Extra, Extra
Disembark Collar: “The crew, made up of 20 Indians and a Sri Lankan national, has been unable to disembark because of visa restrictions, a lack of required shore passes and parallel ongoing investigations … [they’ve] been left largely without communication with the outside world for ‘a couple of weeks’ after their mobile phones were confiscated by the FBI as part of the investigation.” It’s been seven weeks since a container ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The crew is still stuck on board. Meanwhile, a barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill.
+ Up For Debate: “Having spent months avoiding direct engagement on when and where to debate, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden seemed to agree on a time and place in a matter of minutes on Wednesday, setting up high-stakes showdowns in late June and mid September.” The build-up to these debates should be pretty chill.
+ (Food) Chain Gang: “They argue that the government officials colluded to keep Black people imprisoned and available as cheap labor and that the companies conspired to profit from the coerced work. The suit, filed right before Christmas, says it seeks ‘to abolish a modern-day form of slavery.'” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Cheap Prison Labor Is Keeping People Locked Up Longer, Suit Alleges. “Ptomey, who’s been incarcerated for robbery and burglary since George W. Bush was president, did a stint a few years ago cooking chicken at a KFC, where fellow inmates worked the cash register.” And from The New Yorker: “Hundreds of counties around the country have ended in-person jail visits, replacing them with video calls and earning a cut of the profits.” Do Children Have a “Right to Hug” Their Parents?
+ Young at Heart: “‘Your soldiers, your citizens–particularly in the northeast, in Kharkiv–are suffering tremendously. But they need to know, you need to know, the United States is with you, so much of the world is with you and they’re fighting not just for a free Ukraine, but for the free world. And the free world is with you, too,’ Blinken said, according to Reuters, before he grabbed a red guitar and performed a rendition of Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ at the local basement bar, called Barman Diktat.” Antony Blinken Rocks Out During Surprise Performance at Kyiv Basement Bar. The venue and song choice raised a few eyebrows, but the bigger question is whether or not the military aid got there in time. Ukrainian troops pull out of some areas and Zelenskyy postpones foreign trips amid Russian offensive.
+ Fico Shot: “Slovakia’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday while greeting supporters at an event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe weeks before an election.” Here’s the latest.
+ Magic the Gathering Accusations: “Carla says she feels she was ‘groomed’ by Copperfield for more than two years. She describes how he sent her notes and gifts, including a teddy bear and Valentine’s day balloon when she was 16. A note attached to one – a photo of which was seen by the Guardian – reads: ‘In 2 years I will be back.'” Magician David Copperfield accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
+ Hut, Hut, (Price) Hike: Netflix just scored the rights to a couple of Christmas Day NFL games. So for Christmas, you might want to ask for enough app subscriptions to watch every game during the season.
