Nation
Russia-Ukraine crisis, Kamila Valieva competes in Beijing, 2022 Oscar hosts: 5 things to know Tuesday
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US defense secretary heads to Europe amid fears of Russia invading Ukraine
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leaves Tuesday for meetings with military and government leaders in Belgium, Poland and Lithuania, to discuss the Russian buildup of troops along the border with Ukraine, the Pentagon announced. Austin will meet with defense ministers of U.S. allies, along with NATO leadership, in Belgium “to discuss Russia’s military buildup in and around Ukraine, reiterate the U.S. commitment to Article 5, and continue the Alliance’s progress on deterrence and defense while ensuring the Alliance is prepared to face tomorrow’s challenges.” Article 5 is NATO’s mutual defense clause. An attack on one NATO country is considered an attack on every member of the alliance. Austin will also meet with leaders from Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
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Kamila Valieva takes the ice at Winter Olympics amid doping scandal
The most-anticipated figure skating short program since the 1994 Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal begins Tuesday morning when 15-year-old Russian gold-medal favorite Kamila Valieva takes the ice for her two-minute, 40-second short program. She was expected to dominate the competition, but that was before a positive drug test. A test that Valieva took two months ago was flagged for a banned heart medication, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared her to compete, ruling that Valieva was a “protected athlete” because of her age. Attorneys for Valieva argued that the banned substance trimetazidine entered her system through a medication that her grandfather takes, a member of the International Olympic Committee confirmed Tuesday. According to The Dossier Center, Valieva’s attorney, Anna Kozmenko, noted Valieva’s grandfather takes trimetazidine for heart issues.
Defense begins in case against officers charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights
The defense is expected to start presenting witnesses Tuesday, a day after federal prosecutors rested their case against J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, the three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights in May 2020. It came after nearly three weeks of testimony from doctors, police officers and bystanders, including the teenager who recorded widely seen video that showed Officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee onto Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while the 46-year-old Black man was handcuffed, facedown and pleading for air. Kueng, Lane and Thao are broadly charged with violating Floyd’s constitutional rights while acting under government authority. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held down his legs while Thao kept bystanders back. Thao and Kueng said they plan to testify, while Lane hasn’t made a final decision on the matter.
Upcoming Flint water crisis trial will test contractors’ liability
Jury selection starts Tuesday in a trial to determine if engineering contractors Veolia North America and Lockwood, Andrews & Newman, known as LAN, bear responsibility for lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan. The companies were not part of the recent $626 million settlement between Flint residents and the state of Michigan, Flint and two other parties. Attorneys for four Flint children claim Veolia and LAN were negligent in not doing more to get the city to properly treat water that was being pulled from the Flint River in 2014-15. Corrosive water caused lead to leach from service lines serving homes, a disastrous result in the majority Black community. Veolia and LAN deny liability. Veolia said it had a brief contract with Flint, mostly to address other water issues at the city’s treatment plant. LAN, too, said water quality was not part of its assignment. Nonetheless, U.S. District Judge Judith Levy declined to dismiss the lawsuit.
3 Oscar hosts to be revealed Tuesday morning on ‘GMA’
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes will host the 94th Oscars on Sunday, March 27, according to multiple reports. Variety first broke the news, saying the women are “finalizing details” to host. Each woman will lead the telecast for one of the show’s hours, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Oscars have not had a host for the last three years. The hosts will formally be announced Tuesday morning by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” The show is hoping to rebound from the dismal viewership of last year’s broadcast, which was both an all-time low and the norm for pandemic-era awards shows. In addition to bringing back starry hosts and bumping the best picture nominees to a set ten, the Academy is also hoping to spike interest through social media voting for a “fan favorite” movie that will be announced during the show.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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Uber, Lyft made safety improvements, but many of those protect riders more than drivers. But drivers are also in danger.
Naomi Ogutu
Opinion contributor
I’ve been a rideshare driver in New York City for six years, and I take pride in my job and helping my passengers get where they need to go safely. But my safety is not a guarantee. I’m a mom of three. I need to know that I’ll make it home to my kids at the end of each night.
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Business
'A bad déjà vu': Under the crush of Western sanctions, Russians fear a return to dark economic days
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The lone No. 1 seed still alive heading into the Elite Eight, Kansas needs only a win against No. 10 Miami (Fla.) to book a spot in the Final Four.
No. 2 Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski can make one last Final Four and chase one final national championship by beating No. 4 Arkansas.
No. 2 Villanova can reach the national semifinals for the third time in six tournaments by winning what should be a defense-dominated brawl against No. 5 Houston.
And after beating No. 4 UCLA in the Sweet 16, No. 8 North Carolina is one win from reaching the Final Four under first-year coach Hubert Davis.
If everything goes according to plan, this year’s Final Four will consist of some of the biggest names in the history of the sport.
But the last week has taught us that this year’s NCAA Tournament will inevitably deviate from the script.
So look for the Jayhawks to be shocked in the Elite Eight, as the Bill Self collection of tournament collapses adds another painful chapter. Based on how things have gone through three rounds, Arkansas is a lock to send Krzyzewski into retirement one game shy of the Final Four. Villanova may be a two-time champion under Jay Wright, but the Wildcats will be smothered by Houston.
And, of course, the Tar Heels will lose to the team that embodies the wackiness and uncertainty of this entire tournament.
Saint Peter’s stands at the precipice of another outlandish achievement: being the first No. 15 seed — the first seed lower than No. 11, in fact — to reach the Final Four.
The Peacocks will be the underdog once again come Sunday, when they’ll match against a deeper and more talented opponent with decades of history to more than overshadow the Peacocks’ three-game run.
But beating another college basketball giant will simply take what we already know the Peacocks can bring to the table: Saint Peter’s reached the Elite Eight with energy, aggressiveness and composure, following the model set by unflappable coach Shaheen Holloway, and that same combination will give the Peacocks a chance at etching themselves into an even more permanent place in NCAA Tournament history.
“We’re happy but don’t mistake, we’re not satisfied, we’re not satisfied at all,” said guard Doug Edert. “The job is not finished. We feel like we belong and the more games we win the more confidence we build.”
That sounds like bad news for the Tar Heels, who might’ve righted the ship after a poor start to ACC play but could be the latest blueblood to the Peacocks’ formula.
At some point, the magic has to run out — for Saint Peter’s, which somehow keeps stacking upsets of higher-ranked opponents, and for the tournament at large, which has been wackier than ever but could suddenly snap back to the status quo.
But this March has not gone according to plan. Several big names lost early. Others failed to get out of the second round. The story of this year’s tournament has been upsets, shockers, letdowns, unpredictable officiating and unpredictability, period — why should the next two days be any different?
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
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