Good morning.
The French president completed a whirlwind diplomatic mission to Moscow and Kyiv on Tuesday and said he had received personal assurances from Vladimir Putin that Russia would not worsen the crisis over Ukraine.
Speaking after talks in Kyiv with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Emmanuel Macron said Putin had made clear during discussions on Monday that he would not escalate tensions. The standoff could take months to resolve, Macron added.
However, Zelenskiyadmitted he was sceptical about his Russian counterpart’s apparent commitment to peace. “I do not really trust words. I believe every politician can be transparent by taking concrete steps,” he said at a joint press conference with Macron. “Openness was great” so long as it was “not a game”, Zelenskiy added.
What else happened? Six Russian warships and a submarine passed through the Dardanelles strait on Tuesday, heading towards the Black Sea from the Mediterranean. The vessels – landing ships used for amphibious assault – began arriving in the Black Sea today.
Why have Macron’s comments set alarm bells ringing? The French president seems to have stuck pretty faithfully to the script he had exhaustively agreed with his Nato partners. However, after the meeting he hinted at shifts in Nato’s outlook that some members say should never be made in response to military intimidation.
Arrests in Ottawa as Canadian truckers block main bridge to US
Traffic has ground to a halt at the busiest border crossing in North America, as Canadian truckers and others angry with vaccine mandates spread their protest beyond Ottawa.
Trucks started blocking Ambassador Bridge linking the cities of Detroit and Windsor late on Monday, closing down traffic in both directions. Yesterday, entry to Canada remained blocked while US-bound traffic slowed to a crawl. Each day, 8,000 trucks normally cross the bridge, which handles about 27% of trade between Canada and the US. Protesters also targeted another key border crossing in Coutts, Alberta.
Canada’s capital city remained blockaded by hundreds of vehicles from the “freedom convoy” while protest organizers called for a meeting with all federal political leaders – except the prime minister, Justin Trudeau – to find a “peaceful resolution” to the crisis.
What are the police doing to stop the blockade? Ottawa police said on Tuesday that 23 arrests had been made in relation to the “unlawful demonstrations”. The deputy police chief, Steve Bell, told reporters police had immobilized many of the heavy vehicles taking part in the blockade.
Mitch McConnell rebukes RNC for censuring party members investigating ‘violent insurrection’
Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Mitch McConnell criticized the Republican National Committee (RNC) for censuring the representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger over their work for the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, which he characterized as a “violent insurrection”.
The Senate minority leader said it was not the party’s place to single out members over their views. Speaking to reporters outside Senate Republicans’ closed-door weekly lunch, McConnell rebuked the RNC for its characterization of the deadly riot at the Capitol as “legitimate political discourse”.
“Let me give you my view of what happened on 6 January,” McConnell said. “It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election, from one administration to the next.”
Does McConnell still have confidence in the leadership of the RNC chair, Ronna McDaniel? He said he did, adding: “But the issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority. That’s not the job of the RNC.”
In other news …
Hours after Mikaela Shiffrin’s attempt at a history-making medal haul in Beijing was left in tatters when the American star was disqualified from a second successive race, Petra Vlhová roared from behind to win the Olympic women’s slalom by 0.08sec yesterday.
The US justice department has announced the unraveling of its biggest-ever cryptocurrency theft case, seizing a record-shattering $3.6bn in bitcoin in a saga that has captivated the internet. Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife, Heather Morgan, are accused of conspiring to launder $4.5bn in bitcoin.
Claims that another Chinese tech worker has died after excessive overtime has reignited debate over the industry’s “996 culture”. The company denied that it
The University of California has agreed to pay $243.6m (£179m) to settle allegations that hundreds of women were sexually abused by a former UCLA gynecologist. The settlement covers about 50 cases involving 203 women who said they were assaulted by Dr James Heaps. Each will receive $1.2m.
Stat of the day: Nearly one in five applicants to white supremacist group tied to US military
Nearly one in five applicants to the white supremacist group Patriot Front claimed to hold current or former ties to the US military, according to leaked documents published and reviewed by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the alternative media collective Unicorn Riot. Eighteen of the 87 applicants, or 21%, said they were currently or previously affiliated with the military. According to the SPLC, the Patriot Front “represents one of the most prominent white supremacist groups in the country”.
Don’t miss this: How New York’s housing market got even more ridiculous
If the early stages of the pandemic favored the New York renter – with bountiful apartments and incentives such as free months or waived amenity fees – that period has run its course as people continue to make their way back to the city. Between December 2020 and December 2021, the city’s median asking rent made its largest year-on-year gain since the pandemic began, from $2,500 to $2,800, according to data from StreetEasy. In December 2021, Manhattan’s median rent, with incentives factored in, reached a new record for the month at $3,392, reports the real estate company Douglas Elliman.
… or this: Why we’re publishing a series on New York’s dire rental market
Our seven-piece Guardian US series, The Rent Is Too Damn High, looks at how the Covid pandemic further strained one of the country’s toughest rental markets. We talk to striking low-income renters on edge now that the eviction moratorium has been lifted. We ask a broker to explain the tricks they pull on us. We investigate why co-ops, which make up 74% of Manhattan’s apartment stock, are able to operate with such power and impunity.
Climate check: Identify A-ha moments to trigger fast climate action, say UK scientists
Tipping points could be identified and triggered to deliver fast action to tackle the climate crisis, according to an analysis led by an academic at a British university. The study examines how small interventions, once triggered, can grow into systemic changes. Rather than focussing directly on cutting emissions, this approach leads to green choices becoming the most attractive. The scientists also said the approach could dispel feelings of helplessness about complex global challenges, stressing that big changes could start in small groups.
Last Thing: US nun to serve a year in jail for stealing $835,000 from school
A California nun will serve a year in prison for stealing $835,000 from an elementary school to support her gambling habit in an emotional case that left Los Angeles families and even the federal judge who handed down the sentence reeling. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 80, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for stealing the money over the course of 10 years while she was principal at St James Catholic school said: “I have sinned, I’ve broken the law and I have no excuses.”
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