The Biden administration today unleashed its most extensive package of sanctions to hit Russia since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began two years ago this Saturday. The new sanctions, which are in part a response to the death of Aleksei Navalny last week, target Russia’s financial sector and military-industrial complex.
The move is the latest in a yearslong effort by the West to sever Russia from the global economy and punish President Vladimir Putin. However, the new sanctions, like previous attempts at isolating Russia, may do little to alter the trajectory of the war. Russia’s vast energy supplies have powered its economic resilience, and Putin’s influence in parts of Asia, Africa and South America is as strong as ever.
“As we get into this third year, the advantage is definitely with Russia,” my colleague Marc Santora, who is covering the war from Kyiv, said. “This winter is probably the most precarious position that Ukraine has found itself in since the first weeks of the war.”
Marc said the top concern for Ukrainian commanders is a lack of ammunition and resources, made more acute because of an absence of U.S. aid. Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, visited Ukraine today in an effort to pressure Republicans to support an aid package. So far the House speaker has rejected calls for a vote.
Netanyahu laid out his postwar plan for Gaza
In his most detailed strategy yet for a postwar Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a plan today for Israel to retain indefinite military control over the enclave while allowing Gazans without links to Hamas to govern aspects of civilian life.
Netanyahu envisions Israeli-controlled buffer zones along Gaza’s borders with both Egypt and Israel, which the U.S. has spoken out against. If adopted as written, the plan would make it nearly impossible in the short term to establish a unified Palestinian state, as a number of foreign governments have supported.
The plan also appears carefully ambiguous: It signals to his right-wing base that he is defying foreign pressure, while postponing decisions on the thorniest issues.
In related news, the U.S. secretary of state said new Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal, reversing a Trump-era policy.
Trump is expected to trounce Haley in her home state
In tomorrow’s South Carolina primary, Donald Trump — who has cruised to sizable victories in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada — is expected to again prove his hold over the party’s voters. Recent polls showed him leading Nikki Haley, who was once the state’s favorite political daughter, by 36 points.
A marketplace of girl influencers, stalked by men
Instagram does not allow children under 13 to have accounts, but parents are allowed to run them — and many do for daughters who aspire to be social media influencers. But what often starts as an effort to jump-start a modeling career can quickly descend into a dark underworld dominated by adult men, some of whom openly admit to being pedophiles.
‘The White Lotus’ in Thailand
In the weeks since HBO announced that it had started filming the third season of “The White Lotus” in Thailand, searches for the Southeast Asian country jumped 50 percent on the travel site Expedia. It seemed as if a bet by Thailand was paying off: The country’s Tourism Authority courted the production with sponsorships, and the government has offered millions of dollars in financial incentives to international productions.
The concept of boosting tourism with entertainment is not new. But “The White Lotus” has taken the trend to another level, spurring tourism with a show about tourism by publicly partnering with tourism. The show’s previous seasons helped turn Four Seasons resorts in Maui and Sicily into “it” destinations.
Discover a great book this weekend
Picking out your next read can be overwhelming. Countless new titles are released every week, and it can be hard to determine from a summary alone if a book is right for you. Luckily, my colleagues at the Book Review are here to help.
Do you smell the music?
The San Francisco Symphony has a new trick up its sleeve. Next week, during its performance of Scriabin’s “Prometheus: The Poem of Fire,” it plans to accompany the musicians and singers with large scent cannons, built to distribute smells that match the tone of the music.
The scents were designed by Cartier’s longtime perfumer, Mathilde Laurent, including one that is designed to evoke chaos. Combined with Scriabin’s already sensuous music and a colored light display, the experience is “like a drug” that leaves you “stimulated from everywhere: your nose, your ears, your eyes,” the pianist said.
Have a sensational weekend.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew
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