Thursday, March 28
Putin, a rowdy ‘rogue male’, threatens to start a war that nobody wants |  Simon Tisdall
News

Putin, a rowdy ‘rogue male’, threatens to start a war that nobody wants | Simon Tisdall

TThe term “rogue male,” denoting a wild bull elephant, is also used figuratively to describe a callous and dangerously out-of-control loner. It may be that Vladimir Putin has a soft side. If so, it is well hidden. The president of Russia fits the rogue male profile to a T: unscrupulous, vicious, cunning, and always ready to trample on other people and countries.Much recent effort has been made trying to understand and explain Putin's motives for threatening a broader war in Ukraine. Does he hope to restore past Soviet glories or crush Kiev's pro-Western trajectory? Is it his historical legacy or his need to repeat the electoral “Crimean rebound”? Such theories have weight, but they all miss the essential point.Putin is and always has been a nasty, grinning, devious, KGB-trained th...
“I do not want to be part of a reconstruction if I am going to continue playing”
Europe

“I do not want to be part of a reconstruction if I am going to continue playing”

Aaron Rodgers was "a little numb" after the Green Bay Packers' 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and it had little to do with the 2-degree weather at Lambeau Field. The Packers were once again pushed out of the postseason after the offense put up just three points in its last nine drives and the special teams sank, again. The latest postseason outing in Green Bay marks the beginning of another round of questions about the presumed two-time MVP's future with the Packers. Immediately after the loss, Rodgers said he's going to take some time before diving into what's next. "I didn't think we'd be talking about this after this game," Rodgers said. "I'm going to take some time and talk to people here, and then I'm going to take time and make a decision, obvious...
Francis Ngannou unifies UFC heavyweight title with unanimous decision over Cyryl Gane
Europe

Francis Ngannou unifies UFC heavyweight title with unanimous decision over Cyryl Gane

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Francis Ngannou is perhaps the most frightening power-puncher in UFC history. But he reminded everyone Saturday night that he is not only that. Ngannou showed off a well-rounded game -- and immeasurable heart -- befitting the champion he is.Down on the cards early and dealing with a knee injury, the hardest-hitting man maybe ever in MMA went to his wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to gut out a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) win over Cyryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270 at Honda Center.With the victory, Ngannou unifies the UFC undisputed heavyweight title. Win came in as the interim champ."My ground game is evolving," Ngannou said in his postfight interview.2RelatedThe fight had a rich back story, outside of the high stakes. Ngannou and Gane were spa...
Has Aaron Rodgers played his last game for the Packers?  Playoff loss to 49ers reheats NFL trade rumors
Sports

Has Aaron Rodgers played his last game for the Packers? Playoff loss to 49ers reheats NFL trade rumors

Aaron Rodgers is still locked in for a Super Bowl appearance and win after 14 seasons as the Packers' starting quarterback. That was confirmed by No. 1 seed Green Bay's surprise 13-10 loss to No. 6 seed San Francisco in Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game. Now the big question that lingered during the last NFL offseason will be asked again: Did Rodgers play his last game with the Packers? Rodgers (20-of-29 passing, 225 yards) didn't have one of his best games against the 49ers defense. Single-digit temperatures, flurries and a pass rush that caught him five times all contributed to the chill. So did an offense that was again limited to three reliable playmakers: running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon and wide receiver Davante Adams.BENDER: What went wrong for Green Bay in the los...
Where egos dare: Manchin and Sinema show how the Senate spotlight corrupts |  Robert Reich
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Where egos dare: Manchin and Sinema show how the Senate spotlight corrupts | Robert Reich

WWhat can explain Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema's decision to scuttle voting rights protections? Why did they create a false narrative that the legislation had to be "bipartisan" when everyone, including themselves, knew bipartisanship was impossible?Why did they say they couldn't support changing the Senate's filibuster rules when they only last month voted for a filibuster exception that allowed debt ceiling legislation to pass with only Democrat votes?Why did they co-sponsor voting rights legislation and then vote to kill the same legislation? Why did Manchin vote for “talking filibuster” in 2011 and now vote against it?Part of the answer to all these questions can be found in the giant wads of corporate cash flowing into his campaign coffers. But if you want to get the full answe...
US hospitals struggle as Omicron Covid surge delays other treatments |  Coronavirus
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US hospitals struggle as Omicron Covid surge delays other treatments | Coronavirus

The surge in cases of the Omicron variant has not only flooded US hospitals with a record number of Covid-19 patients, it has also caused scary times and major challenges for people seeking treatment for other problems.Less urgent procedures have been suspended. Waits in the emergency room are getting longer than usual.In California, Mat Gleason said he took his 92-year-old father, Eugene, to a Los Angeles-area emergency room last week for a transfusion to treat a blood disorder. It should have taken seven to 10 hours, Gleason said, but his father was there for 48. He said his father called after 10 hours and asked for a blanket.“He told me later, 'I assumed you forgot about me,'” Gleason, 57, told the Associated Press. And yet, she wasn't the only person in that room. There were do...
An animal rights activist was in court on criminal charges.  Why was the case suddenly dismissed?  |  animal welfare
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An animal rights activist was in court on criminal charges. Why was the case suddenly dismissed? | animal welfare

When animal rights activist matt johnson latest done national news, he was in disguise. He appeared on Fox Business in December 2020, sporting a button-down buzz cut (very different from his usual casual attire) and posing as the CEO of Smithfield Foods. The pork giant he claimed to represent had factory farms that were "petri dishes for new diseases," he told the newscaster. After the segment went viral online, Fox realized their mistake: "Looks like we've been duped," announced host Maria Bartiromo, apologizing to Smithfield, who called the interview "a complete hoax."Johnson's antics and apparent lack of fear of consequences have made him a formidable opponent of the meat industry. But while the Fox incident offered a moment of levity, today, Johnson is in the news for something ...
My wife will have me home after an affair, but I crave more |  Relations
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My wife will have me home after an affair, but I crave more | Relations

The question I had a very intense two-year affair with someone who, like me, had been married for a long time. Eighteen months later, I left my wife, feeling confident that my partner was the love of my life, and hoping that she could bring us together. This led to the loss of my home and much of my social network, and the need to change jobs.My partner decided to stay in his marriage, citing the welfare of his children. He wanted to keep the relationship with me secret indefinitely. This quickly became unbearable for me and now I cut off all contact, which was not his wish. She was noncommittal about whether he intended, or even wanted, to leave his marriage and be with me openly. Her final message to me expressed that this was now her intention, but that she could not give an id...
Will Forte brings back Anti-Mask, Anti-Vax MacGruber for ‘SNL’
Europe

Will Forte brings back Anti-Mask, Anti-Vax MacGruber for ‘SNL’

Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Will Forte made his hosting debut this week, reviving his beloved character MacGruber. However, it turns out that MacGruber has been duped by the anti-vaccine crowd. MacGruber's first sketch of the night saw the action hero and his henchmen Vicki (Kristen Wiig) and Piper (Ryan Phillippe) trapped in a small room with a bomb waiting to go off. All three wear masks. "I know this whole COVID situation has really been a game changer, so we need to be smart about it, okay?" MacGruber says. "We're in a small room with very limited airflow." He then asks Vicki and Piper for their face masks, takes off his own as well, and sets all three on fire. When he is asked why, he says, “We need every drop of oxygen we can get, which is impossible with...
Mark Magsayo gets upset to stop Gary Russell Jr.’s long WBC featherweight title reign.
Europe

Mark Magsayo gets upset to stop Gary Russell Jr.’s long WBC featherweight title reign.

The longest active career of a male boxing champion is over.Mark Magsayo defeated Gary Russell Jr. by majority decision on Saturday night (114-114, 115-113 and 115-113) to claim the WBC featherweight title in Atlantic City, New Jersey, taking the title from Russell after almost seven years with the WBC belt."This is my dream come true," Magsayo said on Showtime after the fight. "This is my dream since I was a child."Russell, 33 (31-2, 18 KOs), entered Saturday as the longest-reigning reigning men's boxing champion at six years and 10 months, holding the title since March 28, 2015, when he achieved a technical knockout. by Jhonny Gonzalez in the fourth round.But Russell's reign had not been incredibly active. He fought five times between winning the title and then losing it on Saturda...