5 things to know Thursday

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to appeal for help in rare speech by a foreign leader to Congress

Russia escalated its bombardment of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and launched new assaults on the port city of Mariupol Wednesday, making advances on the ground as Ukraine’s president prepared to make a rare speech by a foreign leader to the US Congress. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will ask Congress for additional help for his embattled country in a virtual address to both houses on Wednesday morning. A foreign leader pleading their case in front of Congress is unusual; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday said that “it is nearly unheard of in modern times that we hear from a leader fighting for his life, fighting for his country’s survival, and fighting to preserve the very idea of ​​democracy.” Zelenskyy spoke to more than 280 members of Congress in a Zoom call earlier in March, in which he pleaded with lawmakers to give Ukraine more fighter jets and military support to resist Russia’s invasion. The US did not provide additional aircraft, but after the call, President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian energy imports and the House passed legislation to do the same.

A year after Atlanta-area spa shootings, a growing desire for systemic ch

One year ago, a man attacked three Atlanta-area Asian-owned spas, killing eight people, including six Asian women. Robert Aaron Long, then 21, pleaded guilty to murdering four of the victims in a plea bargain that spared him from a possible death penalty. The shocking murders unleashed a wave of anxiety for Asian Americans long accustomed to casual racism and discrimination, and also tore open memories of brutal attacks faced by Asian American communities for generations. But a year later, fear is being replaced by a growing desire for systemic change – in everything from law enforcement to community priorities to history classes.

Fed poised to raise key short-term Interest rate

The Federal Reserve is set to raise its key short-term interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday, meaning Americans will soon see higher rates on everything from credit cards to mortgages. This also means consumers will finally see rates rise from measly levels on at least some bank savings accounts and CDs. The first increase of the federal funds rate in more than three years will kick off a projected five to seven such moves this year, top economists say, as the central bank sets out to corral inflation that reached a 40-year high of 7.9% in February. The five quarter-point increases would be the Fed’s most aggressive hiking campaign since 2005 and leave its key rate at a range of 1.25% to 1.5% by year-end.

Women’s NCAA tournament tips off with play-in matchups

the women’s NCAA tournament begins Wednesday with two play-in games: DePaul vs. Dayton and Howard vs. Incarnate Word. The first matchup of the evening is scheduled to tip off at 7 pm ET on ESPN U and features a pair of No. 16 seeds in Howard and Incarnate Word. The winner will face No. 1 overall seed South Carolina in the Round of 64. In the second game, scheduled to start at 9 pm ET on ESPN U, DePaul will square off against Dayton. DePaul is coming off of a loss in the quarterfinals Big East tournament, while Dayton most recently fell in the title game of the Atlantic 10 tournament. No. 6 seed Georgia awaits the winner of DePaul-Dayton next round.

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Uber to add surcharge to help drivers cope with gas prices

beginning wednesday, Uber customers can expect to pay a surcharge on their rides and delivery orders in the coming weeks to help ease the pain at the pump for drivers. The surcharge costs are based on the average trip distance and increase in gas price in each state. “Beginning Wednesday, March 16, consumers will pay a surcharge of either $0.45 or $0.55 on each Uber trip and either $0.35 or $0.45 on each Uber Eats order, depending on their location – with 100% of that money going directly to workers’ pockets, “according to a statement from Liza Winship, Uber’s head of driver operations in the US and Canada. The surcharge will not apply to rides that begin in New York City or Uber Eats deliveries within the city, where Uber drivers received a 5.3% increase to the city’s minimum earnings standard earlier this month.