US veterans join the fight in Ukraine
Hector served two tours in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, then got out, got a pension and a civilian job, and thought he was done with military service. But Friday, he boarded a plane for one more deployment, this time as a volunteer in Ukraine. He is one of a surge of U.S. veterans who say they are now preparing to join the fight in Ukraine, emboldened by the invitation of the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who this past week announced he was creating an “international legion” and asked volunteers from around the world to help defend his nation against Russia.
Meeting with Congress, Zelenskyy asks for more jets and a no-fly zone
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine spoke with more than 300 members of Congress on Saturday, imploring them to ban the importation of Russian oil and to send more jets to his country, according to lawmakers on the call. The virtual meeting was the first time Zelenskyy had addressed both houses of Congress since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy reiterated a list of demands, including the imposition of a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Western governments have rebuffed the idea, citing the risk of direct conflict between NATO and Russian forces. “He is standing strong but pleaded for more help,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.
China tells US don’t fuel flames in Ukraine
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that China opposes any moves that “add fuel to the flames” in Ukraine. Blinken says the world is watching to see which nations stand up for the principles of freedom and sovereignty. The two spoke by phone on Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Wang called for negotiations to resolve the immediate crisis, as well as talks on creating a balanced European security mechanism. Wang says the U.S. and Europe should pay attention to the negative impact of NATO’s eastward expansion on Russia’s security.
California woman is charged with faking her own abduction
Sherri Papini said that her captors had leashed her to a pole inside a closet, a bucket of kitty litter serving as her toilet. Then came the beatings. And when she tried to escape, she told investigators, she was branded. Federal prosecutors said this past week that Papini’s claims that two masked women had abducted her at gunpoint in Redding, California, had been made up, and that she continued her deception when investigators confronted her. Papini, 39, was arrested Thursday on felony charges that included making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer and mail fraud.
Why American mask makers are going out of business
It is hard to know precisely how many mask-making companies were born during the pandemic. At first, customers who could no longer obtain masks through their normal supply channels were beating down their doors. The same was true during the delta and omicron waves, when masks were also scarce. But as soon as the waves crested, and Chinese companies began exporting masks below cost, the customers disappeared. Today, these small U.S. mask manufacturers are in dire straits — if they haven’t gone out of business already. The plight of these small mask companies suggests that reviving American manufacturing won’t be easy.
Boise’s mayor says she faces violent threats and harassment
Lauren McLean, the mayor of Boise, Idaho, said that she has faced “real and grave” threats during her term, which has been marked by aggressive demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions that she and other state officials put in place. In a statement that her office shared Thursday, McLean, a Democrat, said she had faced protests with torches and pitchforks outside her home and “sinister thwarted plots” against her. McLean said she was discussing the threats in public because violent intimidation had driven other officials to resign. McLean said that, after consulting with her family, she had decided to stay in office.