 Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he plans to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine as independent republics, a decision that could foreshadow an attack. European Union leaders swiftly condemned the move and the U.S. announced new sanctions against Russia. The regions in question are partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists, and Putin has blamed Ukrainian aggression for recent violence there. Ukraine says it is not engaged in offensive actions in the regions; both Ukraine and NATO countries say Putin is using the accusations to justify an invasion. More: - Putin's decision came after he met with Russia's Security Council, and only hours after he and President Biden had agreed "in principle" to meet within the next week. That meeting will not happen should Russia invade Ukraine.
- In an evening address to his nation, Putin detailed "a long history of grievances" against the West since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and said that Ukraine has historically been part of Russia.
- Separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared independence from Ukraine in 2014. Persistent fighting between the Ukrainian military and the rebels, supported by Russia, have resulted in more than 10,000 deaths since then.
- The Russian government will become the first in the world to recognize the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) as independent nations.
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 The U.S., Iran, and other nations are reportedly days away from reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, with some asks from Tehran still on the negotiating table. Most of the parameters of the original deal would remain intact, with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi saying that the U.S. must commit to lifting sanctions. The U.S. pulled out of the agreement in 2018 but President Biden made reestablishing the deal a top foreign policy goal when he took office. More: - The U.K., China, France, Germany, and Russia would also need to agree to the deal's new terms.
- The U.S. and Europe have sought to promptly reenter the deal given an acceleration in Iran's nuclear capabilities.
- However, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki sought to temper expectations about an imminent deal. "Nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed," she said on Friday.
- Negotiations on the deal largely remained on hold for years after former President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement, saying it gave Iran too many concessions.
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 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ending all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, he said Monday. People who have COVID-19 will no longer be required to self-isolate, though they will still be encouraged to stay home when sick. Johnson's government is also ending additional financial support for those who miss work due to COVID-19. He told the House of Commons that the country would transition "from government restrictions to personal responsibility," and attempt to manage the virus as it does other common transmissible illnesses. More: - Most Britons will have to start paying for rapid and PCR tests, though seniors and the immunocompromised will still be able to get tested for free.
- Johnson also cautioned that the pandemic was not over and that new variants, potentially some more dangerous than omicron, could spring up.
- Queen Elizabeth II, 95, tested positive for COVID-19 this weekend, showing that even the most protected individuals can still be infected with the virus. Many in the Queen's inner circle have also tested positive, including Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.
- Keir Starmer, who leads Britain's opposition Labour Party, said the dropping of restrictions was premature and could leave the country vulnerable to new surges.
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 A T Cell GOOD NEWS: Receiving three doses of an mRNA coronavirus vaccine appears to provide significant protection against severe illness and death from a COVID-19 infection for a long period of time, several recent studies suggest. Even though protection from infection may wane months after receiving a final dose, the body's immune system remains able to neutralize the virus to prevent critical illness, perhaps for years. One recent study even showed that three doses of an mRNA vaccine produce a wide array of antibodies "which would be difficult for any variant of the virus to evade." More: - Similar long-term effects against severe infection were seen in people who received only two doses of an mRNA vaccine, though scientists are still conducting research to see if a third dose provides longer-lasting benefits.
- Researchers believe seniors and the immunocompromised could benefit from a fourth shot, but another dose of the same mRNA vaccine is unlikely to be approved or recommended for most Americans, at least until the fall.
- Preliminary research appears to show that vaccinated individuals are very unlikely to get Long Covid after a breakthrough infection, though some anecdotal cases have been reported.
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 Australia wants China to investigate a military incident where a Chinese naval vessel apparently shined a laser at an Australian jet. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the incident "unprofessional" and "reckless," and suggested that it could have been an attempt by the Chinese to bully or intimidate. A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said the account by the Australians is not true and that its ship adhered to "relevant international law." More: - An article by the Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times accuses the Australian military of "throwing mud at China" and attempting to distract from its delivery of aid to Tonga after the South Pacific island was devastated by a recent volcanic eruption and tsunami.
- The Global Times also suggested that Australia's planes flew so close to the Chinese naval vessels that "defensive countermeasures" were necessary.
- However, international aviation groups say shining a laser light at a pilot can be dangerous, resulting in disorientation, temporary blindness, and spasms.
- In May 2019, Australian helicopter pilots said they were targeted by lasers while flying over the South China Sea.
- Tensions between Australia and China have remained high since Australia entered a deal in September 2021 with the U.S. and U.K. to develop its own nuclear-powered submarines.
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 Stephen Curry hit 16 3-pointers and won MVP of the NBA's All-Star Game as Team LeBron defeated Team Durant, 163-160. Curry broke the previous record of most 3-pointers made in an All-Star Game (9) and would have set the all-time NBA record (14, set by Klay Thompson) had it occurred in a regular season game. LeBron James hit the game-winning shot for his team, finishing with 24 points. More: - The All-Star Game was played this year in Cleveland, Ohio, about 40 miles north of Akron, where both Curry and James were born.
- Curry called the game a "perfect ending" and James said "I couldn't have dreamt it" the moment he hit the game-winner.
- The NBA is in the midst of its 75th-anniversary celebration, and the league is honoring its 75 greatest players in history, which include both Curry and James.
- Curry was booed when he first took to the court – his Golden State Warriors faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers for four straight years in the NBA finals from 2015 to 2018 – but the crowd jumped to its feet after Curry hit five consecutive 3-pointers early in the third quarter.
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- SpaceX launched 46 Starlink internet satellites on Monday, bringing the total to 2,137 launched to date.
- Yale Law School announced it will cover the full tuition for its lowest-income students starting in Fall 2022.
- Bernie Madoff's sister and her husband were found dead last week in Palm Beach County, Florida, in an apparent murder-suicide.
- Negotiations continued on Monday between Major League Baseball and the player's union in an effort to end the lockout that could derail the upcoming season.
- Capcom announced "Street Fighter 6" on Monday, though no release date or other details were revealed.
- Loop TV provides fully licensed TV content for businesses. Ditch cable and satellite. Switch to Loop TV for free. Sign up today.*
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 |  | Jonathan Harris is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles. |  | | Editor | Eduardo Garcia is a writer and editor based in New York. He is writing an illustrated book about climate change that will be published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Scientific American, and others. In one of his previous lives, Eduardo worked as a Reuters correspondent in Latin America for nearly a decade. | |
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