rlover” after learning she’d once dated a Black man. CNN 

2022 Olympics: U.S. men’s curling team fails to medal After winning gold in 2018 and becoming internet sensations in the process, the U.S. men’s curling team came up short in the 2022 Olympics, placing fourth. The beloved Midwestern dads lost to Great Britain in the semifinals on Thursday and to Canada in Friday’s bronze medal game. “If you have people you enjoy traveling with and hanging around with, the curling is a bonus … And winning in curling is even a bigger bonus,” American team leader John Shuster said. The British team went on to defeat Sweden and win the gold medal. THE GUARDIAN 

Friday,  February 18th, 2022 

The Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic order mandatory mass evacuations of civilians from their respective capital cities, Donetsk and Luhansk. Around 700,000 people are expected to be evacuated to Russia with the first buses carrying civilians to the Russian border already travelling to Rostov Oblast. Russian President Vladimir Putin orders lump-sum allowances of 10,000 rubles (130 US dollars) to be paid to refugees from Donbas. (MSN) (TASS) 

A UAZ-469 jeep is blown up outside of a building of the Donetsk People’s Republic government in Donetsk city. No injuries are reported. (The Jerusalem Post) 

Russia confirms that the Druzhba pipeline is on fire in rebel-held Luhansk Oblast after a massive explosion cut off gas to almost a hundred households. The pipeline is one of Russia’s main pipelines used to transport oil to the European Union although transit supplies to Europe were not affected and continue as usual. (Reuters) 

Additional explosions are reported in Luhansk. The Luhansk People’s Republic authorities state that a gas station has been blown up.  (National Post) 

The British government relocates its embassy from Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, and again urges its citizens to leave the country while they still can. (Reuters) 

Estonia delivers a shipment of U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. (Reuters) 

U.S. President Joe Biden says that Vladimir Putin will launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the “coming days” and that Russian troops will try to capture the capital Kyiv.  (Mirror) 

Anti-war protesters gather in Burlington, Vermont to call for a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict amidst fears of a war with Ukraine. (WCAX-TV) 

Mali’s ruling military junta demands that French forces leave the country “without delay” after French President Emmanuel Macron announced a withdrawal of troops in an “orderly fashion” in the coming months. (France 24) 

Denmark recalls its frigate HDMS Esbern Snare from the Gulf of Guinea following a request from NATO to increase readiness and contribute to deterrence in Europe. The warship has been conducting anti-piracy measures in the Gulf since October. (The Local) 

Israel’s Iron Dome fails to intercept a Hezbollah-operated military drone from Lebanon that penetrated seventy kilometers into Israeli airspace. The drone flew for forty minutes before returning to Lebanon. Israeli jets fly at very low altitude over Beirut in response to the incident. (Times of Israel) 

At least nine people are killed in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom as Storm Eunice impacts northwestern Europe. (BBC News)  

England records a record wind gust of 122 mph (196 kmh) on the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. (Reuters) 

The Grain Power Station in Kent, England, goes offline following the collapse of one of its towers and the roof of The O2 Arena in London is severely damaged due to high winds.(ITV News)  

The roof of the ADO Den Haag Stadium, in The Hague, the Netherlands, is severely damaged. (The Guardian) 

Eleven people are missing after a ferry travelling between Greece and Italy catches fire. (Reuters) 

India and the United Arab Emirates sign a free trade agreement over digital goods, raw materials, and apparels. It is the first major trade deal signed by India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power in 2014. (Moneycontrol) 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces the sale of 250 M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Poland amid tensions with Russia. The Polish Land Forces will become the first European military to operate the American M1 Abrams. (Reuters) 

The Ottawa Police Service makes over 100 arrests, including the arrest of protest organizer Pat King. Police accuse protestors of assaulting officers with one person being arrested after allegedly throwing a bicycle at a horse with a mounted officer on it. (CBC News)  

The End Saturday 

Biden says Russia is creating an ‘excuse’ to invade Ukraine President Biden said Thursday there was a strong chance Russia would invade Ukraine “in the next several days,” warning that Moscow was “engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in.” Biden said Russian-backed separatists had created “a big provocation” with shelling in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian government and separatists accused each other of violating a cease-fire. Russia expelled the No. 2 diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow without immediately saying why. Separately, Russia said in a written statement that the U.S. Jan. 26 refusal to accept Russia’s demand to halt NATO expansion in Eastern Europe left Moscow with no option but to respond, including with “military-technical measures.” NBC NEWS 

Canadian police arrest 2 organizers of Freedom Convoy protest Canadian police late Thursday started arresting organizers of the so-called Freedom Convoy that has been clogging streets in the capital city, Ottawa, near Parliament, for more than two weeks. A spokesperson for Freedom Convoy 2022, one of the main groups behind the coronavirus-restriction protest, said leaders Tamara Lich and Chris Barber had been arrested, with Lich charged with “aiding and abetting mischief.” Ottawa police did not immediately comment. The report of the arrests came shortly after authorities promised the “imminent” end of the demonstration. Truckers have paralyzed Ottawa’s downtown for weeks, blocking streets with semi-trucks and blaring horns in protest of restrictions, including vaccine mandates for drivers returning across the U.S.-Canada border. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Florida House passes 15-week abortion ban The Florida House on Thursday passed a bill seeking to ban abortions in the state after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Republicans pushed the bill through in a party-line, 78-39 vote. The Senate, also controlled by the GOP, is expected to promptly take up the proposal and send it to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his signature. The proposal would establish the state’s strictest abortion restrictions since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established women’s right to abortion access nationwide. Florida is one of an increasing number of Republican-dominated state legislatures to propose or enact laws setting up challenges to Roe and other Supreme Court precedents, which have protected the right to abortion access until fetal viability at about 24 weeks. THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION 

73 percent of Americans have Omicron immunity The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington estimated Thursday that 73 percent of Americans are immune to the Omicron coronavirus variant. “We have been exposed to this virus and we know how to deal with it,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the university. New infections and hospitalizations have fallen sharply from the Omicron peak. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top health adviser, said the nation now needs to focus on balancing the need to protect people from COVID-19 with increasing pandemic fatigue. People “are just up to here with COVID, they just really need to get their life back,” Fauci told Reuters. “You don’t want to be reckless and throw everything aside, but you’ve got to start inching toward that.” REUTERS 

Former NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof ineligible to run for Oregon governor  The Oregon state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is ineligible to run for governor this year. Kristof announced his candidacy for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in October, after leaving the Times. In January, Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said he was not eligible because of a rule requiring candidates to have lived in the state for three years before the election. Kristof, who lived in New York until December 2020, initially said state officials were trying to keep him off the ballot because of his willingness to challenge the status quo. On Thursday, he thanked the justices for considering the matter, saying he would “respect the court’s decision and will not pursue this further.” AXIOS 

Brazil death toll from floods, mudslides reaches 117 The death toll in floods and mudslides that demolished homes and cars in the Brazilian mountain town of Petropolis rose to at least 117 on Thursday as search crews continued to sift through the wreckage. Another 116 people remained missing in the historic German-influenced town, so it was still impossible to know how many people died. “We don’t yet know the full scale of this,” Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said in the aftermath of the Tuesday landslides. Videos posted on social media showed mud and water crashing through the town and carrying away houses and vehicles. One video showed two buses disappearing into a river as passengers scrambled out windows, some only to be swept away. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Netflix announces 5th and final season of ‘Stranger Things’ Netflix announced Thursday that its science-fiction megahit Stranger Things will be renewed for a fifth season, but it will be the show’s last. Season four will come out in two parts this year, with “Volume 1” making its debut on May 27, followed by “Volume 2” starting July 1. It has been three years since the third season of the drama, set in the 1980s. “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” creators Matt and Ross Duffer wrote in an open letter to fans. “At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but — as you’ll see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale.” THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

Russia’s Kamila Valieva fails to medal after doping controversy Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva had a rare error-filled long-program performance on Thursday, falling into fourth place and failing to win a medal. Valieva botched her first four jumps, and later fell while attempting a quad toe loop, finishing fifth in the long program and dropping out of medal contention. Her Russian teammates Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova took gold and silver, respectively, and Kaori Sakamoto of Japan won bronze. It was an unexpected finish following the 15-year-old Russian star’s doping controversy. Valieva, who had been favored to win the gold, had tested positive for a performance-enhancing heart drug before the Games. She was suspended but won an appeal to be allowed to skate. Her case remains unresolved. USA TODAY 

Walmart reports a strong quarter despite inflation Walmart reported quarterly earnings that beat analysts’ expectations on Thursday. The retail giant also announced that it would boost its . The news sent Walmart shares climbing by nearly 2 percent early in the day, although they closed down by 0.1 percent. Walmart said holiday shopping was strong and that its focus on value was helping it attract customers worried about rising prices of groceries and other products across the country. “We know that consumers are focused on inflation, and we’re continuing to watch key item pricing to ensure that we help them through this,” Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said. “This type of environment plays to our strengths.”  CNBC 

Appeals court says workers face irreparable harm under United Airlines vaccine mandate A divided federal appeals court panel in New Orleans ruled Thursday that a United Airlines pilot and a flight attendant will suffer irreparable harm due to the airline’s coronavirus vaccine mandate. The 2-1 ruling leaves the mandate in place but sends the case back to a lower court judge in Texas to consider suspending it until the challenge is resolved. The policy forces United employees to get vaccinated or go on leave, which “is an impossible choice for plaintiffs who want to remain faithful but must put food on the table,” judges Jennifer Walker Elrod and Andrew Oldham wrote in the majority opinion. Judge Jerry E. Smith dissented, saying the company offered to accommodate workers’ religious objections by offering them alternative jobs. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Tesla says regulators are harassing Elon Musk Tesla attorneys on Thursday filed a letter with a federal judge accusing the Securities and Exchange Commission of harassing CEO Elon Musk over his compliance with a 2018 regulatory settlement over his use of social media. The lawyers said the regulator was conducting unfounded investigations of Musk and the electric-car company, “largely because Mr. Musk remains an outspoken critic of the government,” attorney Alex Spiro wrote in the letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan. Also on Thursday, U.S. auto safety regulators have launched another investigation of Tesla after receiving 354 complaints from owners about “phantom braking” in Tesla Models 3 and Y over the past nine months. No crashes or injuries were linked to the issue. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Brad Pitt sues Angelina Jolie over sale of her interest in their winery We have another Brangelina legal battle on our hands, which this time pertains to a winery and a … Russian oligarch? Brad Pitt is suing his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, for allegedly secretly selling her interest in a winery they owned together. Pitt and Jolie bought the Chateau Miraval winery in France in 2008, and Pitt reportedly says they had an understanding they wouldn’t sell their interests in it without one another’s consent. But he now alleges Jolie didn’t get his approval before selling hers to Tenute del Mondo, a company controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, and he’s seeking for the deal to be undone. “She sold her interest with the knowledge and intention that Shefler and his affiliates would seek to control the business to which Pitt had devoted himself and to undermine Pitt’s investment,” the lawsuit said. This comes after years of the two battling in court for custody of their children — and a source close to Pitt claimed to TMZ, “Unfortunately, this is another example of the same person disregarding her legal and ethical obligations.”  ROLLING STONE 

Kelly Clarkson files to change her name to Kelly Brianne Kelly Clarkson is looking to change her name, and no, it’s not to Kelly Skywalker. The singer and daytime talk show host has filed documents seeking to legally change her name from Kelly Clarkson to Kelly Brianne amid her divorce from Brandon Blackstock. Brianne is Clarkson’s middle name, and she wrote in the court documents that “my new name more fully reflects who I am.” The American Idol alum filed for divorce from Blackstock, with whom she shares two children, in 2020, and she was declared legally single last year. In 2021, she had her name legally changed back to Kelly Clarkson, dropping Blackstock, though she was still using Clarkson professionally before that. If her request is approved, it’s unclear whether she’ll still professionally go by Kelly Clarkson. If not, presumably her eponymous talk show would need an update, too — unless the plan is for The Kelly Clarkson Show to be permanently hosted by someone not named Kelly Clarkson. Either way, it’s safe to say that legally speaking, she’s so moving on from that name, yeah, yeah. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Kanye West’s new album will apparently only be available on a $200 device If your main complaint about the original Donda album was that you weren’t listening to it on a needlessly expensive device, well, Kanye West has the sequel for you. West took to Instagram, not to continue harassing his ex-wife but to announce that his new album, Donda 2, will not be available to stream on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, or YouTube. Instead, West said it will “only be available on my own platform,” the Stem Player. He appeared to be indicating that fans would have to buy this special device, which costs $200 and allows users to “customize any song,” to listen to the album. Fans were pretty annoyed by the news, with one writing on Reddit that “there’s not a f—ing chance in hell I’m paying $200 to listen to one of his albums,” though some suggested West might just make it available to stream on the Stem Player website and not require the device. Of course, this is all based on the assumption that Donda 2 will actually get released, which given West’s reputation for delays is fairly questionable. BLOOMBERG 

Bob Saget shows up posthumously as a chef in a rap video Bob Saget has made one last posthumous appearance — and there’s almost no way you’d have seen it coming. Desiigner dropped a new music video Friday, “Bakin,” featuring a surprise appearance by Saget as a chef flipping bacon. Why not? It’s not just a quick five-second cameo, either — he’s actually in a lot of the video, co-starring with pornstar Kendra Sunderland. The video ends with a tribute to Saget, who died in January at 65, as well as more than a minute of behind-the-scenes footage of him on the set in December. “I’m thrilled to be here,” he says. DJ Whoo Kid, who’s featured on the song, explained to Rolling Stone, “We needed a chef for the video and I remember thinking, ‘Who the f— is gonna be the chef who can make it weird?’” Desiigner, who said Saget “used to rock me to sleep at night” via Full House re-runs on Nick at Nite, also declared, “We want to turn this up for Bob, you could say this is a going home party for him.”  ROLLING STONE 

2022 Oscars to require vaccine — but not for performers and presenters In classic Oscars fashion, the Academy has walked back a controversial decision, but in a way that no one is really happy with. Last week, The Hollywood Reporter revealed the 2022 Oscars would have no COVID-19 vaccine requirement, news that immediately sparked backlash. But The New York Times now reports the Academy will, in fact, require guests, including all nominees, to show proof of vaccination and two negative tests. But here’s the strange part: performers and presenters won’t have to show proof of vaccination and will just need to get tested. That exception led former Oscars host Seth MacFarlane to declare, “Seriously, Academy, you’re higher than Ted.” For those who want to wildly speculate over which (allegedly!) unvaccinated stars the Academy might (allegedly!) be trying to accommodate, it’s worth noting the previous year’s acting winners usually present, which in this case includes Anthony Hopkins, Frances McDormand, Daniel Kaluuya, and Youn Yuh-jung. The Hollywood Reporter previously wrote that a “few high-profile industry figures,” including “at least one of last year’s acting winners,” wouldn’t be able to come unless the Academy was “less stringent” with its COVID-19 rules. Hmm….  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Thursday, February 17th, 2022 

The Ukrainian government accuses Russian separatists of shelling a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast using artillery, injuring three civilians. The Luhansk People’s Republic says that its forces were attacked by the Ukrainian military with mortars, grenade launchers and machine gun fire. At least 32 shells hit the city, causing power outages and damaging multiple structures. (MSN) (The Guardian) 

The United Nations Security Council convenes in order to discuss Russia’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border. (C-SPAN) 

The U.S. State Department confirms that the U.S. deputy ambassador to Russia was expelled from the country. White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calls the expulsion “unprovoked”. (Reuters) 

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell says that shelling has begun in eastern Ukraine. (La Vanguardia) 

Senior British officials say that Russian President Vladimir Putin has now decided to invade Ukraine following “changes in the last 24 hours”. (The Times) 

Germany deploys 130 troops and 60 armoured personnel carriers to Lithuania. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says that the German forces are authorized to defend the country from threats. More troops are expected to arrive later this week. (Reuters) 

France and the EU-wide Takuba Task Force announce that they will begin withdrawing from Mali, stating that the military government in place since last year’s coup has placed “multiple obstructions” to their counter-terrorism operations. (Al Jazeera) 

Panama-flagged car carrier MV Felicity Ace is abandoned approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azores following a severe fire onboard. The ship’s entire 22-man crew safely evacuates using lifeboats. (CNN) 

British Columbia lifts most of its COVID-19 restrictions, allowing all businesses to reopen and operate at full capacity. Indoor gatherings and organized events are also permitted to operate without occupancy limits. However, provincial mandates requiring the use of vaccine cards for entry into businesses and the use of masks in indoor settings remain in effect. (CBC) 

Governor Gavin Newsom announces that California will become the first U.S. state to approach COVID-19 as a endemic rather than a pandemic. (CBS News) 

Japan reports a record 269 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Nippon.com) 

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, two organizers of the protest in Ottawa, are arrested by police. (CTV News) 

Australia designates the entirety of Hamas, including its political wing, as a terrorist organisation, and also designates Atomwaffen Division, Tahrir al-Sham and the Guardians of Religion Organization as terrorist organisations. (SBS News) 

The Kuwaiti Ministers of Defense and the Interior, both members of the ruling Al-Sabah family, resign. The resignations are accepted by the Emir, who appoints a different member of the Al-Sabah family and Mohammad al-Fares, the current Oil Minister, to their respective posts. (Reuters) 

The British government ends its immigrant investor programs, known as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa, with “immediate effect”. The scheme was introduced in 2008 in order to encourage wealthy people from outside the European Union to invest in the United Kingdom. (BBC News) 

Jake Gyllenhaal breaks his silence on Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’ Jake Gyllenhaal knows all too well what it’s like to draw Swiftie ire. The actor commented for the first time on Taylor Swift’s song “All Too Well,” which is widely believed to be about the singer’s relationship with him. They dated over a decade ago, and the song was first released in 2012. It was back in the spotlight last year after Swift released an even more brutal 10-minute version, prompting backlash against Gyllenhaal from her fans. But when asked about the song and ensuing firestorm, Gyllenhaal told Esquire, “It has nothing to do with me. It’s about her relationship with her fans.” He added, “It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.” Coming extremely close to uttering the words “you need to calm down,” Gyllenhaal also said it’s “important when supporters get unruly that we feel a responsibility to have them be civil.” When asked if he’s actually listened to Red (Taylor’s Version), he just said, “No.” Alas, the location of Swift’sscarf goes completely unaddressed — sorry, Dionne Warwick, but the search continues. ESQUIRE 

Olivia Rodrigo is going on a road trip in a Disney+ concert film Good thing she has her driver’s license. Olivia Rodrigo is getting her own concert film on Disney+ next month called driving home 2 u (a SOUR film), which follows the pop star as she heads on a road trip from Salt Lake City, where she started writing her first album, to Los Angeles. The documentary will feature “new live arrangements of her songs, intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage from the making of the album,” the streamer said, and the songs will be performed at “unique locations” like Red Rock Canyon State Park. Rodrigo dropped her massively popular debut single “Drivers License” at the start of 2021, and her first studio album Sour debuted that May. The Sour film will join Disney’s concert films from Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, and it’s obviously a natural home for Rodrigo given her role on Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Hopefully no parallel parking is required on this particular road trip.  ROLLING STONE 

‘Stranger Things’ to end with Season 5 after really long Season 4 It’s the beginning of the end in the Upside Down. Netflix announced Thursday its hit series Stranger Things has been renewed for a fifth season, which will officially be the show’s last. “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” creators Matt and Ross Duffer said. “At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but — as you’ll see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale.” The highly-anticipated fourth season, which has taken nearly three years to come out, will finally debut this summer — but it will be split into two parts. This is because of the season’s “unprecedented length,” the Duffers said, and Netflix says they aren’t kidding: “Every episode is super-sized,” meaning “Season 4 is 2x as long as Season 3!” Who needs editing, right? It’s not clear when the final season might debut, but at this rate, the kids might be old enough to run for president by the finale. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

Robert Pattinson tried on every previous Batman suit Holy fashion show, Batman! Before becoming the next Caped Crusader, Robert Pattinson got to walk in the shoes of the Batmen who came before him — or rather, walk in the suits. Pattinson revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! he got to try the suits worn by all previous Batmen, from Val Kilmer to George Clooney, and he couldn’t help but notice that “every single one still has the actors’ sweat.” These suits are apparently all stored in a “little cage” in Warner Bros.’ costume department. “They’re like, ‘Do not mess these suits up,’” Pattinson recalled, noting he was “terrified” the whole time. Apparently, the only suit Pattinson didn’t try on was Adam West’s. When Pattinson’s own suit was made, he took some advice former Batman Christian Bale offered him at a urinal. “The first thing you need to do in the Batsuit is figure out a way to pee,” Pattinson recalled Bale telling him. “So when I went to the costume department I was like, ‘First thing’s first, I need a flap on the back. Easy access!’”  VULTURE 

Mark Wahlberg’s family went on vacation without him after he got COVID So this is Christmas? Mark Wahlberg recalled having a less-than-ideal holiday season this year after he got COVID-19 — and his family left for vacation without him. “I’m down in the basement a couple of days before Christmas,” he said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I don’t get to open any gifts with anybody or anything. Next thing you know, they’re still going on holiday.” Wahlberg recalled being in the basement hearing his family starting the car and thinking, “Are you not going to come to the stairs and say goodbye?” They did end up saying goodbye while standing “like 36 feet” away, but the story does have a somewhat less hilariously depressing ending: after getting two negative tests, Wahlberg says he joined his family on vacation a few days later — though he still “had a little bit of a cough,” and “they didn’t really want me there.”  PEOPLE 

The End Friday 

U.S., NATO say Russia adding, not withdrawing, troops from Ukraine border United States and NATO officials said Wednesday that Russia was still adding to its estimated 150,000 troops near the Ukraine border, instead of returning some of the forces to their bases as Moscow claims. In Ukraine, where citizens displayed flags in a show of national unity against a possible Russian invasion, the government blamed Moscow for what it described as the worst cyberattack its defense ministry had ever experienced. Russia denied responsibility. The latest events fueled skepticism about the sincerity of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pledge to seek a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. REUTERS 

Biden rejects Trump claim of executive privilege over visitor logs President Biden on Wednesday rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to prevent the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack from obtaining White House visitor logs from that day. White House counsel Dana Remus wrote in a letter to the National Archives that Biden decided to order the release of the logs after concluding that asserting executive privilege, as Trump requested, “is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified, as to these records and portions of records.” Biden last year declined to support Trump’s claim of executive privilege over documents and records requested by the committee. Trump lost a court appeal seeking to block the release of the material to the committee. CNN 

Prosecutors cite racist texts by Arbery’s killers in hate-crime trial An FBI intelligence analyst testified Wednesday at the federal hate crimes trial of Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers that two of the three men routinely used racial slurs in text and Facebook messages. Travis McMichael, who was convicted last fall of murdering Arbery with a shotgun blast, routinely used the N-word, and referred to Black people as “savages” and “monkeys.” William “Roddie” Bryan, who filmed the shooting, complained about Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2019, texting a friend: “I’m working so all the [N-words] can take the day off.” “I knew all that hate was in those men,” Arbery’s father, Marcus Arbery, said. “It’s hard, but I’m just glad the world can see this.” THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION 

Excess U.S. deaths during pandemic surpass 1 million The number of “excess deaths” in the United States during the pandemic surpassed 1 million this week, according to government mortality statistics. The tally, updated weekly, shows the extent of the nation’s health crisis by combining COVID-19 deaths with deaths from other health problems that have risen as medical facilities were overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients and people put off other health care, increasing deaths from other conditions including heart disease, hypertension, and dementia, The Washington Post reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 2.8 million deaths in 2019, before the pandemic hit, with 500,000 deaths in excess of the norm in both 2020 and 2021. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Trump posts 1st message on his new social media platform Former President Donald Trump has made his first message on his alternative social media platform, TRUTH Social, which is preparing to launch soon. “Get ready! Your favorite president will see you soon,” Trump wrote in a post shared on Twitter by his son Donald Trump Jr. The site closely mirrors Twitter, which permanently suspended Trump’s account on its platform after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.” The app, which also looks like Twitter, is still in an invitation-only beta. The full version is set to go live Monday, according to its Apple App Store page, but Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes told Newsmax earlier this month that the app won’t launch until the end of March. NEW YORK POST 

Ryan Zinke broke ethics rules as Trump’s Interior secretary Ryan Zinke, who served as former President Donald Trump’s Interior Department secretary, repeatedly broke ethics rules in office by improperly participating in real estate negotiations with developers, including the then-chairman of the energy giant Halliburton, according to a report released Wednesday by the department’s internal watchdog. Zinke claimed in 2018 that he had nothing to do with a Whitefish, Montana, land deal, but the report said emails and texts showed he represented his family’s foundation in communications with the developers 64 times between August 2017 and July 2018. “These communications … show that Secretary Zinke played an extensive, direct, and substantive role” in negotiations on the project, wrote the office of Inspector General Mark Greenblatt, a Trump appointee. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Fed minutes show talk of faster interest rate hikes to fight inflation Federal Reserve policymakers at their last meeting discussed accelerating interest rate hikes to fight high inflation, according to minutes of the Jan. 25-26 discussions released Wednesday. The first increase is expected in March. Fed officials hiked rates gradually — never more than once per quarter — the last time they did so, between 2015 and 2018. But the minutes said that if inflation doesn’t ease as expected, most of the central bank’s leaders believe “a faster pace of increases in the target range for the federal-funds rate than in the post-2015 period would likely be warranted.” The Fed might nudge up rates, currently near zero, in March, May, and June, according to The Wall Street Journal. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Death toll in Brazil mudslides, floods rises to 94 The death toll from flooding and mudslides in Petropolis, Brazil, reached at least 94 people on Wednesday. Civil defense authorities in mountainous Rio de Janeiro state said an undetermined number of people remained missing, and Petropolis Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as searchers sift through the debris. The city, known as the Imperial City because it was a summer mountain getaway for Brazilian 19th-century monarchs, was slammed with more rain in one afternoon than it normally gets in the whole month of February. “The situation is almost like war,” Rio de Janeiro Gov. Claudio Castro told reporters on Wednesday. There are “cars hanging from poles, cars overturned, lots of mud and water still.” REUTERS 

Poll shows 75 percent back local rules on masks, vaccines, or both A Politico-Morning Consult poll released Wednesday found that 75 percent of respondents believed local governments should encourage either vaccinations, masks, or both to access indoor public spaces. Support for urging people to both wear masks and get vaccinated is down to 49 percent, a seven-percentage-point drop since September. Fifty-four percent of respondents said the government should prioritize the economy over slowing the spread of COVID. Only 38 percent said addressing COVID should be the higher priority. Fifty-seven percent said people should social distance as long as necessary to curb infections, while 31 percent said Americans should stop social distancing to stimulate economic activity, even at the cost of spreading the virus. POLITICO 

Canada beats U.S. to win gold in women’s hockey The defending Olympic champion U.S. women’s hockey team had to settle for silver at the Beijing Olympics after losing to archrival Canada in the finals on Thursday. The Canadian women’s hockey team took an early 3-0 lead. Team USA made a late scoring drive but Canada hung on to win 3-2. Canada won all seven of its matches in Beijing, including a 4-2 win over the U.S. in group play last week. Canada also beat the U.S. 3-2 in last year’s women’s hockey world championship game. Canada has now won gold in five of the seven Olympics since women’s hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998. The U.S. has won two golds and four silvers, all of their losses to Canada. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Investors buy record share of homes sold in U.S. Investors bought a record 18 percent of the homes sold nationwide in the final quarter of 2021, according to real estate company Redfin. Investors, driven by rising rents, snapped up nearly one in seven homes sold in the country’s top 40 metropolitan areas over the course of the year. During the final quarter, buyers spent $49.9 billion on 80,293 homes, an average of $433,000 per listing, Redfin’s analysis showed. Rents in new leases jumped by 14 percent in December. “The supply shortage is also an advantage for landlords, as many people who can’t find a home to buy are forced to rent instead,” Redfin economist Sheharyar Bokhari said in a press release. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Disney to develop residential communities Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday that it is launching a new business that will develop residential communities that the research-and- development team it calls Imagineers will help design. The first project by the business, which will be called Storyliving by Disney, will be built in California’s Rancho Mirage, where Walt Disney once owned a home, in collaboration with Scottsdale, Arizona-based DMB Development. That community will be called Cotino, and it will offer estates, single family homes, and condominiums, Disney said. This is not the first push beyond the film and theme-park businesses that Disney is best known for. The company also has a cruise line, and in the 1990s built a 5,000-acre residential community in Florida called Celebration. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 

Syrian state media agency SANA reports that Israel has fired missiles at at the Syrian town of Zakiyah, with no recorded casualties. (Toronto Star) 

Cristina Calderón, the last full-blooded Yahgan and last native speaker of the Yahgan language, dies in Chile. (France24) 

A man is killed in a shark attack off Little Bay, Sydney, Australia. It is the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963. A witness estimated that the shark was about 4.5 metres (15 ft) in length. (Reuters) 

At least 13 people are killed after wedding guests fall into a well, in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. (CNN) 

Switzerland lifts almost all of its COVID-19-related restrictions, with people no longer needing to show COVID-19 vaccine certificates to enter public venues, due to confidence that infection rates had been uncoupled from hospitalization. (Politico.eu) 

The European Court of Justice dismisses Poland and Hungary‘s challenges against the regulation and confirms that the regulation is in compliance with the treaties of the European Union. This will allow the European Commission to suspend funds from the EU budget to member states that have rule of law issues which are likely to affect the management of EU funds. (Al Jazeera) 

The Alaska Aces, the second most successful team in the history of the league with 14 championship titles in 35 years, announced that it will cease to exist after the conclusion of the ongoing 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup. (ESPN) 

Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers call off their engagement We’ll take celebrities who won’t be walking down the aisle for $1,000, Aaron. Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers have reportedly called off their engagement. “It was an amicable split; it just wasn’t working,” a source told People. Meanwhile, an InTouch source said Rodgers “put football first and they were barely spending any time together,” and Woodley “felt he neglected their relationship.” The Divergent star had been dating the Green Bay Packers quarterback and aspiring Jeopardy! host since 2020, and they announced their engagement in February 2021. It’s been a wild trip with these crazy kids, and after Rodgers found himself in hot water for misleading the public into thinking he was vaccinated, Woodley defended him against the “sh—y media” — while simultaneously insinuating he has a large penis. As Rodgers maintained his vaccine stance and continued complaining about cancel culture to every microphone in his vicinity, a report from People said they were “not talking about their politics” and “decided to agree to disagree about things and not debate them.” We’ll just assume Rodgers got some terrible relationship advice from Joe Rogan. PEOPLE 

Tom Hanks’ son says he didn’t have a ‘strong male role model’ Tom Hanks’ son Chet Hanks is a YouTuber now, and he kicked off his first video with a promise: “I’ve come a long way since ‘White Boy Summer.’” Vowing to go “deeper” and “realer” on his channel, Hanks described what it was “like growing up as Tom Hanks son,” offering the same description he once told George W. Bush at the White House: “There’s a lot of advantages, but sometimes it can be pretty weird.” Hanks said people generally assume he’s an “arrogant, entitled, spoiled brat,” something he says led him to “walk around with a lot of anger” and head down a “path of self-destruction.” Now, he says he’s dealt with these anger issues, but he still ranted against those who “would want to be close with me because they were infatuated with my dad,” declaring these people just “f—ing jealous of me.” He also wished someone could have given him advice about all this as a kid, but “I didn’t have a strong male role model.” In case it doesn’t go without saying, yes, Hanks was indeed shirtless in the video.  PAGE SIX 

Bender voice actor explains the ‘Futurama’ salary dispute Futurama voice actor John DiMaggio doesn’t yet have good news to share with everyone about his salary dispute with Hulu, but he’s providing a few more behind-the-scenes details. Hulu recently ordered a revival of the animated series, but as of now, DiMaggio isn’t on board to voice Bender. On Twitter, DiMaggio explained what’s going on. “I don’t think that only I deserve to be paid more,” he said. “I think the entire cast does.” DiMaggio said “nothing about this is meant to be disrespectful to the fans or my Futurama family” but that the salary dispute is “about self-respect” — “and honestly, being tired of an industry that’s become far too corporate and takes advantage of artists’ time & talent.” The rest of the original cast are on board for the reboot, and Deadline reported the hope is still to bring DiMaggio back but that “the role is currently being recast.” DiMaggio, who’s now headed to work on another gig, says he’s “still hoping for the best.”  ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY 

A new ‘Star Trek’ movie is finally moving forward Is it finally time for Star Trek to boldly go back to theaters? A new Star Trek movie is finally moving forward six years after the last installment, Star Trek Beyond, was released. Director J.J. Abrams told Paramount investors the sequel “will be shooting by the end of the year,” and according to Variety, the goal is for Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, and Simon Pegg to all return. A fourth film in the rebooted Star Trek series has had numerous stops and starts since 2016. At one point, Chris Hemsworth was expected to return as Kirk’s dad, and there was even talk of Quentin Tarantino of all people directing. But the sequel has languished, possibly because Paramount has been gun shy after Beyond was a bit of a box office disappointment. Since then, we’ve seen endless Star Trek shows on streaming like Star Trek: Discovery. But can the franchise once again live long and prosper as a film series, too? VARIETY 

‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ star Melissa Fumero cast in Netflix’s comedy about Blockbuster  Is there anything more brutal than putting a company out of business and then making a show about it? That’s pretty much what Netflix is doing with a new workplace comedy set in America’s last Blockbuster Video, which has just added a new star to its cast. Melissa Fumero, who played Amy Santiago on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, is set to star alongside Fresh Off the Boat‘s Randall Park in Blockbuster. She’ll reportedly play Eliza, the lead of the show and a dedicated mother who works alongside Park’s character at the store. The series is set to explore what it takes “for a small business to succeed against all odds,” the Reporter writes — in this case, a business that didn’t succeed in large part because of the very streaming service we’ll be watching this show on. Netflix, by the way, already streams The Last Blockbuster, a documentary about America’s real-life last Blockbuster. Jeez, can they possibly rub it in any harder? DEADLINE 

The End