 A convoy of Russian armored vehicles | AP Canada and Australia joined the U.S., Germany, and others in imposing sanctions against Russia over its recognition of two separatist regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, in Eastern Ukraine. On Tuesday evening, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced several financial sanctions against Russia and specific Russian officials. Some of the sanctions include a ban on Canadians from engaging in any financial dealings with Luhansk and Donetsk and a ban on purchasing Russian sovereign debt. More: - Trudeau also authorized the deployment of 460 Canadian troops to Latvia, a country on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Latvia is a member of NATO and the EU.
- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia will join the U.S. and other western nations to impose financial sanctions on Russia.
- In addition, Australia will also impose a travel ban and financial sanctions on eight individuals on Russia’s national security council.
- Morrison called Russia’s actions in Ukraine unjustified, unwarranted, unprovoked, and unacceptable.
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Several Ukrainian government and bank websites were down on Wednesday due to a cyberattack. Ukraine’s Head of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, said it was a mass distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack where the culprits flood the victim’s network or server with traffic to prevent legitimate users from accessing it. Fedorov did not disclose which banks were attacked or how long the outage lasted. More: - Government websites attacked were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet of Ministers, and Ukraine’s parliament, Rada.
- The source of the attack has not been confirmed.
- Last week, similar cyberattacks shut down two Ukrainian military websites and the websites of two of the country’s largest banks – Oschadbank state savings bank and Privat.
- The White House attributed those cyberattacks to Russian agents; however, Russia denied responsibility.
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 A message from CELSIUS NETWORK Welcome to Celsius, your new home for crypto. We’ve made some major updates and enhancements to our mobile app experience to make Celsius easier for you to Buy, Swap, Earn and Borrow with crypto. We’re often asked at Celsius, “What makes you different from those other guys?” Whether those “other guys” are traditional banks or similar crypto companies, the answer is always the same: Celsius is driven by the success of our external impact first rather than our internal bottom line (do well then do good). We exist to give anyone, anywhere, unparalleled access to reach financial freedom. Our goal is to allow anyone and everyone access to fair, rewarding, and transparent financial services. When we say Celsius is your home for crypto, we mean it. In 2022, we will be adding more coins, launching CelsiusX (the DeFi arm of Celsius), and Credit Card so you can earn rewards while you swipe, and all under the Celsius ecosystem. Check Out Celsius Now
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AT&T shut down its 3G network on Tuesday, 20 years after it was first introduced in the U.S. The telecom provider has been providing free replacement phones to users who still have a 3G device to avoid service interruptions. In a statement, the company said over the last couple of years it has sent out numerous communications through mail, emails, and text messages alerting customers of the upcoming change and helping them transition to 4G or 5G. The 3G shutdown impacts older phones, home alarm systems, and roadside assistance systems. More: - T-Mobile and Verizon are scheduled to do the same in the third and fourth quarters of this year, respectively.
- The shutdown will impact individuals still using 3G devices, including iPhone 5 or older models and Android devices on 3G.
- Millions of cars built as far back as 2012 and as recently as 2021 will lose connected features such as traffic data, WiFi hotspots, emergency call service, and remote lock/unlock because they used AT&T's 3G network. Millions more will be affected when other providers shut down their 3G networks.
- AT&T has set up a dedicated webpage for users to check if their devices and/or systems will be impacted by the shutdown.
- The shutdown of 3G networks is to make way for the recently launched 5G networks. The telecom providers aim to re-use the spectrum for 4G and 5G.
Zoom Out: - Last month, the CEOs of major U.S. airlines wrote a letter addressed to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warning of the impact the new 5G service will have on air transportation and shipping services if rolled out too soon.
- They warned that the new 5G service, if deployed too soon, would leave many large aircraft unusable, leaving tens of thousands of U.S. citizens stranded abroad.
- Earlier that same month, the FAA warned that the new 5G service could affect certain types of flight radar altimeter equipment and would be restricting certain flight operations.
- Following the letter, AT&T and Verizon both agreed to delay the 5G service in areas close to airports and major city hubs.
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 Mountain Pass, Cali. mine |David Becker/Reuters The Biden administration announced several public and private investments to expand the U.S.’s domestic supply of rare earth minerals used in making computers, EVs, and other products. During a White House event on Tuesday, President Biden noted that the U.S. cannot build for the future if it is dependent on China for the materials needed to power the products of today and tomorrow. The investments are aimed at increasing the domestic supplies of minerals like lithium and cobalt. More: - MP Materials, a mining company based in Las Vegas, was awarded $35M to expand its rare earth metals project in Mountain Pass, California, just off Interstate 15.
- MP is expected to invest an additional $700M in its operations over the next two years.
- When completed, MP will have the first complete supply chain within the U.S. for permanent magnets used in EVs, wind turbines, and defense applications.
- Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables plans to break ground this spring on its California facility near the Salton Sea to test the commercial viability of a new process of extracting lithium from geothermal brines.
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 A message from AXONIUS Complexity is inevitable. So focus on what you can control. Watch the video to learn more. Complexity is inevitable. Just ask adaptive athlete Amy Bream. She was born with one leg, but didn’t let that stop her from growing up to become a kickboxer. In 2021, she competed in the CrossFit Games, coming in second place worldwide. The key to her success? Controlling what she can. The message of control and complexity is a universal truth that applies to all areas in life. One of these areas is asset management. And that’s where Axonius comes in. Axonius correlates asset data from existing solutions to do three things: - Provide an always up-to-date asset inventory
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Lowe’s released its Q4 and FY 2021 earnings report on Wednesday, beating analysts’ expectations on earnings. The home improvement retailer reported Q4 revenue of $21.34B. Net income came in at $1.21B, a ~24% increase YoY. Q4 EPS was $1.71. FY 2021 revenue came in at $96.25B, a 7% increase YOY. FY 2021 net income came in at $8.44B, up 44% YoY, or $12.04 a share. During an interview, Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison noted that as home prices go up, consumers are more confident in investing in their homes. More: - U.S. same-store sales rose 5.1% in Q4.
- Sales from home service professionals rose 23% in Q4; this group accounts for 20% to 25% of Lowe’s total sales.
- For FY 2022, the company expects revenue to fall between $97B to $99B and EPS to fall between $13.10 to $13.60.
- Lowe’s shares rose 3% by afternoon trading but closed at $215.09 a share, up less than 1% for the day.
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 Image: Home Depot Home Depot released its Q4 and FY 2021 earnings report on Tuesday, beating analysts’ expectations. It reported Q4 revenue of $35.72B, a 10.7% increase YoY. Q4 net income came in at $3.35B, up 17% YoY, or $3.21 a share. FY 2021 revenue came in at $151.16B, a 14% increase YoY. FY 2021 net income came in at $16.4B, up 27% YoY, or $15.53 a share. In an interview, Home Depot’s CFO, Richard McPhail, noted that due to the limited supply of available homes on the market, more people are investing in renovations and remodeling of existing homes. More: - U.S. same-store sales rose 7.6% in Q4.
- U.S. same-store sales rose 10.7% in FY 2021.
- The company plans to improve its DIY shoppers’ experience through personalized recommendations and make it easier for them to find items in-store or online.
- The company also plans to improve the shopping experience of its professional customers. It has invested $1.2B in this area so far, building a network of flatbed distribution centers.
- The company announced COO Ted Decker will become its new CEO effective March 1. Current CEO Craig Menear will continue to serve as chairman of the board.
- Home Depot shares were down ~9% on Tuesday. It closed at $308.45 on Wednesday, down ~2% for the day.
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- Google is dropping several of its COVID-19 mandates, including the vaccinations requirement. The company has also re-opened its fitness centers and re-instated several employee perks like massages.
- On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 464.85 points as tensions between Russia and Ukraine rise. The Dow closed at 33,131.76, marking its lowest level this year.
- Ivanka Trump, daughter of former President Donald Trump, is in talks with the House committee investing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Ivanka Trump served as one of President Trump’s senior advisers during his term.
- Bitcoin, along with other cryptocurrencies, dropped on news of tension between Russia and Ukraine. Bitcoin was trading at $37,295.35 around 4:07 p.m. PT on Wednesday.
- Lightricks, the company behind the photo and video-editing apps Facetune, announced TikTok star Charli D’Amelios and her family had taken an equity stake in the company. Lightricks did not disclose how much the family invested but shared the D’Amelio family will also write exclusive content for it on The247.
- Spotify’s Car Thing, a car dashboard accessory that allows users to control Spotify on their mobile device, went on sale on Tuesday. Spotify initially announced the device last April. It retails for $90.
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 |  | Vanessa Omeokachie is a Researcher at Inside. Her interests include finance, tech, and startups. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, attending music festivals, and traveling. Connect with her on Twitter @VanessaOmeo or through email at vanessa@inside.com. |  | | Editor | Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 Ford. | |
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