Three Things for March 3
1. Russian forces gain ground at Ukrainian energy hub
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a damaged logistic center after shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
On Thursday, March 3, Russian forces battled for control of a crucial energy-producing city in Ukraine. Ukrainian leaders called on citizens to rise up and wage guerrilla war against the invaders, according to AP News.
Enerhodar is a city on the Dnieper River that accounts for about one-quarter of the country’s power generation, according to AP News.
This afternoon, a member of Ukraine’s delegation said the parties have reached a tentative agreement to organize safe corridors for civilians to evacuate and for humanitarian supplies to be delivered.
“The Russian military says it has only struck military facilities and haven’t targeted residential areas, a claim that has been contradicted by the abundant evidence of massive casualties and damage to residential areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and other cities in Ukraine,” reports AP News.
Video footage from Enerhodar showed flames and clouds of black smoke rising above the city of over 50,000, with people streaming away from the inferno and past wrecked cars as sirens wailed, according to AP News.
For live updates on the Russia-Ukrainian war, check AP News.
2. Fitbit recalls 1.7 million smartwatches due to battery defect
On Wednesday, March 2, Fitbit recalled the Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch because of a lithium-ion battery that was overheating and burning users.
“There were 78 reports of burn injuries in the U.S. – two involving third-degree burns and four involving second-degree burns – as well as 40 burn injuries globally,” reported NPR.
Customers are urged to stop using the Ionic Smartwatches immediately and to return them for a refund. Fitbit conducted an investigation and concluded the dangerous overheating occurred in limited instances.
"The health and safety of Fitbit users is our highest priority. We are taking this action out of an abundance of caution for our users," the company said in a statement.
3. Jan. 6 panel discusses potential criminal charges against Trump
FILE (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
In a court filing on Wednesday, March 2, the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol said its evidence suggests crimes may have been committed by former President Donald Trump and his associates.
“In a court filing in a civil case in California, the committee’s lawyers for the first time laid out their theory of a potential criminal case against the former president. They said they had accumulated evidence demonstrating that Mr. Trump, the conservative lawyer John Eastman and other allies could potentially be charged with criminal violations including obstructing an official proceeding of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the American people,” reports the New York Times.
The 221-page filing marks the committee’s most formal effort to link the former president to a federal crime, though the actual import of the filing is not clear. According to AP News, lawmakers do not have the power to bring criminal charges on their own and can only make a referral to the Justice Department.
The filing said a “review of the materials may reveal that the president and members of his campaign engaged in common law fraud in connection with their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.”
For more information on the investigation, read the full AP News article.
