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| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers. Ukrainian and Russian officials will meet near the Belarus border, hours after Russia's central bank dramatically hiked interest rates. That came as the ruble plunged to a record low of less than 1 U.S. cent after Western nations moved to block some Russian banks from a global payments system. |
| In domestic news, the first trial of a defendant charged in the Capitol insurrection of Jan. 6 last year will begin. And, it's deadline day for Major League Baseball to salvage a March 31 start to the regular season. |
| It's Jane, with Monday's news. |
| ⛈ "Some parts of the planet will become uninhabitable": Life in some locations is rapidly reaching the point where it will be too hot for the species that live there to survive, a U.N. panel said in a new report. |
| ✅ What's true and what's false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine: We check the facts. |
| 🏆 SAG Awards 2022: The heartwarming Sundance Film Festival hit "CODA" won best acting ensemble while Will Smith and Jessica Chastain took top individual honors. |
| 🥅 Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek called for the NHL to "suspend contracts for all Russian players" and had some choice words for Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin, a supporter of Vladimir Putin. |
| 🏈 "Seven formidable years": Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet abruptly announced his retirement from the NFL at the age of 28. |
 | | Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Ali Marpet celebrates after a win earlier this season. | | Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images | |
| 💰 A New York man defied lottery odds after winning $10 million from a scratch-off game. And it's the second time in three years he's won it. |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, domestic security correspondent Josh Meyer looks into the latest sanctions on Russian financial institutions . You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
Ukrainian delegation to meet with Russian officials near Belarus border |
| A Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to meet with Russian officials near the Belarus border Monday, the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. It came as Russia's central bank sharply raised its key borrowing rate from 9.5% to 20% in a desperate attempt to shore up the plummeting ruble amid crippling Western sanctions. The talks Monday would come about a day after Russian troops entered Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv. President Joe Biden is also scheduled to hold a call with U.S. allies on Monday morning to discuss their coordinated response to the situation in Ukraine. |
| On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces to be on high alert, a response to "aggressive statements" by leading NATO powers and economic sanctions by the West. The U.N.'s Human Rights Council reported Monday that at least 406 civilians have been killed or wounded since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Thursday. |
 | | Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov (2L) arrives to attend the talks between delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Belarus' Gomel region on Feb. 28, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. | | SERGEI KHOLODILIN, BELTA/AFP via Getty Images | |
| 📩 The latest news out of Ukraine can get delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here. |
What could invasion of Ukraine mean for energy costs? |
| Russia's invasion of Ukraine is adding to the surging energy prices already plaguing Europe and the U.S., crimping consumer spending and holding back economic growth. If oil prices rise to $120 per barrel and gas prices remain elevated, inflation would rise and slow economic growth this year, analysts at Berenberg bank say. Some analysts believe regular gasoline could climb to $4 a gallon on average in the U.S. in the coming months. "That's going to create a lot of anxiety with consumers, and our government hasn't come up with a solution to help families with rising gasoline prices," said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. |
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| 🌊 As Hawaii declares a climate crisis, schools hope Indigenous knowledge will save the islands. |
| 🏥 Cystic fibrosis diagnosis misses more people of color. This couple seek to remedy that. |
| ⚾️ Nightengale's Notebook: MLB's lockout is doing more permanent damage every single day. |
| ✈️ "The Dream," destroyed: A Ukrainian-made aircraft – the world's largest – was damaged in a Russian attack, Ukrainian officials said. |
 | | The Ukrainian Antonov-225 Mriya (Dream), the world's heaviest and largest aircraft, makes a test landing at the new runway at the airport in Donetsk, Ukraine on July 26, 2011. | | Sergey Vaganov, AP | |
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| Already a subscriber and want all of the subscriber-only content emailed to you directly every day? We can do that! Sign up for that here. |
Texas man will be the first Jan. 6 defendant to face a jury |
| A 48-year-old Texas militia member will become the first of the more than 700 defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to go to trial on Monday. Prosecutors say Guy Wesley Reffitt joined hundreds of others in an assault by the paramilitary Three Percenters, which was stopped just short of the threshold by police. He faces possible prison time on charges that include obstructing Congress, interfering with law enforcement, and entering the Capitol complex with a weapon. While more consequential cases are still to come – notably the alleged conspiracy of the Oath Keepers group of attempting to overthrow the government – the prosecution of Reffitt is expected to offer fireworks of its own and a possible template for trials to follow. |
MLB, players union meet as supposed deadline looms |
| Major League Baseball and the players union are scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. ET Monday in hopes of reaching a deal to preserve the start of the regular season . The two sides spent Sunday exchanging various hypotheticals without a single formal proposal. MLB called it a "productive meeting" while union officials said the sides are still "very far apart" on significant issues. While MLB insisted that a deal must be completed by Monday evening to assure that the regular season starts on March 31, the two sides believe that if significant progress is made, the talks could extend into Tuesday or even later in the week without needing to delay or shorten the season. |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday |
| 😷 Should I wear a mask in my county? CDC map shows COVID risk levels. |
| 📺 "Pawn Stars" celebrity Rick Harrison is being sued by his mother in a dispute over family assets and ownership of the Las Vegas business featured on the show. |
| 🔵 Why is Russia invading Ukraine? Could it be the start of WWIII? Here's what we know. |
| 🗣 "White supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech and bigotry are disgusting": Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., spoke before a meeting of white nationalists, drawing a rebuke from the leader of the RNC and others. |
| 🔴 What is DEFCON? What's nuclear deterrence? What to know amid Vladimir Putin's warning. |
Illinois' updated school mask guidelines to take effect — except in Chicago |
| Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's decision to drop the statewide school mask mandate effective Monday won't change a thing in Chicago, the nation's fourth-largest public school system. The decision by Pritzker to follow the lead of a growing number of governors comes as the CDC updates its guidance for communities where COVID-19 is easing its grip . The agency says masks may not be needed in almost two-thirds of U.S. counties, citing easing strain on health care systems as new cases plummet. In a letter to parents and students, the district said masks will remain a requirement in its 650 schools. "We all look forward to the day when masks will no longer be required in schools," the letter says. "We plan to work with our labor and public health partners on the best way to preserve a safe learning environment for all." |
📸 'A tricky day to celebrate': Stars turn out for the SAG awards 📸 |
 | | Ensemble in a drama series: "Succession" | | Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY | |
| Hollywood showed support for Ukraine and its ongoing effort to fend off the invasion by Russia at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards. |
| Jean Smart, accepting best lead actress in a TV comedy for HBO Max's "Hacks," called for "peace" during her speech, while Jessica Chastain, best lead actress winner for film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," said her "heart is with our international family who is fighting for their safety and freedom." |
| Brian Cox saluted Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor and comedian, while accepting the best ensemble award for HBO's hit "Succession" along with his castmates, calling the attacks "very, very awful." |
| Scroll through the gallery of the winners backstage with their trophies and check out the stars on the red carpet here. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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